How Did I Become an F1 Driver?

Chapter 975 381: Zhou Guanyu's Concerns

This result directly ranked second at the stop of Q2, just behind Verstappen.Hamilton also easily posted a time in Q2 that could comfortably advance to Q3.

The results of Qin Miao and Hamilton only brought a brief joy to domestic fans; although the Mercedes team isn't doing well, they still have the foundation and getting into Q3 poses no problem.

But what truly surprised and excited the domestic audience was Zhou Guanyu's time in Q2 - 1:20.336, just 0.1 seconds faster than Mick - eliminating Mick Schumacher and advancing to Q3.

In the end, the drivers eliminated in Q2 were: Mick Schumacher, Norris, O'Kang, Yuki Tsunoda, and Gasly.

Q3 stage.

Qin Miao has new soft tires available for two practice runs in Q3.

So Qin Miao ran without any reservations.

In this qualifying match, Qin Miao not only brought his consistent stability but also showcased his limits.

Qin Miao's first flying lap in Q3 recorded a time of 1:18.995.

This immediately placed him first after the first flying lap in Q3.

He was exactly 0.4 seconds faster than Verstappen, who was in second place at the time.

This result not only stunned the competitors in the Mercedes paddock but even Toto couldn't believe it and rubbed his eyes after seeing Qin Miao's time, questioning if the car's performance this season was this formidable.

Five-Star Sports was equally puzzled.

Fei directly said, "How can Qin Miao be this fast? Bear in mind Hamilton's speed was only 1:19.512, Qin Miao was 0.6 seconds faster than his teammate."

Bing thought for a moment and provided an answer, "Could it be that the Catalonia track suits the Mercedes car? Plus, Qin Miao ran a good flying lap."

Zhou Haoran nodded in agreement, "This possibility cannot be ruled out since the Mercedes team had no upgrades today, while Ferrari and Red Bull had upgrades. Appearing at this position can only mean Qin Miao ran a good lap."

Indeed, Qin Miao's final lap was purely due to running well.

Many of the turns were taken by Qin Miao at the tire's limit.

At the exit of almost every corner, Qin Miao was only a centimeter or two away from veering out of the track boundary.

Even during the return lap, Qin Miao felt that he might never run such a perfect flying lap on the Catalonia circuit in his lifetime.

Therefore, Qin Miao kept one set of tires initially intended for the last flying lap in Q3.

Qin Miao knew he couldn't improve his time after the final flying lap in Q3, so he used old soft tires for the last flying lap.

Yet, Qin Miao still finished second in this qualifying match.

Leclerc first, Hamilton sixth, Zhou Guanyu ninth.

After claiming first in this qualifying match, Leclerc excitedly roared on the team TR: "Let's go!!!!"

After the final qualifying session ended, the rankings stood as follows:

1: Leclerc

2: Qin Miao

3: Verstappen

4: Sainz

5: Perez

6: Hamilton

7: Bottas

8: Magelsen

9: Zhou Guanyu

10: Ricardo

After this qualifying session, Qin Miao also came to the post-qualification interview area for the first time this season.

After getting out of the car, looking at the Ferrari and Red Bull beside him, Qin Miao suddenly felt a sense of change.

However, he quickly put his emotions in order, shook hands with his competitors, greeted them, celebrated briefly with the team staff, and went for weighing before the interview.

This race didn't have the frills of the American round - Qin Miao followed a normal procedure and stood in front of the interview platform.

The host first congratulated Qin Miao on his ranking in this race and then asked about his results and his unusually fast first flying lap.

Qin Miao naturally spoke the truth, clearly expressing that he might never run such an exceptional flying lap ever again.

This naturally caused the audience inside and outside the paddock to burst out laughing.

Aside from this, Qin Miao's pre-race interview consisted mainly of formulaic work.

After the interview, Qin Miao returned to the team for a while but didn't have dinner in the team cafeteria that night, going out with Zhou Guanyu for dinner.

Actually, Zhou Guanyu, while chatting with Alonso, learned from him about a local restaurant with excellent cuisine. Alonso shared the name and address, and Zhou Guanyu definitely wanted to try the flavors, especially as it was Zhou's first visit to Spain.

The most important thing is that it's a restaurant recommended by an idol, and logically, he must experience it.

However, going alone seems a bit dull, so Zhou Guanyu brought Qin Miao along.

This week, Qin Miao came to Spain alone, mainly because Qimeng needed to return to her agency to handle contract-related matters. Many of Qin Miao's endorsement contracts are expiring, so Qimeng needed to communicate with them beforehand regarding renewal intentions.