How Did I Become an F1 Driver?

Qin Miao joked:

"Buddy, this year's car should be good. I'll see if I can find a few unfortunate guys on the track, break their dao hearts, and make a spot for you."

Upon hearing Qin Miao's boastful words, Zhou Guanyu wasn't bothered:

"You haven't been drinking today, have you? Eat more dishes to sober up, you look drunk."

"Tsk, looking down on people, aren't you?"

"Eat up, eat up."

Seeing Zhou Guanyu didn't want to delve into this topic, the three quickly moved on to another subject.

All three of them were basically internet addicts. Their chat topics usually revolved around work and games.

They talked about games, then switched to other drivers, and shared interesting stories about car teams until dinner was nearly over.

After dinner, Qin Miao cleaned up the house and washed the dishes, while Zhou Guanyu was responsible for tidying up.

Once everything was settled, neither of them rushed to play on the computer.

Recently, since they've had time off, they've gotten a bit bored of gaming, especially since Qin Miao's purchased night fishing equipment has arrived.

Tonight, they planned to drive to a nearby fishing spot for an exciting night of fishing.

Both being racers, they were in excellent physical shape, and even though the outdoor temperature was single-digit, dressing warmly was enough.

…

[Ding!]

[Task: Two-Level Jump (Completed)]

[Two-Level Jump: After the first season in F2, directly advance to become a formal F1 team driver.]

[Basic Reward: All Attributes +2, Golden Lottery*1]

[Task completion: 3 stars, Extra Reward: Golden Lottery*3]

[1 Star: Enter F1 team as a paid driver]

[2 Star: Attract F1 team's attention with strength and enter the team through normal procedures. Completion Reward: Golden Lottery*2]

[3 Star: Join one of the three major teams in F1 for the first time. Completion Reward: Golden Lottery*3]

[Reward distribution in progress...]

[Reward distribution complete, please check your rewards.]

[Detected host's smooth entry into F1, system begins auto-upgrade...]

[Estimated upgrade time: 80 days]

[Note: During upgrade, only items in backpack can be used, other functions paused...]

…

When the system notification sounded in his mind, Qin Miao was still fishing.

At this moment, there was about a ten-meter distance between Qin Miao and Zhou Guanyu, and they had been sitting here for more than two hours.

Though the cold wind kept eroding Qin Miao's body temperature, he had two hand warmers from Qimeng in his pocket, so he didn't feel cold.

Their location was an artificial lake near their home, with Qin Miao's car parked on the roadside grass.

Fishing can be quite addictive, especially when the joy of catching fish can be shared with friends, and there's a girl at home who can cook the fish deliciously.

They probably had beginner's luck on their first visit, leading to a great yield.

Since they kept catching fish, they didn't intend to go back any time soon. Before they knew it, midnight approached and it became January 1, 2021.

"Old Zhou!"

Qin Miao called out to Zhou Guanyu.

"Huh?"

Zhou Guanyu, distracted by his fishing rod and deep in thought, turned his head in confusion.

"Happy New Year."

"Huh?"

"Oh, it's midnight now."

"Happy New Year..."

Qin Miao raised an eyebrow:

"How could you be so oblivious? After I wished you Happy New Year, shouldn't you give me a token gesture? I'm not asking for much, even 100K or 80K would suffice."

"Get lost!"

…

After New Year's Day, even though they had some free time, they often went to Silverstone Circuit to maintain their feel for driving.

During this period, Qin Miao truly experienced changes after becoming an F1 driver.

The most noticeable change was that anyone involved with racing would be astonished or thrilled to see him, and would approach him for an autograph or start filming him.

Qin Miao hadn't done much, but since Mercedes announced him as the team's second driver, he left an impression on all racing fans.

Though Qin Miao had only scratched the surface of the influence brought by becoming an F1 driver, he hadn't fully experienced changes. After all, Silverstone wasn't open to the public, and given the pandemic, people were somewhat restrained, mostly being track staff.

If Qin Miao went somewhere with a fan base, he'd instantly be surrounded for autographs.

After New Year's came the Spring Festival, which Zhou Guanyu celebrated at Qin Miao's place, complete with a hot pot. This time, several neighbors joined them.

They were local Brits from Brackley living near Qin Miao, and after exchanging greetings and gifts, they became acquaintances.

Being the birthplace of racing culture, Brits have an affinity for F1, and with Mercedes F1 team based in Brackley, the locals pay close attention to F1 events.

Having an F1 driver living next door, they were naturally keen to meet Qin Miao, learn about his hometown's culture, and enjoy a meal.

After Spring Festival, Zhou Guanyu, who had stayed with Qin Miao for nearly two months, finally packed up and left.

Abroad, holidays differ from those in China, making it feel hurried when celebrating Spring Festival overseas, and work resumes post-celebration.

Post-Spring Festival, Qin Miao began preparing for the new season. Though Zhou Guanyu didn't start as early, he knew it wasn't the time to continue bothering the couple.

On February 15th, Qin Miao officially began his first day at Mercedes.

First was an evaluation, as the team needed to assess Qin Miao's physical condition and make adjustments before the races started.

No one can guarantee self-restraint during holiday feasts, coupled with Qin Miao's reputation in F2 for consuming fried foods and sodas, making his health check a priority for the team.

Unexpectedly, Qin Miao was in remarkably good shape, unlike what one would expect from an athlete after a long break.

Since his physical state was fine, Qin Miao began normal work.

First, with the team's assistance, a week was spent customising a racing seat and steering wheel for Qin Miao.

These two items are the most frequently used by drivers, and their comfort is crucial, so the team invested significant time and money here.

Next was simulator training, to acquaint himself with this year's Mercedes W12 car and propose ideas for adjustments on the simulator.

This was both training for Qin Miao and an assessment of his skills.

Mercedes had mostly known Qin Miao from his F2 race footage and Prema data, so this period allowed observation of his adaptability to Mercedes cars on the simulator.

Simultaneously, Qin Miao's steering wheel and seat were prepared, followed by filming the Mercedes new car launch video.

After filming, Qin Miao resumed simulator training with the team.

Besides simulator training, Qin Miao also learned about steering wheel controls and car characteristics courses.

However, the focus remained on simulator training.