How Did I Become an F1 Driver?

Qin Miao thought for a bit, this kind of operation could indeed work. On the Monaco track, the rear tires of the Mercedes cars wear out faster than the front tires. Although this adjustment would cause the front tires to wear out faster, no matter how quickly the front tires wear, they won't surpass the wear speed of the rear tires.

It has very little impact on the overall performance.

"We can give it a try. We have another practice session tomorrow. Should we test it during the qualifying simulation?"

Reyes shook his head: "No, testing a new setup during the qualifying simulation is too risky. Our suggestion is to try the new setup when testing with heavy fuel and soft tires over a long distance. We have data from the medium tires, which can be compared."

Qin Miao thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

After confirming the adjustments and improvements for tomorrow, Qin Miao turned to attend a meeting at the team headquarters.

The meeting mainly focused on the car's setup and whether the data collected by the two drivers on the track today met the original expectations.

This won't be elaborated on.

After the meeting, Qin Miao attended an interview, marking the end of his work for the day.

Despite being busy on the track all day and feeling truly exhausted, Qin Miao didn't forget to play a game of CSGO after returning home.

Of course, Qin Miao intended to play only one game and also considered his reputation. Therefore, he chose not to stream.

After all, as an F1 driver, instead of thinking about reviewing his performance on the track after work, he went to his hotel to play games.

If his performance in the next day's race and qualifying rounds is good enough, it's fine. People would just think he has good talent and is relaxing during his downtime. However, if his performance is not good, this can become an excuse for others to criticize him.

Therefore, Qin Miao chose to act cautiously.

Through the quiet night, Qin Miao's work continued the next day.

During the third practice session, there wasn't much to elaborate on. It was just a matter of methodically collecting the data set by the team beforehand and then meticulously adjusting the car's setup until Qin Miao felt comfortable driving it.

The only noteworthy detail is that Qin Miao saved two sets of medium tires, one set of hard tires, and four sets of soft tires.

During the three qualifying sessions, Qin Miao has new tires available, and the presence of two sets of medium tires signifies more strategic options for Mercedes during the main race, potentially allowing Qin Miao to run directly with medium tires in Q2.

Eventually, the third practice session concluded with Qin Miao finishing in seventh place.

However, this position was achieved using worn tires and doesn't hold much reference value.

After the third practice, Mercedes returned two cars to the garage and immediately opened the engine covers to start changing the engine and gearbox.

It's worth mentioning that Qin Miao's engine has run four Grand Prix races so far without any issues. According to Reyes and the team, Qin Miao's engine wear is at least 10% less than Hamilton's.

This means that after the Monaco Grand Prix, Hamilton's car might need to replace some easily worn components inside the engine, such as the MGU-H, to avoid potential failures.

Meanwhile, Qin Miao's engine can hold out until he competes in both the Monaco Grand Prix and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

At the same time, the setup tuning Qin Miao tested in the third practice is officially confirmed. If phrased in terms of a game, the compatibility of this setup with Qin Miao is over 95%.

This setup is found to be the most suitable for Qin Miao.

Fortunately, Mercedes isn't like Red Bull. Although Mercedes designs their cars according to Hamilton's driving habits, they don't entirely tailor it to the number one driver's habits like Red Bull does.

This gives Qin Miao the possibility to quickly get accustomed to the Mercedes car, and his driving habits share some similarities with Hamilton's, as both drivers prefer an understeering car.

Soon, it was time for the qualifying round.

Both Qin Miao and Hamilton were fully prepared for this race.

Today's track temperature is quite high, at 35°, with a high air humidity of 71%, considering the Monte Carlo track is set by the seaside.

On the Monte Carlo track, the Mercedes team's pit is still located at the pit entry, which means Qin Miao has to walk a long way to get to work.

Because the team pits at the Monte Carlo track are narrow, with the track in front and behind, leaving no room for the team headquarters. Thus, there's no rear entrance to the team pits, and Qin Miao and his team have to enter from the pit exit.

Therefore, Qin Miao and his team have to walk through the entire pit lane to go to work.

Consequently, photographers continuously followed Qin Miao, capturing shots on his way to the pits.

Upon arrival at the pits, Qin Miao briefly communicated with the team's technicians before putting on his gear and getting into the car.

Qin Miao had already experienced the driving skills on the track, so Frankie and the team didn't have much more to say. However, Toto still approached Qin Miao's car after he sat down, locking the seatbelt like an engineer, and said: "Q1 is not a major issue for us. Our speed is decent. We just need to time the release well. You can hold back a bit. We trust you and believe you're confident too."