How Did I Become an F1 Driver?

After the drivers' parade, the teams started rolling out the cars from the pits onto the track.

Following the parade, Qin Miao and Hamilton went to the Mercedes team house to change into their racing suits, and then headed to the track.

After completing all pre-race activities and preparations on the track, Qin Miao arrived at his starting position.

Arriving on the track, he suited up and sat in the car.

Today, Qin Miao started in twelfth place, with the starting position on the outer side of the track.

However, the advantage of the Monte Carlo track is that, unlike other tracks, the grip on the outer side is not inferior to that on the inner side.

This is because it's essentially a road, so the grip is sufficient wherever you are on the track.

Nonetheless, this position still has its drawbacks, particularly the entry into T1 being largely blocked by cars on the inside.

If the cars on the inside don't give way, Qin Miao's corner entry will be tough.

Of course, if Qin Miao's start is strong enough, he might turn things around.

After ensuring the car was in good condition, Qin Miao fastened his seatbelt, secured the headrest, and initiated the steering wheel's program.

Once the wheel was warmed up, Qin Miao closed his eyes to calm his slightly excited emotions, then gently tapped the steering wheel three times.

With the Buff set, Qin Miao had no worries.

While Qin Miao had his eyes closed, waiting for the race to start, a voice suddenly came through his radio.

"Radio check, can you hear me, Qin Miao?"

"Radio check, the sound is clear," Qin Miao replied.

After confirming the radio communication was fine, Frankie said, "I have good news for you, Leclerc has retired. Ferrari explained that Leclerc's left rear axle had problems, and the car couldn't drive properly."

Upon hearing this news, Qin Miao was naturally happy as it meant one less competitor and a step up in ranking, but soon he was puzzled. How did Ferrari have an issue with the left rear? Even if it was because of yesterday's crash, wasn't the crash on the left front suspension?

So, Qin Miao asked curiously, "Why is that?"

Frankie didn't know the exact reason, but considering it was Ferrari, it wasn't that surprising: "It's Ferrari after all."

Upon hearing that, Qin Miao nodded, "Yeah, Ferrari always has some strange issues."

The conversation between Qin Miao and Frankie on the team radio could be heard by other teams, but only by those specifically assigned to listen in, not by people like Binotto or Toto.

Information about other teams is usually relayed through these listeners.

Ferrari personnel, upon hearing Qin Miao and Frankie's conversation, slightly twitched their lips, but couldn't come up with a rebuttal.

Because that's Ferrari.

Indeed, although Leclerc retired once again from the Monaco Grand Prix, other drivers' starting positions wouldn't change, only Leclerc's spot was now empty.

This news not only upset Ferrari people but also another individual who had conflicting interests with Ferrari.

That person was Toto Wolff.

If Qin Miao hadn't been penalized, he could've started first in this race.

With Qin Miao's defensive and tire management skills, along with the characteristics of the Monaco track, as long as the team's pit strategy was sound, he could make Verstappen question his life choices during this race.

Yet another race win might have been Qin Miao's.

Sadly, there's no "if."

Soon, the pre-race preparation time ended, with team staff pulling out their equipment from the track, leaving only the tire temperature staff behind.

Qin Miao opened his eyes, adjusting his breathing.

Notably, after opening his eyes, Qin Miao noticed a bright five-starred red flag hanging down from a residential building to his right-front.

Although his view was blocked by the halo of his car, preventing him from seeing the other person, Qin Miao knew that despite the distance, there were still people supporting him.

Though unsure why, seeing the bright five-star red flag gave Qin Miao a boost of confidence.

Soon, as time passed, all on-site staff cleared the track, leaving 19 cars on it.

As two green lights appeared, Verstappen's car took off, followed by Sainz and Norris.

Qin Miao followed behind O'Kang.

At the end of the warm-up lap, Qin Miao encountered a mini-traffic jam.

The drivers ahead slowed down as much as possible, trying to thoroughly cool down the tires of the cars in front.

Qin Miao knew of this little trick as well, so before entering his grid position, he spent some time burning his tires, getting them excessively hot.

With the last two Haas cars in position, the official Monaco Grand Prix countdown began.