Chapter 313: Chapter 160: Second Driver (Part 2)
Qin Miao was the first to come out of the pit lane to do a flying lap, so after finishing his run, he was also the first one to arrive at the parking area in Bahrain and wait.
After parking the car, Qin Miao was the first to get off.
At the weighing area, three boxes were already set up, ready for the drivers who secured the top three positions in today’s qualifying session.
Even though Mercedes lost the pole position, causing a somewhat subdued atmosphere within the team, this didn’t stop the team members from coming to the sidelines to applaud and celebrate with the two drivers after the race was over.
Moreover, the Mercedes pit area is located near the entrance, so they only had to take a few steps to come over.
So after getting out of the car, Qin Miao simply celebrated with his team members.
Among them, Frankie was the happiest, smiling widely and continuously patting Qin Miao’s back during the celebration.
Today’s performance by Qin Miao secured his position within Mercedes and also stabilized Frankie’s job.
After the brief celebration, Hamilton and Verstappen returned as well.
Qin Miao waited for Hamilton to get out of the car and gave him a simple handshake and hug.
During that time, Hamilton joked: "I should have known not to teach you so much, now I’ve shot myself in the foot."
Qin Miao laughed and said: "A great teacher produces outstanding students, right? Besides, maybe you’re just not quite used to the current car. I’m sure I won’t run as well as you in the race."
Old Man just smiled and shook his head without saying more: "Let’s go, time for the weigh-in."
The three commentators who saw this scene were somewhat surprised: "It seems Qin Miao and Hamilton have a good relationship, they’re still chatting and laughing after the race."
"It appears the paddock rumors can’t be completely trusted; after all, Qin Miao isn’t showing the kind of rebellious attitude one might expect from a young man."
"Actually, Hamilton is a pretty nice guy in private; you could see this back when he was racing go-karts. As long as Qin Miao’s private conduct isn’t particularly problematic, their relationship shouldn’t be too bad."
...
After chatting with Old Man, and bumping fists with Verstappen on the way to the weigh-in, the three went for the weigh-in.
After the weigh-in, with helmets off, it was time for the interviews.
Verstappen was very excited today because he got off to a good start in the first race of the year, and he was the fastest in every practice and qualifying session during the Bahrain round.
After Verstappen’s interview, it was Qin Miao’s turn.
When Qin Miao, wearing a cap and mask, stepped in front of the interview camera, all the on-site sounds seemed to quiet down, as everyone wanted to hear what this young driver, who secured second place in qualifying in his F1 debut, had to say.
Actually, the interview content wasn’t much to elaborate on. The host was amazed by Qin Miao’s on-track performance, and asked if there were any secrets to his success, whether F1 seemed easier than F2, and how he felt about outperforming his teammate.
Qin Miao was indeed a bit excited, but he wasn’t foolish and answered the questions with tact. He might be proud, but he wouldn’t get carried away.
After some orthodox, unremarkable answers without highlights or mistakes, Qin Miao’s interview ended, and it was time for the seven-time champion Hamilton to be interviewed.
Regarding Hamilton’s questions, the first was about today’s race, and the second was about Qin Miao. The FOM people were curious about how Hamilton viewed Qin Miao’s performance today.
Old Man didn’t show any noticeable displeasure and even playfully stated during the interview that he taught Qin Miao himself, and that at least half of the credit for starting from the front row should go to him.
After the interview, Qin Miao returned to the garage with his belongings.
Upon entering the garage, Qin Miao found the rest of the team waiting for him at the entrance of the pit area, and the crew of "Drive to Survive" had arrived at the Mercedes team room entrance. At this time, they were standing with the team staff, the cameras were already recording, and presumably, they were waiting for Qin Miao’s arrival too.
However, one can say that recording material when Qin Miao outperformed his teammate to secure second in qualifying during his F1 debut is indeed a good entry point.
But the current focus wasn’t on them; it was on Toto and the other Mercedes staff members.
When Qin Miao entered the team room, they stood on either side clapping as he passed, congratulating him on his great performance in the qualifying session.
At this point, Toto had also composed himself. When Qin Miao approached him, he smiled and patted Qin Miao on the shoulder: "Your performance today was exceptional, far exceeding my expectations of your abilities, much better than I imagined."
Recognition from an elder and leadership always feels more fulfilling than that from peers, so when Qin Miao heard Toto’s praise, a bright smile appeared on his face: "Thank you very much, but if it weren’t for you giving me the opportunity to be on this stage, I wouldn’t have been able to show my strength."
Toto shook his head while smiling: "Actually, it’s still your own ability. If you weren’t strong enough, I wouldn’t have chosen you from so many F2 drivers.
But qualifying is just the beginning. We have a race tomorrow. Don’t get arrogant; rest well today, keep your physical and mental state. I hope you will perform as you did today."
Toto praised Qin Miao, but in the end, kept him grounded to prevent him from getting carried away after achieving good results in qualifying.
Toto’s reminder came just in time, as Qin Miao was indeed feeling a bit inflated. Fortunately, Toto pulled him back, otherwise without Qimeng’s supervision, Qin Miao would probably spend the night on his phone reading the paddock praises about his performance today.
Upon hearing Toto’s words, Qin Miao would surely keep a low profile when he got back, and avoid premature celebrations. He’d likely wait until after the race to check any comments or reviews.
He seriously nodded and replied, "Okay, I remember."
Just as Qin Miao finished speaking, Hamilton, carrying his helmet, walked in from outside.
However, Hamilton’s demeanor wasn’t as relaxed as it had been in front of the camera.
Seeing Toto and Qin Miao chatting, he didn’t join in and just nodded from afar before taking his helmet and returning to the team room to pack up.
After all, he’s a seven-time champion, and it’s one thing to lose to Verstappen in the 2021 opener; after all, they’re longtime rivals giving and taking on the track. Losing to him was something Hamilton was somewhat psychologically prepared for, without much pressure.
But for him, a seven-time champion, to be outrun by a rookie in their first F1 appearance?
Though he put on a generous appearance in front of the camera, Hamilton’s face couldn’t help but show a hint of discomfort, which was understandable given his less-than-great mood.
Qin Miao didn’t know what to say at that moment; it’s not his fault he performed better than his teammate, right?
Toto, noticing Qin Miao’s dilemma after Hamilton left, patted Qin Miao on the shoulder and said: "Relax, don’t overthink it, I’ll handle things with Hamilton.
Today, just go back to the hotel, have a shower, get some sleep, and be ready for tomorrow’s race."
Hearing Toto put it that way, Qin Miao stopped worrying about his relationship with Hamilton. Things will work themselves out naturally.
He nodded: "Then I’ll head back now."
"Go ahead."
...
The next day, Qin Miao completed his morning training, had lunch, and then went to the track.
ps. Today it’s only 4K...