Chapter 330: Chapter 166: Bahrain Concludes
For a teammate like Qin Miao, who can help him win championships without threatening his position within the team, of course, Hamilton wouldn’t entertain any other unnecessary thoughts.
...
Finally, the opening race of the F1 2021 season, the Bahrain Grand Prix, concluded with Hamilton’s solitary finish, and Qin Miao, starting second and finishing third, set numerous records.
These include being the first Chinese/Asian driver to stand on the F1 podium, the first Chinese/Asian driver to claim a podium finish in their debut F1 Grand Prix, and the first Chinese driver to achieve second place in an F1 qualifying session.
Honestly, as the first Chinese driver to enter F1, even if Qin Miao lets out a fart in the paddock now, it might break the records he hasn’t really cared about.
Meanwhile, after Qin Miao crossed the finish line, he immediately became a trending topic on major domestic social media platforms.
Hamilton finished third in his career’s first race, and now look at his achievements: a seven-time champion.
And now Qin Miao also finished third in his career’s very first race, so there’s no need to elaborate on just how bright Qin Miao’s future looks.
"Well done, Qin Miao! You’re P3, and you secured P3 in your very first F1 race!" Frankie’s extraordinarily excited voice resounded through Qin Miao’s team radio.
After the race ended, the somewhat fatigued Qin Miao couldn’t help but let his lips curl slightly upwards, watching the fireworks bloom in the Bahrain night sky and the team members cheering for him by the barriers as he crossed the finish line. At this moment, Qin Miao’s heart was filled with an inexplicable feeling, very satisfying.
This feeling was like a starving person suddenly enjoying a lavish feast, or a lost traveler in the desert suddenly finding a sweet and thirst-quenching spring.
It truly felt exhilarating from the tuft of hair on top of his head all the way down to the tips of his toenails.
"Let’s go! HOOOOO! Hahaha, awesome!"
Even though Qin Miao is usually socially anxious and introverted, securing a third-place finish in his very first F1 race made it difficult for him to contain his excitement.
After crossing the finish line, Qin Miao, while making some indiscernible sounds of release, drove a bit further. After going past T3, Qin Miao saw another Mercedes leisurely advancing on the track, and in that moment he realized what Hamilton wanted to do.
So he naturally stepped on the gas and pulled up alongside Hamilton.
Seeing Qin Miao coming over, Hamilton also started to accelerate, and the two Mercedes cars began their post-race lap, side by side.
As the race ended, with Qin Miao and Hamilton performing their post-race lap side by side, praises for Qin Miao flooded online domestically.
[After this race, the Old Man has to give Qin Miao a nod, right?]
[It’s not that exaggerated. Qin Miao’s defense was crucial, but it’s not like Hamilton couldn’t have won the championship.]
[Wow, Toto hit the jackpot!]
[Why are you all just focused on Qin Miao’s performance? Haven’t you noticed that it’s his first time on the F1 stage and he got third place?]
[Whoa!]
[First time on the F1 stage and on the podium?]
[Just like his teammate Hamilton, Qin Miao also got a great result finishing third in his F1 debut.]
...
Meanwhile, on the other side, Toto was celebrating with other Mercedes personnel in the P-room.
The director sensibly switched the camera to Toto, capturing the Mercedes team’s celebration crystal clear.
After showing Mercedes’ celebration, the director did not switch to Red Bull but instead focused on Binotto.
This was the third time the director had switched the camera to Ferrari after a strong performance by Qin Miao, and no one would believe it wasn’t intentional.
Right now, Qin Miao is like a huge slap to Ferrari. As long as he performs well, or even just performs better than Sainz, then Qin Miao is a big slap right in Ferrari’s face.
[That’s excessive!]
[Summarize Qin Miao’s performance in this race: three overtakes and two defenses.]
[The director is too playful.]
[I still can’t understand why Ferrari didn’t take Qin Miao.]
[Clowns.]
[Taken down on the spot.]
...
Then amidst the fireworks, Qin Miao and Hamilton entered the pit lane one after another.
Verstappen had already stopped at his P2 position, and Hamilton and Qin Miao stopped at P1 and P3 respectively amidst applause.
After parking, Qin Miao excitedly removed his steering wheel. Unlike his calm and composed demeanor when winning the F2 championship, this moment overwhelmed him, even though he only finished third in this race.
However, Qin Miao felt a pressure here that was completely different from F2. With pressure and challenges, Qin Miao felt even more motivated.
After removing his gear and getting off the car, Qin Miao suddenly felt a tightness around his waist. He then found himself lifted off the ground, embraced by someone.
Looking down, he saw Hamilton’s purple helmet. This guy was happily spinning him around twice in place.
After spinning him twice, Hamilton put Qin Miao down. Then they shook hands and hugged each other.
After the hug, Hamilton didn’t forget to pat Qin Miao on the shoulder, saying, "Well done, Qin! You did great. Thank you for your defense."