How Did I Become an F1 Driver?

Chapter 1179 - 445: All the Friends Are Here (Part 2)

Now, starting behind Qin Miao again, it’s no wonder he’s upset.It is said that after the race, Verstappen didn’t even return to the team’s meeting room to review the race. After the interview, he went straight back to the hotel.

Leclerc, Hamilton, and Qin Miao parked their cars on the track for the post-race interviews.

Leclerc, who took pole position, was beaming with joy.

Despite being more than 60 points behind Verstappen and Qin Miao, losing all chances of contending for the world championship this season.

It didn’t stop Leclerc from being delighted after taking pole position.

After Qin Miao got off the car for the post-race interview, Leclerc, seemingly casual but actually boasting, told Qin Miao about how he pushed to the limits in those corners, showing scratches on the car due to his maneuvers.

He even dragged Qin Miao to his car to show him.

Qin Miao rolled his eyes but had no good way to deal with this jerk; he indeed raced well today.

There was nothing he could do about his own mistake, and who the hell checks the rearview mirror during a flying lap in qualifying?

After the post-race interview, Qin Miao held a short review meeting in the team’s pit room.

They mainly watched how Hamilton ran that flying lap. Although Qin Miao doesn’t need Hamilton’s approach to the track now, and it might not be very useful in a race, at least next season when Qin Miao returns to Marina Bay, he will have a point of reference.

With the review done, Qin Miao’s work for today was complete.

Hamilton, full of joy, returned to the hotel to rest.

But Qin Miao stayed in the paddock for over an hour longer, mainly to host Lin Junjie.

That’s right, JJ came to the qualifying session, though he watched the session in Zhou Guanyu’s pit room, along with Zhou Guanyu’s mother, Jiang Xiaoying.

Zhou’s mother is quite important to Zhou; she has been by his side, offering encouragement and handling logistics since Zhou started with racing.

She has supported Zhou to reach his current position.

The reason they appeared here is simple; Singapore is close to home, no communication issues, convenient transport, no language barriers.

She came to watch her son’s race.

Meeting a star, Qin Miao felt no pressure.

In the past, meeting JJ might have made Qin very excited, even speechless. He liked listening to JJ’s music, like "Mermaid," "If Only," which are in Qin’s collection.

But over a year, Qin Miao has met many celebrities, some even his fans, so he’s desensitized to it.

At the team’s hospitality suite entrance, Qin Miao greeted JJ and the video-recording manager warmly.

They exchanged gifts, then Qin took JJ to tour Mercedes’s hospitality suite and his own lounge.

During the lounge tour, JJ noticed Qin Miao’s still-on laptop.

And the CSGO game on it.

Actually, JJ is also an internet games enthusiast.

But he likes different games from Qin Miao.

Qin Miao prefers FPS games like CSGO, COD, OW, while JJ is more into MOBA games, like DOTA2.

Seeing Qin Miao gaming before a race, JJ praised and acknowledged Qin for maintaining composure enough to game pre-race.

After all, JJ is the kind who plays DOTA before the Spring Festival Gala, quite a kindred spirit.

Then he tried to persuade Qin to try DOTA2, even offering to guide Qin into the game!

Qin Miao’s mouth twitched: "I tried LOL, but after a while, I found my talent in MOBA games only gets me to Silver, then I just can’t rise.

After that, I realized MOBA games aren’t my forte."

JJ, finding it somewhat unfortunate, didn’t insist further.

They toured the pit room cars, then Qin saw JJ off.

Naturally, Qin didn’t forget to invite JJ to watch the main race from the Mercedes pit room, but JJ declined.

As he had promised to watch the main race from the Alfa Romeo pit room with Zhou Guanyu.

With that, Qin Miao completed all his Saturday tasks.

After resting at the hotel for a night, Sunday arrived, marking the main race.

Unlike qualifying, the Sunday main race saw every seat around the track filled with spectators.

Behind the pit room in the corridor, many VIP ticket holders gathered, and as Qin passed through the turnstile into the paddock, a swarm surrounded him with phones out for selfies.

In the VIP area above the pit room, it was also crowded.

As soon as Qin came in through the entrance, spectators waiting there for ages began calling his name.

For a moment, Qin even felt it wasn’t the Singapore Grand Prix, but rather his home Grand Prix held in Singapore.

While waving to the crowd, he headed to the Mercedes rest area.

Then came preparation time.

After changing into his gear, putting on a cooling vest, and racing suit, Qin arrived at the pit room to find familiar faces besides the team staff.

"Director Guo?! Jing??"

Qin was indeed surprised to see them.

He had sent them invitations, but one was overseeing film post-production, and the other had schedule issues. When Qin didn’t see them on Friday and Saturday, he assumed they wouldn’t come.

But unexpectedly, they were in the VIP area.

"You’re here? Good luck with today’s race!" Wu Jing patted Qin’s shoulder, friendly as ever.

"You don’t seem nervous; looks like you’ll get a good result today?" Guo Fan joked with a smile, "If you do well, I’ll give you more scenes in my film."

Wu Jing looked amazed at Guo Fan, thinking with Qin’s current influence in China, giving him more screen time is a benefit to the film crew, not something Qin should be grateful for.

The surprising part for Wu Jing was that Qin seemed very happy, confidently saying, "Just watch.

No bragging; Monaco and Marina Bay, these narrow street circuits, are actually where I’m strongest."

After chatting briefly with them, Qin nodded at his mother and wife before making final race preparations.

Before the driver parade, Qin joined all drivers for a photo with Alonso.

Today’s race was Alonso’s 350th Grand Prix in his career, and all drivers wished and encouraged this outstanding veteran.

Including Qin Miao.

With the photo done, the driver parade started.

After the parade, the host nation’s national anthem, and other proceedings, Qin returned to the pit room to await nightfall.

On the Sunday main race at Marina Bay in Singapore, the temperature was 29 degrees, humidity 80%, with a 70% chance of rain. The race provided the softest C5-C3 tires.