So, achieving such lap times in the main race is often much harder than in qualifying.
As Lin Yan crossed the finish line, several staff members rushed out of the pit box. Lin Yan drove the car to the pit box entrance and got out. The staff immediately pushed the car into the pit box for inspection.
Entering the pit box, Lin Yan took off his helmet and accepted a towel from a staff member to wipe the sweat from his face. Lin Yan glanced at his results on the screen.
It was acceptable; the result was within his expectations.
Zhang Mingzhi, after inspecting the car, walked over, observing the surrounding staff as he approached. He leaned into Lin Yan's ear conspiratorially and said,
"Young master, are you..."
Lin Yan, who was contemplating whether to increase his training intensity, wore a strange expression upon hearing his words.
What was he implying?
He was simply feeling weak, not...
Just as Lin Yan returned to the pit box after crossing the finish line, Gu Yueyan and Reba finally managed to squeeze into a corner of the stands. "I'm so hot, if this keeps up, I'm going to be roasted,"
Reba said, fanning herself, while Gu Yueyan wasn't faring much better, her pretty face slightly flushed from the scorching sun.
The cheers from the stands continued, and the two looked confused, not knowing what had happened.
"Uncle, what happened? Why is everyone so happy?"
Reba asked an uncle who was cheering nearby.
The uncle, who had been cheering Lin Yan's name, suddenly heard someone calling him from the side.
Turning his head, he saw two young girls with Chinese faces. Coincidentally, this uncle was the same person he had sat with and chatted with on the plane earlier.
He had also paid a high price to a foreign scalper to secure a somewhat secluded spot.
The uncle hadn't expected to run into them here.
Seeing them inquire, he immediately began to explain.
"Little girls, you have no idea. One of our Chinese drivers just achieved a lap time of 16 minutes and 59 seconds."
The uncle said with great pride.
To many, racing was a sport belonging to Westerners.
It had little to do with Asia.
It was extremely difficult for Asians to stand on this stage, but today, they had.
"16 minutes and 59 seconds?"
Reba didn't understand the significance of the time; she wasn't familiar with it, but Gu Yueyan's eyes widened upon hearing it.
In her understanding, the fastest lap time at the Isle of Man was only 16 minutes and 58 seconds.
If this was indeed the case, then qualifying for the main race would be a sure thing.
"Doesn't that mean this driver can qualify for the main race?"
Gu Yueyan asked, feeling a strange surge of excitement herself.
"Yes, that time is definitely enough to qualify for the main race."
The uncle replied.
"Oh, right, was it the young man with the national flag on his car?"
At this moment, Reba, who was beside her, remembered the driver from earlier. He had a Chinese flag on his car, so he must be one of the Chinese drivers.
"Hey, how did you know? It was that driver with the Chinese flag on his car who did it."
"It really was him."
Hearing it was him, Reba's earlier irritation from the heat subsided considerably.
"Did he just cross the finish line? Let's go get his autograph."
Saying that, Reba grabbed Gu Yueyan and prepared to leave.
"He's already in the pit box. You can't get in now. Lots of people tried to get autographs earlier, including me, but we were all stopped by the staff. We weren't even allowed to enter."
The uncle reminded them.
"Is that so."
Hearing the uncle's words,
Reba pouted, looking a bit displeased.
"It's alright, there's still the main race. No need to rush,"
Gu Yueyan said, trying to comfort her.
Just then, Gu Yueyan's phone rang.
She pressed the answer button; it was Feng Yueying.
"What's up, my dear Miss Feng?"
Gu Yueyan didn't expect Feng Yueying to call at this time. Hadn't she gone home early for the Dragon Boat Festival? Had she finished wrapping the zongzi?
"Are you on the Isle of Man now?"
As soon as the call connected, Feng Yueying asked directly.
"Yes, not only am I on the Isle of Man, but I just witnessed the emergence of a Chinese driver. How about that, Miss Feng, aren't you envious!"
Gu Yueyan said jokingly.
However, Feng Yueying on the other end seemed unsurprised. Instead, she said something that left Gu Yueyan utterly confused.
"Then it must be him."
"Him? Who?"
Gu Yueyan asked, not understanding Feng Yueying's meaning.
"The one I told you about before, who started from the back row and could still overtake Lando Norris."
"I just got news from Ren Fei that he's also participating in the Isle of Man. Oh, right, his car is a red Ducati V4 SP, and even Chief Engineer Zhang is with him this time."
"With his skill, passing the qualifying race should be quite easy."
"Ah? Really? Could it be that coincidental?"
Gu Yueyan had never met Lin Yan, so she had been somewhat skeptical when Feng Yueying mentioned him before.
"It's true, how could I lie to you? And I also heard that his background is very significant. No matter how I asked Ren Fei, he wouldn't say."
Feng Yueying continued.
Hearing Feng Yueying's words, Gu Yueyan thought back carefully. She seemed to recall seeing that car with the national flag at the starting grid was indeed a red Ducati V4 SP.
"I think I saw that red Ducati V4 SP. It should be him..."
"I knew it, it must be that arrogant guy!"
"He's the one who refused to add your WeChat, right?"
Gu Yueyan said with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Hmph!"
"I'm hanging up now. I called you right after I left the base. I'm on my way home now."
"Alright, Miss Feng, have a safe trip!"
With that, the call ended.
Reba, standing beside her, was still eagerly looking towards the pit box at the finish line.
"Okay, no need to rush anymore. Even if we can't get an autograph in the main race, I have a way to get one for you now."
"You have a way? How? Don't tell me you're going to sell yourself?"
Reba looked suspicious. She had a solution after just one phone call?
"You little rascal, what are you talking about!"
However, as the two were bickering, another BMW S1000RR crossed the finish line. The big screen immediately displayed the driver's result:
Driver number 02, Kevin.
17 minutes 38.250 seconds.