The remaining members of Lin Yan's team were positioned further back, with one even in the third-to-last spot.
These thirty individuals were all top-six finishers from yesterday's five groups. Their strength was not to be underestimated; it could be said that all the young prodigies from across the entire East were gathered here.
Lin Yan watched quietly from the pit room. He was quite hopeful that Yan Xiaoqiang would win the championship, as he was currently the strongest racer in his team.
After the warm-up lap, the safety car completed one circuit.
Seated in the racing car, Yan Xiaoqiang's gaze was focused on the two drivers directly in front of him. He was confident he could overtake the second-place driver from the Mountain Rat team, but the first-place driver presented a challenge.
During the qualifying session, he had been in front. After completing a lap, he looked back and noticed the other driver. The latter's intuitive cornering and car control were beyond his own capabilities; in terms of car handling, he was inferior.
This foreigner was very formidable.
This was the only thought in Yan Xiaoqiang's mind.
Soon, the safety car rejoined the rear of the thirty cars.
The green flag waved, and the red flag was slowly withdrawn.
The red lights illuminated!
All thirty-one drivers hunched over their car's fuel tanks, feet braced on the ground, eyes fixed ahead.
As the five red lights ahead extinguished, the roar of the 250cc racing engines filled the air.
Yan Xiaoqiang pushed off with his feet. His 250rr shot forward from the starting line like a projectile.
To Yan Xiaoqiang's front left, two cars were positioned in a staggered, echelon formation. The deafening roar penetrated his helmet and reached his ears.
Soon, after a period of violent acceleration, three cars entered the first corner side-by-side. The first corner was a right-hand turn, which was somewhat advantageous for Yan Xiaoqiang. He started in third place and was on the far right.
At the end of the start-finish straight, Yan Xiaoqiang quickly downshifted two gears, squeezed the brakes, shifted his body back slightly, and then extended his right leg.
The rear wheel of the 250rr gently lifted off the ground, and Yan Xiaoqiang's body suddenly sat upright.
The three drivers on the front row simultaneously vied for the first corner. Yan Xiaoqiang had the inside line advantage, but the positions of the first two were also advantageous, being further ahead.
The two cars were directly in front of Yan Xiaoqiang.
As the car entered the corner, Yan Xiaoqiang executed a Rocío leg maneuver with heavy braking. By braking later, he overtook the second-place driver from the Mountain Rat team and then quickly transitioned.
Without upshifting, he instead decelerated and downshifted, preparing for the second left-hand turn. Under the camera's view, Yan Xiaoqiang's transition speed was slightly faster than the second-place driver from the Mountain Rat team, and almost the same as the leading car, number ninety-eight.
The second corner was a left-hand turn. The Mountain Rat driver, whom Yan Xiaoqiang had just overtaken, braked late and blocked Yan Xiaoqiang. Yan Xiaoqiang seemed to have anticipated this. With a quick transition and the deceleration from braking and downshifting, he quickly let the other driver pass, positioning himself behind the Mountain Rat driver.
Then, utilizing the characteristic high RPM of a lower gear, he entered the corner slowly and exited quickly. The two drivers crossed lines, and Yan Xiaoqiang took advantage of the inner line gap left by the other driver's late braking and wider exit, moving into second place.
The exit speed from a lower gear is faster than from a higher gear; this is a principle understood by anyone who has engaged with racing. Yan Xiaoqiang exploited this, a technique taught to him by Lin Yan, commonly known as downshift overtaking.
His operational principle was the same as why a second-gear start couldn't match a first-gear start: low-gear overtaking relied on the short-burst torque explosion.
Anticipation plus downshift overtaking.
This series of overtaking maneuvers dazzled the driver from the Mountain Rat team.
At the third corner, Yan Xiaoqiang did not give the Mountain Rat team driver any opportunity. With a Rocío leg and heavy braking, he quickly increased the distance between them.
Yan Xiaoqiang's car braked so hard that its rear wheel lifted before landing and entering the corner.
Among all the racing knowledge, besides the cornering techniques and the timing of extending his leg taught by Lin Yan, Yan Xiaoqiang's most impressive skill was his overtaking technique. His overtaking methods were taught by Lin Yan, but his practice partner this week had been Rance.
With the same car, Rance defended against Yan Xiaoqiang as easily as a cat defending against a mouse, able to reclaim his position regardless of any overtaking attempt.
At the seventh corner, a hairpin turn, Yan Xiaoqiang made another move. "Will he have a chance this time?"
Seeing Yan Xiaoqiang's rear wheel lift again, Hao Dong shouted excitedly.
"Heavy braking, both cars lift their tails!"
"The car is thrown into the inside line, he's got it!"
Yan Xiaoqiang's car roared past the side of car number ninety-eight, and Hao Dong's face turned red with excitement.
Below, Lin Yan and Zhou Xianyong both shook their heads.
Yan Xiaoqiang was getting impatient; he couldn't brake in time at this distance.
"Damn it, he didn't brake in time and is going wide!"
Seeing Yan Xiaoqiang's car slide wide after hitting the apex, Hao Dong slammed his seat back twice.
Taking advantage of the gap as Yan Xiaoqiang's car went wide, car number ninety-eight easily reclaimed its position.
Seven corners into the race, Yan Xiaoqiang's two overtaking attempts had both ended in failure.