Through turn five, Luo Xi's car's drawbacks became apparent. The car's wobble in turn five significantly increased, more than doubling compared to the previous three laps.
In the original turn five, Luo Xi was only 0.08 seconds behind, but this time he fell behind Lin Yan by a full 0.18 seconds, more than doubling the gap.
"What's going on with Boss Luo's car?"
This immediately put him 0.2 seconds behind, a distance of nearly ten meters. The significant gap and the obvious wobble were immediately noticed by everyone present.
If Luo Xi hadn't been pushing his limits, Hao Dong and the fans would have had a hard time noticing the problem with Luo Xi's car in turn five.
"So that's what Lin Shen's gesture meant!"
Hao Dong finally understood. He had been wondering why Lin Shen had made a gesture of a 'five' to Luo Xi. It turned out to be about turn five. However, Hao Dong didn't know the specifics of their conversation, only guessing it was about turn five.
0.16 seconds, plus the previous gap, the two cars had now pulled ahead by nearly 0.2 seconds.
Based on the previous situation, if Luo Xi's race car truly had a problem, he would likely lose this race.
For top competitors, a single mistake in a turn could cost them the race, let alone with three laps remaining, which meant three more turns of potential errors.
"Damn it, why is Luo's car having problems? Did this Chinese kid do something shady?"
Seeing Luo Xi's car wobbling severely, an agitated fan in the crowd exclaimed angrily.
The race was being held in China, and the venue and technical team were also Chinese. With only two competitors, it was understandable for this fan to think in that direction.
"Buddy, don't get worked up. Judging by their interaction earlier, I don't think that's the case."
Seeing his friend getting upset, the person next to him quickly tried to calm him down.
"Oh, damn it, this is such a shame. If this continues, Luo is going to lose."
"God, if I remember correctly, the technical team seems to have a better relationship with Luo. Could it be Luo's own fault?"
"Let's not get too agitated. The Chinese driver seems to have a good relationship with Luo, so it shouldn't be like that. It's probably a problem with the car."
"Yeah, friends, let's not get angry. We'll hear what Luo has to say after the race."
...
Seeing Luo Xi's car having issues, the emotions of Luo Xi's fans in the stands also fluctuated.
Lin Yan clearly saw Luo Xi's car wobbling in his rearview mirror.
If the wobble was this severe every lap, it would be an almost guaranteed win for him. However, a guaranteed win wasn't what Lin Yan wanted.
Exiting turn five and straightening the steering wheel, at a considerable distance from turn six, Lin Yan unexpectedly braked.
His master had his principles, and Lin Yan had his own.
"What's going on? Why did Lin Shen brake for no reason?"
Lin Yan's braking was very peculiar. This section was normally used for acceleration between two turns, but Lin Yan had inexplicably braked, turning acceleration into deceleration.
Hao Dong, sitting in the stands, was bewildered and exclaimed in surprise. The Chinese audience was equally confused as to why Lin Shen had braked.
This braking, precisely timed, slowed him down by 0.19 seconds, allowing Luo Xi's car to catch up again.
In a formal race, Lin Yan might not have done this, as he had an entire technical team behind him, and even as the boss, he couldn't let the whole team take the blame for his actions.
But this was a friendly match, and his opponent was his master. He wouldn't acknowledge his own strength by exploiting the opponent's mistake.
Seeing Lin Yan's car slow down, Luo Xi, just exiting the turn, was taken aback, and then he understood.
This kid is truly interesting.
What a shame, with this level of skill, I can't take him as a disciple.
Luo Xi, for the first time, felt the desire to take Lin Yan as a disciple, but he knew it was almost impossible.
The other party's skill was already almost on par with his own, and he had such a large financial group behind him. Taking the young master of a top financial group as a disciple would be very difficult. Luo Xi had realized this when Lin Yan hesitated last time.
The two cars were back together, which surprised everyone present.
After a moment of reaction, the Chinese fans and Hao Dong finally understood Lin Yan's intention. It turned out Lin Yan didn't want his opponent to lose because of car issues.
"That Chinese driver seems to have intentionally braked."
"Indeed. It seems Luo's incident this time might truly have been an accident."
"Oh, this Oriental man has great character. I like him. I heard he's only twenty. To achieve this level of skill and magnanimity at twenty is truly impressive."
...
Although Lin Yan's move cost him speed, it also changed the perception of some of Luo Xi's fans.
Alas, this...
Seeing Lin Yan give up his advantage, Venares sighed. This race was lost.
Lin Yan's only chance to win was in this turn five. In the remaining nine turns, Lin Yan was absolutely no match for Luo Xi.
He had initially thought victory was all but assured, but unexpectedly, Lin Yan deliberately braked to slow down.
Given the current situation, if he yielded this lap, he would have to yield the next three laps as well, otherwise, the fans' opinions would continue to shift.
The bearded foreigner next to him and Venares had opposite expressions. The young man had a faint smile on his face, with a hint of relief.
Tsk, tsk, this kid is not only strong but also has excellent character. Good, he will achieve great things in the future.
The bearded foreigner thought to himself.
He knew very well what winning this race would mean for Lin Yan. Although it was a four-wheel race, defeating a nine-time champion, a legend who had won seven world championships, would make Lin Yan famous once it got out. At least within their motorcycle racing circle, his influence would more than double.
This kid could actually resist such temptation.
The bearded foreigner glanced at Venares and thought, although you might have lost a little now, overall, you've definitely made a huge profit.
Besides, knowing his old friend...
Smoothly navigating the next few turns, they arrived at the nine high-difficulty corners.
Lin Yan's gaze was fixed on the rearview mirror, preparing to defend against Luo Xi behind him. Venares was right; in the remaining nine turns, even if he pushed himself and wore out his tires, he wouldn't be a match for his master. Lin Yan had already lost ninety percent of this race.
The two cars exited turn nine and entered turn ten. Luo Xi began his attack.