How Did I Become an F1 Driver?

Meanwhile, on Ferrari’s side, they started working overtime again.

It’s worth mentioning that today Ferrari’s chairman, Elkann, also came to the paddock.

Qin Miao even noticed him when passing by the entrance of Ferrari’s garage after work.

Although Qin Miao had met him before, their communication was minimal, only exchanging a few words at last year’s FIA end-of-year award ceremony.

Literally just a few words.

Qin Miao knew he was the main decision-maker who offered him that extraordinary contract.

Vassel submitted the report, and he nodded in agreement and signed it.

It was he and Vassel who brought Qin Miao into Ferrari.

Thus, Qin Miao naturally felt grateful toward his big boss.

When someone gives you money and power, it’s hard not to feel grateful.

But at that moment, Qin Miao was still a Mercedes person, so he only nodded slightly at him, without expressing much else.

He then smiled and raised his glass to Qin Miao, toasting him.

On the way out of the paddock, Qin Miao couldn’t help but wonder how Elkann, who had poached him from Mercedes, would feel if he won the Monaco Grand Prix.

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Would he feel proud? After all, it’s gratifying when the person you valued lives up to your expectations and investment.

But what if Leclerc secures pole position and Qin Miao wins the race by overshadowing his record?

His emotions might be quite complicated.

But as he thought about it, Qin Miao recalled Leclerc’s performance in today’s two practice sessions.

Although Leclerc ranked well in both, the fastest lap in these sessions was consistently from Red Bull.

So on such a track, it’s foreseeable that Leclerc securing pole position is virtually impossible.

As for Mercedes...

Undeniably, Mercedes’ car is indeed competitively strong this season, but the characteristics of the W14 are too distinct, and given the track’s traits, neither Mercedes driver can secure pole position in Monaco, no matter how well they drive.

After all, this track highly depends on the car’s downforce and grip.

Qin Miao initially thought Friday would pass just like that, but upon crossing the track and returning to his room at the Monaco Palace, he was invited by a palace attendant to dine at the palace restaurant.

Qin Miao had already dined at Mercedes’ team headquarters since they had prepared a chef for him.

However, he couldn’t refuse the invitation from the Monaco royal family.

Initially, Qin Miao thought the royal family of Monaco might be curious and want to inquire about his relations with Ferrari, but when he got there, it was simply dining without any conversations about such matters.

It was just a regular family dinner, albeit with a variety of dishes, yet Qin Miao didn’t eat much as he wasn’t truly hungry.

After the meal, Qin Miao expected it to end there, but Albert II and Prince Jacques took him to the beach at the Monaco Palace.

Qin Miao realized that the main event the Monaco royal family invited him for was about to unfold.

Just as Qin Miao initially anticipated, Albert II and Prince Jacques indeed asked him a lot about Ferrari upon his arrival.

And after an in-depth conversation with the father-son pair, Qin Miao realized they were also Ferrari fans.

Originally, they were among those Ferrari fans most upset about him leaving the team, which made them his fans too.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Now with Qin Miao back at Ferrari, for fans like them, it’s akin to a holiday celebration.

For Ferrari, the news of Qin Miao returning is like bumping into your unforgettable first love in mid-life, realizing she hadn’t married either, and quickly reconnecting to settle your mutual feelings.

In short: pure bliss has opened the door to even more joy.

So the chat left Albert II quite delighted, as for young Prince Jacques.

As Qin Miao’s fan, knowing he’s joining their favorite team, he’s been in a perpetual state of excitement.

However, with a race tomorrow, Qin Miao planned to bid farewell and rest soon.

Before leaving, Albert II handed Qin Miao a key.

"This is the key to your room. From now on, that room belongs exclusively to you, and you can stay there anytime. Monaco Palace will always open its doors to you, granting you permanent access to that room."

"This is actually an apology. Monaco promised to protect the privacy and safety of all guests staying here, yet your home’s location was exposed, which was our fault.

This key is our apology, a small gift we hope you accept."

Qin Miao grinned bitterly at the key in his hand.

Undeniably, it truly is an honor.

Once Leclerc finds out, he’ll probably want to steal the key from my home.

But truth be told, it’s somewhat amusing; Qin Miao doesn’t have much use for it.

Partially, Qin Miao stayed at the Monaco Palace out of curiosity; besides, his home was besieged by fans, and Monaco’s traffic is exceedingly congested during the Grand Prix, so for convenience, he resided at Monaco Palace, since it’s just 100 meters from the track, making commuting particularly easy.