Chapter 1282 - 482: The Unlucky Ones
"Qin Miao, congratulations, we’re champions again! Really, I’m proud of you!" Toto exclaimed, patting Qin Miao’s back energetically, all his previous nervousness and anxiety forgotten in an instant.
"Thank you, Toto, although I can’t remember how many times I’ve said this to you, I still want to thank you for believing in me from the start," Qin Miao said with a smile.
"No, it wasn’t me who saw something in you, it was you, your brilliance attracted me," Toto responded with a smile as well. "Alright, now go enjoy your victory, World Champion!"
...
After celebrating thoroughly with the team staff, Qin Miao left their embrace.
When he approached Hamilton and Verstappen, Qin Miao gave each of them a hug.
Both naturally congratulated Qin Miao on his world championship win.
Though on the track, the three would do anything to beat each other, off the track, they still managed to display cordiality, and many drivers do have pretty good relationships in private.
After greeting the two, they went to do their post-race interviews, while Qin Miao started tidying himself up.
Weighing in, removing his helmet, wiping the sweat, donning the 2022 World Champion cap, Qin Miao walked over to Hamilton amidst the thunderous cheers of the Brazilian fans on site.
Hamilton glanced at Qin Miao in his world champion cap, nodding as he said, "Congratulations, kid, you did great this season."
After saying that, Hamilton said with some sentiment, "I honestly didn’t expect it, the kid who used to visit my house, looking so timid and amazed by everything, is now a two-time world champion."
Qin Miao placed his hands on his hips, thought carefully for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly, "Lewis, I remember when you invited me over to your house, I didn’t seem that timid, did I?"
Hamilton: ...
Is this really the time to be fussing over such things? And don’t you have any idea of what you were like back then?
The most astonishing thing is, after winning the world championship, you aren’t excited; instead, you have the leisure to ponder over how you acted during a house visit back then?
Looking at Qin Miao sideways, somewhat at a loss, Hamilton said, "Maybe I remembered it wrong then..."
Today you’re the world champion; whatever you say, goes.
After the champions’ interview, Hamilton didn’t greet Qin Miao again and went directly to his own interview.
After all, today the Old Man only came in third place, and being the seven-time champion who was overshadowed by two young drivers, he wasn’t in the mood for much conversation.
After smiling and thanking the on-site fans who supported him, he briefly answered a few reporters’ questions, concluding all of Hamilton’s duties for the day.
As Hamilton and Verstappen completed their post-race interviews, the audience on site knew the last one to be interviewed was Qin Miao, so the cheers grew extremely enthusiastic.
Amidst the cheers from the fans, Qin Miao waved and smiled as he walked over to the host responsible for today’s post-race interview.
"Wow, look at you, a freshly crowned world champion," the host teased Qin Miao as he stood in front of them.
Hearing the host say this, the audience’s cheers got even louder.
Qin Miao chuckled.
"How does it feel now? In just your second professional year, you’ve won two world championships. Qin Miao, you’ve not only become the youngest world champion in history but also the youngest two-time champion."
Qin Miao shrugged, "It feels great. At this moment, I feel like all the efforts I put in this year have been worth it. The team and my family gave me a lot of support, and of course, most importantly, my fans. Without their support, I wouldn’t have reached where I am today."
Then Qin Miao paused, waving to the audience on site, "Thanks, everyone! Thank you..."
The audience’s cheers escalated even further.
At this moment, Qin Miao was like a conductor of a symphony, and with a slight wave of the baton, the enthusiasm and cheers of the audience climbed higher.
The audience’s cheering was so loud that the host had to wait for the noise to quiet down a bit before asking the second question: "In today’s race, although you retained your championship, you didn’t win today’s Grand Prix. Does this feel like a pity? Do you think this race weekend wasn’t perfect?"
Qin Miao shook his head, "No, of course not. Verstappen performed amazingly today, and I sincerely congratulate him on winning today’s race.
But truth be told, luck was not on our side, and both the team and I have chosen to accept that.
Besides, if it comes down to choosing between the Grand Prix win and the world championship, I would absolutely choose the world championship."
Finally, the host asked a relatively trivial question about attack and defense on the track. Qin Miao’s answer was as appropriate as always, but with a distinctly diplomatic tone.
After all, Qin Miao grew up in F1 in a big team like Mercedes, where there’s always someone to instruct and oversee post-race interviews, and Qin Miao wasn’t in the habit of pulling any wild stunts in this regard.