With a heavy pat on Qin Miao's shoulder, Leclerc said with a forced smile, "You bastard, how did you run that lap so fast?"

It was obvious that despite their familiarity, Leclerc wasn't too happy about Qin Miao snatching pole position from him during qualifying.

Qin Miao spread his hands with an innocent look: "What's it got to do with me? If you want to blame someone, blame Perez and Red Bull."

Leclerc retorted confidently, "Right now, it's just you in front of me, and the fact is you're right in front of me, so who else should I blame?"

"Well, there's nothing that can be done, buddy. I'm just too strong. If there's someone to blame, it's yourself for not pushing to the limit on your first flying lap in Q3."

"Damn, who can run a first flying lap in Q3 like you, risking everything? What if there's an accident, wouldn't the entire race be ruined?"

"I don't care, if you've got the skill, learn from me."

"Alright, you're impressive." Leclerc conceded that he couldn't learn Qin Miao's ways.

...

Because Qin Miao had already tidied up his appearance in the team's paddock, he went to the post-race interviews earlier than Leclerc.

"Congratulations, Qin Miao, your final flying lap in the qualifying was stunning, but I believe what's more curious is the slipstream that Hamilton provided on that lap. Was this something arranged internally by Mercedes?"

This question wasn't really suitable for the occasion, because post-race interviews are typically for praising the top three drivers and getting their thoughts on the race.

After all, normal drivers are pretty tired after a qualifying session, asking them to think through their answers can be a bit taxing.

Yet this question was somewhat sharp and might affect the harmony within the Mercedes team.

Still, having been around the paddock for so long, Qin Miao might not have had the highest EQ, but he was good at saying the right thing at the right time.

Moreover, his remarkable physical fitness meant he didn't feel too tired at the moment.

So after a bit of thought, Qin Miao said, "I'm very grateful for Hamilton's help. Without him, I definitely couldn't have achieved such a fast lap. You could say half the credit for that lap goes to him."

Qin Miao's response was all about dodging the main point, answering the question without really addressing the host's query, yet he genuinely felt grateful for the slipstream Hamilton provided.

The host didn't push further on this topic and asked, "Your final flying lap was flawless in terms of cornering and timing, but it was your first flying lap in Q3. If that lap hadn't been good or if you'd made a mistake and damaged the car, you'd have to start from tenth in the race tomorrow.

I don't doubt your attacking abilities. After all, you pulled off a miracle last season in Monaco, but this season the Mercedes car isn't as competitive. Aren't you worried that a mistake might cost you the podium?"

Facing this question, Qin Miao was silent for a moment, then said, "Honestly, until the final flying lap started, I hadn't considered that aspect. The lap in Q2 was already the fastest I could manage in this session. At that time, I was thinking about how to squeeze a bit more speed from other areas to secure a better position in qualifying.

So I came up with this strategy.

And ultimately, I didn't make any mistakes and didn't let my team or the fans down. Most importantly, I'm standing here now, right?" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Indeed, that lap was absolutely perfect." The host had to nod in agreement.

"One last question, you'll be starting the race from pole position tomorrow. Have you thought about any strategies? Is there a chance we'll see an exciting defense from you on the Monte Carlo circuit?"

"To be honest, I hadn't even thought I'd get pole position in qualifying before this race, but I believe tonight the team will come up with a detailed plan."

"Alright, thank you for your interview, and congratulations on securing pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix."

"Thank you."

After the interview ended, Qin Miao waited for a while until Leclerc's interview was over, and then he collected his Pirelli small tire for pole position in that race's qualifying.

After completing these formalities, Qin Miao returned to his team.

Although today's session was over, Qin Miao's work for the day wasn't finished yet.

Besides the post-race meeting, Qin Miao also had an interview with a domestic media outlet.

Though it wasn't particularly formal.

The person responsible for interviewing Qin Miao this time was a commentator from Five-Star Sports: Zhou Haoran.

Clearly, Brother Ran was taking the opportunity of work to watch the race and do some interviews with Qin Miao and other drivers or team leaders in the paddock.

Usually, at times like this, Qin Miao would leave the paddock after the meeting, but today was different. After all, he knew Zhou Haoran and had chatted well with him in Shanghai, and now, being at what is practically his home race, Qin Miao readily agreed to Zhou Haoran's interview and even invited Brother Ran to have a meal together.