How Did I Become an F1 Driver?-Chapter 929 - 367: Secret Test (Part 2)

But upon closer thought, it seemed unlikely, because it was too late at the moment, already 11 o'clock, who starts a gathering at 11 PM?

So Qin Miao came to the circuit with a heart full of doubts.

Because Silverstone Circuit is not far from the Mercedes team factory, although it's not directly opposite the circuit like Aston Martin's headquarters, Brackley is only about five kilometers from Silverstone Circuit.

Driving there takes at most ten minutes. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

After meeting Elliott at the circuit, before Qin Miao could voice his doubts, Elliott quietly led him through the back door into the track.

Inside the track, Qin Miao couldn't contain his curiosity and asked, "Why call me over this late?"

Elliott smiled, "You'll know soon enough."

Soon, the two who entered from the back door walked through the somewhat dim Matthew Passage and then entered the depths of Silverstone Circuit.

Inside the team's P room, Qin Miao was somewhat stunned to see an AMG ONE.

"This is? Is it mine?"

Elliott smiled and said, "If you want, you can indeed drive this car away directly, but its purpose here isn't that."

Qin Miao looked at him, quietly waiting for the explanation.

Elliott approached Qin Miao a bit and whispered in his ear, "Take a closer look at the car's rear, actually, the diffuser on this car is the same upgraded diffuser we have on our race car, and we called you over to run some data on this diffuser to see if it matches our original predictions."

Qin Miao was startled, then looked at Elliott in disbelief, also lowering his voice, "Isn't that against the rules? Won't we be penalized if FIA finds out?"

Elliott waved his hand with a smile and said, "Not many people know about this, and even if they did, it wouldn't matter. Besides, our AMG ONE is still in the development stage, and using some common components with F1 cars is normal."

After hearing this, Qin Miao was reluctantly persuaded by Elliott, but he still responded with some uncertainty, "This is also my first time experiencing this AMG ONE, I haven't felt its handling before, so I can't give you immediate feedback on how good or bad this car is."

Elliott waved his hand, "That's not important; what we want is simple, for you to personally push this car's performance to the limit."

Qin Miao...

"And you being unfamiliar with this car is just right, since it's your first time driving it, even if FIA comes to check, they wouldn't think we could gain much information from it.

You realized the opportunity to test drive the AMG ONE early, so you're here to prepare to experience the specifics of this car's handling." Elliott said.

Qin Miao was still a bit doubtful, "Are you sure it's alright?"

Elliott patted his chest in assurance, "Even if we get caught, it won't affect you; if something happens, I'll take full responsibility."

Qin Miao remained somewhat skeptical until he saw Toto in the team P room.

Since Toto was already here, then Mercedes' confidentiality measures for this matter must be done perfectly, which made Qin Miao feel a bit more at ease.

After that, Qin Miao naturally was put into the cockpit, and Qin Miao kept busy at the Silverstone Circuit until after 2 AM the next day.

In those two and a half hours, Qin Miao drove the AMG ONE for almost a hundred laps on the track.

And even after so many laps, Qin Miao still found it endlessly fascinating.

Because this was his first time experiencing a supercar with active aerodynamic components.

These active aerodynamic components gave Qin Miao a unique feeling, especially when activated in Man and Car Unity mode.

It was as if an additional limb or organ was gained, which during cornering helps change the car's aerodynamic profile, providing stronger grip and making cornering easier.

This aerodynamic kit, vastly different from the F1 cars he's used to, gave Qin Miao a strong novelty sensation from the first time he drove it.

What Qin Miao didn't know was that while he was cheerfully driving on the track, Elliott and Toto were watching his car's telemetry data and lap times, marveling at how the new generation surpasses the old.

Actually, before today, this car was also driven by Mercedes' test drivers, with the Silverstone Circuit exclusively reserved by Mercedes for the past two days; yesterday, it was tested by De Vries.

De Vries is a driver for the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, and also serves as a test driver and reserve driver for the Mercedes F1 team, although his position has not secured him a formal F1 seat, his skills are not to be underestimated.

Then with the same car setup, even with a full tank of racing fuel, Qin Miao's first lap was only 0.3 seconds slower than De Vries.

And as Qin Miao gradually understood the limits of the car and Silverstone Circuit at night, his fastest lap was a full 1.5 seconds faster than De Vries' fastest lap.

That might explain why despite De Vries' outstanding performance in FE, he hasn't been able to enter F1.

After work was done, Qin Miao was still a bit reluctant, even eager to get his own car soon and enjoy another run on the track.

But at least the data collection work was completed, and the results satisfied the team.

According to the team's aerodynamics department report, upgrading this component on the race car could increase lap speed by at least 0.1 seconds.

Although it seems minor, it's at least a step forward.

Moreover, before the start of this season, no one at the Mercedes team could predict that the obstacle to the car's performance this season wasn't the engine or other issues, but because of too much downforce.

Returning to Toto and the group of people wearing Mercedes engineer uniforms, Qin Miao found Toto and Elliott.

Looking at them, Qin Miao said, "There's no denying it, this car is the best I've ever driven among all supercars, when can I get my car, I'm already impatient."

Upon hearing Qin Miao's approval, both Toto and Elliott laughed.

With Qin Miao's endorsement, at least this car's performance meets the expectations of professionals like him.

However, Elliott still poured a bit of cold water on Qin Miao, "The delivery time for this car is likely not as quick as you'd think because of technical and cost reasons, it won't be delivered until next year, and since your car is custom-made, it might take even longer."

Qin Miao smacked his lips in disappointment, "This is 2022, I can't bear another day."

Upon hearing Qin Miao's words, Toto's smile persisted, but soon he seemed to remember something, his smile gradually faded, and his expression turned somewhat solemn.

Because in Qin Miao's words, Toto recalled the challenges Mercedes faced this season.

Will things be better next year?

This question involuntarily surfaced in Toto's mind.

...

Having been busy until 2 AM at Silverstone Circuit, when Qin Miao got home, washed up, and lay down in bed, it was already 3 AM.

At this hour, it was nearly impossible for Qin Miao to attend Leclerc's gathering tomorrow.

So Qin Miao sent a message to Leclerc apologizing.

While Leclerc felt a bit unfortunate about Qin Miao's absence, he expressed understanding.

On Sunday, Qin Miao stayed at his home in Brackley and rested for the day.