He was sitting in the cafeteria at the Bahrain International Circuit, his head buried in a seafood burger.
The morning performance had been truly awful, and his mood was slightly low.
But the power of good food was infinite.
He took a bite of the crispy bun, filled with tender fried fish and shrimp.
The rich sauce exploded in his mouth, and all his unhappiness instantly vanished.
Sander and Paul walked over and sat across from him.
Do not take it to heart, Julian, Sander comforted him.
Wet weather has always been your weakness.
Doing this well in your first real car wet session is actually pretty good.
Yeah, Paul nodded.
It will be dry this afternoon.
Show them your true strength then.
Julian looked up, his mouth still stuffed with burger, and mumbled unclearly.
Can I get another one?
Sander and Paul looked at each other and could not help but laugh.
Eat, eat as much as you want, Sander said with a smile.
I will not tell Tom.
To save budget, fitness trainer Tom had not traveled with the team to Bahrain.
Julian’s eyes lit up.
He immediately went to get two more seafood burgers.
As for the worries Sander and Paul had, he did not care at all.
Was a spin really a big deal?
By noon, the rain gradually stopped.
The sun broke through the clouds, casting golden light on the track.
The puddles evaporated quickly, and the surface dried out fast.
After finishing three burgers, Julian wiped his mouth in satisfaction.
He looked at the sun outside, and his eyes brightened.
Finally, it stopped raining.
He breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Although he had not looked at the internet comments, he could guess that many people were cursing him out.
Sander patted his shoulder, his gaze turning resolute.
Drive well this afternoon.
Shut up all the people who are doubting you.
Got it, Julian nodded obediently.
At five fifteen in the afternoon, the second winter test session officially began.
The track was completely dry, and all drivers had switched to slicks.
Julian drove the number two car out of the pit lane.
The moment he stepped on the throttle, his entire aura changed instantly.
The cautious, timid teenager from the morning was gone.
In his place was a driver with sharp eyes, smooth movements, and an aura of absolute confidence.
His back straightened slightly.
His hands gripped the steering wheel firmly, his gaze locked on the track ahead.
On his first flying lap.
This time was only zero point three seconds slower than the pole position time from last year’s Bahrain race.
In the garage, everyone held their breath.
Sander leaned forward, staring tightly at the big screen.
Give him two more laps, and he will go even faster, Paul said in a low voice, his tone full of excitement.
On lap five.
Julian caught the number one car of Dennis on the main straight.
Dennis saw Julian in his rearview mirror and his face darkened.
He immediately changed lanes, trying to block Julian’s racing line.
But Julian did not give him a chance.
He tucked tightly into Dennis’s slipstream.
At the end of the straight, he braked late and dived down the inside.
The entire overtaking maneuver was clean and fluid, executed in one seamless motion.
A suppressed cheer erupted in the garage.
Paul excitedly slapped the console, sending his pen flying.
Sander’s clenched fists finally relaxed, and he let out a long breath.
Overtaking Technique: 49.
Real race overtake adds 10 proficiency.
Current progress: 10 out of 100.
After overtaking Dennis, Julian did not hesitate.
He pinned the throttle and disappeared into the distance.
Dennis furiously slapped his steering wheel.
He slammed the accelerator, trying to catch up.
But Julian just kept getting faster, his lap times dropping lap after lap.
A few laps later, Dennis could not even see Julian’s taillights.
At seven forty five in the evening.
The second winter test session ended.
The final results were in.
Julian took first place with a time of one forty point two two.
He was zero point five seconds faster than second place, and a full zero point eight seconds faster than Dennis.
The MP Motorsport garage instantly erupted in loud cheers.
The mechanics high fived each other, their faces beaming with excited smiles.
Awesome job, Julian!
That is your real strength!
Great driving!
Sander clenched his fist and whispered, Yes.
Paul took off his glasses, wiped them with his shirt, and put them back on.
He checked the data on the screen several times before finally believing it was real.
The real car data is in, Paul said, holding his tablet, his voice trembling slightly.
Julian’s tire degradation is twenty five percent lower than the other drivers.
It matches the simulator data perfectly.
Sander nodded, a gratified smile appearing on his face.
He always knew this kid would not let him down.
He stared dead at the big screen at the name ranked first.
His fists were clenched so tight they cracked, veins bulging on his arms.
He just could not understand it.
Why would the same person perform so differently in the morning and the afternoon?
A guy who ranked fifteenth in the wet this morning, too scared to touch the throttle in the corners, somehow took first place in the dry this afternoon and left him nearly a second behind?
It was absurd!
The reporters by the track were stunned.
Their cameras had originally been pointed at Dennis and the other favorites.
Now, everyone shifted their lenses to focus on Julian, who had just climbed out of his car.
Camera flashes went off one after another, lighting up the area.
The reporters pulled out their phones and started rewriting their articles.
Stunning Reversal!
Rookie Julian Vance Takes Dry Crown, Half a Second Clear of the Field.
Useless in the Rain, a God in the Dry!
MP Motorsport Strikes Gold.
The Most Controversial Rookie!
Julian Vance Answers the Doubters with Pure Pace.
Meanwhile, on local social media, although there were still many critics, different voices were starting to emerge.
Wait, he took first this afternoon?
Is he really this good in the dry?
Zero point eight seconds faster than his teammate Dennis?
Is there a chance he just simply does not know how to drive in the rain?
Stop making excuses, it was just luck.
We will see the truth in the actual race.
At the same time, trolls were replying to the tweet Dr.
Marko had posted that morning.
Nope, Doctor, you were wrong.
Sander was right.
They found a genius!
Julian took off his helmet and wiped the sweat from his face.
He looked at the cheering people in the garage, then at the reporters outside taking pictures of him non stop.
He scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
He walked up to Sander and asked in a small voice.
Mr.
Sander, was my driving just now okay?
Sander looked at his shy smile and patted his shoulder hard.
More than just okay.
You drove incredibly well, better than I could have ever expected!
Julian’s eyes lit up, and he immediately asked, Can I have another seafood burger then?
Sander laughed loudly.
No problem!
The cafeteria will give you as many burgers as you want today!