Chapter 311: Chapter 159: Five-Star Jinx (6K, Bonus 23/27) (Part 4)
Exiting T1, before reaching T2, turn slightly to the right and then shift up to 4th gear early, so that the acceleration in this section has enough coherent traction. The traction provided by the car is just right for Qin Miao to hit the apex limit while cornering.
After exiting the corner, try to keep the steering wheel stable; this way, the car won’t lose power due to the need for steering during acceleration.
At the same time, pay attention to the timing of opening DRS.
Racing all the way to T4.
Before entering T4, adjust the brake balance rearward. This is a small technique Qin Miao learned from Old Man’s tuning setup and guidance, because this corner requires trail braking. Reducing the front brake pressure can help the car gain more directional stability while cornering and also prevent front wheel lock-up.
Enter the corner a bit earlier, since the track is very wide after exiting, leaving a lot of space. Try to use the track width as much as possible while ensuring your tires are always touching the white line without going off.
After exiting the corner, approach T5. This turn requires you to stay as far left as possible because T6 is a high-speed corner that needs to widen the entry line as much as possible. According to Qin Miao’s tuning, T6 requires letting off the throttle and downshifting to glide through using the car’s inertia.
However, with Old Man’s tuning, you don’t need to let off the throttle, but you should ease it by half.
After exiting T5, shift up to 6th gear on the straight leading to T6. Just slightly lift the throttle for T6, no need to release it completely.
After passing T6, quickly get to the far left of the track, because heavy braking is needed next. We all know that F1 cars brake best when maintaining a straight line.
Since this is a downhill section, the brake balance remains rearward.
Use 2nd gear to navigate T8, but apply throttle early to maintain traction.
Then proceed all the way to T9.
No need to worry about the apex in T9, it’s a fake corner; just keep the car centered on the track.
Then comes T10, which requires heavy braking and steering simultaneously, so adjust the brake balance further rearward. Qin Miao’s operation is to twist a knob on the left side of his steering wheel to adjust the dynamic balance mode to Mode 3.
Shift down to 2nd gear before entering the corner, steer, and after hitting the apex, shift up early, and as you straighten the wheel, start gradually applying the throttle according to your own habit.
After exiting the corner, confirm the DRS timing and go full throttle straight to T11.
T11 looks harmless but is actually a very challenging corner.
The braking point is very late, about 70 meters, shift down to 4th gear, and take a bit of the corner with speed, but not too much, because you’ll need traction after exiting, and too much curb could cause a slip.
When exiting the corner, you must calculate the traction limit of your car. If you apply too little throttle after exiting, the speed is slow; if you apply too much, it spins, without any fuss.
You can use the curb when exiting, but not too much, as overuse will cause the same issues.
After T11, T12 is relatively simple.
For Qin Miao, it’s basically a fake corner, find the entry line and go full throttle through it directly.
The subsequent T13 is a bit more difficult, try to stay as far left on the track, utilizing the track width more.
This turn has no reference points, and the timing of entry relies entirely on your own feeling.
Moreover, after entering the turn, don’t steer too aggressively. You need to gently guide the wheel a bit to bring the car over, and after the apex, try to use all the track and curb upon exiting, but make sure not to run outside the white line.
For the following T14, Qin Miao adjusts the brake balance back to the default state, because the braking for this corner is in a straight line. The load on the front wheels is more balanced, making the front brake efficiency higher, and there’s no need to worry about front wheel lock-up like in T10.
The curb on T14 is quite high; you can slightly graze it, but never climb over it.
The cost of climbing this curb is high, at least 0.3 seconds of time per attempt.
After all, right after this corner is a long straight, and every bit of traction is crucial.
After exiting the corner, full throttle to the finish line.
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"Qin Miao! Triple purple! 1 minute 29 seconds 159! First! Chinese driver Qin Miao is currently in first place in Q3!"