"This distance is perfectly sufficient for overtaking. Next, both cars enter the corner simultaneously. The BMW rider brakes late and moves to the outside of the rider in front, seemingly intending to use the outer line to overtake on exit."
Everything was fine up to this point. As the two cars entered the apex of the corner, preparing to exit, the rider in front caught a glimpse of the car beside him out of the corner of his eye.
That's why Reisner and Lin Yan wouldn't do that. They still had a chance if they were overtaken, but a crash would essentially mean retirement.
Even if they didn't crash, but just scraped each other and lost a wing, the performance difference in top-tier races like GP and the Isle of Man would be immense.
Despite a minor hiccup, the race continued as scheduled, the roar of engines still filling the air.
Nothing significant happened in the following laps.
By the twentieth lap, Xiao Li had moved up to twenty-second position. The entire train of riders had split into two main groups, with a gap in between.
The riders ahead had established a clear lead over those behind. The BMW rider was still pushing, now in fifty-fifth place.
The previous accident had impacted him too greatly. His team had also signaled for him to overtake in a more cautious manner.
Only half an hour had passed, so there was still a chance.
However, as the race reached the twentieth lap, the tire grip began to gradually weaken. It was estimated that in a few more laps, someone would head back to the pits for a tire change.
At thirty laps, Xiao Li had reached twentieth place.
Due to the low ambient temperature and frequent overtaking, his tires were starting to lose grip.
To play it safe, at the end of the thirtieth lap, Xiao Li drove his race car through the designated area at the finish line and entered the pit lane for a tire change.
The staff in the Ducati pit immediately responded. The pit stop preparation was already complete the moment the car entered the pit.
Following Xiao Li, other riders began entering the pits for tire changes. This was where the speed of tire changes by each team came into play.
The pit crews of the major teams were incredibly fast, disconnecting the chain and mounting the new tires in an instant.
With four crew members working simultaneously, Xiao Li's Ducati V4 sped out of the pit lane and back onto the track after a brief moment.
The tire-changing speeds of these major teams were almost identical, but the smaller teams lagged considerably.
This tire change effectively eliminated all the smaller teams in the top ten.
Xiao Li also moved up to fifteenth place.
Off the track, the rider who had collided with the M1000RR earlier, along with team personnel, went to the BMW pit to apologize.
Although he was angry about the crash, his apology was very sincere.
After an investigation by the race officials, it was confirmed that his heart rate had indeed fluctuated significantly at the time, and it was not intentional. Therefore, the BMW team did not press the issue and magnanimously forgave him.
After the recent pit stop for tire changes, the BMW rider had moved up to thirty-ninth place, and qualifying for the main race should not be a problem.
The fifty-lap race had now entered a white-hot stage.
In the stands, Lin Yan was eating popcorn, which he'd somehow acquired, with great relish.
ps: Every time I write a race, I feel like my head is going to explode... Keep going!