Qin Miao felt that the time advantage gained by making one less pit stop could help him maintain his position.
"Are you sure you're not going to change tires? Verstappen is ready to pit for soft tires." Frankie turned back to look at the Red Bull team's pit crew, coming out one after another with the used soft tires that had run two laps in the qualifying stage.
When Qin Miao heard Frankie say this, he had an inner struggle, but it only lasted for a moment.
"Trust me, I think I can fend off all of Verstappen's attacks." This confidence came from Qin Miao's 100-point defensive capability. Added to this, the speed difference on track today between him and Verstappen wasn't as exaggerated as it was before the summer break. Even if Verstappen used soft tires in the latter part of the race, Qin Miao was confident he could lock him out on track.
Ultimately, Verstappen pitted to change tires, leaving Qin Miao outside; so after Verstappen rejoined, he ended up 10 seconds behind Qin Miao.
