Even though this was only the qualifying race, charging all the way from last place to first was no less difficult than winning the actual championship.
And Leon's performance today was so dazzling that it shocked all of Japan—while leaving Mia thrilled beyond words.
Based on Leon's current form, winning the championship was no longer just possible… it was highly likely!
Just thinking about how they were going to slap certain people in the face when they won made Mia almost dance with joy as they returned to the paddock.
"Congratulations on taking first place." Mia's smile was radiant.
She had to admit it—Leon was even stronger than Dominic.
When it came to pure speed, Leon had unquestionable dominance. Dominic had already lost to him multiple times, each loss even more humiliating than the last.
"We came here for the championship," Leon said proudly. "If we don't win, then what are we here for?"
Exactly. If it wasn't for the championship, he wouldn't have bothered to participate in this race at all.
The only question left—
Could he secure a triple crown?
If he succeeded, his popularity would skyrocket.
His earnings would multiply several times over.
He'd already asked Wolf of the Wall Street to help him buy some stock.
If he won today, they would earn at least a hundred million or two.
So—
The championship was a must.
Wolf of the Wall Street came over, laughing loudly as he shook Leon's hand.
"Congrats! Keep it up this afternoon. I'm betting on you." He patted Leon's shoulder with excitement.
From "the most failed investment" to "the most visionary investor," his status had flipped overnight.
Wolf of the Wall Street was bursting with pride, grinning nonstop.
And after their double victories earlier, things were looking even better.
Once the stock market opened in the afternoon, the price was expected to soar.
All because Leon had taken first place.
His win had given investors overflowing confidence.
With such momentum, Leon was guaranteed to walk away with both fame and fortune.
The two exchanged glances—both unable to hide their excitement.
But the same couldn't be said for others.
Leon's presence had thrown massive pressure onto the other drivers.
Since no vehicle adjustments were allowed before the main race, defeating "The Tyrant" became an almost impossible task.
Even Randall looked miserable.
Leon was simply too strong—strong enough to make everyone feel threatened.
Right then, the reporters swarmed in.
"Randall-sama, Leon took first place in the qualifiers. What strategy will you use to deal with him this afternoon?"
The implication was clear:
You're too weak. What can you possibly do to stop him?
Randall's eyebrow twitched. He was already irritated.
This was Japan, not the "American's backyard."
If an American won here… Japan would lose all face.
"This was just the qualifier," Randall snapped. "I haven't even revealed my trump card yet!"
His voice trembled with anger. "What's an American worth? Victory belongs to Japan!"
In front of the media, no matter how strong the opponent was, he could never admit a lack of confidence.
He had to project strength.
If his momentum faltered, the enemy would seize that weakness and crush him.
As a proud young master, Randall would never allow himself to look weak.
Even if he lost, he would never admit defeat beforehand.
So he continued belittling Leon—after all, the final result wouldn't be known until the main race.
With the qualifiers over, Japan exploded with excitement.
Leon's race video was immediately uploaded to the Official Cyber Formula website, triggering massive shockwaves.
Within minutes, the entire site was in flames.
When viewers saw Leon hit 1,000 km/h, the bullet comments went insane.
Layer upon layer, endlessly scrolling—hundreds per second, sometimes thousands.
The place practically detonated.
"Impossible! How could Japan lose!?"
"Is the measuring equipment broken? Even bullet trains aren't that fast!"
"Tch, our own racing gods can hit 1,000 km/h too!"
"Americans are nothing! Japan hasn't gone all-out yet!"
"This afternoon, I'm going. I'll cheer for our drivers myself!"
Leon's record sent shockwaves across the internet.
Most comments weren't supportive—they were angry.
Either flaming Leon or flaming their own Japanese drivers.
They simply couldn't accept losing.
They refused to admit Japan wasn't good enough.
Online outrage surged wave after wave.
The trending heat skyrocketed, drawing an enormous crowd.
And because of Leon, Cyber Formula tickets sold out instantly.
Originally only 200,000 seats, the organizers forcibly expanded to 250,000—
Still not enough.
Scalped tickets were selling at outrageous prices.
All thanks to Leon's 1,000 km/h miracle.
If the main race were held tomorrow, even foreigners would fly in to watch!
Time flew quickly, and afternoon arrived.
The main race was scheduled to begin at 2:00 PM.
Total distance: 310 km, or two hours, whichever came first.
For normal people, running 300 km would take three hours or more.
But these F1 drivers were incredibly fast—
Two hours was already generous.
By 1:00 PM, massive crowds filled the outside of the circuit.
Some sold race merchandise.
Some had their faces painted.
Some waved flags supporting their teams.
The atmosphere was as lively as the World Cup.
"Not many participants this year…"
"Of course. Even drivers like Higashi Meijin, who quit CF long ago, were called back."
"Higashi Meijin is hopeless. Didn't he crash during Nationals?"
"Anyway, many brands dropped out this year, which is why Leon had a chance to join."
People discussed animatedly.
Although F1 looked glamorous, the number of teams participating each year kept shrinking.
Why?
Because F1 was unbelievably expensive.
Vehicle wear and tear alone cost astronomical amounts—
Not to mention R&D, manufacturing, and maintenance.
Drivers and engineers lived in luxury; their salaries couldn't be low.
And races changed locations constantly—sometimes several countries in one year.
Transportation and logistics costs were enormous.
The spending was high, but the earnings were low.
F1 simply didn't make money.
Even championship prizes were insignificant compared to expenses.
Small manufacturers couldn't benefit much even with exposure.
Naturally, fewer and fewer teams entered each year.
Small teams weren't taken seriously.
Leon's car brand was unknown, so people didn't take him seriously either.
Japanese audiences had absolute faith in their own brands.
The main race was where the true strength would be revealed.
At exactly 2:00 PM—
The race was about to begin.
~~----------------------
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