F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 124 Simulator

On the evening of May 25th, the new generation of drivers had a party together. They didn't talk about racing or competitions; they were just a group of young men chatting and bragging.

The next morning, Wu Shi woke up slowly. He and Pan Zi stayed at Lock & Lock's house for the night.

The drivers don't have much time for leisure, so waking up means they have to go back to the Netherlands to practice.

Panzi was very happy; he hadn't driven for over 36 hours! His hands were itching to go!

Wu Shi understands the feelings of car enthusiasts quite well; after watching an F1 Grand Prix, he himself felt increasingly restless.

However, before he even got to the airport, Sid called.

“Hello, I’m on my way back to the Netherlands,” Wu Shi answered the phone.

"No, no, no, that's not it. Turn around right now, I've sent you an address, go there immediately."

Sid spoke so urgently and loudly that Verstappen, who was standing nearby, could hear him.

He made a surprised expression, indicating that he had gone to the airport first.

Wu Shi made an "OK" sign and asked on the phone, "Why?"

"It's Hamilton. Simon Fuller's XIX team just contacted me. You know, this team is Hamilton's agent team. He told me that Hamilton wants to invite you to his home to talk."

Sid was so excited that he stuttered as he spoke.

Wu Shi wanted to say that he really didn't know who Hamilton's management team was, but that didn't matter now!

"Okay, I'll be right there!"

Although he had no idea what Hamilton wanted to do by inviting him, that didn't stop him from going to see.

Wu Shi hailed an Uber and immediately arrived at Hamilton's residence. In the red-walled apartment, the door was wide open, and he immediately saw the old man sitting on the living room sofa.

However, what attracted his attention the most was the huge simulator on the west side of the living room.

“Hey, Mr. Hamilton, I’m here,” Wu Shi said.

"Welcome, young man from China. You've grown up so much in the blink of an eye."

Hamilton stood up happily, dressed in a very fashionable outfit: a wide-sleeved robe with flowing drapes on top and modified black work pants on the bottom.

"Haha, I still remember the scene when we met. It was a moment I will never forget in my life," Wu Shi said.

"Oh, it's my honor, but I want to tell you that when you come to the paddock, you will experience another unforgettable moment in your life."

Hamilton, hands in his pockets, walked over to the simulator and continued, "Take a look, what is this thing?"

“Simulator.”

Wu Shi naturally recognized this behemoth. It had a surround screen consisting of three huge screens installed in front of it, a six-axis drive for the seat, and a sharp design.

“Yes, an F1 simulator, give it a try,” Hamilton said directly.

“Okay!” Wu Shi didn’t ask why and sat down directly.

“I’ve already set everything up. If you don’t mind, you can stay here for a few more days,” Hamilton said.

Once the simulator starts, a flurry of complex parameter settings flashes by, and the departure grid appears.

Even though he had never been to this track in his life, Wu Shi recognized it at a glance: it was the Suzuka Circuit in Japan!
“Give it a try,” Hamilton continued.

Wu Shi turned to look at the old man. He had already guessed what was going on, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he started driving.

In the first three laps, he familiarized himself with the controls and asked some questions about the buttons on the steering wheel—F1 drivers' steering wheels are all custom-made, so only the driver and the engineer know what some of the unmarked buttons do. After three laps, Wu Shi entered the starting straight, pressed the DRS button, activated the battery output, and turned on the qualifying mode, simulating a deafening roar.

It charged straight into turn one in eighth gear, reaching an astonishing speed of 344 kilometers per hour at the top.

"Slide through Turn 1 in sixth gear, continuously downshifting and slowing down until you reach fourth gear at Turn 2," Hamilton's voice suddenly rang out.

Wu Shi wasn't wearing headphones, so he naturally heard what he said clearly and then did as instructed.

After exiting Turn 2, accelerate on the short straight and enter Turns 3 and 4 at a speed of about 240 km/h in fifth gear. During this time, you need to ease off the accelerator and press the accelerator to get through the continuous S-curves from Turn 3 to Turn 7.

"Accelerate at Turn 7, you can get into eighth gear, and then drift into Turn 8."

In Wu Shi's eyes, the scene rushed past rapidly. At a speed of over 280 kilometers per hour, he suddenly braked, downshifted, and turned, pressing into the apex of Turn 8. At that moment, the car's speed was still as high as 240 km/h.

It gives the impression that the car plunges into the apex of the bend in the blink of an eye.

This is happening on a simulator. If you were actually driving, this G-force would definitely make you feel very uncomfortable.

Turn 9 is already quite sharp, so you have to slow down again, entering the turn at around 150 km/h in fourth gear.

"You can keep accelerating on this straight. Brake at the apex of the tenth fake turn and prepare to enter the eleventh turn."

After a full lap, Hamilton meticulously explained how to navigate each corner.

Buzz!

The race car engine roared as it sped across the finish line, and the final results were announced.

1: 37.661.

“Not bad,” Hamilton commented.

"Hmm, I feel there's still a lot of room for improvement," Wu Shi said. He was clearly not used to this running style, and sometimes he felt that he wasn't using downforce to its fullest potential.

Of course, many things in an emulator are not valid.

“Last year, Webber achieved a pole position here in a Red Bull car with a time of 1 minute 30.915 seconds,” Hamilton added.

"That's fast, but this year's race cars are noticeably slower than last year's," Wu Shi said.

“Well, this is the first year of the hybrid engine, so it’s normal that the speed isn’t as good as last year,” Hamilton said. He finished third in qualifying last year with a time of 1 minute 31.253 seconds.

Upon hearing this, Wu Shi remained silent and continued his sprint.

After looking at it for a while, Hamilton turned around and sat down on the sofa at the back, saying, "If you want to drive it more often, I'll have someone give you a key. You can come over whenever you have time."

"Thank you very much for your generosity," Wu Shi said as he drove.

"This machine is just sitting there anyway, and I don't use it much. You can get used to it, but I have to remind you that the simulator is for getting familiar with the track, not for telling you how to actually drive it."

Hamilton has never been a fan of simulators. He believes that real data can only be obtained through actual testing. Although he will complete simulator tests according to the team's requirements, he will not practice simulators in the remaining time.

"I understand, but thank you anyway."

"You can drive here, I have to go out." Hamilton tossed a key to the maid in the side room, said something, and left.

Throughout their conversation, neither of them mentioned why they had so abruptly asked Wu Shi to come and experience the simulator.

　Something came up today, so the next chapter might be a little late.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)