F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 147 There is no injustice

After changing into a Mercedes T-shirt in the back area, Wu Shi returned to the pit area, where the technicians were disassembling the No. 6 W05. If the gearbox problem wasn't resolved, it might affect the official race.

If it can't be fixed now, it will probably delay the second practice session at 9 pm tonight.

"You did a fantastic job just now. Have you really never driven an F1 car before? You've never even used a simulator?" Niki Lauda asked right away.

Wu Shi understood the two meanings in those words, smiled, and said, "I have indeed never played F1. If F1 2013 is considered a simulator, then I may have driven it."

“Haha! We’ll have a good talk with you after the Singapore Grand Prix.” Niki Lauda patted him on the shoulder.

Wu Shi nodded. Everything had settled down, but they would have to wait until the ranking matches ended tomorrow.

To be honest, his lap time wasn't slow. The reason Mercedes is so serious right now is simply because that brief engine power limitation exposed internal problems within the team.

He felt that his performance might not be enough to surpass Hamilton and Rosberg, but beating Red Bull and Ferrari should be a piece of cake.

Toto also came up and asked a few questions about how he felt. Wu Shi said he found it very comfortable to look at, the car was great, and he really wanted to buy one right away.

"Since you like Mercedes so much, I'll get you one when you turn 18." Toto smiled and pointed to the reporters who were being blocked, saying, "There are reporters over there who can't wait to find you. Take advantage of the break and go meet them."

As soon as Wu Shi walked over, a reporter from SKY Sports quickly handed him a microphone, while a reporter from the Italian Post also forcefully squeezed in.

However, Wu Shi looked at the CCTV reporter, indicating that he should ask first.

The reporter smiled and said, "Before the interview, allow me to express my feelings." (China)
Wu Shi smiled and nodded.

"Wu Shi! Awesome!" the reporter shouted.

"Cough cough!" Wu Shi almost choked.

"Hahaha." The reporter laughed happily, then said in an enthusiastic tone:

"Wu Shi, hello, I am a reporter from CCTV Sports Channel. I am really, really excited right now. I think when you set a lap time of 1 minute 45.879 seconds, the entire Chinese racing community must have been shaken!"

"That's a truly remarkable lap time. Based on predictions, it has a very good chance of placing you in the top three in qualifying. As a first-time F1 driver, what are your thoughts on this result?"

The CCTV reporter was more emotional than concerned with the actual issues, but when the Chinese interview began, the other reporters were completely bewildered and would have to ask someone to translate it when they got back!
"Thank you, thank you. I can feel your excitement. Actually, I am very excited too. It's not only because I can drive F1, but also because I can drive this year's champion car directly. I don't think any rookie driver is as lucky as me."

"Regarding today's lap time, I think I've done my best. I didn't have much time to get used to the car, and I felt that I didn't do a lot of lines well enough, so in order to achieve a faster lap time, I had to push myself to the limit."

Overall, this was a lap I'm satisfied with.

Wu Shi did not mention the "no power" issue, and the CCTV reporter naturally did not make things difficult for Wu Shi, and continued with the next question:
“We all saw it. You were driving at your absolute limit. Several times it looked like you were about to collide, but you just barely missed each other. You made full use of all the available track space. Your skill is no less than that of many veteran drivers. We are proud that China has produced such an excellent driver as you.”

"So, could you please wave to the camera and greet your fans in China?"

Wu Shi nodded, looked at the CCTV cameramen behind him, and said, "Hello everyone, I'm Wu Shi, an active F3 driver. I'm very happy that you can take the time to watch my race. Thank you for your support!"

He waved to the camera.

This footage was broadcast back to domestic sports channels.

Those who came to watch the race tonight were all racing fans who knew Wu Shi. When they saw Wu Shi, whose hair was a little messy, greeting them, many of them couldn't help but shout.

The excited screams even drew some dissatisfaction from the neighbors.

Six Star Sports, on the other hand, uses the official F1 live stream source, so they only see the side view.

"An interview in Chinese! I never expected to see this scene again," the soldier exclaimed.

"Yes! Wu Shi also gave CCTV a lot of face, being the first to be interviewed by them." "Ahem!" The soldier coughed twice to remind him, explaining what "giving CCTV face" meant, and added:
"In the world of Formula 1, the West has always held the power of discourse. It is truly remarkable that an interview can be conducted in Chinese. I would never have dared to dream of doing this for anyone else."

Fei Ge realized what was happening and continued, "Yes, who knows, some foreign media might criticize Wu Shi tomorrow, but Wu Shi's talent and speed, as well as the huge sponsorship behind him, mean he doesn't have to worry about being affected by these media outlets."

"That's why I said this is something that other Chinese drivers wouldn't even dare to dream of!" Bing Ge said.

After the CCTV reporter finished their interview, the Sky Sports reporter was finally able to ask questions.

They weren't there for a childish interview where everyone praises each other; they were there to capture the hottest news stories!

"Wu Shi, you have just achieved excellent results. We have seen a talented driver rise to prominence. I think your lap time is likely to fulfill the agreement between Mercedes and you. So, you may become a Mercedes official driver next year. How do you feel right now?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Shi immediately sensed the trap: it was a direct assumption that he would become a Mercedes driver.

He thought for a moment and said:

“I am very grateful to the Mercedes team for giving me the opportunity to practice today. This is one of the benefits I enjoy as a member of the Mercedes driver development program, and I think it is an invaluable experience.”

"So do you think your performance will put you in the top three for tomorrow's qualifying round?" Sky Sports reporter asked again when Wu Shi wasn't falling for the bait.

“In the first practice session, no one showed much speed, and I don’t know how much potential they have. In addition, I have very little experience in F1 racing, so it’s not something I can judge.”

Wu Shi remained impeccable.

The Sky Sports reporter, unconvinced, continued, "At the very end, we heard you say 'no power,' what's going on?"

“I’m not the team’s engineer, so I don’t know what happened.”

"But this affected your final result. If you didn't make the top three in qualifying because of this small difference, would you feel it was unfair?"

Wu Shi looked into the reporter's brown eyes. Was he determined to get something out of him?
He replied, "There's nothing unfair about it. I learned from my time racing go-karts that it's normal for cars to malfunction on the track; it's part of the race, isn't it?"

The Sky Sports reporter smiled and nodded. This Chinese teenager was surprisingly thoughtful for a 16-year-old, and he was completely avoiding the question, so the reporter didn't press him further.

Next up were the Italian media, who, like CCTV, asked Wu Shi to greet the fans in Italian.

Wu Shi then put on a smile and greeted the Italie fans. Ironically, he now has more Italie fans than fans in China!

After the interview, Wu Shi was finally able to rest.

In the next practice session, he held a water bottle, wore headphones, and leisurely watched the other drivers begin their competition.

During the second practice session, most drivers tested the degradation performance of the supersoft tires. Rosberg, due to gearbox issues, did not race but completed 30 laps at the pace of the race, with a top time of 1 minute 49.075 seconds.

It seems the gearbox really had a huge impact, preventing him from trying to run the fastest lap.

Hamilton, Alonso, and Ricciardo, representing Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull respectively, achieved times of just over 1 minute and 46 seconds, demonstrating that these players are already competing fiercely.

While watching Hamilton's fastest lap, Wu Shi pondered repeatedly that Hamilton's lap was not fast, but it was not at its limit either. If he had pushed it a little harder, or even didn't need to touch the guardrail, he could probably have easily broken into the bottom 45 seconds.

It seems the old man has a very deep understanding of the track; he was silently reviewing the race in his mind.

The second training session ended at 10:30 p.m.

The track was brightly lit at night, and engineers began inspecting and maintaining the vehicles that had returned to the pit lane.

(End of this chapter)