F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 160 Harmonious Teamwork

Entering Q3, only ten cars remained on the track, making the track seem wider.

The organizers provided each of the ten drivers with a set of soft tires that could only be used in Q3. After Q3, the tires had to be returned, which allowed everyone to play freely without having to worry too much about tire strategy and thus lose the competitiveness of the race.

"Based on the prediction, if you maintain the lap time from last lap, you'll be in third place. This is very important," Jonathan said, squatting down next to car number 59.

"I understand, and I will do my best to ensure that."

Wu Shi said that no driver can claim to be completely consistent and never make mistakes; all he can do is adjust his state.

"The clouds are getting heavier, but we don't predict it will rain. However, the temperature is dropping, and the track conditions are not as good as in Q1. You need to pay attention to the temperature of your wheels. The wind is also increasing, so watch out for the position of Turn 9."

After Jonathan finished speaking, he patted Wu Shi's helmet and returned to his seat.

As the bell rang, the indicator light at the end of the service area passage turned green.

"GO!"

Williams did not hesitate to release two cars, which gave them a relatively open track, but also meant facing less-than-ideal track conditions.

But it didn't matter anymore. Massa was in front, and Wu Shi was behind. Both cars started their warm-up laps.

To ensure his lap time was clean enough, Wu Shi didn't immediately catch up with Massa after leaving the pits. Instead, he let Massa give him a head start for a time interval before accelerating to warm up the tires.

In the final qualifying session, no team would choose to wait in the pit lane, especially as the clouds grew thicker. Even if it was predicted that it wouldn't rain, no one can predict the weather.

"We now see Williams' two cars taking the lead in flying laps, with Massa leading the pack. He's an experienced veteran, but his times in the first two qualifying sessions were outpaced by his rookie teammates. Let's see how he performs in Q3."

"Sainz has also started his racing laps. We all know Sainz's status in the Red Bull system, and he may need a great performance to prove his strength."

"Of course, when he drove the Toro into the Q3, it was enough to show that he was by no means a nepotism hire. In fact, as a rookie, his performance was already quite remarkable."

The commentary during qualifying is usually not very exciting, and it focuses more on introducing the drivers' situation. Because the broadcast rarely shows the drivers' first-person perspective, it is impossible to analyze how well the drivers are driving.

Whether you're a fan at the racetrack or watching on TV, all you can see are the occasional timed results and glimpses of the drivers.

After Wu Shi adapted to the environment, his stability was quite formidable, which was due to both his control over the vehicle and his previous F1 experience.

在马萨冲线取得1分27秒998的成绩后半分钟，他也冲过终点线，跑出了1分27秒456的成绩。

According to the team's prediction, this lap time is more than enough.

But no matter how well this set of soft tires is preserved, it will still be returned, so you might as well run one more flying lap.

At this moment, Hamilton's first flying lap time was also announced: 1 minute 26.419 seconds.

Many team principals and track engineers shook their heads after seeing this, wondering how this could possibly shake Mercedes' dominance.
“Push one more lap,” Jonathan said.

"it is good."

Wu Shi loosened his grip on the steering wheel on the straight road and flexed his fingers. This was a small habit of his; when driving at the limit, he often had the illusion that he wasn't holding the steering wheel properly, so he needed to adjust it before speeding away.

He knew it was just a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder, but this kind of mental illness was harmless.

As the cooling ring passed the second timing point, he suddenly saw the flashing taillights ahead; Massa didn't seem to have followed them.

Is he planning to cool down again?

As Wu Shi was thinking this, he saw number 19 Williams swaying from side to side.

He understood instantly and immediately sped up to catch up.

Sure enough, as Williams #59 got moving, Williams #19 also accelerated his sprint.

By turn 16, the two Williams cars were very close together. Entering the long straight, the #19 Williams activated DRS and sprinted ahead, with the #59 Williams close behind.

With the car in front cutting through the wind, Williams, number 59, took advantage of the momentum and pushed his top speed to 330 km/h.

Susu!

Wu Shi arrived at the braking point of Turn 1 at an unprecedented speed.

The camera panned from the track to Williams' pit garage, a collaboration without team instructions.

Wu Shi, who had initially given up on the idea because of Mercedes' speed, now had a few ideas again.

He continued to use extremely aggressive running techniques, and when he crossed the first time zone, he broke his own fastest time.

27 second 919!

This is not only the top speed he achieved on the straightaway, but also the little bit of time he squeezed out.

At this point, Wu Shi could no longer hear the engine or the wind; his brain was congested with blood, and only the images rushing past his eyes were particularly clear.

The tires seemed ready to break free from the ground at any moment, and the engine oil pressure rose further, squeezing out the only power it had.

The result for the second time slot is 28.078 seconds!

Inside the Williams pit cabin, the crew members were so nervous that they either covered their mouths or didn't dare to blink.

Could it be that? !

As Wu Shi continued to get faster than before after turn fourteen, everyone was ready to celebrate.

Before the V-shaped left turn on number 15, car number 59, in an effort to gain the last bit of time, almost ran to the edge of the right-hand asphalt road, sending weeds flying as its tires spun.

"!"

The car then veered sharply toward the apex of the bend, but suddenly a plume of white smoke appeared from the left wheel. The loss of control caused Wu Shi to immediately straighten the steering wheel slightly and regain control of the vehicle.

"Gone!"

The audience seats were directly facing this spot, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing it.

What a failure!

Because the car failed to grip the apex of Turn 15, its rhythm changed drastically after exiting the corner. It remained in the middle lane for a full 0.1 seconds before gaining enough grip to change lanes to the left edge.

Turn 16 was almost no challenge; although the car wasn't on the best line, it still quickly made its way through.

30 second 013!

Total time: 1 minute 27.010 seconds.

"Pity!"

Jonathan sighed. If he didn't make any mistakes on the last two corners, he would definitely be in the 1 minute 26 second mark!

It's worth noting that Rosberg's first flying lap time was only 1 minute 27.036 seconds.

If Rosberg doesn't get a good time on the second flying lap, a Williams might have to squeeze into the front row!

Wu Shi TR: "Sorry Massa, sorry everyone, I made a slight mis-turn at the end and lost some time."

(End of this chapter)