F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 162 I overtook one Mercedes, but there were still two Mercedes ahead of me.

Sometimes, the more intently people stare at something, the easier it is for them to lose focus. On the contrary, when they pay attention with their peripheral vision, they can stay alert at all times.

The moment the five red lights came on, Wu Shi's hands were on the steering wheel, somewhat hastily.

But the lights seemed to stay on for a long time without going out, and my heart started racing for no reason. I don't even know when the car finally started moving.
Lights out!

I instinctively released the clutch, and with my right foot slightly on the accelerator, the engine speed was just near the peak of the curve that matched first gear.

Buzz!

Boom!
The engine let out a long roar, then began to spin slowly.

The vehicle started moving from a standstill and suddenly surged forward, pushing the person against their seat.

Buzz! Roar!

The first gear held for only a moment before suddenly shifting to second gear, with acceleration increasing rapidly and the engine's roar gradually becoming crisp and powerful.

Suddenly, Wu Shi noticed that the light in front of him to the right had dimmed; Rosberg's No. 6 silver arrow had blocked some of the light.

'He started slower than me!'

After capturing this information, Wu Shi made his decision on the action at Turn 1 without any further thought.

Thanks to its rapid start, the No. 59 Williams car was surprisingly ahead of the No. 6 Mercedes by a front wing.

But as both sides accelerated, Mercedes' strength immediately became apparent, with the number 6 silver arrow closing the gap at a visible pace.

'pity! '

Wu Shi wasn't referring to himself, but to Rosberg.

The starting straight at Albert Park Circuit is very short, with less than 300 meters between the front row and Turn 1.

Therefore, Rosberg had no chance to accelerate any further!

With Hamilton, in the lead, recklessly cutting from the far left outer line directly to the apex of Turn 1 on the right, the two cars behind him had to slow down!

Wu Shi certainly knew where the braking point was. Being on the outside, he couldn't cut to the apex of the corner at all, so he followed Hamilton's example and suddenly turned right, seemingly unaware of the situation in the rearview mirror.

Caught off guard, the No. 6 silver arrow instinctively swerved to the right at the apex of the bend to avoid it.

However, Rosberg was an experienced driver and knew that by giving way, Wu Shi would gain a huge advantage on the second left turn. Therefore, he simply twitched the steering wheel and firmly refused to change lanes again.

Wu Shi was well aware of this, but he was a newcomer! It's normal for a newcomer to be a bit reckless when driving, right?

He pressed forward, continuing to let the two cars approach each other.

When they reached the apex of Turn 1, Williams (#59) and Mercedes (#6) were practically glued together, blocking the area slightly to the right of the center line. At that moment, if either of them steered in the other's direction, they would crash into each other with a "bang"!

Both drivers had excellent control – neither dared to move an inch.

However, after the right turn 1 comes the left turn 2, and you must turn the steering wheel to the left to enter the turn.

Who was on the left at this moment? It was Wu Shi, of course!

Wu Shi didn't swipe left at all; it was as if he was aiming straight for the right-side track guardrail.

Rosberg could certainly force the game from the left, but he didn't dare gamble! He didn't dare gamble that Wu Shi could react in time! He certainly didn't dare gamble that if he retired in the first game, how would he compete with Hamilton for the annual championship!

Therefore, he softened.

All of this psychological battle takes place in a fraction of a second; in the minds of the two drivers, it's merely an instinctive thought.

With a whoosh, after completely passing the first bend, Wu Shi turned the steering wheel to the left and released his position.

He held the absolute initiative and had an earlier opportunity to accelerate, thus instantly overtaking the Mercedes No. 6 and taking the lead.

"Wow!!!" The stands on the side of Turn 1 erupted in cheers.

clap clap clap! ! !
The spectacular overtaking maneuver at the start drew enthusiastic applause from the pit lane, and Claire, wearing sunglasses, smiled and clapped lightly.

It's a pity my father wasn't feeling well today, otherwise it would have been wonderful to see this scene when he arrived!
Upon seeing this, commentator David exclaimed in disbelief, "He's surpassed Rosberg! He's surpassed Rosberg! He's surpassed Rosberg!"

He shouted it three times in a row before he calmed himself down. However, he had no time to explain in detail because the situation on the race car was still chaotic and full of interesting things to see!
With drivers in positions two and three competing so fiercely, it naturally leaves a huge gap for those behind.

But the fourth driver to start was Massa, who happened to be driving another Williams.

Massa didn't hesitate and went straight for a defensive line down the middle, blocking the two Ferraris that had a good start before they even reached the bend.

The first six cars passed through Turns 1 and 2 in succession, but the midfield was involved in an accidental collision due to congestion. Lotus's Grosjean was grazed by Red Bull's Kvyat, lost control, and crashed into the guardrail on the right side of Turn 2.

Jonathan warned, "Virtual safety car! Virtual safety car!"

This is a new rule introduced this year. Under the virtual safety car, all vehicles must maintain the speed limit regardless of their location on the track, instead of the previous regional yellow flag system where vehicles only needed to slow down when entering the yellow flag section of the track.

Wu Shi naturally slowed down, and Rosberg, who was behind him, also seemed deflated and followed behind.

However, just ten seconds later, the race organizers deployed a physical safety car.

This pressure caused the race cars to line up in an orderly fashion, forming a long queue.

Wu Shi glanced at the Mercedes-Benz No. 44, then looked at the brand-new Mercedes-Benz GTS safety car further ahead, and jokingly said to the team:

"I overtook one Mercedes, but there were still two Mercedes ahead of me."

“Yes, your overtaking maneuver was great.” Jonathan wasn’t a very humorous person.

The joke didn't get any response, and Wu Shi's joy faded slightly.

Safety cars will wear at least three or four tires, which undoubtedly helps save on tire wear.

Each team's strategy team is conducting a reassessment, and one-stops may become more common.

On the third lap, the safety car announced that a pit stop was imminent.

Hamilton slowed down a bit and looked in the rearview mirror at the Mercedes, which wasn't the one he was used to seeing. He was actually quite happy. As he warmed up the tires on both sides, some other thoughts also came to mind.

Once the safety vehicle enters the maintenance area entrance, the lead vehicle will be able to freely control its speed.

After the final corner, the green flag waved, and the race restarted as the lead car crossed the starting grid!
Hamilton reacted swiftly and accelerated without hesitation.

Wu Shi didn't care at all when Hamilton would accelerate again; his goal was to block Rosberg, so he suddenly accelerated after Hamilton had accelerated for a while.

Rosberg, behind him, didn't care about Hamilton; he knew he only needed to keep a close eye on Wu Shi.

The two cars accelerated from one after the other, but fortunately, the short straight section did not give Rosberg a chance.

After Wu Shi finished the bend, he glanced at Rosberg. Rosberg's advantage was not obvious; Mercedes was much faster in the bend!

You can't run like that, or you'll be overtaken.

On the straight after Turn 2, Williams unleashed its full power, the powerful downforce further lowering the car, leaving sparks on the floor and the road.

Rosberg was equally determined to recover the lost position.

(End of this chapter)