F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 189 Drivers' Parade
Wu Shi parked the vehicle on the work area, and the mechanics came forward to lift the vehicle and push it into the P-room.

Claire, Jonathan, and the others all turned their attention to this. Although they only achieved a third-place finish, it was still astonishing.

After getting off the train, Wu Shi went to weigh himself, where he happened to run into Alonso.

The two-time world champion, seemingly imprisoned inside the McLaren monocoque, smiled somewhat helplessly upon seeing Wu Shi and greeted him:

"Hey, it's hard to believe you could drive a Williams like that, that was a fantastic lap."

"Thank you. This is my hometown, so it's normal for me to know how to drive!" Wu Shi gestured with his hand as he shook the steering wheel.

"Haha, then you'd better do your best. Being able to perform at home is something many F1 drivers dream of."

Alonso patted Wu Shi on the shoulder, finished speaking, and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something, turned back, and asked:

"I'd like to confirm with you again, did Chinese car enthusiasts give me a nickname?"

"Hahaha, YES!" Wu Shi nodded with a smile and said, "We all call you 'Brother Tou,' 'tou' means head and 'ge' means elder brother. It doesn't have any bad connotations."

"Wow, is my head really that big?" Alonso exclaimed in surprise, waving as he walked toward the convoy.

Just after the weighing was completed, Hamilton and Rosberg came over, looking at each other like strangers, both with gloomy expressions.

Hamilton smiled when he saw Wu Shi and stepped forward, saying, "I didn't expect you to surpass Massa by so much. I don't think I could have done that even if I were playing against Williams."

“Actually, I would recommend you give it a try,” Wu Shi joked.

"Oh? You want to help Sir Williams recruit me?"

"If I succeed, I think I should immediately switch careers and become a top driver recruiter."

"Haha." Hamilton raised an eyebrow and stepped onto the scale.

When Rosberg saw Hamilton and Wu Shi talking, he simply greeted Wu Shi.

On the other side, the drivers who finished the race in Q1 and Q2 had already completed their interviews.

Verstappen looked to be in good spirits and came over happily, saying, "Congratulations, you've got another good starting position."

"Thank you. It seems Red Bull's race cars have encountered some problems this year?" Wu Shi asked directly.

The two were so close that they could ask such sensitive questions freely.

"Yes, I think it's as you said, this is definitely bad news. Both Red Bull and Red Bull cars are not fast enough this year, but the good news is that Red Bull is not far behind us, and I can happily compete with them."

Verstappen, as always, was eager to fight.

He is an extremely competitive person who always wants to win. When he can't win the top prize, he will win against his teammates or similar opponents.

For him, stepping onto the field is all about winning; he has no other desires.

"Then I wish you good luck on your studies."

"No need for that. Keep your blessings for yourself, just as I keep mine for myself right now. This is your home turf, so enjoy the cheers from your compatriots!"

Verstappen has always had a rather unique way of thinking, and he immediately stopped this kind of blessing that seemed to be giving "luck" to others.

The two put their arms around each other's shoulders and patted each other on the shoulder before separating.

After the weighing was completed, reporters in the interview area rushed over impatiently. If it weren't for the barriers, Wu Shi would probably have been surrounded again.

On home turf, CCTV certainly wouldn't give the first interview to anyone else. Wu Shi, the reporter who came this time, didn't know him, but that didn't matter, others knew him.

CCTV reporters are quite trustworthy in their professional abilities.

"Wu Shi, hello! Welcome back to Shanghai. Competing on the national stage must be a unique experience for you, right?"

The microphone was handed to him, and Wu Shi nodded and said:

"Of course, it was much more nerve-wracking than anywhere else. On the track, I felt the deafening cheers several times. Every time I looked over and saw the red flags being raised by everyone, I felt extremely excited. It really felt so wonderful to be back home."

"Haha, the fans at the scene are truly enthusiastic. After so many years, we finally have our own F1 driver. I think no matter what, everyone will cheer for their own kid!"

The reporter said this to the viewers watching the live stream on the other side of the camera, and then immediately followed up with a question:

"We saw that you achieved a very good result in the third qualifying session, bringing out the car's performance to its fullest potential. What would you like to say to the fans about tomorrow's race?"

“Uh.” Wu Shi paused, thought for a moment, and then said:

"I did perform quite well today and achieved good results. In the main competition, I think the only thing I can do is to do my best and present the best side to everyone."

"Great! We all believe you can perform well tomorrow! Now, say hello to the fans watching on TV." The reporter gestured.

Wu Shi smiled and greeted the camera in a very cooperative manner.

"Ooooooooo!!!"

Suddenly, a shout was heard from the distant stands. The footage was simultaneously transmitted to the large screen at the scene, showing a camera pointing directly at Wu Shi.

Upon noticing this, Wu Shi smiled and waved to the audience, instantly making the atmosphere even more enthusiastic.

"He's a handsome young man too."

The soldier watched the live broadcast and commented with a smile.

"I see quite a few fans of Wu Shi's looks online."

"Really? Where did you see this?" the soldier asked curiously.

"If you search for Wu Shi's fan club, you'll find that the comments there are quite exaggerated."

"Hmm, thinking about it, Wu Shi's youthful and handsome appearance is no less than that of stars in idol dramas."

Having completed the CCTV interview, Sky's interview couldn't be left out.

However, the reporters today were all very mild-mannered and did not ask any difficult questions. They mainly congratulated him on his good ranking at home and expressed their hope that he could perform well in the main competition as well.

After finishing the interview, Wu Shi wiped his sweat and returned to the back area of ​​the Wei team's P room. After a quick shower, he went to the conference room.

The team will now hold a team meeting immediately after qualifying to allow both drivers to know about tomorrow's race sooner, and also to allow strategists to get the drivers' thoughts as early as possible, giving them more time to plan strategies.

"Tomorrow's temperature will be around 20°C, with humidity around 40%, and the ground temperature will be even lower, only around 15°C."

After Rodrigo finished speaking, he looked at the two drivers and asked, "Based on the practice and qualifying sessions, the soft tires are clearly more suitable for this track, but Massa, your soft tires are wearing out quite a bit."

Massa nodded. Wu Shi's strength was all-encompassing. Being teammates with this kid was much more stressful than competing with Hamilton.

“We conducted a full-time simulation. Two stops are the fastest. Massa used yellow-white-white, and Wu Shi used yellow-yellow-white,” Rodrigo said directly.

“I’m fine.” Wu Shi shook his head.

The Shanghai International Circuit is extremely challenging for drivers, but it doesn't look very exciting, partly due to the fixed two-stop strategy and the low probability of a safety car.

“I have no problem either.” Massa also shook his head. The two had chosen different tires, which was simply because the smaller team was unsure about their strategy.

In fact, the so-called strategy we are discussing here today is just a general direction. The specific strategy will have to wait until the two crews have their own small meetings later.

After the meeting, Wu Shi took Louise to the Bund.

Because it was race week, the chances of encountering fans that were usually slim had increased significantly, so he wore a mask.

“Hehe, you’ve become a big star!” Louise laughed.

"There's nothing I can do. I thought it was a very niche sport in China."

Wu Shi muttered to himself, then thought again that even the most niche sport would have a large fan base given the huge population.

The Bund was brightly lit, and the riverbank was bustling with people.

"Ah, let's go back. It's the same familiar environment. No matter where we go, it's always crowded."

After watching for a while, Wu Shi sighed helplessly.

The next day, the weather was exactly as predicted; the sun came out, but the perceived temperature in the shade was still quite pleasant.

In the morning, the crew conducted a final check on the vehicle. After a quick lunch, the race began.

At exactly 12 o'clock, the drivers' parade ceremony began.

Wu Shi looked at the AMG SL 65 parked in front of him and felt a little tempted, wishing he could drive it himself.

Unfortunately, he's not here to drive an AMG today; he's here to drive a Williams.

"Get ready to go," a staff member reminded.

Wu Shi nodded and got into the passenger seat. The convertible top was already down, and the driver was actually an engineer from Mercedes-Benz. He had seen this person before, but he wasn't familiar with him.

"I never expected that both the FIA ​​and Mercedes would agree to this parade," the engineer said.

“I was also surprised, after all, I’m not a member of the Mercedes team,” Wu Shi said.

It is not common for the home driver to parade alone, which is essentially a manifestation of the inability to reconcile the interests of various parties.

After all, a solo parade always requires a vehicle, so which brand of vehicle should be used?
If the rider is already in the factory team, that's fine; just use the factory team's riders.

For people like Wu Shi who weren't working in the factory, then they had no choice but to contact the factory.

Some might ask, then why not go for Porsche or Lamborghini?

If we were to seek approval from these sources, let alone whether the FIA ​​would approve it, the factory teams on the track would not agree either.

It looks so shabby; if it comes out like this, passersby will think that F1 is a beverage company.

Fortunately, Wu Shi has a good relationship with Mercedes, and Williams also has a good relationship with Mercedes.

Many times when I see Westbrook's car, I feel like it's Mercedes' second team. After all, the trident logo is too obvious, and Westbrook always likes cool color combinations, which is somewhat similar to Mercedes' style.

With this foundation, Mercedes provided the tour vehicle, an AMG SL65, which Wu Shi quite liked. Unfortunately, he couldn't drive it now that he had bought it.

As the car slowly entered the track, before even reaching the main grandstand on the main straight, a deafening roar could be faintly heard.

"You're really popular in China," the engineer remarked.

"Haha, I had no idea I was this popular before I came back," Wu Shi laughed. Once they reached the straight road, he could no longer sit and had to stand up.

As he stood up, a wave of sound arose.

He waved to the crowd, and they all stood up in a clamor, their shouts and cheers echoing through the sky, the five-star red flag waving in the wind.

He suddenly felt a lump in his throat. He had never expressed anything to these fans in China, but they had spontaneously organized themselves to support him. This was his good fortune.

The grandstands at the Shanghai International Circuit stretch from Turn 13 to Turn 2, a very long distance. In addition to these official grandstands, there are also grass areas at several corners.

He made no distinctions and waved to everyone who cheered for him along the way.

His hands were a little tired after the whole lap, but he was inexplicably excited.

What is this? This is one of the driving forces behind his pursuit of unparalleled glory!
"Are you planning to overtake Rosberg on the track? Like you did in the opening race?" the engineer suddenly asked.

With his emotions stirred, Wu Shi didn't think too much and said directly, "If I had the chance, I would really like to drive past both Mercedes-Benz cars!"

"Hahaha! Young people are so ambitious! I also wish you success in achieving your goals, even though I'm an engineer at Mercedes-Benz." The engineer laughed loudly.

After the drivers' parade, the opening ceremony performance began, with the organizers arranging warm-up activities such as a martial arts performance.

After the performance, the drivers lined up on the track for the national anthem.

It seems that all the organizers really like this new optional element; starting with the Australian leg, each country chose to play its national anthem.

As the national anthem played, the sound of propellers could be heard overhead. Looking up, a helicopter carrying the national flag flew overhead.

Wu Shi, wearing sunglasses, looked up; this was his first time playing on home soil!
After the pre-race warm-up ended, all drivers returned to the pit area.

Wu Shi pulled up his racing suit, then took off his headphones and rubbed his ear canals.

Jonathan came over and said, "Temperature 21°C, humidity 40%, wind speed 14km/h, not much different from yesterday's prediction."

"It's a nice day."

“You need to pay extra attention at the start. Turn 1 is your only chance. Mercedes is too fast. If you miss this chance, you won’t have any more,” Jonathan said.

Wu Shi was puzzled and asked in surprise, "You actually want me to overtake two Mercedes-Benz cars!"

"Isn't this the boast you made yourself?" Jonathan shrugged, looking at him with a hint of mockery.

“Oh, no wonder people always say there are no secrets in the hunting grounds. It turns out that as long as someone says something casually, it will definitely spread.” Wu Shi said helplessly.

"Haha, besides things on the track, there are many other things to be careful about in the paddock." Jonathan patted Wu Shi on the shoulder.

"Thank you." Wu Shi knew that Jonathan was using this incident to tell him not to say anything carelessly outside.

At this moment, Wu Zhenlin also came over and said, "Son, keep it up! Of course, safety is the most important thing."

"Go for it! ヾ(°°)" Louise clenched her little fists to cheer herself on.

"Well, I will."

Wu Shi nodded emphatically.

Everything is ready, let's board!

After surveying the area, the vehicle stopped at the starting grid, and the mechanics gathered around to conduct final tests and checks.

The bell rang, and the staff left.

The bell rang again, three green lights came on, and the tire warming process began.

Hamilton drove off first, followed closely by Rosberg, with Wu Shi swaying the car behind.

The broadcast camera then focused on a middle-aged man in Westbrook's pit room.

"Oh, this is Wu Shi's father." The soldier, having met Wu Zhenlin before, quickly exclaimed.

At this point, the other media outlets broadcasting the broadcast were not so quick to react and could only speculate.

Then, the broadcast jokingly focused the camera on Louise.

"Oh, this is Wu Shi's girlfriend," the soldier said again.

Fei Ge didn't know why it was so funny, and he couldn't help but laugh.

Taking advantage of the warm-up tire lap, the soldier analyzed:
"What kind of results do you think Wu Shi will achieve today?"

"I think securing third place would be a good result. Judging from the practice sessions, Ferrari has much less tire management pressure than Williams." Feige wasn't very optimistic.
"So conservative?" the soldier exclaimed. "I was wondering if he could even get past two Mercedes-Benzes!"

"No way! Haha, you must have misunderstood the first two stops." Fei Ge retorted with a laugh.

Indeed, that was the case. Wu Shi only managed to take a piece of the pie from the first two teams because of favorable timing, location, and people.

"Isn't there a championship curse at the Shanghai International Circuit? No driver has ever won two consecutive championships here yet," Bing Ge said.

"If that's the case, then you need to think about how to get rid of Hamilton."

"It's just a matter of getting into the repair area."

"Hahaha!"

The two comedians then resumed their own banter.

Because the temperature was quite cool, Wu Shi swayed from side to side to try and warm up the tires as quickly as possible.

Once they entered the starting straight, Rosberg brought up the rear, letting Hamilton run ahead.

Wu Shi also held the line for a while, and only quickly followed Rosberg after he sped up.

Buzz!

Eighteen F1 cars and two GP2 cars were parked in the starting grid.

Hamilton's car was pointed directly to the right, as if he was going to do everything he could to block his teammate.

It seems that after this practice and qualifying session, Hamilton has realized that his teammates are the only obstacle to his championship aspirations.

Wu Shi, who was behind Hamilton, noticed this situation and wondered if these two could go out together at Turn 1.

He was quite looking forward to it.

As the red lights illuminated one by one, my heart raced.

Lights out, start the race!
After releasing the clutch, the car suddenly lurched forward, but Hamilton in front lurched forward even faster, which means that the other had a better start!
Wu Shi realized that there was no chance, so he immediately glanced at Rosberg out of the corner of his eye. This guy was also doing very well!

With just those two glances, there was no chance of overtaking on the starting straight.

Meanwhile, Vettel's start from the side was also excellent. It's safe to say that he was lucky to be fast! Otherwise, he definitely wouldn't have been able to hold his position.

Using his forward starting position, he frantically pushed the car to the right; he had to stop Vettel!
As soon as he moved, Massa quickly stepped up to cover, and now Vettel was positioned in front and to the left, both wearing white Williams.

At this point, Rosberg had already pulled away from Wu Shi by a car length.

Turn 1 follows.

Hamilton entered the corner with an excellent start, while Rosberg entered the corner from a slightly right-side center line position in order to block Wu Shi's sideline movement.

Wu Shi, already positioned inside, chose the same entry line as Hamilton, while Vettel, constrained by Massa, could only follow behind him into the corner.

Massa, positioned on the left, was pushed back a bit due to the outside shooting position.

Kimi took a more outside line, which was more in line with the cornering angle, so he was very fast and at one point overtook Massa.

Unfortunately, Turn 1 is a semi-circular curve and is very long. The further you go, the greater the disadvantage for the outside lane becomes.

Before Turn 2, Kimi lost his chance to overtake Massa, who was now completely behind Vettel.

Wu Shi, who was further ahead, also held his position.

After going uphill, it immediately goes downhill, making it difficult to see the next APEX point.

This is one of the difficulties of this combination of curves, especially when the traffic is dense.

Fortunately, the curves are difficult, and overtaking is also challenging.

We successfully navigated turn 4 and accelerated all the way through.

“Hamilton is fast,” Wu Shi said.

44. Mercedes pulled away slightly at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“You need to keep an eye on Rosberg and Vettel; the difference between you and them is less than a car length,” Jonathan reminded him.

"I know."

As Wu Shi spoke, he adjusted the brake balance on the steering wheel.

Rosberg crossed the mid-court line to defend, and Wu Shi, not daring to be careless, followed Rosberg's route. Seeing this, Vettel went to the outside.

The top four players passed through Turn 6 one after another, and then Kimi braked hard, attacked the apex of the corner from the inside, and overtook Massa.

“There are two Ferraris behind you right now, and the gap between you and Vettel hasn’t widened. You need to go faster,” Jonathan said.

"I can't go any faster."

This is the level of performance for this car under the current settings.

Wu Shi saw two Ferraris in the rearview mirror.

The ability to create a gap in qualifying is due to the engine operating at full power, coupled with the unrestrained use of tires.

At this point in the race, Ferrari's overall performance was clearly superior to Williams'.

The immense pressure made Wu Shi realize that the dream of first or second place was out of reach, while the urgent task of maintaining third place was now the pressing issue!

(End of this chapter)