F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 206 Famous Spanish Scenes
In May, Spain is in a state that is neither particularly hot nor particularly cold.

If you stroll along the red brick streets in the morning and evening, the temperature will feel pleasant, but it will get quite hot at midday.

The long break between matches has finally come to an end, and shortly after the press conference, on May 8th, two practice matches began on schedule.

Pirelli is providing hard and medium tires for this race.

For most viewers, practice sessions were mostly about teams hiding their positions, making it difficult to discern anything significant, hence the low level of interest.
However, for each team, their data engineers don't just focus on their own drivers.

During the first practice session, Wu Shi did not participate; instead, the test driver for the West team, Susie Wolff, who is Toto's wife, took the field.

Susie is 32 years old this year. To be honest, in the highly competitive world of F1 racing, this is considered old. After all, most drivers are eliminated before they turn 30 for various reasons.

She is still able to stay in the paddock because of both her own considerable abilities and the deep relationship between Williams and her team.

She had already raced in the first practice session of last year's British Grand Prix, becoming the first female driver to participate in an F1 Grand Prix weekend since 1992.

In fact, she is now the woman in history who has come closest to becoming an official F1 driver.

It was because of this expectation in her heart—to become the first female official F1 driver in history—that Susie was still willing to work as a test driver for the Westbrook team.

Wu Shi had a fairly good relationship with her, but they actually didn't meet very often.

He didn't have much to say about the practice car being requisitioned.

Susie will definitely make an appearance in a few practice sessions, but as for why she was chosen instead of Massa, the team's deeper intentions remain unknown.

Wu Shi wasn't exactly idle during practice either. He stood behind Jonathan wearing headphones, watching Susie drive the Williams around and around the track.

When the vehicle was handed over to Susie for a test drive, she naturally wouldn't be subjected to any overly demanding tests; the main focus was on checking the tire wear.

After looking at it for a while, Wu Shi asked Jonathan for a laptop and started looking at the data of the four people: Old Man, Princess, Tilted Head, and Ice Man.

Mercedes' cars remain highly competitive, demonstrating remarkable ease on various curves, making them appear as if driven as civilian vehicles.

This is due to both the quality of the car and the strength of the driver.

Rosberg's performance after returning to the European circuit is much better than before. At least in Wu Shi's eyes, the driver's smoothness and decisiveness are far superior to before.

This is not good news. Mercedes has not yet clearly identified its number one and number two drivers, which shows that internally they believe Rosberg is no worse than Hamilton.

In fact, while there are differences between the two, they are by no means worlds apart.

When Rosberg is able to unleash his full potential, he will be an invincible force driving a Mercedes.

In the end, the two Mercedes drivers easily clocked a time of 1 minute 26.8 seconds, more than a second ahead of Ferrari.

Massa's time wasn't great, 1 minute 28.831 seconds, placing him eighth.

Wu Shi shook his head, already feeling the difficulty. He wanted to talk to Jonathan about it, but held back, deciding to wait until he could try it out in the second practice session.

After stopping the odometer during practice, Susie drove FW37, number 59, back to the maintenance area.

The mechanics quickly set up the vehicle and pushed it into the pit lane, installing fans at the vents and brakes to dissipate heat.

Susie pushed aside the pillow and struggled somewhat to remove the steering wheel.

She climbed out, jumped off the race car, untied her head strap, pulled off her helmet, and said directly to Wu Shi:
"I feel this car is much harder to drive than it was during the preseason testing."

Wu Shi nodded and said, "They made some minor adjustments according to my ideas. If you were driving Massa's car, it might be better."

"Moreover, the track conditions probably aren't very good either. I see a lot of pollen on the surface, so it's probably very slippery."

Susie looked at Wu Shi in surprise, her movements slowing as she tucked the hood into her helmet. She exclaimed in astonishment, "You can spot so many details just by looking?"

“Uh, the convoy told me.” Wu Shi touched his nose.

"Toto really missed out by not getting you into the Mercedes." Susie laughed, smoothing her hair, then sighed.
"I'm really getting old. I never felt this tired after just one practice session before."

Wu Shi was not a very eloquent person and did not know how to respond to Su Qian's complaints.

However, Susie is an optimistic and cheerful person by nature, and her somber mood flashed by quickly as she said:
"Haha, now that he's truly old, he's sitting in his chair, not smiling at all!"

This is about Toto.

"Uncle Toto doesn't seem to smile much; he always looks so serious when I see him," Wu Shi said.

“That’s how he is at work—serious and meticulous,” Susie said with a smile.

They have a really good relationship.

Wu Shi sighed inwardly, thinking that Toto had always wanted to be a race car driver and naturally had an F1 dream, but unfortunately his height of 1.92 meters meant that he was unlikely to become an F1 driver.

However, becoming the team principal of an F1 championship team and marrying an F1 driver, isn't that a different kind of dream come true?
After Susie changed her clothes in the rest room, she called Wu Shi and together they found Toto.

"How are you feeling today?" Toto asked with a smile when he saw Susie.

“Quite good, but this little guy’s car is a bit difficult to drive.” Susie waved her hand.

"There are gains and losses. The FW37 must have taken a lot of effort to achieve this result," Toto said, turning his gaze to Wu Shi.

"That's a secret, but Uncle Toto, you could talk to Team Leader Claire and ask her to give you a hint," Wu Shi joked.

Williams has a good relationship with Mercedes, and an even better one with Toto. After all, Toto was poached by Mercedes because of his outstanding performance when Williams was the team manager.

"With you here, why would I bother going far away?" Toto joked, patting Wu Shi on the shoulder, and continued:

"It doesn't feel like it's been that long since I last saw you, how come you've grown taller again?"

“People shouldn’t grow too tall. You’re fine as you are now. If you were as tall as me, I would have to stand on tiptoe to take a picture,” Susie said.

"Haha, then I'll squat down a bit next time," Toto laughed.

Wu Shi pinched the tip of his nose. If you two are here to feed us dog food, there's no need for that.

Looking at the two of them, he thought of Louise again and subconsciously licked his lips.

The three of them went out for lunch together, and after returning, they began preparing for their second practice session in the afternoon.

Wu Shi drove a Williams car, the same one as the previous one, with no major upgrades, only some settings adjusted according to the track characteristics.

He drove smoothly, but his time was not ideal; his time of 1 minute and 28.3 seconds was slower than Pan Zi's.

During this time, the hood of the Ge Daqi engine fell off, triggering the red flag and causing considerable delay.

After the second training session ended, Wu Shi reported the situation to the team and felt that the atmosphere in the entire team had become somewhat heavy.

Massa also felt bad. After the meeting, he privately told Wu Shi, "Other teams are upgrading, but we haven't brought any upgrades. We're falling behind."

Wu Shi nodded.

That's how it is in F1; last year's Mars rover might only be a mid-level contender this year.

The difference between the vehicles at the beginning and end of the season is also very obvious.

After all, under the same set of rules, the more races are played, the more improvements can be made to the race car, and the faster it can go.

"I apologize for asking too many questions." Wu Shi scratched his head. He had shared many of his ideas with the engineers, which led to the upgrade design being revised again and again.

“Hopefully we can get a faster car.” Massa shrugged; there was no point in saying anything now.

The third training session began the following day.

As the last practice session before qualifying, all teams began testing their qualifying performance.

The final result still shows Mercedes maintaining its lead, with Rosberg at the top of the table, followed by Vettel, Hamilton, Wu Shi, and Kimi.

The top five all had times under 1 minute and 26 seconds.

Further back is the Red Bull, which has shrunk a bit, and Massa, who has fallen even further behind. It seems that Massa is indeed somewhat unaccustomed to this station.

The two Toro Rosso cars performed well, so it seems that Renault's engine upgrade really worked?

However, there's not much point in saying anything now, as the qualifying season has arrived and all the vehicles have completed their final adjustments.

“Run a few more laps,” Jonathan said before Wu Shi got into the car.

"Is there any other data to collect?"

Wu Shi asked, "The Circuit de Catalunya is very comprehensive, and the data obtained from testing here is invaluable."

"Yes, when you're working on the cooling ring, you need to practice the brakes and the downforce on the front wheels more."

"OK."

The Q1 race was uneventful, with both Mano drivers unsurprisingly finishing last.

The delayed upgrade of components by the Indian Force also relegated them to the second-to-last row of the starting line.

Sober-Eriksen performed poorly and was also eliminated.

As a result, the head of the company narrowly missed the Q2 cutoff line.

Both McLarens made it into the Q2, which really means things are looking up.

In Q2, Wu Shi, like the Ferrari and Mercedes drivers, finished the race in three laps, advancing with a time of 1 minute 26.222 seconds.

The two Mercedes runners, however, broke the 1 minute 25 second barrier, with Rosberg leading Hamilton by 0.5 seconds.

The princess is about to unleash her full power!
Wu Shi sighed inwardly, but also realized that failing to bring about an upgrade was a huge loss for this station!

Massa had to complete a second flying lap before he finally broke the 1 minute 26.1 second barrier and secured his advancement.

To Wu Shi's surprise, the Verstappen and Sainz, both Toro Rosso cars, successfully advanced to the Q3.

In the end, two Lotus, two McLaren, and two Sauber were eliminated.

Among the top ten, Mercedes, Ferrari, Williams, Toro Rosso, and Red Bull each occupy their own niche.

When Q3 came, no miracle happened this time.

When Rosberg took pole position with a time of 1 minute 24.681 seconds, Hamilton was just 0.267 seconds behind to start from the front row.

No matter how hard Wu Shi tried, he only managed a time of 1 minute 25.318 seconds. Only Mercedes can run a time of 1 minute 24 seconds!

Fortunately, the third-place finish wasn't bad either.

Vettel is behind him in the standings, and it seems that what he said at the pre-race press conference was true: Ferrari's upgrades for this race are not satisfactory.

It's quite surprising that Red Bull is ranked fifth and sixth.

Kimi ranked seventh, and the gap between him and Vettel makes it seem like he is indeed getting old.

Koviat is eighth.

Massa has fallen to ninth place, there's not much to say, only that freak Wu Shi was able to reach the front row driving an un-upgraded Williams.

However, in retrospect, the car's performance was not that bad; Massa made some mistakes and wasted a flying lap.

Ricardo ranked tenth.

As one of the top three finishers in the qualifying rounds, Wu Shi once again sat in the studio for the final press conference before the main competition.

The hosts were less interested in him and more interested in Rosberg's first time beating Hamilton this season.

"Hey Nico, you played really well today. Congratulations on getting pole position. This is the first time this season that you've beaten your teammate by such a large margin, and it's also your first shot of the season."

"Well, today's performance was indeed quite excellent. Since yesterday, I've felt a smooth driving experience, and I've also switched to the gearbox I used last year, which makes the car feel much easier to control," Rosberg said.

"We noticed that you looked haggard a while ago. Was that affected by your poor performance this season?" the host asked.

"As you can see, every driver has good and bad days. Regardless of what happened before, at least I got pole position this race," Rosberg said with a smile.

Are you confident you can complete a PTW here?

"Of course, that's what I'm pursuing."

Rosberg nodded.

Looking at the princess answering the question, Wu Shi felt that he had fully recovered.

F1 drivers need more than just technical skills; they also need the right mindset.

If Wu Shi were entering the F1 circuit for the first time, his performance would have been very poor. He still remembers being so nervous during his first start that he forgot to release the clutch.

This immense pressure wasn't just present at the moment of departure, but was constant.

When you're caught in a vicious cycle where poor performance means elimination, and extreme driving can easily damage your vehicle and further impact your results, it's difficult to find the time and energy to adjust your mindset.

Why has the Red Bull system been consistently criticized? Why does Gasly remain reluctant to leave Red Bull even years after leaving the company?

It's because Red Bull applies this immense pressure from top to bottom, and their toxic training methods leave no time for rookie drivers to adapt.

At Red Bull, only true geniuses like Wai Tou and Pan Zi can maintain their competitive edge.

The host then looked at Hamilton and said:

"Lewis, congratulations on getting second place might not be something worthwhile for you. Can you tell us what happened that made you 0.2 seconds behind your teammates in the qualifying game?"

"Well, I was more conservative on some corners, and I haven't adapted to the new changes to the car that quickly. In short, there are many factors that affect qualifying results, but qualifying is over, so there's not much point in discussing these things." Hamilton finished speaking, nodded, and pursed his lips.

"Yeah, qualifying is over. What are your thoughts on tomorrow's main race?" the host asked.

"I think I still crave victory. I haven't lost in the first four games, and I don't think I will in this one either," Hamilton said firmly.

"Then I wish you good luck in the main competition."

After the host finished speaking, he looked at Wu Shi and said, "Hey, Wu Shi, no matter how the top three change, you'll always be sitting here with Lewis. It's great to see you here again. What are your thoughts on tomorrow's competition?"

"Yes, the gap between us and Mercedes is significant. I think we can just drive the car at our own pace. Of course, our most important plan is to defend against Ferrari."

Wu Shi's answer was brief.

After the press conference, he returned to his room, turned on his phone, and looked at the Louise image on his screensaver.

What appears to be an easy match to outsiders is the result of his utmost effort in every game.

What will tomorrow's game be like?

Can he maintain his position against Ferrari's attack?

The two Mercedes cars were incredibly powerful, and he had absolutely no interest in finishing first or second.

Yes, Spain has quite a few famous scenes.

If Rosberg wins the championship and he finishes in third place, then Rosberg will overtake him in the standings.

His second place was so precarious and fragile.

This is why the old man doesn't care at all about others surpassing him, but always keeps a close watch on Rosberg.

In this year's paddock, the only thing that can threaten a Mercedes in perfect condition is another Mercedes in perfect condition.

(End of this chapter)