F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 222 Guanyu's Visit
Compared to Mercedes' harsh reflection on the accident and warnings to the driver, Williams offered more words of comfort regarding Wu Shi's accident.

On June 13th, the day to meet Zhou Guanyu arrived, and Wu Shi and Xi De went to the meeting together.

Zhou Guanyu's management issues are mainly handled by his mother, who spares no effort in supporting her child.

"Haha, Guanyu, long time no see." Wu Shi stepped forward to greet him.

“Long time no see, Brother Wu.” Zhou Guanyu reached out his hand.

"Hello Auntie."

After shaking hands with Zhou Guanyu, Wu Shi greeted Guanyu's mother; they were old acquaintances.

"Oh my, it's been so long since we last met Xiao Wu. He's already a rising star in the racing world, destined to leave a lasting mark on history," Guan Yu's mother praised with a smile.

Wu Shi chuckled and said a few words of modesty.

After chatting for a while, Guanyu's mother finally got to the point: "Guanyu will be promoted to F3 next year. I wanted to ask if you have any good suggestions."

Wu Shi had anticipated this question. He was fairly clear about the current situation of F3, so he didn't mince words and said directly:
"Currently, the most powerful team in F3 is still the Prema team, and joining this team is the easiest way to achieve good results."

"If you want to join the Van Amersford team, I can introduce you, but their tuning capabilities are definitely not as good as the former."

Guan Yu's mother paused for a moment before continuing to ask:

"Even after achieving good results with the Prema team, it doesn't seem to be enough."

Sid interrupted Guan Yu's mother's worries and said:

"You've misunderstood this point. In F3, as long as you achieve results, you can prove yourself, no matter which team you're on!"

"You must remember last year's F3, where Ocon of the Prema team was the runner-up. He has already gained Mercedes' support in GP3."

"According to some news reports, if he performs well enough, he will have a chance to come to F1 next year."

Guanyu's mother was actually aware of these principles and information, but she had other concerns.

Zhou Guanyu represented Ferrari Driver Academy in F4 this year and achieved good results, and is still leading the standings.

If he can maintain this performance in F3, then could he be like...
Wu Shi and Xi De understood the mother's good intentions, and Xi De spoke again:

"We have seen Guanyu's performance; he is an outstanding junior."

"But Wu Shi and Verstappen's cases are truly special, and it is impossible for such skipping grades to happen again in the future."

This year, the FIA ​​has changed its promotion rules, the first being that F1 drivers must hold a civilian driver's license.

This is tantamount to requiring F1 drivers to be at least 18 years old. In fact, the FIA's aim is to limit the premature promotion of young drivers to F1.

Everyone understands the simple principle of trying to help seedlings grow by pulling them up.

At the beginning of the season, when Wu Shi and Verstappen entered the paddock, the public opinion was actually very negative.

In Monaco, Verstappen's crash sparked a public outcry.

Therefore, it is understandable that the FIA ​​has introduced these rules. F1 is not a go-kart; accidents can be serious or minor, and serious ones can be fatal!
Nobody wants to let a greenhorn into the paddock, as it could bring unnecessary danger.

In addition to being 18 years of age or older, the FIA ​​is also planning to implement a super points system to limit the issuance of super licenses.

Guan Yu's mother was silent for a moment before speaking:

“I know all of this. I was just wondering, didn’t Xiao Wu, Guan Yu, join the Ferrari youth training team?”

“Yes.” Wu Shi nodded. “Ms. Martina Cataqia is currently a leader in the relevant department, and I was wondering if I could ask you for a small favor.”

At this point, Guan Yu's mother finally revealed the purpose of her visit.

Wu Shi was somewhat surprised. He looked at Xi De and suggested that he handle the matter.

His relationship with the legal family is actually quite strained. Although he rejected President Meng at the time, he definitely rejected the entire Ferrari company in return.

At this point, Marchionne, who held considerable power, did not seem to be someone who liked him.

Sid then picked up the conversation: "Ferrari's youth training system has a self-consistent operating logic, and Ms. Martina can't interfere too much in this matter."

"I think you can rest assured if you're worried about being treated unfairly."

The ensuing discussion involved some transactions, but Wu Shi didn't participate much, simply listening from the sidelines.

Finally, Sid helped secure an opportunity for further discussion.

After Guan Yu left, Wu Shi sighed. It was very difficult for Chinese drivers to develop in Europe, and he would help them in any way he could.

However, he couldn't make decisions for Aunt Martina; the specifics of what to do were up to her.

"By the way, have you ever considered joining Ferrari?" Sid asked suddenly, watching the two figures walk away.

Wu Shi was somewhat surprised. He shook his head and said, "I explicitly rejected Ferrari."

"Of course I know, I mean if Ms. Martina goes further inside Ferrari."

Wu Shi shook his head to interrupt, saying, "These are things for the future, let's talk about them later."

He rubbed his head, feeling that things outside of racing were so complicated and troublesome.

After returning to the team's headquarters and resting for a night, a major piece of news came from the racing world the next day.

Hulkenberg, in his Porsche team, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, becoming the first active F1 driver to win in Lasalle in over two decades.

"Impressive." Wu Shi, upon receiving the news, also used his personal account, @Horkenberg, to express his congratulations.

There's already so much going on with F1, yet he still managed to find time to complete the Le Mans race during the week – what a master of time management!

Of course, what often prevents F1 drivers from participating in other races is not time, but contracts.

Wu Shi's contract explicitly restricts him from participating in other competitions during the season, including Le Mans.

He didn't know what the purpose was—security? Or reputation?
After all, if an F1 driver goes to race in other events and performs poorly, it will cause the audience to have a negative view of F1.

Following the celebrations, the Austrian Grand Prix is ​​coming up at the end of June.

The German Grand Prix, originally scheduled for mid-July, was ultimately removed from this year's calendar due to various reasons, including funding and track time constraints.

In other words, there is currently no German Grand Prix on the F1 calendar.

At this point, the Austrian Grand Prix became an opportunity for German fans to watch the race live across borders.

Therefore, ticket bookings for the Austrian Grand Prix should have been quite good, but the current attendance is not ideal, with a sharp decrease of 3 people!

While the drivers were nervously preparing for the race, the FIA ​​and the F1 boss were having quite a headache.

In just its second year back, the Red Bull Ring has already encountered operational challenges.

(End of this chapter)