F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 229 Considering the issue of seats next year

When he climbed out of the race car, he sat on it, somewhat exhausted.

"Oooo!!!"

"Wu Shi! Wu Shi!"

Enthusiastic cheers came from the second floor.

Wu Shi looked up in surprise and lifted his goggles.

These people waved their arms enthusiastically and cheered continuously.

This was to celebrate for him, and I didn't expect that there would be his fans there!
He just sat there, clenched his fists and waved his arms, then raised his hands high, making a "1" gesture.

He's the champion! He's won the championship again!

This championship wasn't won because of the opponent's mistake; it was won through sheer strength!

This championship is incredibly significant! It proves that he has the ability to compete for the annual championship!

Numerous reporters crowded around the fence, setting up their cameras to capture the scene.

Everyone has realized that this rising star is not just a flash in the pan.

This is a powerful driver who has the potential to surpass Hamilton's record of finishing as runner-up in his debut season!
Strong power renders all slander meaningless.

Wu Shi was overjoyed. After regaining some strength, he jumped off the race car and rushed to the crew members by the fence, giving them a warm hug.

After releasing his excitement, Wu Shi turned around and took off his helmet.

At this moment, Hamilton walked over, shook his hand, patted him on the shoulder, and said:

"Your route selection is wonderful and gave me a lot of inspiration. Congratulations on winning this weekend!"

"Thank you! I was terrified when I saw you in front of me."

The two smiled at each other and walked towards the corridor leading to the lounge.

After Rosberg came out and celebrated with the crew, he went into the lounge.

Hamilton also greeted Rosberg: "Congratulations on finishing second, great overtaking."

"Thank you, your tight defense almost made it through."

Their interaction resembled a business transaction.

After Rosberg finished speaking, he shook hands and hugged Wu Shi, congratulating him:
"Congratulations on another victory. I never imagined that the young man who sat in my race car last year would become someone I'm chasing."

"Thank you, it just so happens that we have good performance at this station."

Wu Shi laughed and turned around to find Hamilton watching the replay of the train's departure on a small television.

Starting too slowly is really damaging.

At this point, a staff member stepped forward to remind them that it was time to go to the podium.

Hamilton and Rosberg went out one after the other.

After hearing his name called and cheers erupt outside, Wu Shi put on the hat with "1st" embroidered on the side and walked out of the lounge.

"Oh oh oh!!!"

Wu Shi stepped onto the podium, and the national anthem began to play as soon as he stood still.

He turned to look at the fluttering red flag; everything was so beautiful.

After the national anthem was played, the awards ceremony began.

The Austrian Grand Prix trophy was designed to resemble the Red Bull Ring track, and Wu Shi held up a golden "Red Bull Ring track" to the audience.

Click!

Reporters snapped photos one after another.

Before he could even shake the champagne after setting down the trophy, Wu Shi was splashed in the face with two streams of soda.

He closed his eyes and shook himself violently before he began to fight back.

Claire, watching from the sidelines, didn't want to get splashed with champagne, so she quietly made a hand gesture.

So the three of them started criticizing Wu Shi.

Wu Shi's face was covered in the smell of incense. He wiped his face before he could see the situation clearly.

Damn!

I need to learn champagne-spraying techniques from Norris in the future, otherwise I might win the game but lose the podium!

The interviewer went up to the podium, but first hugged the German Rosberg, since it was practically Rosberg's home turf.

However, Wu Shi was the champion, so the interviewer quickly turned to Wu Shi.

He smiled and said:
"Congratulations, Wu Shi! This is the second year that the Red Bull Ring has returned to the race calendar, and you have become the second champion since the track's return."

"You once again overtook two Mercedes cars and won the championship, completing a godlike driving performance. How do you feel right now? How did you do all of this?"

Wu Shi hadn't expected the interviewer to have such a long lead time.

“Yeah, I anticipated that our car would be quite competitive at this race, and during practice I was already thinking about whether we had a chance to get pole position.”

"In fact, my estimate was relatively optimistic. Mercedes' lap time would be better, but they all made mistakes and gave me the opportunity."

"Once we entered the main race, the speed difference between everyone was not very obvious, especially the tire wear was not much different, which gave me a chance to win the championship."

FW37 is really well-suited for the Austrian Grand Prix, especially in terms of tire wear, even surpassing Mercedes.

This can be compared with Massa as a reference.

The first Stint didn't involve much fighting, but Rosberg's tires were severely worn, and he was locking up and slipping when he pitted.

The old man entered the station earlier, so his condition was alright.

Massa was the last to pit, and his tires were still fine, although he might be slower.

The interviewer nodded and continued, "Your start was excellent; we hardly saw any mistakes in your start. How did you manage that?"
Wu Shi nodded and said:

"Of course, the start is very important. The easiest opportunity to overtake is hidden at the start, so I attach great importance to the start."

"Once I realize when the red light goes out, my subsequent actions are as natural as breathing, and there will be no accidents."

The interviewer nodded, then smiled and asked everyone, "Did you all learn something?"

"Hahaha!" Laughter erupted from the crowd. What a load of rubbish!

However, everyone knows that no driver would share their secrets.

After the interviewer had warmed up the atmosphere, they proceeded to the third set of questions:

"During the first stop, you made a dangerous mistake that almost cost you the championship, but in the end, you regained your position with your strong performance and gave everyone a wonderful game. Can you share it with us?"

Wu Shi was even more surprised. When did this interview segment start asking him so many questions?
Has he really become a big star?
“Yeah, I mean, when I saw Lewis in front of me, I was terrified. I felt angry and even aggrieved.”

"However, I quickly adjusted my mindset. I knew that the only way to regain my position was to fight the fiercest battle."

"Our performance was sufficient at this station, and we overtook the opponent after a close battle, but the tire wear was very high."

"In fact, it was already very difficult to pull away, and my lap times dropped very quickly in the later stages. I was very worried that Rosberg would catch up."

"If Lewis hadn't blocked Rosberg, I think I probably would have ended up being caught because the tires were really, really bad."

Wu Shi spoke very seriously, after all, it was thanks to him that the car was finally able to be driven back.

Anyone in that situation would likely make a mistake or even cause a tire blowout.

However, this struggle and fight went unnoticed and uncared for after taking the lead.

That's what racing is all about. All you ever see are overtaking and mistakes; you never see the drivers' perseverance and tenacity in maintaining stability.

"Yes, as I said before, this victory is of great significance! Whether for you or for the Austrian Grand Prix, let's once again cheer for the winner."

"Thank you!"

Wu Shi waved his arms to the crowd.

The interviewer then said to Rosberg:

"The first time I saw you on camera was when you overtook someone at the start and moved into second place. The second time I saw you was when you overtook someone again and moved into second place; ultimately, you finished second."

"Hahaha~"

Rosberg himself couldn't help but laugh, saying:
"In fact, when everyone's vehicles are about the same size, it's all about the initial race and then widening the gap."

"I overtook Lewis like that, and the subsequent overtaking was entirely due to better tires. When my tires weren't good enough, I could only maintain second place."

The interviewer patted Rosberg twice, then asked Hamilton:
"Lewis, it's a real shame today. You made a mistake at the start, and although you took the lead by overtaking tactically later, you were eventually overtaken."

Hamilton nodded and said:

"During qualifying, I felt that Wu Shi's speed in Williams was not much different from ours."

"When I failed to overtake him on my flying lap, I realized I was in trouble in the race, and I started thinking about how to deal with him."

"That's probably why I got off to a slow start; I got distracted."

"Similarly, I wasted too many tires defending against Wu Shi after the stop."

"But I think it's worth it. I can't just let a driver who's going to compete with me for the championship drive away like that."

"Even if I fail in the end, it will bring me even greater losses."

This statement drew cheers from many fans in the audience.

The old man seems to be more popular here than Rosberg.

After the podium interview, Wu Shi returned to the team.

Everyone prepared champagne to congratulate him once again on his championship victory.

After this battle, Wu Shi's lead widened further.

However, while the team was excited, the pressure also increased.

Can the advantages of a high-speed track be carried over to the next stop?
For the small racing team, it's common to experience both divine intervention and unsuccessful attempts.

Even though the team has approved more funding for research and development due to Wu Shi's strong drive this year, the outcome is still unknown.

Wu Shi's latest station victory has once again garnered coverage from domestic news outlets and sports media.

Smaller media outlets and independent media outlets are even more exaggerated in their promotions, often including the points information in their articles with exaggerated headlines.

Wu Shi is currently at the top of the standings and is poised to win the F1 World Championship!

The exaggerated headline generated massive traffic, and coupled with the existing F1 fever online, more and more online racing enthusiasts joined in.

Having strong capabilities is always the fastest way to gain followers, and admiring strength is a common human mentality.

"Awesome! Those of you still talking about the Water Crown? Come and take a look!"

"Stomp on his head! Stomp on his head hard!"

"Where's the Mercedes dynasty? How could they be so easily defeated! Their cheat engine failed them and they got backlashed!"

Why doesn't Wu Shi go to Ferrari?

"Does the person upstairs want to kill Wu Shi?"

"I'm saying it right here today: Wu Shi is not only the first Chinese F1 driver, but he may also become the first world F1 driver."

"Don't stir up trouble! Leaving aside legendary figures like Fangio, could he even beat Senna and Schumacher?"

Online comments vary in tone, but overall they praise Wu Shi, sometimes even excessively praising him.

The influx of new car enthusiasts into China has indeed influenced some public opinion.

Wu Shi actually disliked this kind of idol-making fan. When he won, he would go around criticizing other drivers and making a mess of the environment.

All he can do is use the official account to publish positive statements and try his best to guide car enthusiasts in a positive direction.

Abroad, the discussion on this issue is actually more polarized, with racial discrimination being a topic that this group can never avoid.

Some online celebrities' remarks were so exaggerated that they attracted widespread attention, prompting the old man to come out and defend them, saying that discrimination against any race is discrimination.

It also included a photo of him and Wu Shi.

Wu Shi privately expressed his gratitude for the assistance.

Of course, besides those who criticize him and find fault with him, there are also genuine fans.

Among these fans, some analyzed his driving skills, some analyzed his extraordinary growth experience, and some discussed whether Williams was stronger or he was stronger this year.

In short, these serious fan communities are what truly resemble car enthusiast groups, focusing on discussions centered around the race itself, rather than miscellaneous things.

Public opinion did not have a significant impact on Wu Shi.

After the Austrian Grand Prix, the drivers had a small get-together the following evening.

Lewis and Vettel both egged him on to treat everyone. He had originally wanted to avoid such events like Pan Zi, but he still felt it wasn't appropriate, so he ended up treating everyone to food.

Fortunately, he was a minor, so no one could force him to drink, which added a bit of fun to the gathering.

"You've started drinking now?" Wu Shi asked, somewhat surprised to see Pan Zi already a little tipsy.

“I didn’t drink any alcohol; you can see the alcohol content isn’t even listed here,” Verstappen said with a slightly tipsy laugh.

He hadn't planned to come to this kind of gathering, but Wu Shi dragged him along to face the interrogation of numerous racers, so he had no choice but to come.

I didn't expect this guy to have started drinking now, and he even thinks the taste is pretty good.

Wu Shi refused to drink heavily with Pan Zi, as he did not like drinking.

He tilted his head and celebrated several times, still talking about the exciting fight in Austria, wondering how he could control the car under those circumstances.

Obviously, these things cannot be explained clearly.

Sainz also came over to say hello, saying that Williams' car was really good, and he never expected there to be such a dark horse this season.

Wu Shi immediately countered by asking Sainz if he was coming to Williams.

This guy was actually somewhat tempted.

However, despite his interest, Sainz, with his father's influence, is unlikely to set his sights on a private racing team like Williams.

In fact, after comparing the differences between Wu Shi and Massa, most people don't think that Williams' car is very strong.

After all, the low-drag, high-speed design completely shifts the pressure of cornering to the driver, and Wu Shi's achievements are basically a testament to the driver's own ability.

So much so that after Wu Shi secured pole position, no one even glanced at FW37, as everyone assumed it wasn't because the car was fast.

Alonso pulled Panzi over and asked with a smile whether the old man's skills were useful.

Of course it's useful.

Wu Shi was also delighted. His mentor's understanding of the track had been a great help; subtle adjustments might not have resulted in dramatic improvements, but they allowed him to establish a slight advantage each lap.

Whether it's an advantage in lap time or an advantage in tire management.

Bottas and Wu Shi's relationship also improved, as the competition for the seat had previously caused Bottas to become indifferent on their part.

However, with Wu Shi's performance, this future "top driver" no longer hesitated.

He never had an overly strong competitive mentality, otherwise he wouldn't have been willing to be the number 2 driver at Mercedes.

Just two weeks after the next race at Silverstone, the drivers had their own things to do and couldn't stay in one place for long. After the dinner, they all went home.

Wu Shi returned to Italie and met with Louise, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

Of course, the main reason he came back this time was that Martina had some things to talk to him about.

Sid was also present.

Wu Shi knew from this scene that it must be about his F1 career.

The three were already quite familiar with each other, so there was no need to prepare any opening remarks. Sid got straight to the point:
"We need to consider the seating arrangements for next year."

"WHAT?"

Wu Shi was very surprised. Although he didn't think the three-year contract with Williams would really last until the third year, he didn't think it would change after only one year.
“You were busy with the Grand Prix last week, and Sid said you felt pretty confident, so he didn’t want to bother you with that,” Martina added.

(End of this chapter)