F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 234 COPY
It's easy to get a driver to maintain a consistent speed within their preferred lap time range, but it's more difficult to maintain it within a specific range.

This was the situation Wu Shi was facing at that time.

He must accurately judge the distance between vehicles so that Massa can receive a DRS test at the DRS detection point.

But he couldn't let Massa get too close to him.

To achieve this, he kept having Jonathan report the time difference between the two.

Thankfully, the reported parity information isn't included in the TR ban, otherwise it would have been a real disaster.

Once the DRS train has completed several loops, this balance becomes extremely difficult to break.

The fact that a DRS train can be formed shows that the advantage of the following train is not absolute.

As time goes on, the impact of the dirty airflow on the vehicles behind becomes increasingly significant.

Engine overheating, accelerated tire aging, and other factors can all slow down the vehicles behind.

In addition, the skill level of the lead car and the strategic considerations of the drivers in the following cars will ensure that the little train continues.

In the current situation, if you let Hamilton try to overtake Massa, he would definitely attempt it.

But what's the cost?

The trade-off is severe tire wear, which could result in Rosberg losing the position for nothing.

In F1, attacking comes at a high price.

Hamilton certainly wouldn't do that.

Will Rosberg overtake Hamilton?
This is not a worthwhile deal, after all, Hamilton is ahead, not some paying drivers.

If Hamilton was easily overtaken by Rosberg even with DRS in play, it's hard to say that it was due to anything other than a major mistake.

Therefore, the positions of the four people in the front row have become very secure, and there probably won't be much change before the game stops.

The audience found the DRS miniature train boring.

Once the broadcasters realized this, they reduced the amount of screen time given to the front row.

On lap 12, Ricciardo pitted for tires. He was originally in tenth place, but made a mistake at the start and his position dropped.

After leaving the station, he fell behind Alonso, ranking 13th.

On lap 13, Kimi, having been stuck behind Hulkenberg for too long, decided to pit for tires.

After switching to hard tires, I came out in tenth place.

At the end of lap 14, the mechanic in the Mercedes pit garage was seen carrying a tire and rushing to the work area.

Is the Mercedes about to arrive at the station?

Williams' side reacted immediately, all looking over.

However, when they reached the entrance, the two Mercedes-Benz cars did not slow down at all and drove straight over it.

It seems Mercedes was just using Kimi's pit stop to intimidate Williams.

Williams breathed a sigh of relief, but hesitated to give any instructions.

Neither of the two track engineers mentioned this situation to the driver.

They are still waiting for the strategy team's decision on when to enter the site.

On the track, neither of the two Mercedes cars pitted, but Vettel did.

Ferrari's early pit stop with both cars left one questionable; it's unclear whether they were considering a second stop or if the tires were in poor condition.

Vettel's tires were changed, and his 3.3-second time wasn't great.

This meant that even after Vettel came out, he was still behind Kimi.

第15圈，吴轼继续保持领先，身后依次是2马萨、3汉密尔顿、4罗斯伯格、5霍肯伯格。

6科维亚特、7佩雷兹、8埃里克森、9Kimi、10维特尔。

Sainz surpassed Alonso and Ricciardo to move into 11th place.

Ricciardo complained that there was a problem with the engine's power, and the speed immediately fluctuated noticeably.

"How are the tires?" Jonathan asked.

"Am I running too slowly?" Wu Shi asked rhetorically.

“Keep up the pace,” Jonathan replied.

He and Dave exchanged a glance; Massa's tires were already struggling to support the weight.

Even with Wu Shi's DRS, Hamilton was still getting closer and closer.

The difference between the two is now only a little over 0.5 seconds, which looks rather ominous.

Everyone knows that the window of opportunity for a stop has arrived, and the strategic decisions of the four cars in the front row and the two teams will likely influence the final outcome.

"If Mercedes were in the lead, they would have pulled away long ago," the soldier said.

"Yes, sometimes being able to keep up with other vehicles steadily can also indicate that the vehicle's performance is better." Fei Ge nodded, agreeing with this point.

In fact, without Wu Shi's DRS, Massa simply wouldn't have been able to withstand so many laps.

"Now, starting with Kimi in ninth place, everyone on the track has switched to hard tires."

"Kimi's first lap time on the hard tires was 30.8 seconds, which is quite good."

"Yes, it looks like the hard tires are warming up quite well."

"Now we need to see the strategies of the drivers ahead. They're so close together, whether they go in early or late makes a big difference!"

"The most crucial thing is whether the team has calculated the entry window properly. If they are blocked when they come out, the consequences will be terrible."

Both Bingge and Feige were well aware of the situation. Although Wu Shi's lead seemed stable, it would actually be determined by the next stop.

"Kimi's lap time is out: 1 minute 38.954 seconds. Wu Shi's lap time was around 1 minute 39.3 seconds. Looking at it this way, the new hard tires are really good!"

"So here's the crucial question: when do they choose to enter the station?"

"The race has only gone through 16 laps. Could they want to push themselves for a few more laps?" the soldier said.

"No! We should stop here first! The new hard tires have such a big advantage! What's the point of continuing to lead the race?" Fei Ge questioned.

"To protect Massa?" the soldier asked rhetorically.

"This"

Fei Ge was speechless for a moment. It was rare to hear of a fast driver in F1 who would slow down for such a long time to help his teammate.

To be honest, he already felt in his heart that this was an inappropriate decision.

However, this may be because he is speaking from Wu Shi's perspective.

On lap 17, Ricciardo received instructions from the team to pit and check the situation.

"Red Bull! Is Renault's engine really not working properly?"

The soldier sighed; Ricardo's situation doesn't look good.

On lap 18, Alonso made his second pit stop, having already pitted on lap 2 due to damage to his front wing.

He switched to hard tires, and now, after only 17 laps, he has to pit again.

This has attracted the attention of the strategy teams of each team.

However, this focus is quite troublesome. Alonso's lap time has consistently been around 1 minute and 44 seconds. Is this even a reliable reference?
On lap 19, Bono's voice came through the radio, informing Hamilton:

"BOX BOX."

Jonathan frowned, then said into the radio, "Hamilton's pitted. How are your tires?"

“Yeah.”

Wu Shi threw out an interjection out of the blue.

Massa then saw that Wu Shi's car was visibly faster than his in and out of the next few corners.

In less than half a lap, the difference in seconds increased from 0.9 to 1.1 seconds.

Clearly, Wu Shi had been keeping his distance for him all along!
Hamilton drove into the pit lane and changed the tire in just 2.4 seconds.

Hulkenberg followed him into the pits, changing his tire in 2.9 seconds.

Hamilton came out and ran right into Perez. Hamilton locked up at Turn 3, leaving white smoke in his wake, and got stuck in front of Perez as he struggled to enter the corner.

When a tire is cold after leaving the station, the worst thing is encountering a car coming towards you.

"Our tire change takes about 3 seconds, and to get ahead of Hamilton, we need to be at least 1.6 seconds ahead."

Jonathan was calculating in his mind. Although the strategy engineers were already doing this part of the work, he was still a little worried.

Unfortunately, Williams had no contingency plan for this situation, leaving him in a completely passive position.

Once the overtaking in the first lap is completed, the strategy team begins to calculate the subsequent development. However, without experience samples, are the calculated results appropriate?
Jonathan didn't know, and he could only try to think based on his own experience.

"What was Hamilton's tire change time? I need to know his lap time on the outgoing lap," Wu Shi's voice rang out in the TR.

Only Jonathan, who was always focused, could understand the noisy electronic music on the first listen.

“2.4 seconds, his lap time will be announced later,” Jonathan replied. At the end of lap 20, Williams and Mercedes both recalled Massa and Rosberg.

Wu Shi was left behind on the track and continued racing.

The team ultimately decided against pitting Wu Shi for a tire change.

However, an unexpected incident occurred on the track. Jonathan saw Hamilton's latest lap time, paused for a moment, and then announced it.

"Hamilton's lap time last time was 1 minute 37.112 seconds."

There was no response to the TR message; Wu Shi remained silent.

However, no one is paying attention to Wu Shi right now; instead, everyone's attention is on Massa and Rosberg in the maintenance area.

The camera was fixed firmly on Massa.

3.8 seconds!
Rosberg had already been released from the rear, and Massa's jack had just been lowered.

Buzz!

Massa stepped on the gas very quickly, and when he came out, there was a Mercedes right next to him.

Jonathan felt a little suffocated, and was even relieved that it wasn't Wu Shi who was recalled.

However, Massa ultimately had a slight advantage in the front of the car, and Rosberg chose to give up the position.

The two drove out of the pit lane very close to each other, but Hamilton had already passed by!
At this moment, the expressions of Wu Shi's crew members were not good.

Hamilton's entry lap time was astonishing!
By the time everyone realized what had happened, it was too late.

"BOX BOX."

Jonathan shouted.

Even though Wu Shi had just run an amazing 1 minute 38.6 seconds on the old white tires, it was all in vain.

At the end of lap 21, Wu Shi was recalled to the station.

The mechanics were fully equipped and ready to go at any time.

Wu Shi drove in and parked precisely.

Click!

Bang!
Their maneuvering was more refined than Massa's crew's, but when the numbers appeared on the screen, everyone knew it was over.

3.2 seconds.

Hamilton caught up to them by 1.5 seconds on the track, and then caught up to them by another 0.8 seconds during a tire change in the pits.

In 2.3 seconds, the lead was completely recovered, and Wu Shi didn't even have a chance to go head-to-head with Hamilton.

Buzz!

Wu Shi drove out of the maintenance area, Hamilton had already sped past, and Massa and Rosberg were rapidly approaching from behind.

Cheers erupted from the stands, surpassing even the sound of the engine.

Hamilton was incredibly popular at home, with huge Union Jacks being waved by the crowd.

Even with a helmet on and the engine noise filling his ears, Wu Shi could still hear the cheers.

He wanted to catch up with Hamilton, but with what could he do?

He remembered what the old man had told him on the float: Mercedes' top speed at this station was very fast.

'They've reduced the resistance too.'

Wu Shi knew that Williams' advantage was like a leaf in a giant wave in the face of a Mercedes going all out; to withstand it required not only superb skills but also a great deal of luck.

They're not McLaren; they can't possibly surpass a Mercedes with a Mercedes engine.

“Let Wu Shi mentor Massa, otherwise Rosberg will have a chance,” Rodrigo said to Jonathan.

"Why?" Jonathan asked in return.

Rodrigo was taken aback, not expecting to be questioned by the track engineer.

“We need to maximize the probability of scoring! Why are you asking why?” Rodrigo said.

Claire came up behind Jonathan, who turned around and knew it was the team's intention.

He really wanted to ask why again.
If Wu Shi hadn't given Masala a DRS and had instead just driven away, would things be like this now?
Given Wu Shi's tire condition and speed in the early stages, he had enough time to pull ahead of the vehicles behind him by two or three seconds.

Rodrigo seemed to understand his thoughts and spoke again:
"Previously, if Hamilton and Rosberg had passed Massa, they would have directly pursued Wu Shi."

"Based on the speed difference we observed, the difference between them and Wu Shi is not large enough to make up for 2.5 seconds!"
"This loss of position was not due to this strategy!"

Jonathan glanced at Rodrigo and said, "To secure the championship, shouldn't Massa be allowed to block the drivers behind him?"

These words left Rodrigo speechless.

When there is no conflict of interest between the two drivers, the team can arrange things however they want.

When there is a clear conflict of interest between two drivers, problems arise within the team.

This is a problem that even Mercedes couldn't solve well, let alone Williams.

Jonathan knew that Rodrigo, as the resident strategist, usually issued instructions based on the actual situation and headquarters' calculations.

However, not all instructions are reasonable.

At this point, if he doesn't advocate for Wu Shi to issue this direct order, then what's the point of having him as a track engineer?

Claire clearly noticed this, and after asking what was going on, she didn't say anything for a moment.

The strategy team said that the probability of bringing back the second and third place is much greater than that of Wu Shi bringing back the first place.

Jonathan's meaning was clear: who is leading the standings now?
Do teams need to overthink things when making decisions?
The group froze.

However, Jonathan kept glancing at the screen, so he let it slip by.

Because Wu Shi was also very clever, he had already started chasing Hamilton without any orders from the convoy.

On the field, Wu Shi was somewhat frustrated, but that was all.

He can undercut others, and others can naturally undercut him in return.

Ultimately, the strategic mistake this time wasn't about whether to enter the station first or last, but about the previous issues with the Masala wake and DRS.

However, he did not expect things to develop this way, so he did not raise any objections.

Williams' strategy team is no longer the same championship-contending team it once was.

Their judgment and initiative are far inferior to those of the then-dominant Mercedes-Benz.

But a mistake is a mistake, and that's how it is; there's no point in saying more.

The next thing to do is figure out if we can poke the old man's butt.

His tires are a bit newer, so there should still be a chance, right?
"Williams' pit stop strategy has run into big problems this time. A perfectly good championship! Ouch!" Bing Ge slapped his thigh.

"Too greedy," Fei shook his head.

For a team, winning a race is just as tempting as a driver winning a race themselves.

Feige continued watching Williams, number 59, speeding across the screen on the broadcast, and asked a question:
"Before Hamilton pitted, Wu Shi's tires were in better condition than everyone behind him, but was it necessary to use up all of his tires?"

This question was unanswerable to Williams at this moment, and also to Wu Shi.

Perhaps the positive benefits of arriving late several times in the past have led to a certain path dependency among everyone.

As Wu Shi ran, he felt the tires' grip and wear and tear.

He estimated the maximum speed he could reach on these hard tires to complete the next 31 laps.

At that moment, Jonathan's voice suddenly rang out in the TR:
"Wu Shi, the time difference between you and Lewis is 3.12 seconds. Your current lap time is 1 minute 37.311 seconds, while Hamilton's last lap time was 1 minute 37.254 seconds. His speed is still increasing."

"Do everything you can to protect the tire and get close to it."

"Copy!"

Wu Shi responded and said:
"Please help me calculate the fuel consumption in real time; I need to have this data."

He can't be distracted too much.

“Copy,” Jonathan replied.

The changes in rankings caused by front-row drivers pitting for tires did not hold the audience's attention for long.

As the race progressed to lap 23, the spectators on the grass suddenly felt less hot.

Everyone looked up at the sky and saw thick clouds blowing in.

On lap 23, the sky grew increasingly overcast.

On the same lap, Ricciardo was recalled to the pits by his team again, and subsequently announced an ERS system malfunction, choosing to retire from the race.

On lap 26, Ferrari informed Kimi via radio:

"At Stowey Turn (Turf 15), rain is expected in about 20 minutes. It may rain in 20 minutes."

(End of this chapter)