F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 244 The Ranking Match Where Dark Horses Emerge
With Rod's temporary assignment to Wu Shi's crew, the political climate within the team became apparent, and many realized the importance Claire placed on this matter.

During the research, development, and tuning of the race car, Wu Shi's opinions have been given top priority.

It looks like a custom-tuned car.

This is a problem that no one wants to see. The problem is that Wu Shi can drive the car faster, which is the team's primary goal at present.

This situation will undoubtedly cause dissatisfaction among some people, but winning a championship is not a matter of treating others to a meal.

Whether on the track or within the team, we must aggressively strive for every advantage we can.

How can we win a losing situation without pooling all our resources?
Wu Shi was deeply impressed by what Jonathan had said to him before the summer break.

Regardless of what others say, sacrificing everything for competitiveness is the right thing to do!
He began to provide feedback based entirely on his own characteristics, no longer considering whether this would lead to a loss of vehicle balance and stability.

Anything he can control can be temporarily set aside.

All he cares about is speed!

Of course, even so, the development of racing cars is still slow.

After all, some operations that can be performed in real life are actually difficult to perform in a simulator.

If the effect cannot be reflected in the simulator, even with everyone's full support for Wu Shi, the engineers will not dare to do it easily.

Even if the engineer dared to do it, Wu Shi didn't really believe he would necessarily be right.

He's just a good driver; the effectiveness of research and development and tuning still comes from practice.

You can't build a good car just by using simulated data—Newey's case is a bit special.

Therefore, the three practice periods in each game have become especially important.

Wu Shi needs to demonstrate the value of the adjustments that cannot be shown on the simulator in practice matches in order to verify whether his ideas are correct.

Engineers can also use this to collect more data, optimize the simulator, and modify the suite to be updated later.

Williams already knew about the upgrades of the other teams before Friday's practice sessions officially began.

McLaren has received an updated engine, increasing power by 50 horsepower.

However, the actual data is unlikely to be better than the Mercedes engine, and the stability issues remain to be verified, so it's hard to say whether it's good or bad.

Due to funding issues, the only upgrade Sauber received was the power unit supplied by Ferrari.

This thing is an upgrade Ferrari made, and Sauber just picked up what was already there.

Mercedes was preparing to counter Ferrari at the Hungarian Grand Prix before the summer break, although frequent accidents and driver errors ruined Mercedes' race.

However, the inability to catch up with the Ferrari in cruising mode was also a major reason for the defeat.

Mercedes has introduced a new "spoon" shaped tail wing for this purpose.

When Wu Shi saw the photo, he exclaimed, "Wow!"
Mercedes copied Williams!

These types of tail fins utilize the curved central section to generate additional downforce, while the curved design at both ends reduces drag and increases top speed.

However, the latter effect of Williams' tail wing is far greater than the former.

However, even if Mercedes doesn't upgrade its rear wing, no one believes that anyone can rival Mercedes on such a high-speed track.

At the pre-match press conference, Ricardo shared his thoughts:

"The gap between Ferrari and Mercedes has always been large, and when the gap seems to be narrowing, Mercedes will upgrade."

"Ferrari has better luck on slower and more winding tracks, while Mercedes dominates on high-speed tracks. If anyone can break their dominance, I can't think of any other team besides Wu Shi."

Ricardo's remarks angered Toto, who also spoke to the media:
“Our lagging position in the drivers’ standings has already demonstrated the inadequacy of the car, and I don’t understand why people still think the W06 is the fastest car in the paddock.”

Wu Shi was also asked for his opinion on this, and his answer was the same as before:
"I just seized the opportunity; it's an undeniable fact that Mercedes' vehicles are superior in performance."

"They just often give themselves opportunities, not because their vehicles are inadequate."

“If they can be absolutely sure of their plans, then I will have no chance to take advantage of them.”

"In fact, they could have been absolutely certain of success."

In addition, the TR rules were completely tightened at the Belgian Grand Prix.

This regulation has appeared several times before, but it was not strictly enforced previously.

Track engineers are now prohibited from instructing drivers on how to set clutch parameters or how to select gears.

All operations involving driving are not allowed in TR.

Clutch parameters are especially important during start-up.

In F1, there are two clutch paddles. The main paddle must be fully pressed, while the secondary paddle can be set to engage at a specific point to achieve optimal starting transmission efficiency.

The grip and temperature conditions vary from race to race, which means that the engine speed and clutch engagement point required at the start will have slight differences.

Generally speaking, the engine speed at the start of F1 this year is around 6000 rpm.

Only the engineers know the specific fluctuation values.

Therefore, before a race, the team will inform the driver how to set up the clutch.

The driver's job is simply to do as instructed: release the main paddle shifter at the start and engage the clutch using the secondary paddle shifter.

Incorrect engagement point setting or mismatched engine speeds can cause starting problems throughout the process.

Either the low engine speed at the start slows down the pace, or the excessive torque causes the tires to slip.

Therefore, starting from the warm-up lap, drivers will frequently communicate with the team about the start.

The team will inform the driver how many burnouts to perform based on the day's conditions to ensure that all components reach operating temperature.

And calculate how much the engagement point should be set to achieve the optimal starting speed.

When teams are not allowed to teach drivers how to drive, then all of this has to be done by the drivers themselves.

This puts even greater demands on the driver's technical skills.

Most drivers did not object to this; in fact, they welcomed it.

Few mediocre people come to the F1 circuit; they all believe they will have the advantage in this situation.

Amidst the heated discussions before the competition, the practice match arrived.

Spa, a classic high-speed circuit, has a very unique design.

Its 7km length is the longest on the F1 calendar.

The combination of Errog and Radirion corners presents a high-speed climb of 300 km/h, a 5x gravity load, and a blind-top design that forces drivers to rely solely on intuition to steer.

People who lack confidence wouldn't dare drive that fast here.

In addition, with an elevation difference of hundreds of meters, there may even be sunny and rainy zones within the circle.

Williams is still prepared to take advantage of the straightaways at this race.

After all, it's really difficult to generate downforce in a corner.

The balance was entirely found by Wu Shi.

Throughout the first and second training sessions, Wu Shi was adjusting the chariot and did not demonstrate absolute speed.

In the third practice session, Hamilton set the fastest lap with a time of 1 minute 48.984 seconds, becoming the only driver to break the 1 minute 49 second barrier.

Wu Shi finished second, just 0.2 seconds behind Hamilton.

Rosberg finished third, 0.498 seconds behind Hamilton.

Ferrari's speed has rebounded, but it still lags behind Mercedes and Wu Shi.

Alonso encountered gearbox problems and had no chance to achieve results.

Massa's performance was somewhat affected, placing him in tenth place.

Three practice sessions are not enough to fully assess the strength of each team.

Williams, however, unusually displayed his speed in practice.

There was nothing that could be done about it, because Massa's test data could no longer keep up with Wu Shi's.

Therefore, Wu Shi could only obtain the ranking data himself, which meant that he couldn't hide too much of his talent during the third training session.

Hamilton's lead has drawn attention, with a reporter asking whether he can carry that advantage into qualifying and the race.

The old man didn't say much, only that the departure problem had been improved and would definitely be better than before.

The reporter joked, "Looks like they've found the right parameter settings."

Hamilton smiled and raised an eyebrow, but did not reply.

time flies.

The qualifying race officially started at 2 PM.

As expected, Wu Shi advanced smoothly in Q1.

Massa, on the other hand, fell to 13th place and almost got eliminated in Q1.

The average lap time of the advancing drivers was between 1 minute 48 seconds and 1 minute 49 seconds, indicating that the front-row drivers still hadn't pushed their limits.

In Q2, after driving for a short while, Kimi lost power halfway due to engine failure.

In first-person perspective, all you can hear is the engine churning.

The car, having lost power, wrecked the track and triggered a red flag. The race only returned to normal after Matthew pulled the car off the track.

Both Mercedes drivers gave it their all.

Rosberg, in particular, was already pushing like he was in Q3, and the final result was 1 minute 47.895 seconds.

It directly widened the gap to nearly 1 second in the fastest lap time of Q1.

This wasn't because Rosberg wanted to expose his limits prematurely, but because he was under immense pressure at the time.

In this year's qualifying, if he doesn't outrun Hamilton, he will be about 0.5 points behind Hamilton.

The gap of five points in qualifying for the same team already reveals a lot of problems.

It was precisely because he never pushed himself to the limit that Wu Shi was able to exploit the loophole.

This put him under tremendous pressure both inside and outside the team.

After all, accidents happen frequently in the main race, and the winner is not entirely determined by the vehicle.

The qualifying results are basically determined by the vehicles.

In Q3, almost all the unexpected incidents were caused by the drivers' own mistakes.

If your teammates achieve good results while you don't, then it's your own problem.

After a summer break, Rosberg is determined to make a comeback and is therefore pushing forward with all his might.

However, when he learned that Hamilton had a time of 1 minute 48.023 seconds, his breathing quickened.

Even after giving it your all, you still couldn't gain a significant lead?

He knew Hamilton's personality; he certainly wouldn't push for it at full speed until Q3.

On the other side, Wu Shi also completed the lap, with a time of 1 minute and 48.5 seconds, which was enough to qualify for Q3. Therefore, after completing this lap, he entered the pit lane.

Massa completed his first flying lap with a time of 1 minute 49 seconds, so he is now on his second flying lap.

Fortunately, he was in good form this time, and his final time was 1 minute and 48.8 seconds.

He was 0.3 seconds slower than Wu Shi, but ranked sixth.

"The Mercedes is too fast," Jonathan mentioned to Wu Shi during a conversation.

The screen mounted in front of the driver's seat displays each driver's results.

Wu Shi's expression also turned somewhat solemn.

Vettel, who usually only makes one lap in Q2, made two laps today.

What does this mean?
This shows that even Vettel was not satisfied with his results.

Ultimately, Vettel only managed a time of 1 minute and 48.7 seconds.

He was 0.2 seconds behind Wu Shi, which seemed like a lot, but he was only behind Wu Shi.

Today's Q2 presents a strange situation.

The two Mercedes drivers hovered around 1 minute and 48 seconds.

Wu Shi: 1 minute 48.5 seconds.

Vettel, Perez, Massa, and Bottas all went on to clock 48.7 seconds, or even 48.9 seconds!

That's why Jonathan was impressed by how fast the Mercedes was.

This isn't just fast, it's incredibly fast!
Mercedes possesses such a strong dominance on this advantageous track.

Wu Shi didn't know how to win.

The only consolation he can offer is that his lead in the standings is enough to squander for a few more races.

Stop the meter at Q2.

Sainz closed the goal in 1 minute 24.997 seconds.

In Q3, all the drivers first tried out a lap on the old tires.

Even so, Hamilton still managed to run a time of 1 minute 47.449 seconds.

Rosberg is still behind his teammate with a time of 1 minute 47.911 seconds.

That's shocking, there's no more fun to be had.

After completing his first lap, Wu Shi knew he could only secure third place in this qualifying race.

Even with brand new soft tires, Wu Shi will find it difficult to break the 1 minute and 48 second barrier; he can only try to get as close as possible.

It seems that Mercedes has gained an unimaginable advantage on the high-speed Spa track after switching to a rear wing.

Williams' minor improvements are insignificant compared to a true champion.

When Mercedes ended the suspense of the pole position battle early on with the first flying lap, no one cared about the Mercedes duo anymore.

Even if they crash and retire from the race, no one else can threaten their starting position.

Everyone's eyes had just fallen on Wu Shi when they realized there was no need to look anymore.

Perhaps this guy was in too much of a hurry; he'd already switched to brand-new soft tires, only available for the Q3, and started speeding along.

The first two timing segments were faster than his previous ones.

When he crossed the finish line, sure enough, his time was 1 minute 48.001 seconds.

We're just two-thousandths of a second away from the 1 minute and 47 second mark.

This is an achievement that other teams and drivers can hardly match!

Sure enough, Mercedes was the fastest in the qualifying race at the hunting ground, followed by Wu Shi in second place.

After learning his results, Wu Shi immediately commented on TR:
"I would need fifty more horsepower to reach the speed of a Mercedes."

Jonathan smiled, knowing it was a joke, and changed to a more relaxed tone:
"P3, P3, this is an excellent result."

As the final moments approached, the front-row drivers began their second flying lap.
Hamilton unsurprisingly broke the previous time, finishing with a time of 1 minute 47.197 seconds, thus securing the win!
Rosberg was about 0.5 seconds slower than his teammate, finishing second with a time of 1 minute 47.655 seconds.

Wu Shi is still P3.

The fourth place is quite intriguing; it's Bottas!!
His time was 1 minute 48.557 seconds!

To push a Lotus to this level is quite impressive.

Fifth place went to Grosjean, also a Lotus, with a time of 1 minute 48.561 seconds.

Sure enough, no matter how you look at it, it's the Mercedes engine that's putting the power on.

Mercedes-Benz engines dominate the top five!
Unfortunately, Massa fell behind and finished eighth with a time of 1 minute 48.711 seconds.

Sixth place was taken by Perez of Force India.

That was quite an upset.

As for the two Ferraris.

Kimi the Iceman was eliminated in Q2 due to vehicle issues.

Vettel's performance was even worse, finishing ninth with a time of only 1 minute 48.825 seconds.

Instead, it failed to achieve the same results as Q2.

The championship before the summer break seems like a last gasp before the end of the season.

Even though he was ahead in speed at this race, Hamilton was still very excited after taking pole position, clapping and cheering non-stop after getting out of the car.

It's clear that he's under a lot of pressure.

Needless to say, Rosberg's smile had vanished.

Of the four drivers vying for the championship, he was the one trailing the most.

After the match, reporters still found Wu Shi to ask for his thoughts on tomorrow's game.

Wu Shi glanced at Hamilton, who was just passing by behind him, and said to the camera:
"Mercedes is too fast, really too fast. You say you don't believe what I'm saying, but it's true."

"In the qualifying rounds, we were simply no match for them."

"The only thing that makes me happy right now is that I'm in the lead in the overall standings, and bringing home the third-place trophy is pretty good too."

The reporter nodded and did not ask any further questions, having grown accustomed to Wu Shi's way of speaking.

When Wu Shi turned his head, he saw Jennifer, who was holding her forehead.

The pessimistic remarks prompted Jennifer to say:

"You need to show some confidence!"

Wu Shi sighed and said, "How can we present this?"

“We want our sponsors to see what they want to see,” Jennifer said.

“I know the gap in rankings is so big, can’t they see that? No matter how I look at it, something doesn’t seem right,” Wu Shi retorted.

"So what if they see it? They don't understand racing. All they know is that you only have two pole positions, but you have four championships."

"In other words, your ranking results don't affect your performance in the main race. We're currently negotiating a sponsorship contract for next year, so you need to perform well."

Jennifer patted Wu Shi on the chest, telling him to be a little wilder.

"."

Wu Shi was speechless at this explanation.

“But then again,” Jennifer said, withdrawing her hand and looking Wu Shi up and down, then pinching her chin.

"what happened?"

Wu Shi wanted to hear what other quirky perspectives the great sponsors might have.

"You give the media the impression that you're not telling the truth, so even if you say you can't do it, they'll still think you can, and the sponsors will definitely think the same way."

"Hmm, if you put yourself in their shoes, that's not wrong either."

Seeing Jennifer talking to herself, Wu Shi rubbed his eyes.

How could his image have become so abstract in just half a season?

He had nothing more to say to the press officer.

At that moment, Verstappen, who had missed the entire qualifying session due to a vehicle malfunction, arrived.

“I looked at everything in your car, and it gave me a very strange feeling,” Verstappen said.

"What's strange about it?" Wu Shi asked.

“On the simulator, you brake very conservatively, but in reality, you are unusually bold, so in areas with heavy braking, you will immediately pull far ahead of the others,” Verstappen said frankly.

Wu Shi slightly opened his mouth. "It's not Pan Zi. You can even tell this after just one look at the carriage?"
“I can’t learn it,” Verstappen sighed.

Of course, you can't learn that.

After all, Wu Shi's braking is something only racing-grade ABS can achieve.

You should know that this thing was later banned.

The reason for the ban is that F1 requires not only vehicle performance but also the skill level of the drivers.

Therefore, electronic assistance systems should be minimized.

In reality, racing-grade ABS is quite formidable; even drivers who are not very good at controlling their brakes can use it to perform the braking maneuvers of top drivers.

This undoubtedly made the race less interesting, since back then you could just slam on the brakes and the ABS would take control of everything.

"On the simulator, I can't fully control the brakes. It's just a series of data, not the engagement of the brake discs and pads, nor the resistance from the friction between the tires and the ground."

"Without this information, I have no way of knowing where the braking limit is."

Wu Shi explained why this could not be done on the simulator.

"I see? Do you brake in stages?"

"Yes, sometimes the tires lock up when you hit a heavy load, and they spin when you hit a light load. This is constantly changing. The secret is to maximize the use of the rolling friction of the tires," Wu Shi said.

Verstappen seemed thoughtful, then said:

"When you're driving, does your left leg shake like a Parkinson's patient? Otherwise, I can't imagine what it would look like to open and close your leg, hahaha!"

As he spoke, Pan Zi laughed first.

"6."

Wu Shi felt that this metaphor was quite apt.

(End of this chapter)