F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 251 18 point

When Wu Shi and Rosberg's battle ended, the broadcast camera focused on Vettel, who had changed into a new white tire.

At this moment, the world champion wanted to overtake again.

However, in the final lap of the race, the position held will determine the final ranking.

Even drivers whose vehicles are not as good as Ferrari drivers don't need to protect their tires.

They defended with all their might, giving Vettel absolutely no chance.

Even world champions cannot easily defeat them at this point.

Vettel had no chance; he was ruthlessly blocked at the back and ultimately failed to score a single point when he crossed the finish line.

On the other side, Mercedes began congratulating Hamilton on winning another championship.

"Very well done, Lewis, a very good game, congratulations."

“Thank you, thank you, Wuhu!” Hamilton whistled in the TR.

Hamilton was clearly thrilled to have won another championship.

He parked his race car behind number 1 and excitedly climbed out of the car.

He was so excited that he crawled out without even taking off his headrest.

Luckily, he was quite thin, otherwise he might not have been able to squeeze out.

He put the steering wheel back on and stepped on the right front wheel of the race car.

He waved his hands to the crowd and excitedly bounced around on the tires.

Hearing the cheers from the crowd, he became even more excited, jumped down, and ran to hug his colleagues.

Then he went back to his race car and stroked it from the rear wing all the way to the driver's seat.

Clearly, he was extremely grateful for the car's performance in this race.

Wu Shi also got out of the race car, where Williams and the others were already waiting by the fence.

Upon seeing Wu Shi, they cheered loudly.

It was a spectacular match, and Wu Shi's performance clearly exceeded everyone's expectations, which is why they were so excited.

When drivers consistently create miracles, the crew members naturally believe that miracles will happen too, and they will work even harder to create miracles together with the drivers.

Of the top three, only Rosberg looked unhappy after getting out of the car.

He didn't even high-five the Mercedes crew members; he simply took off his helmet and walked into the lounge.

Upon seeing Mercedes' chief engineer arrive to receive the award, he did not intend to engage in further conversation.

Upon entering the lounge, Hamilton congratulated Wu Shi:

“You ran very well today. When you overtook me, I was startled. I thought you were going to take the championship away from me again.”

"Haha, I'd love to take the championship! But I'm still a little short."

Wu Shi responded that he did not say whether the shortcoming was due to the car or the technology.

After Rosberg finished weighing himself, he picked up a bottle of water and drank it, without exchanging any words in the lounge.

He stared blankly at the final result displayed on the screen in the lounge; that 0.012 seconds was so glaring.

Wu Shi had no personal grudges against Rosberg.

He has always believed that track-related issues should be resolved on the track, and that one should not concern oneself with matters outside the track.

Otherwise, all the competitors you've competed with will eventually become your enemies.

However, in reality, the 20 drivers in the paddock generally have a good relationship.

He patted Rosberg on the shoulder.

Rosberg turned around, took a big gulp of water, and forced a smile:
"congratulations."

"Thank you. It was very exciting to compete with you. I wouldn't be a match for you even if it were another 50 meters."

Wu Shi said that Rosberg displayed extremely strong offensive capabilities in the final round-robin match against him.

This ability was something he had never seen before.

No matter what, Rosberg is a driver with WDC potential.

You can say that his stability has issues, but you absolutely cannot say that his peak driving skills are lacking.

"What's the point of saying all this? The competition is over, the results are in, aren't they?" Rosberg chuckled again.

At that moment, the host's enthusiastic voice came from outside the lounge.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next event will be the awards ceremony for the 2015 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix."

After hearing the voice, Rosberg patted Wu Shi on the shoulder, said nothing more, and walked out of the lounge.

After walking out, he put away his troubled expression, adjusted his hat, and waved to the people who were still cheering for him.

Wu Shi then came out, and the convoy shouted loudly from below.

He smiled and waved to the crowd.

Finally, Hamilton emerged from the lounge, beaming with joy.

He jogged all the way to the top of the podium.

Once he stood still, the national anthem began to play.

After the national anthem ceremony, Mr. March, President and Minister of Economy of the Walloon Region of Belgium, presented awards to the attendees.

The Belgian Grand Prix trophy is a large, smooth, round plate with the Shell logo in the center.

If Wu Shi were to describe it, it would be like a satellite dish used in the countryside.

Hamilton then began the champagne-spraying ceremony.

This guy was the one who had the most fun spraying and drinking today.

Of course, everyone is now waiting to see if the interview guests will ask about sensitive topics related to Mercedes' final decision.

"Lewis, congratulations! You have won another game. It is a long-awaited victory and a very important one. It has narrowed the gap between you and Wu Shi in the standings."

“We noticed that you seemed to still encounter some problems when you started the train.”

"But you quickly regained your position and firmly controlled the pace of the game. Can you tell us how you feel right now?"

Hamilton Structured Microphone smiled and nodded, then greeted the audience in Belgian.

"Yes, this competition was very exciting, and I won another Grand Prix."

“I am very grateful to the fans present for their encouragement and support.”

"Of course, I am also very grateful to the team for their help. They provided me with a stable and powerful powertrain and excellent tuning."

"Without the team's help, I couldn't have won this race so easily."

"Actually, when the train started, I didn't think I had done anything wrong, so I was very surprised when I saw Wu Shi catch up beside me."

"I don't understand why he got off to a good start?"

Hamilton looked puzzled as he said this, turned to Wu Shi beside him, and casually asked:

"I really want to know how you got started so quickly."

He finished speaking with a smile, but without receiving a reply, he returned to the topic:
"Although I defended him at Turn 1, I made some mistakes later on and went onto the kerb more."

"At that time, Wu Shi very keenly seized the opportunity and launched an attack on me, and then surpassed me."

"Really, you can't give Wu Shi any chance during the competition, or you'll have to watch your ranking."

At this point, he looked at Wu Shi again. Even now, the thought of overtaking him in the first lap still makes his hair stand on end.

"Obviously, I later caught up, thanks to having a good car and my driving."

"So I still want to thank the team for everything they did this weekend, thank you."

The interviewer nodded, then continued:
"When you were in the virtual safety car, the distance between you was shortened. What were your thoughts at that time?"

Hamilton thought for a moment, then smiled and replied:
"No, the competition was still under my control at the time, and I wasn't worried about anything."

"During the final two stops, you were recalled to the pit area to change a tire. What are your thoughts on this?"

The interviewer's true intentions were revealed.

But Hamilton did not hesitate at all when faced with this question, and said with a smile:

"I have been following the team's instructions. I pitted when the team told me to."

The interviewer smiled knowingly, knowing that Hamilton would not comment on this.

So he turned to look at Wu Shi and began to ask:
"Wu Shi, I don't know whether I should congratulate you or feel sorry for you."

Wu Shi, holding the microphone, said with a smile:

"I have done my best in this game."

"In my motherland, there is a proverb that says: 'Do your best and leave the rest to fate.'"

“Whenever this happens, I think there’s no need to feel sorry or regretful, because you’ve done what you were supposed to do.”

"If we can achieve a better result, then everyone will be happy. If we don't achieve an exceptionally outstanding result, there's no need to be sad about it."

The interviewer smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay, you've taught me a lesson. So, I congratulate you on winning the runner-up title."

"Today's race was obviously very exciting for you; you took the lead at one point, but unfortunately, you couldn't maintain it. Could you share some details about your race with us?"

Wu Shi nodded: "Yes, I seized the opportunity again when the train was about to depart."

"I managed to get an unexpected position, but at the start of the race, Mercedes was just too fast."

"I had absolutely no way to stop Hamilton behind me."

"And I knew that if I had tried to stop Hamilton, it would have only made my tires age prematurely."

"This was strategically counterproductive, and we learned at the time that Nico was trapped in the rear of the car formation."

"At that time, our team's strategy was to do everything we could to maintain second place."

"As you can see, we have accomplished all of these things."

"I have to thank my team for giving the second stop instruction at the right time."

"We successfully undercut Nico. Without this well-timed entry into the pit, I certainly wouldn't have been able to achieve this result."

"The team provided me with excellent support throughout the weekend, and we found a setup that was better suited to the track through continuous experimentation."

"We completed the game well and achieved results that exceeded our expectations."

The interviewer nodded and asked:

"You're being constantly caught up by Lewis, are you feeling the pressure?"

Wu Shi thought for a moment, then nodded seriously:

"Of course there will be, our car isn't the fastest in the paddock."

"Therefore, in order to maintain our points lead, we have to do much more than the Mercedes team does."

After finishing the interviews with the champion and runner-up, the interviewer turned to Rosberg.

This is the main part of today's interview.

Everyone knows that Rosberg lost a place due to the team's strategy.

The interviewer didn't ask any more questions, but went straight to the point:

"Nico, it's a pity you only finished 3rd in today's race, one place behind your starting time."

“We know that you encountered some problems at the start of the race, lost a lot of places, and eventually you returned to 2nd place.”

"But during the subsequent second stop, you not only lost your position, but also lost a lot of time."

Do you think this was a strategic mistake, or something else?

Rosberg held the microphone in his hand, twirling it repeatedly, and after a long pause, he finally spoke:
“My stop was earlier than Lewis’s, and I do think I should have stopped earlier.”

"However, the team's strategy group must have considered more comprehensive aspects, and I accept those considerations."

"If I hadn't made a mistake in the starting lap, I might have been able to catch up with Wu Shi in the end."

"This match was quite a pity."

The interviewer smiled and nodded; Rosberg didn't shy away from the question, and that was enough.

After the interviews with the three athletes on the podium concluded, everyone began to leave the venue.

That's how it is with the F1 Grand Prix: it's held with great fanfare, but it also ends quickly.

On his way back from the podium, Wu Shi saw Vettel being interviewed.

At this moment, the world champion was sharply criticizing the problems with Pirelli tires.

He mentioned that Rosberg tires also experienced a blowout over the weekend.

During the race, his tire also blew out.

Rosberg, who happened to be passing by, also took the opportunity to show his support for his fellow German.

Wu Shi did not express his opinion because he knew that Pirelli tires simply could not support him for many laps on this track.

He couldn't comment on Rosberg's tire blowout during Friday's practice session.

However, it was clear that Vettel wanted to run 28 laps on a set of medium tires, making a tire blowout inevitable.

Even he couldn't have driven that far on a set of neutral tires and still maintain stability without a blowout.

Of course, the controversy surrounding this match ended long after the game itself.

Numerous journalists and sports media outlets published commentaries after the match, discussing whether Mercedes' decisions in the game were fair.

This has had a huge negative impact on Mercedes-Benz's image.

In Germany, some media outlets criticized Mercedes' biased decision-making and voiced their support for Rosberg.

However, in the UK, more media outlets supported Mercedes' move.

In fact, the Mercedes-AMG team, which participates in F1, is headquartered in Brackley, England, with its technical center in Braesworth.

From this perspective, the Mercedes F1 team should be considered a British team.

There's not much to say about the intricacies involved.

In short, the turmoil caused by Mercedes' mistakes will ultimately have to be borne by Mercedes itself.

After this race, Wu Shi's lead over Hamilton narrowed to 18 points.

If Wu Shi loses 7 points in each subsequent game, he will fall behind in the standings after just three games.

And after that, there are a total of eight more Grand Prix races.

Therefore, the situation facing Westbrook remains extremely dire.

The next Grand Prix will be held in Monza, Italy.

Mercedes held another closed-door meeting, but this time no information was released.

Everyone knows that reviewing this race requires more than just looking at the second stop; the start of the race also needs to be examined.

Why is Mercedes facing the decision to halt operations twice?
It's all because the two drivers had such serious problems starting the car.

If the start of the season is as normal as it was at the beginning, then Wu Shi will have no chance to capitalize on the opportunity.

The day after the Grand Prix ended, tragic news came from the motorsport world.

Former Formula 1 driver Justin Wilson crashed during yesterday's IndyCar race at Ponoco Circuit in Pennsylvania, USA, and subsequently fell into a coma after being hit in the head.

This driver raced for Minardi and Jaguar in the 2003 F1 season.

He participated in the CCWS (Championship World Series) from 2004 to 2007.

He has been competing in IndyCar since 2007, and is only 37 years old this year.

Perhaps after leaving the equation, people paid less attention to him.

But he is also an excellent driver, having won the European Formula 3000 Championship in 2001, defeating Marco Webber.

Immediately after this major accident, Wu Shi expressed his opinion that the safety of open-cockpit systems should be improved.

Bianchi's fortunate survival is not a reason for the racing world to disregard the safety of open cockpits.

Many people, like him, discussed adding obstructions outside the cockpit.

There were also many opponents, with Hamilton, Verstappen, and others feeling that it was unnecessary.

In addition, ahead of the Italian Grand Prix in September, the organizers of the Italian Grand Prix expressed concerns about the high cost of running the race.

Because they need to pay FOM (Formula One Management) 2500 million euros every year.

Moreover, F1 principal Bernie Ecclestone made no concessions when discussing the fee.

Although the Italian Senate provided a €20 million modernization budget for the track in July, is that enough?

That's far from enough!
Ultimately, it's because Formula 1 Grand Prix isn't profitable enough.

Just like the Olympics, which is gradually becoming less profitable, fewer and fewer countries will be willing to host it.

The F1 calendar has already lost Germany and France; losing Italy as well would be simply unacceptable.

However, Ecclestone remained resolute, stating publicly:

"Losing the Italian Grand Prix would be a huge loss for F1."

"We no longer have Germany, we no longer have France, but paying the price we demand should not be a tragedy!"

Actually, I'm still telling everyone:
Money is a must!
No matter how awesome you are, you're useless if you don't pay this money.

Monaco: Really?
Monaco is a special case; its admission fee is negotiable.

No one knows the exact amount, only that it is probably less than $1500 million.

Before the match in Monza, Wu Shi also took a day to shoot a promotional poster for Pengcheng Airlines.

The video mainly shows that Pengcheng Airlines wanted to expand into overseas markets, and considering Wu Shi's current influence in Europe, they discussed a condition.

Just stand around and strike a few poses, and you've got a million dollars in your pocket—another satisfying business opportunity.

However, after the pleasant business day ended and I returned to Oxfordshire, all the pressure came back.

If the race isn't fast enough, will the remaining eight races be a slow suicide?
"I do hope Nico can unleash his full potential and put Lewis in his place," Wu Shi said helplessly at the meeting.

“Yes, that’s right, so if we could stop Lewis from winning, I think we would lean towards stopping him,” Rodrigo said.

(End of this chapter)