F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 275 Regret
Although there are only two Grand Prix races left, the 2015 season is far from over.

For the individual drivers, the championship remains a huge question mark.

Kimi and Massa are also vying for fifth place.

The battle between the two Red Bull drivers continues—

With Red Bull's internal operating model, the competition is like a battle royale, with the competitive pressure at its peak.

Both Ricardo and Kvyat knew that a poor performance would mean losing their seats.

This shouldn't have happened so quickly, but Toro Rosso has Verstappen!
This underage player who entered the paddock with the young Sainz is also a second-generation driver, but Verstappen's influence was not the main reason Red Bull signed him.

Red Bull signed him primarily because of his personal talent.

As the only driver to emerge during Wu Shi's reign of terror in karting and lower-level formula racing, he was considered by Marko to have the potential to become a world champion.

Especially the rain battle between Norrislin and Wu Shi, it was a breathtaking contest.

Even though he has now missed out on Wu Shi, a rookie driver who was incredibly close to WDC, Marko is not as upset as he imagined.

Verstappen's performance this year has been quite good; it's just that the car isn't fast enough.

If Pan Zi works hard at the end of the season, he should be able to enter the top ten in the standings.

His abilities have already earned Marco's recognition.

Kvyat and Ricardo often saw Marco and Verstappen communicating.

This made the two of them even more uneasy; it was only a matter of time before Panzi came to Red Bull.

So here's the question: which of the two will be the one to be teleported?

Neither Ricardo nor Kvyat wanted to be that person, so they had to prove their worth.

Although it was really inappropriate to put Verstappen in Red Bull in 2016.

With Wu Shi's masterpiece preceding it, one cannot deny the possibility that Marco, that madman, might do such a thing.

Sainz, who is also part of the Red Bull system, is also anxious at this time.

Even though his father has considerable influence within Red Bull, for a large racing team, ability is the most important factor.

Even if you don't have the matching ability, you'll still be the number 2 driver even if you're promoted to a major team.

Is Sainz that kind of person? Of course not.

Moreover, he was not convinced by Verstappen, so he was also determined to fight for something.

Of course, he also had to fight for it, since he was currently ranked 15th on the overall points leaderboard.

What does this mean?

It's no surprise that Mano's driver finished last.

McLaren has top-notch drivers, but it has encountered a poor engine and car, so it ranks near the bottom.

This eliminates 5 people (Mano and Alexander).

In other words, if Eriksson hadn't taken a spot, he would have been last after excluding Mano and McLaren, two teams that were clearly having problems!
Sainz was also walking on thin ice, but with the old man supporting him, he wasn't actually that worried.

He was just arrogant and wanted to prove himself; the position was never something he was worried about.

In terms of the overall team standings, the rankings have basically been determined.

Mercedes leads Williams by 71 points, effectively securing the championship.

Ferrari has been busy all year, with problems arising from either Vettel's or Kimi's side. In fact, with all the problems coming out, they've ended up doing worse than Williams.

The major internal reshuffle has indeed affected the team's normal operations.

But it's not so bad. Last year we were fourth, this year we are third. Isn't that progress?

This shows that the leader is indeed a capable leader.

Whether it's a new manager or supervisor in the team, they should first secure their own power.

What's more important than choosing sides?

On the other hand, my taking sides is one thing, but my performance has improved, hasn't it?
So, in short, there's no rush!
As for McLaren, their focus is no longer on this season.

They were no longer so concerned about whether they could overtake Sauber and go from second to third to last.

Let's fix this lousy engine first! Otherwise, Patton will be saying "GP2" next year.

And just before the Brazilian Grand Prix, Red Bull's long-running saga of finding a new engine supplier is finally coming to an end.

With Ferrari, Mercedes, and Honda all unwilling to supply engines, Red Bull had no choice but to turn its attention back to its much-despised partner – Renault.

This farcical saga has made Red Bull the biggest clown.

It's hard to imagine how ridiculous it must have been for Red Bull to criticize Renault for half a season and then have to shamelessly ask Renault to supply engines.

Mateschitz, one of the founders of Red Bull and who owns nearly half of the company, had to go back to Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn to discuss the engine issue.

Carlos Ghosn didn't make a foolish mistake; after all, it's a business, and he accepted the decision to continue supplying engines for Red Bull in 2016.

However, these engines will cost more.

A reporter claimed that Bernie Ecclestone, the F1 chief executive who had just stated that "F1 has drivers like Wu Shi every year," acted as an intermediary between the two.

It is said that Ghosn was willing to give Bernie this face in order to use this favor to negotiate some issues regarding the distribution of profits after Renault's return to F1.

After the deal took shape, Renault also stated that the final engine for this season will be Red Bull in Brazil.

Ricciardo's willingness to use the new engine resulted in him being penalized ten places at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

In addition, Vandoorne is willing to continue serving as McLaren's test driver.

Mamagnussen, however, had an idea: he wanted to return to the starting lineup instead of continuing as a reserve driver.

However, the positions in the paddock are basically already determined, making it extremely difficult to return to the starting lineup.

The restructuring of the Manor Racing Team is still in turmoil, with complex internal personnel changes to be expected.

Putting aside the various interests and turmoil at the paddock level, Mercedes and Williams are still fully preparing for the Brazilian Grand Prix on the racetrack.

Mercedes says it's testing a brand new "S" tube, which is placed in the protruding hump at the front of the cockpit. However, it's still under discussion as to whether this design will obstruct the driver's view.

Williams hasn't made much of a move, they're just waiting for the Brazilian Grand Prix to arrive.

Wu Shi's victory in the previous leg made everyone feel much more relaxed, but this relaxation did not last long before they were filled with pressure again.

Not to mention Claire, the team leader who was busy with foreign affairs, even the old man who needed to take frequent rest due to health problems came to the factory.

This means that both the big boss and the little boss of Williams came to supervise the project.

Everyone understands that any small mistake could cause Williams to miss his best chance to win the Drivers' Championship since 1997.

The unparalleled level of attention from everyone in the team made them truly feel the heavy responsibility on their shoulders.

Beyond the sense of responsibility, there is also an excitement about participating in the race for the drivers' championship.

Everyone wants to say this when introducing themselves in the future:
"Do you know Williams' Drivers' Championship in 2015? I played a part in that; I was involved throughout the entire season."

Pressure, responsibility, a sense of mission, and a sense of honor come together to transform the entire team.

Wu Shi could clearly feel this change. Many engineers would ask him how he was resting when they met him, and they were worried about his recent condition.

He usually replies that it's not bad, after all, there are two completely different kinds of pressure between asking you to compete for second or third place and asking you to get points.

If you still expect him to compete for second place, he might really have trouble sleeping, his mind constantly preoccupied with the Brazilian Grand Prix.
When the Brazilian Grand Prix was mentioned, Wu Shi subconsciously looked at Massa beside him.

This veteran must have vivid memories of this race track from his hometown.

Or rather, anyone who knows what happened in the 2008 season will have a strong impression of the Brazilian Grand Prix, which was the final race of the year.

At that time, Massa was still with Ferrari and was likely to win another drivers' championship for Ferrari.

As long as he wins the championship, Hamilton can finish in fifth place or later.

As luck would have it, when Massa crossed the finish line as champion, Hamilton was in sixth place.

The entire Ferrari pit lane erupted in cheers, but Hamilton managed to finish fifth at the last corner and cross the finish line.

By a single point, Ferrari lost the Drivers' Championship, a title they have yet to win again.

Massa also lost the only chance of his life to win the drivers' championship.

Many years have passed, and Massa certainly hasn't let go of the past; he's just covered up the scars.

Of course, Williams and his team wouldn't be so bored as to bring up the old story again.

The only reason people are talking about the Brazilian Grand Prix is ​​because it's on November 15th, and they need the veteran's experience on that track.

As is well known, this track has a high altitude and a drop of about 41 meters, which will put great pressure on the suspension.

In addition, the track is extremely bumpy, literally bumpy.

Bumpy conditions not only test the vehicle, but also the driver's ability to accurately control it.

At the same time, because this track runs counter-clockwise and has more left turns than right turns, it is very different from other tracks, which will cause drivers to need to adapt to the load.

Wu Shi was familiar with the track, so he knew how to deal with these challenges, but his body still needed to adapt to the differences in G-force direction.

As the meeting ended, Wu Shi rubbed his temples. There was so much information to exchange in such a long discussion, but as a driver, he spoke little and remembered much.

Verstappen is quite adept at handling these meetings, much like a top student. You might think he's just playing around, but he not only listens to everything, but he also remembers and understands it all.

"Alright, we're heading to São Paulo tomorrow, everyone get some rest." Claire clapped her hands.

After the meeting ended, everyone quickly relaxed, chatting and gossiping as they packed up their things.

"I heard Lewis might not be able to go," one of the engineers said.

“Hey, don’t talk nonsense, he just crashed his car while he was out partying in the street,” another person said.

What kind of car does he drive?

"A custom-made Pagani!"

Wu Shi glanced up at the two gossiping people. He remembered this incident; it happened in 2021 when the old man sold the car.

The old man bought a Pagani Zonda last year; it's a custom version with the letters "LH" on the back.

The car was bought for £160 million, and the old man sold it for £850 million 21 years later, after driving less than 1000 kilometers. He made a profit of £690 million with this simple resale. Then, not long after, the guy who bought it stepped on the gas in a tunnel and crashed it, causing repair costs of £200 million.

It's not fair to assume the guy who wrecked the car was bad.

Look, aren't these engineers discussing the car accident Hamilton had in Monaco while driving this car?
"He will definitely participate in the competition, it's just a matter of going a day later."

Claire said, gesturing for everyone not to have unrealistic ideas.

On Friday, November 13th, free practice began, and Hamilton was present.

Wu Shi replaced the powertrain with a new one, so he had to familiarize himself with the car more during practice sessions.

During the first training session, Mercedes demonstrated their speed, with Hamilton setting a time of 1 minute 13.543 seconds, making him the only person to break the 1 minute 14 second barrier.

Rosberg was 0.519 seconds behind in second place.

Vettel, in third place, was 0.625 seconds behind.

Wu Shi ranked 6th with a time of 1 minute 14.711 seconds.

In the second practice session, both Mercedes drivers went even further, both breaking the 1 minute 12 second mark.

The other drivers, even the closest Vettel, only managed a time of 1 minute 13.345 seconds.

Wu Shi is still getting used to the race car and is in 5th place. His time is not very impressive, only 1 minute 13.539 seconds.

Both practice sessions highlighted a challenge of this track – the high demands on braking.

High altitude is inherently unfavorable for heat dissipation, and the track layout requires frequent high-speed deceleration, which naturally increases the pressure on the brakes.

It's easy for drivers to overlook the minor performance shortcomings of the brakes.

Massa and Kimi encountered this problem; the former was alright, but he understeered and entered the buffer zone.

Kimi ran onto the grass, ruining his tires and delaying the acquisition of practice data.

In the two practice sessions, Wu Shi completed a total of 85 laps, the most of any driver.

By the time of the third training session the following morning, he had almost completely adapted to the new power system.

Everyone began the speed test, and Wu Shi also ran 25 laps.

His best time was 1 minute 12.875 seconds, placing him fourth.

第一的是老汉，跑出了1分12秒070的成绩，再加把劲铁定进1分11秒。

At noon, after a short rest in the repair area, Jonathan came to speak with us:
"How does it feel? I think the speed is pretty good."

“Of course, it feels pretty good. The car’s front end is very responsive and suited to this track.” Wu Shi nodded.

"Haha, Massa complained about understeer during the first practice session, so we adjusted the front wing," Jonathan laughed.

If Wu Shi nodded and said it was good, then at least it proves that there weren't too many problems with the match.

The qualifying race officially started at 2 PM.

The air temperature rose to 29 degrees Celsius, while the track temperature reached 46 degrees Celsius.

The weather was quite muggy, making one wonder if it was going to rain, but the weather forecast did not indicate that it would rain.

In Brazil, however, rainfall is completely unpredictable.

In Q1, both Mercedes drivers were racing like madmen.

He broke the time barrier to 1 minute and 11 seconds.

Wu Shi returned after two laps, finishing fifth with a time of 1 minute 12.593 seconds.

"What is the estimated margin?" Jonathan asked.

"It could go in at 1 minute and 11 seconds, but I estimate it will be at the back," Wu Shi said.

"Hmm, that's pretty good. Right now, only Mercedes can run under 1 minute and 11 seconds," Jonathan laughed.

Q2 arrived quickly.

The situation on the field changed at one point.

Hamilton was almost as fast as the previous lap, finishing first with a time of 1 minute 11.665 seconds.

Surprisingly, Vettel ran a time of 1 minute 11.928 seconds, moving into second place.

On the contrary, Rosberg only achieved a time of 1 minute 12.213 seconds.

Wu Shi, on the other hand, has been making steady progress, running a time of 1 minute 12.311 seconds, ranking fifth.

Of all the sprinters, only these top five drivers achieved good results with just one flying lap.

The other drivers all improved their best times on their second flight lap.

After Q2 stopped, Lewis and Bono were talking.

“Pole position is your competition with Rosberg, just like on every other track; barring any unforeseen circumstances, Wu Shi won’t be able to catch you,” Bono said.

“I know,” Hamilton replied.

In the previous leg of the competition, Wu Shi's victory dominated most of the major media coverage.

Therefore, not many people discussed Rosberg's decision to give way, but he still saw some comments.

No one knows what he felt as he sat in the Pagani thinking about those comments.

He felt humiliated, embarrassed, and ashamed, and wished he could just step on the gas and fly away from these thoughts that made him feel so ashamed.

With Q3 approaching, the battle for dominance has begun.

Hamilton went first and set the fastest lap time of 1 minute 11.549 seconds after one lap.

But Rosberg didn't let him have an easy time at all, and retaliated with a time of 1 minute 11.461 seconds.

When gods fight, mortals suffer. Wu Shi returned to the pit after setting a time of 1 minute 11.935 seconds.

For him, whether he goes out to play or not makes little difference.

Third place is enough to break even; there's no need to take any more risks.

After all, if the push is pushed too far and a collision occurs like in Monaco, tomorrow's match will be a real headache.

So in the final period, he became the first driver to go on the track.

Soon, the new result came out: 1 minute 11.877 seconds.

Seeing this, Mercedes breathed a slight sigh of relief.

If Wu Shi gets pole position again at this race, he can easily reach the points zone, which would be terrible for them.

Immediately afterwards, Rosberg set a time of 1 minute 11.282 seconds, leaving everyone else in the dust.

Toto and Niki Lauda were both waiting for Hamilton's lap time.

If Rosberg were to defer to him at every stop, it would be a laughing stock.

Fortunately, Hamilton did not disappoint, crossing the finish line in 1 minute 11.201 seconds to secure pole position!

Vettel, who then crossed the finish line, also ran a time of 1 minute 11.804 seconds, pushing Wu Shi down to fourth place.

Toto nodded in approval; the qualifying result was indeed quite good.

After returning to the maintenance area and giving a media interview, Wu Shi went to the conference room.

"The current point difference is 32 points. As we have analyzed before, if Wu Shi gets just 1 point in this race, then even if Lewis wins two consecutive championships, we will only need to get second place in the final race."

"Of course, getting second place is not an easy thing."

"Therefore, we need to get as many points as possible in this race. The more points we get, the easier the final race will be for us!"

Claire set the strategic tone.

Everyone had a pretty good idea about this; Massa had run from the back row into the points zone far too many times.

The strategy team can all smile and say, "Finally, we're back in our comfort zone."

Thinking about strategies for the podium every day was really giving me a headache!

Everyone had a good rest on Saturday night, conserving their energy for tomorrow's battle.

On the way back to the hotel, Massa said to Wu Shi:
"Actually, we encountered some troubles, but they were all resolved."

"What trouble?"

Wu Shi was surprised. Didn't he know what was wrong with the vehicle?

“You don’t need to worry about things off the field. The Jazz’s influence in England and in the paddock has already taken care of that for you,” Massa said.

Wu Shi blinked; it seemed that something dirty had happened during this time.

"I should thank the team."

"No, the team and the driver complement each other."

Massa laughed, and then continued:
"It's not a big deal. Mercedes filed an appeal, and the organizers are going to penalize you, saying that you did not comply with a certain 'homebody' rule when you blocked Hamilton, and you are expected to be given a five-second penalty."

Wu Shi remained silent.

"It's been resolved. The Jazz's influence worked, and besides, it wasn't a violation of any rules. Moreover, Williams is far more UK-friendly than Mercedes."

"You are strong enough, so they are tolerant enough. It is a joy to see a purebred British team win the drivers' championship."

"At least that proves that Britain is still powerful, doesn't it?"

Massa talked a lot and seemed quite excited.

Wu Shi listened quietly to his story.

"I really hope you can end the suspense here tomorrow."

Before returning to his room, Massa patted Wu Shi on the shoulder.

Wu Shi watched his retreating figure and sighed heavily.

No matter how many regrets there are in F1, they are as lonely as this figure from behind.

(End of this chapter)