F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 307 Victory Doesn't End Without Trouble

Although Ferrari suffered a major setback in their first race after the summer break, it didn't stop them from celebrating Ferrari's 9th anniversary at their home race on the first weekend of September.

Various T-shirts, hats, glasses and other related products printed with "70" were sold on site.

Vettel and Kimi's cars have also been given a 70th anniversary livery.

To showcase Ferrari's influence, they also invited many celebrities to watch the race in the pit lane.

Unfortunately, all this excitement belongs to Ferrari and the Iron Buddha Temple; the other teams are still preparing well for the Italian Grand Prix.

As Mercedes' strong circuit, Monza didn't put as much pressure on Toto as one might expect.

Of course, the main reason he wasn't under much pressure was that the first and second tiers of equipment brought back from Belgium proved the correctness of Mercedes' R&D approach.

After Mercedes raised suspicions about Ferrari's engine cheating, it was also secretly using similar technology itself.

But Mercedes is very shrewd; its questioning of Ferrari was merely a trial balloon.

By using the FIA's review of Ferrari to understand the technical regulations, they then quickly developed a new engine that circumvented those restrictions.

Ultimately, Arison is from Mercedes and has a deep understanding of Ferrari's engines. Once the rules are clear, he also knows how to operate in the gray areas to maximize efficiency.

Mercedes' approach was quite effective; even though the FIA ​​knew about it, they couldn't add a rule on the fly to prevent Mercedes from using that design.

However, the FIA ​​will still intervene in this kind of innovation, and it will most likely be written into the technical rules restrictions next year.

However, Mercedes has already benefited, as they will use this more powerful engine throughout the second half of the season.

Ferrari, on the other hand, suffered a major setback. Their technological approach was hampered by regulatory restrictions, forcing them to dismantle the mysterious fuel tank that injected "special" oil into the combustion chamber.

With this removal, Ferrari's engine could visibly no longer keep up with Mercedes' performance.

The Belgian Grand Prix is ​​the best proof of this.

Therefore, in the three free practice matches, Mercedes was unstoppable at their home ground in Wales.

On Saturday's qualifying session, although the rain caused some unpredictable circumstances, these changes did not affect Mercedes at all.

Wu Shi and Hamilton easily secured front-row starting positions once again.

Ferrari, on the other hand, was greatly affected, with Kim and Vettel starting in seventh and eighth place respectively.

Verstappen continued to demonstrate his prowess in the rain, finishing third on the grid, 0.139 seconds ahead of his teammate Ricciardo.

This is not good news for Verstappen, because Wu Shi, who started from the front row, had a qualifying lap time 1.3 seconds faster than him.

This means that even if it continues to rain the next day, the two Silver Arrows will still be unstoppable.

However, before the second day of the competition, Verstappen was penalized 20 places for changing his engine, while Ricciardo was penalized 25 places for changing his engine.

Both Renault drivers received the same treatment, being penalized with 10 places and relegated.

Customer teams using Honda engines fared no better, with Sainz and Alonso being penalized 10 and 35 places respectively for replacing powertrain components.

Given the current situation, it's no wonder McLaren and Red Bull are making a fuss.

They achieved good qualifying results, but were immediately penalized and retired due to engine instability issues. No one could lead them to victory in that situation!

In the paddock, only Mercedes and Ferrari have relatively stable engines, which is why these two teams are currently far ahead.

A bunch of people in the front row were penalized and dropped, and Storol inexplicably ended up starting third.

Bottas, on the other hand, was more affected by the slippery track and even started behind the young man, showing his obvious inability to swim.

Mingming and Kimi are both from Finland, and they're used to driving in snowy conditions, so they should be good at driving in the rain.

Fortunately, the sun shone brightly during Sunday's race, which relieved the drivers who were not good at racing in the rain.

The stands at Monza were packed with 9 Ferrari fans, and the enthusiasm remained high even though Ferrari was unlikely to win today.

From yesterday's slightly chilly temperature to today's scorching heat, Wu Shi was already sweating profusely after just one warm-up lap in the race car.

As he stopped at the front, the front of the car tilted to the right, and he glanced to his side and back at Hamilton.

After the summer break, Hamilton's form has improved significantly, and Belgium's rapid start has put considerable pressure on him.

He refocused his attention and squinted slightly.

As a Mercedes-Benz and a Lamborghini safety car both moved to the back of the convoy, the indicator red lights above his head kept flashing.

Swish!
As soon as the lights went out and the race started, Wu Shi's race car instantly moved and, without a doubt, veered to the right to block the old man.

Hamilton had a decent start, but the difference in starting distance meant he was still behind Wu Shi.

He immediately wanted to change lanes to the left in order to find an opportunity to attack at Turn 1.

However, Wu Shi's car gradually returned to the center line, quickly blocking all the good entry lines into the corners.

He steeled his resolve, remembering Wu Shi's previous forbearance, and returned to the innermost line once more. Unable to overtake normally, he tried to throw the entire car into the bend.

Keep in mind that this is Turn 1 in Monza, and veering into the inside line will inevitably affect the entry into Turn 2.

However, he still had to do this in order to compete for the position. Once he won the lead, even if Wu Shi wanted to compete with him again, he would most likely be at a disadvantage.

However, he miscalculated this time. Wu Shi's carriage was stuck in that spot perfectly, as if he hadn't seen him at all.

If he didn't stop, he could definitely have pushed Wu Shi out of the way.

The old man's technique wasn't so rough, so he braked earlier, but still managed to gain some distance.

If he exits Turn 1 and enters Turn 2 normally, he will inevitably be at a complete disadvantage.

However, when exiting Turn 1, you need to turn right first and then left to enter Turn 2.

Without thinking, he pushed the race car to the left, and the left front wheel was just right to fit in front of Wu Shi's right rear wheel.

At this moment, if Wu Shi turns to the right, the rear wheel will inevitably hit his left front, and the consequences will be predictable!

Wu Shi, who was in the lead, did not see any of this, but the airflow disturbance near the vehicle made him realize that something was wrong!
He grasped the situation almost instantly and immediately swerved to avoid being overtaken by his own team's golden front left and vibranium suspension!

However, this twist will inevitably affect the entry into turn 2!
When he can't reach the apex of a corner, the car's stability will cause a significant drop in speed!
Hamilton, positioned on the inside line, immediately seized the opportunity, undeniably aiming to cut inside from the outside of Turn 2 and completely overtake Wu Shi.

At this moment, car number 59 seemed to slip. Wu Shi suddenly twisted the steering wheel twice to try and save the car, but the vehicle could no longer follow the intended path.

Hamilton had just moved from the outside to Wu Shi's side when he saw the trembling of the number 59 silver arrow. His eyelids twitched and he immediately turned away to avoid being affected.

He will gain the advantage once he reaches the exit of the corner.

But things didn't go as he expected. Wu Shi's vehicle swayed and then squeezed outwards wildly, as if it would get out of control if it didn't.

However, once the race car stabilized, Wu Shi continued to press against him, pressing very hard, until he was completely pushed onto the shoulder, with his right tire crushing into a patch of gravel.

Swish!
Wu Shi accelerated and sped towards the straightaway, but Hamilton, affected by the route, was caught up by O'Connor from behind.

"Lewis was too close to me at Turn 1. What was he trying to do? Was he trying to hit my rear wheel with his front wheel again?"

As his lead solidified, Wu Shi immediately shouted in TR.

Meanwhile, Hamilton on the other side also shouted in TR:
"He pushed me out of the way. He can't do that; he's driving dangerously!"

Toto's face had been visibly grim since Turn 1, and now that both of their TRs were coming in, it made him even more somber.

“OK, stay focused on driving. You’re in P1 now, 0.5 ahead of Ocon,” Jonathan reassured him.

It's clear to anyone with eyes to see that the conflict between Wu Shi and Hamilton seems to be gradually escalating.

That's normal. Let alone championship contenders, just look at Force India. Ocon and Perez are fighting like crazy.

Bingge and Feige did not comment immediately.

Because the broadcast footage didn't clearly show what happened at Turn 1, it was widely believed that Wu Shi made a mistake exiting the corner, thus pushing Hamilton aside.

"These young drivers are all very fierce when they compete."

After a long silence, the soldier finally spoke.

The young drivers naturally refer to Wu Shi, Verstappen, and Ocon, but Sainz is no pushover either.

After consolidating his leading position, Wu Shi immediately entered a cruising state.

O'Conn, upon realizing he was blocking Hamilton, had a sudden thought and activated his passive skill again: Lion's Defense.

Even the old man dared not be careless in the face of such a chaotic attack. He browsed social media every day and was well aware of the conflict between O'Connor and Perez.

After three laps, he finally managed to get past Ocon thanks to Mercedes' superior performance. Ocon was already quite satisfied; wasn't it good enough that he had blocked the two-time world champion for three laps?

"I'm not this guy's teammate, it's too dangerous for him to block me like that!" Hamilton suddenly said in TR.

Hamilton was very unhappy with Ocon's defense. If the car is slow, it should give way. He is now 3 seconds behind Wu Shi. How can he catch up?
"Hahaha! This is the second time Hamilton has called it dangerous driving, isn't it?" the soldier laughed.

After the first lap, there were no further changes on the track that affected Wu Shi.

He finished the race again as a PTW, leaving Hamilton helpless in second place.

Vettel, who started eighth, ran out of steam and moved up to third place, but he was no match for Mercedes.

At the end of the race, Vettel was a full 41 seconds behind Wu Shi, a gap that meant the two teams were no longer in the same league on this track.

The battle at the starting lap naturally attracted everyone's attention, and the reporters didn't miss a beat, starting by asking Wu Shi a question:

"Can you tell me what happened at the starting lap? You said Lewis tried to hit you?"

Wu Shi nodded, and even though Hamilton was standing right beside him, he still said:
"In fact, I was right. I was in the lead, and he forced his way into the inside without any rhythm when he was coming out of the corner. He just wanted me to get out of the way of him."

“At that time, I didn’t need to avoid him, but he tried to make his left front wheel encroach on my side box.”

“If I hadn’t noticed him, my sidepack would have been damaged like in Azerbaijan, or my right rear wheel would have hit his left front wheel, causing a racing accident.”

“None of this seems to be his fault, but in fact he is the one who caused the turmoil at Turn 1.”

Hamilton looked at Wu Shi with no expression.

The reporter continued, "Is this a typical situation in motorsports competition?"

“I don’t care about what others think. I’m just stating what happened to me. I won’t blame him. I’m just stating what happened.”

Wu Shi repeated it twice, which can be understood as competition on a track, and he would not criticize such methods.

But he had to point out the problem, otherwise someone would blame him after the match, leaving the culprit to stand by and pretend to be a gentleman. "You just mentioned Azerbaijan?"

"Yes, it was a tough match, a lot of things happened, and it was there that Lewis ran into me in the same way, I couldn't avoid it."

Wu Shi nodded and continued, "Perhaps I've been too relaxed this year, which has led people to mistakenly believe that I'm afraid of certain things."

Although the words were tactful, they still made Wu Shi's press officer sigh deeply, knowing that his bonus was going to be gone.

And everyone understands what he meant: the murderous aura that Wu Shi displayed in 2015 had indeed faded considerably after 2016.

Many people believe that this shows Wu Shi has matured.

In fact, Wu Shi knew exactly what he was doing. He adopted a strategy of diplomacy before resorting to force, or rather, the leader possessed his own composure.

These words today once again revealed the reckless and aggressive nature of this youngest world champion.

The reporter then proceeded to inquire about Hamilton's situation, without hesitation.

Hamilton shook his head and said, "I didn't do anything. I just wanted to get into the paint and attack normally. Isn't that normal competition?"

"Any offense or defense can be dangerous. If he thinks that all attacks will threaten him, then is it enough for me to just obediently follow behind him?"

He pushed me off the track from behind, and I moved aside.

"As for Azerbaijan, I didn't intentionally collide with them. It just happened. Doesn't that kind of thing happen during a match?"

The press officer nodded, and Hamilton's words became much more mature and appropriate.

After finishing his questions about the match, the reporter also asked Vettel for his opinion on the matter.

Vettel smiled as he held the microphone and said:

Lewis' driving is always full of tricks, and if you can't figure out his tricks, you can easily fall into a trap.

“He is a tough opponent, and a great one. Seeing Wu’s competition with him is like seeing my competition with him.”

This statement is somewhat biased, after all, the four-time champion is speaking from Wu Shi's perspective.

Vettel's remarks clearly indicate that he is still dissatisfied with what is happening in Azerbaijan.

Hamilton stood aside, unconcerned. He had always been like this since he entered the paddock. Back then, Alonso and Button both said the same thing about him.

He didn't care. He knew that all he needed was victory; everything else was meaningless.

Wu Shi's impassioned remarks naturally had their reasons. As Vettel said, the old man has certain skills, and if you don't point them out, you'll only ever get hurt.

However, sometimes, simply being tolerant and yielding won't solve the problem.

Azerbaijan had already shown Toto and Lauda once, which was to tell them that he didn't want to disrupt the team's harmony.

But he wouldn't give up what he should have been holding for the sake of team harmony.

The tense atmosphere on the podium immediately sparked considerable public discussion after the race, as few drivers would bring such a conflict to the podium.

At the time, the broadcast cameras clearly showed no signs of anything amiss in the dressing room.

Besides the conflict between Wu Shi and Hamilton, reporters also became concerned about O'Connor.

After all, Ocon had previously only focused on defending his own teammates, so why did he target Hamilton this time?

When faced with this question, Aokang smiled nonchalantly:

"I'm in a race, I'm racing, isn't it normal for me to block people who want to overtake me?"

What the reporter really wanted to know was why he insisted on guarding Hamilton.

O'Conn certainly wouldn't answer that question directly. He had his own ideas. What's wrong with stopping a world champion?
Didn't Wu Shi also consistently hinder the world champion in 2015?

Seeing that internal conflicts were about to escalate again, Toto had no choice but to call Wu Shi and Hamilton together for a small meeting.

He stared at the two of them and said, word by word, "The race car you are driving is the result of the entire team's hard work. Don't let your issues ruin everyone's efforts."

Wu Shi showed no fear and nodded, saying:
“I’m doing that now. If I were doing it my old way, there should be two Mercedes cars lying in the guardrail in Azerbaijan.”

Toto took a deep breath; the little kid had quite a temper.

However, he could understand that, in fact, for a team that had all the telemetry data, it was easy for the engineers to analyze who was right and who was wrong.

However, there is no clear line between right and wrong on the track for some behaviors.

Drivers make every decision in milliseconds; rather than being proactive decisions, they're more like a fleeting thought—that's what people often refer to as driver style.

Because if you hesitate for even a moment, then there's no point in preparing anything; the time you have to act has already passed.

"I didn't do anything. I was protecting the team's interests. I was just driving normally," Hamilton said nonchalantly.

“I’m driving normally, and I will continue to drive normally in the future,” Wu Shi said with a smile, looking at Hamilton.

Hamilton simply smiled in response, offering no rebuttal.

Toto leaned back in his chair.

When Wu Shi saw Toto's appearance, he pictured the young Grand Secretary from the TV series "Ming Dynasty" shouting, "Go ahead and stir things up! Just keep stirring things up!"

Toto took a deep breath and said:
"I only have one request for you: if anyone causes damage to their car or forces them to retire from the race in the future, I will impose a penalty."

However, this statement did not have a real effect, whether it was the Hamilton-Rosberg pairing or the Wu-Hamilton pairing.

Toto dismissed the meeting.

Wu Shi and Hamilton walked out side by side, and he suddenly asked the old man:

"I heard you're retiring?"

Hamilton paused for a moment, then said, "I didn't have that idea. What's wrong? Do you want to find someone else to partner with?"

Wu Shi shook his head and said, "You only mentioned it during the interview in front of Silverstone Circuit."

“Yes, I did consider it at the time, but I didn’t think I would leave the paddock so early,” Hamilton said.

“I think so too,” Wu Shi said with a smile.

“We probably have a lot more time to work together,” Hamilton replied with a smile.

"The contract has been renewed?" Wu Shi asked in surprise.

"Of course, otherwise why would Vettel have signed a contract with Ferrari until 2020 so early?"

After saying that, Hamilton continued, "You don't need to say those things in an interview."

“We all know what’s going on on the track, but I don’t like people outside the track making wild guesses.” Wu Shi looked at the overhead light in the corridor.

"Well, I see."

Hamilton nodded, looking at the stairwell at the end of the corridor, lost in thought.

Back at his workstation, Wu Shi saw Jonathan seemingly waiting for him.

"How are you? Are you alright?" Jonathan asked.

"Nothing's wrong, Boss is just worried that we might both quit due to a collision," Wu Shi said.

The impact of withdrawing from both the driver and vehicle registration systems is not limited to points; it also affects repair costs and Mercedes-Benz's public image.

“Well, I thought you were as elegant as a 17th-century gentleman in the first half of the season, and I thought you’d forgotten what you’re supposed to do on the field,” Jonathan said.

Wu Shi was taken aback, frowned in thought, and said:

“I’m currently leading Lewis by 73 points. Even if he finishes first every game, I don’t need to finish second every game to get the WDC.”

“Of course that’s true, but you’ve become complacent,” Jonathan said.

"."

Wu Shi remained silent. Winning the championship with a Mercedes-Benz was not a difficult task for him.

After all, he is different from Hamilton; he is always in top form and has accumulated a significant advantage in the first half of the season.

"Do you know what your most impressive quote was at Williams in 2015?" Jonathan continued.

Wu Shi shook his head.

“You said you won the WDC because you seized every opportunity, that’s all, but now you’re not doing that exactly,” Jonathan said.

Wu Shi remained silent for even longer, as if he wanted to speak.

Jonathan interrupted him, saying:

“You had concerns. You were concerned about things other than getting points, which is why things turned out the way they are this year.”

"Your behavior today isn't because you're back; you're just throwing a tantrum. This isn't the person you were in 2015."

Wu Shi shut his mouth and took a few deep breaths.

“My child, I watched you come to the paddock, watched you win the world championship, and followed you to Mercedes.”

"You are always experiencing things you have never experienced before, but you must figure out why you are doing all of this."
"If you're after more honors, you should be like you were in 2015, focused solely on honors, instead of feeling like you have everything under control now."

"If you encounter numerous unexpected events in the next seven games, and end up losing WDC by just one point, you will understand that Azerbaijan's leniency comes at a price."

"I'm not telling you to act like a mad dog. You know better than I how you walked on the edge of danger in 2015, probing and then attacking. Your understanding of wheel-to-wheel combat far surpasses mine."

"The only thing I can tell you right now is that a good car makes things easier for you, but you shouldn't let that make you feel so relaxed."

After listening quietly to Jonathan's words, Wu Shi nodded and solemnly said, "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I'm older than you, so I can always see things you might not have noticed."

“I will tell you these things, and you will figure out the reasons behind them and distinguish right from wrong on your own,” Jonathan said with a smile.

"Yes, but thank you anyway!"

Wu Shi stepped forward and hugged Jonathan. He thought he knew a lot from his two lifetimes, but in reality, he had never lived past 24 in either life, and all the scenery he had seen was before he turned 24.

The insights gained over time cannot be acquired through wisdom alone.

(End of this chapter)