F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 328 The Turmoil of 2020

Wu Shi's RV trip was interrupted after Christmas.

The sudden outbreak of the epidemic at the end of the year began to spread. Wu Shi, who would check the domestic news whenever he had time, naturally knew about the event before most people.

So he immediately called his father.

"Hey Dad, have you seen the news from Jiangcheng?"

"Huh? What's wrong? Didn't you say..."

“It’s true. I feel like it’s just like 03. You need to be careful in China. Make sure you wear a mask and other protective gear,” Wu Shi said.

"Wait, let me see."

There was a moment of silence on the phone. After a while, Wu Zhenlin said, "I'll go ask about the situation first."

After saying that, the father hung up the phone.

Wu Shi sat on the sofa, hoping his father would take it seriously. He edited all the precautions into a text message and sent it over.

"What did you say to your uncle? What happened?" Louise asked, lying next to him.

“An infectious disease has emerged, and it seems to be quite serious,” Wu Shi said.

What infectious disease?

Martina brought over a fruit platter and then said to Wu Shi:
“There was another disturbance in our area a few days ago.”

"Hmm? What's going on?"

Wu Shi forked a piece of melon and fed it to Louise, who took it like a kitten.

“Charles got a long-term contract, until 2024, and the annual salary is quite substantial.” Martina went back to the kitchen to make her coffee.

“That’s normal. He performed exceptionally well. If it weren’t for some bad luck, he might have won more championships than me after the summer break,” Wu Shi pondered.

"Well, the problem is..."

Martina held her coffee, blew on it, took a sip, and said, "Vettel's contract."

"Is this something I can say?" Wu Shi joked.

“It’s nothing, reporters will dig it up soon; his annual salary has dropped by a huge amount,” Martina said.

“Then he definitely won’t stay at Ferrari for long. Although he has been inconsistent this season, this is too much,” Wu Shi said.

“Wu Shi, I need to correct some of your ideas. Tens of millions of dollars in profit and emotions are not equivalent at all.”

Martina took another sip of coffee, looking quite pleased, and continued:

"Drivers are like coffee beans. If they can still produce rich coffee, then no matter how expensive it is, people will be willing to pay the price."

"But when it can't extract coffee or the extracted coffee doesn't taste good, people will throw it away."

"Even if it was incredibly delicious before."

After speaking, Martina took another sip, placed the glass on the table, looked at her, and said:
"You'll receive a call from Binotto soon."

Wu Shi scratched his head and then said:
"Coffee beans have so little juice, so we have to find a way to keep them in the best machines. Otherwise, if the extraction is delayed because of the machine, it would be a huge waste for the coffee beans."

"Haha, well said. Joining Mercedes was the best decision you made in 2016."

Martina laughed happily and said, "He was probably just trying to connect with you. Do you know what he asked me when we were in Melbourne?"

"I don't know," Wu Shi shook his head.

“After you finished qualifying, he asked me if I had committed any traffic violations,” Martina said.

"That guy is really bad," Louise muttered.

"Hahaha." Martina ruffled her daughter's hair.

"Are you really not going out to play?" Louise asked with some regret.

"Is the situation serious?" Martina asked as well.

Wu Shi nodded and said, "It will be very serious."

Wu Shi was not lying, because Europe was invaded by the epidemic starting in January.

By February, Europe had completely fallen.

Because they had prepared protective supplies in advance, the three of them weren't too worried at home, at least they had enough masks to go out.

However, at the beginning of February, Wu Shi still needed to return to England to prepare for work.

Given the severity of Itali's situation, Wu Shi did not allow the two men to escort him too far.

"Oh dear, I have to go to the factory too, leaving Louise alone at home."

Martina pulled Louise, who was still waving, into the house.

Upon arriving at the familiar factory, the convoy was still operating in an orderly manner, and some employees instinctively avoided Wu Shi when they saw him.

“I remember you probably didn’t have time to go back to your country, right?” Jonathan asked, noticing that Wu Shi was wearing a mask.

"Yeah, they didn't go back, but they're obviously still afraid of me."

Wu Shi smiled, not particularly concerned.

"Get ready, the winter testing is in two weeks, let's familiarize ourselves with the car again," Jonathan said.

"no problem!"

Wu Shi gets into work mode very quickly. As soon as he sits down on the simulator, he makes a few simple adjustments and starts operating it.

Mercedes brings the W11 this year, a car that has undergone a significant and radical evolution within the framework of the regulations.

While retaining the long wheelbase and flat chassis, a new front suspension design has been created.

It adopts a high air intake similar to that of Ferrari to address Mercedes' poor cooling performance.

Of course, none of these designs are as good as a system called DAS.

DAS system, short for Dual Axle Steering System.

The simulator that Wu Shi is operating has been modified for this purpose, allowing users to push and pull the steering wheel to change the toe angle setting of the race car.

As is well known, toe angle affects a race car's cornering performance, straight-line speed, tire wear, and other performance characteristics.

If the toe angle is adjusted, the vehicle's cornering performance will be superior.

However, on straight roads, because the toe angle is outward, the two tires tend to pull outward, which will cause the vehicle to be unstable and increase rolling resistance.

Conversely, with the toe angle turned inward, the vehicle will be more stable on straightaways, but will understeer when cornering.

However, both toe angle and toe angle will increase tire wear.

If the toe angle is 0, the wear on the tires will be minimal.

Of course, toe angle can also be combined with camber angle to reduce tire side wear.

Originally, this parameter was meant to be continuously adjusted by the team based on the characteristics of each track in order to obtain the optimal parameter.

However, with this system installed, Mercedes can increase cornering stability by increasing the toe angle in corners and increase top speed by reducing the toe angle on straightaways.

Then the toe angle parameter will always be suitable for the track, and there will be no need to make trade-offs for corners or straights.

Even though Wu Shi had already tried the initial design version of this new car last year, he was still amazed by its stability when he drove the full version, even in the simulator.

After completing the two-week test, Wu Shi's comment was:
"It would be better if the driver had more control over the push-pull adjustment angles, so that the car could perform at its full potential."

Hamilton was shocked when he heard this, but he quickly understood; the car's parameter settings during the race were incredibly complex.

He sometimes wondered if Chinese people were all good at math, which was why they could mentally calculate and change the adaptation parameters at any time during the competition.

After hearing this, Allison nodded and said:

"We're already adjusting the simulator. You can give us a benchmark later, which will make things easier."

Wu Shi scratched his head and said, "No problem, I'll figure it out."

In mid-February, ten teams arrived in Spain to begin this year's winter testing.

Wu Shi finally met his boss, Toto, here, and couldn't help but complain in his heart:
'It's not like we're asking you to sign a contract, why are you hiding so well?'

In fact, Toto is indeed too busy.

At his first meeting in Spain, he told the person in charge of telemetry data:

"You need to keep a close eye on Ferrari's engine telemetry data. There must have been some kind of problem with their extra horsepower last year."

"Hasn't the FIA's multiple investigations all indicated that there are no problems?"

"The investigation is still ongoing, and that's not something we're discussing right now. Let's talk about our arrangements for the winter survey first."

Toto acted swiftly and efficiently, quickly getting the entire winter survey work organized.

随后，2月19日至21日和2月26日至28日，两轮冬测举行。

Compared to previous years, this year's winter testing lasted two days shorter, but the impact was minimal.

Wu Shi drove the brand-new W11 onto the track. With the DAS system, the whole car was truly as easy to control as his own arm.

He easily took first place in the test, and Toto didn't hold back this year either.

However, as soon as the test ended, Marco immediately began to criticize Mercedes, saying:

"This is prohibited because it's similar to active suspension!"

Active suspension—that feels like such a distant memory.

Wu Shi was also seated below the hearing.

However, Toto was not afraid of Red Bull at all, and told everyone:

"The FIA ​​has verified that the system is legal, and we will use it at the opening race!"

Seeing the tense standoff between the two sides, Binotto didn't react much, only telling the media afterwards:

“This system is one we considered in the past, but we did not design or develop it because of legal issues, which we did not clarify with the FIA ​​at the time.”

After the team leaders finished their battle, the reporters pointed their microphones at the drivers.

Wu Shi and Hamilton used the same rhetoric:

"We are the drivers, we are only responsible for driving, these questions should be asked of the engineers."

However, the day after the winter testing ended, the FIA ​​released its investigation into Ferrari's engine, and the controversy was immediately drawn to that point.

Because the FIA's investigation did not release its findings!

They said this was because of an agreement signed with Ferrari, so the investigation results would not be made public!

That's quite a bizarre statement. If there was no cheating, then just make it public!
Isn't keeping it private an admission of guilt?
Toto immediately flew into a rage and quickly gathered a "seven-man team" consisting of Red Bull, Renault, Match Point, Arroyo, McLaren, and Westbrook to protest, demanding that the results be made public!

The FIA ​​is feeling aggrieved, as they have already added many restrictions to the technical regulations.

For example, the combustion chamber must contain fuel oil, and the lubricating oil must only be responsible for lubrication, not for participating in combustion.

A fuel flow meter was also added to accurately measure the amount of liquid entering the combustion chamber.

Furthermore, teams are required to report the fluid levels of all oil tanks (hydraulic oil, coolant, lubricant, and engine oil) before each race, and these levels will be reviewed after the race.

If these fuels are consumed excessively, they will be considered substandard.

In fact, the suspicions about Ferrari's cheating engine stemmed from their lightning-fast qualifying performance after last summer's break.

The FIA ​​clearly recognized the problem, as they immediately had someone explain the regulations regarding fuel flow.

Ferrari's engine was destroyed, and Mercedes dominated the second half of the race.

This year, everyone still wants an explanation.

The FIA's actions have angered many. What does it mean that they reached an agreement with Ferrari but did not announce the results?
Under pressure, the FIA ​​issued a second statement.

They claimed they could not prove Ferrari cheated, and that the authorities were able to obtain Ferrari's cooperation because the agreement promised not to release the results.

Furthermore, this agreement has legal significance.

This explanation is simply unconvincing.

I thought this matter would remain at a stalemate.

As a result, early in the morning of March, Wu Shi was jogging when he saw Bernie Ecclestone, the former F1 champion.

He went up and greeted him. "You still look so healthy."

"Thank you! Good health is essential for my work, and it seems you understand this principle well," Bernie said with a smile.

"For a driver, physical fitness is an important indicator."

"Okay, then we won't delay the training of the four-time world champion."

After Bernie finished speaking, he waved and walked into the house.

Wu Shi didn't gossip about what the old man was doing there, because gossip would soon make it into the news.

Sure enough, Bernie's picture appeared on the front page of every major newspaper the next day.

Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone told Mercedes that Ferrari did indeed cheat in 2019 and encouraged the "Seven" to take the case to court!

"Tsk, tsk."

Wu Shi watched and laughed; the infighting between the teams is an unavoidable part of F1!

The news report quoted Bernie as saying:

"If Ferrari is innocent, why wasn't this agreement with Jean Todt made public? To me, it sounds like a confession."

“In the past, there were often big fires that I had to put out myself. But in my time, there was always a way to reach a consensus between the team, the FIA ​​and me.”

"Now, it's too late."

Wu Shi understood; the old man still wanted to return to F1 and replace the current CEO!

But I have to say Bernie played this move brilliantly.

It's easy for people to associate this with the fact that Jean Todt worked for Ferrari from 1993 to 2007, and served as a key executive in the latter years!

Some people even interpret the abbreviation FIA for "Ferrari International Assistance".

In the following days, Wu Shi saw articles with the title "Ferrari International Assistance" springing up like mushrooms after rain.

This alarmed Chase Carey, the current CEO of F1, who quickly issued a public statement:

Although Todt told him about the negotiations with Ferrari, he was not involved in them.

Chase then called the news reports that he was “biased towards Ferrari” as insulting and defamatory accusations.

He then issued another statement on March 9, encouraging the teams to file complaints with the sports authorities so that he could respond to their requests.

Regardless of whether he was involved or not, he certainly has a knack for this light-speed cutting technique.

But this matter is not over yet, as the media once again hyped up the issue of Mercedes-Benz's DAS system being illegal.

Many news reports claim that Mercedes, along with other teams, accused Ferrari in an attempt to overshadow the DAS controversy and evade scrutiny!

But soon, someone online jumped out and said:
Mercedes' system is legitimate. These people are just trying to divert attention. The real issue that should be focusing on is Ferrari's engine cheating!
In short, the argument escalated dramatically.

No matter how intense it gets, everyone will head to Melbourne on March 10th to prepare for the opening match.

They could have an offline battle then, but in a real-life VS, Binotto would be knocked out by Toto with one punch.

Wu Shi also arrived in Melbourne on time. He wore a mask wherever he went, which was for his own good.

"Cough cough!"

As he passed by some convoys, he could already hear a lot of coughing amidst the noisy environment.

Jonathan squeezed the inner support of the mask's frame and said to Wu Shi:
"The situation does not look optimistic."

"Italian cities were completely locked down, but I didn't expect Ferrari to still be able to get out."

Wu Shi glanced around and saw that there weren't many people in the Ferrari.

"Hopefully it will go well," Jonathan shook his head.

"Did you sell the stocks?" Wu Shi suddenly asked.

“Sell it. I’ll listen to you on this. After all, you have a company backing you up. I’m just a small retail investor.”

Jonathan laughed. He often ate soup with Wu Shi's investment company and was considered to be among the wealthy engineers.

On March 11, Wu Shi stayed home and rarely went out, while Jonathan continued to monitor his stocks.

On March 12, prior to a Thursday press conference, two McLaren employees tested positive for COVID-3.

On the same day, cases were discovered at a school in a Melbourne suburb.

This news immediately sparked protests in Australia against the holding of the F1 Grand Prix, with many believing it would bring a large number of viruses and spread infections!

After all, the entire venue is packed with people during the Grand Prix, and if there are infected people there, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The Australian Grand Prix, which was originally scheduled to take place as planned, is facing a huge crisis.

The FIA ​​and FOM held an emergency meeting.

Ferrari, Arroyo, Renault, and McLaren all agreed to cancel the race.

Mercedes, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, and Match Point all support continuing the game without spectators.

Westbrook and Haas opted to forfeit.

With the score tied at four to four, F1 sporting director Ross Brawn decided to continue the race, even if it angered the media and drew criticism from F1.

So on March 13, the practice match proceeded as scheduled.

When Wu Shi arrived at the P room, he saw Jonathan, who had dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he had stayed up all night.

"What's wrong?" Wu Shi asked.

"The circuit breaker was triggered, and 11 countries experienced sharp declines." Jonathan was somewhat shaken.

"Wow, that's pretty serious!"

Wu Shi was busy all day yesterday and didn't have time to check the stock market closing results.

He patted Jonathan on the shoulder and said, "Just run away."

Then he went to find Toto.

As soon as I got there, I saw Toto receive a phone call.

After taking it, he exchanged a few words with a furrowed brow.

After hanging up the phone, he said to Wu Shi:
"It's over, we will not choose to participate."

"Huh? What's wrong?"

“The boss told me the stock market crashed yesterday and suggested I reconsider my vote,” Toto said.

Wu Shi remained silent.

“We will vote against it. The impact of the pandemic is too far-reaching, and if we continue to ignore the media, it will cause huge damage to our image.”

After Toto finished speaking, he got up and went to inform Ross Brown of Mercedes' choice.

With Mercedes backing down, the majority of teams in the team vote on whether to hold the Australian Grand Prix now favors not holding it.

But for the F1 authorities, the decision doesn't seem so easy to make.

Chase Carey announced the postponement of the Grand Prix just an hour before the race was scheduled to begin.

He then met with the F1 staff and fans at the event to inform them of the news.

"No more comparison."

Wu Shi returned to his private room, changed his clothes, and prepared to return to England with the convoy.

Because Italy is completely sealed off, it's too difficult to get in.

The convoy began its evacuation from Australia.

Nobody knows how long this postponement will last.

With the opening round delayed, the Bahrain and Vietnam Grand Prix, originally scheduled for March 22 and April 5, have been postponed.

Shortly afterward, street circuit organizers in Monaco, Azerbaijan, Singapore, and other countries announced that they would not participate in the 2020 competition due to the long preparation time required.

Subsequently, more and more places announced that they would postpone or not participate in the 2020 Grand Prix.

The 2020 Formula 1 Grand Prix was in jeopardy, which was followed by a sharp drop in stock prices.

F1's market value has evaporated by more than $124.5 billion!
Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari were also severely affected.

Ferrari's stock price plummeted by 95.5 billion yuan, and its net profit dropped by 95%.
Meanwhile, the other smaller teams are also facing serious financial crises.

Unexpectedly, this incident made all the teams realize the importance of the budget cap!
Thus, the discussion about the budget cap returned to F1.

The final agreement was reached to reduce the budget cap from $1.7 million to $1.45 million, starting next year.

It is projected that this figure will decrease to $1.35 million by 2025.

This provided some relief from the financial crisis facing F1 and its teams.

However, smaller teams like McLaren still felt it was too high, believing that $1 million would be more appropriate.

At the same time, in order to narrow the gap between manufacturers.

The FIA ​​will also introduce new reforms stipulating that world champions will have fewer wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation resources.

In other words, the more teams that win in the future, the fewer research and development resources will be available.

While spending his days running simulators at headquarters, Wu Shi also kept track of the F1 situation.

Clearly, the black swan event of the pandemic has accelerated the reform process in Formula 1.

These reforms will ultimately transform F1 from a sport where most people lose money into a profitable one.

However, if they want to make a profit, they still need to get through the difficult year of 2020.

Soon, it was May, and as the weather warmed up, the pandemic in the Northern Hemisphere seemed to be receding.

But the biggest news in F1 that month was the changes in the driver market.

On May 11, Vettel and Ferrari announced that their partnership would end at the end of this year.

The "breakup" between the two parties immediately triggered turmoil in public opinion and the driver market.

Just as Aunt Martina said.

Wu Shi saw a lot of news reports saying that Vettel's Ferrari contract was only for one year and only had an annual salary of $12 million.

This is simply an insult to Vettel.

However, his performance has indeed been declining, but he is still considered top-notch.

Vettel wasn't one to take things lying down, so he chose to leave.

He may join Racing Point, which is set to be renamed Aston Martin, next year.

Ferrari showed no sadness at Vettel's departure; they immediately contacted Wu Shi.

However, the offered salary was not honest, amounting to only $3000 million.

This is clearly not commensurate with Wu Shi's status, so even without Wu Shi's intervention, it wouldn't pass the agent's approval.

Ultimately, Sainz secured the spot through his connections with the elder Sainz.

On the same day, McLaren announced that Ricardo would join the team in 2021.

Renault immediately condemned Ricciardo's casual transfer, arguing that he lacked composure and that the team's success was not achieved overnight.

So if Ricardo leaves, who will come to Renault?
The current candidates are Bottas, who has temporarily left F1, and Alonso, who had a great time in IndyCar, endurance racing, and Dakar last year.

Finally, after the driver transfers in May, most countries began to lift restrictions in June.

However, an uproar broke out within the Mercedes team because of the Black Lives Matter movement that erupted at the end of May. The old man demanded that the team change its livery to black in support of anti-racism.

Wu Shi didn't comment much on this. Black people always feel discriminated against, but actually, Asians are in a similar situation here.

However, he believes that the so-called division of races into yellow and white is a narrative from Chinese, Western, and European perspectives, and he does not want to reinforce this stereotype.

Ultimately, Mercedes accepted the old man's suggestion and treated it as a form of political propaganda.

In 2020, no matches were played, but the paddock was thrown into turmoil.

However, after entering summer, the epidemic was brought under control, and the time for the first game of the season was finally announced.

The opening ceremony will be held on July 5th at the Red Bull Ring in Austria!
(End of this chapter)