F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 340 A Tragedy Caused by a Bolt
At 3 p.m. sharp, the Monaco Grand Prix began, and the warm-up lap started.

After everyone was in position, the five red lights lit up one after another.

Lights out, start running!

Wu Shi cut off Verstappen's line at the start and took the lead through Turn 1.

Verstappen missed his chance to overtake and could only continue to follow.

On lap 2, Wu Shi led Verstappen by 1.5 seconds, while Sainz, who started third, remained in third place, 3 seconds behind.

Hamilton's position remained unchanged, with Gasly blocking his way from the front.

"The train departed without any fanfare," the soldier said.

There were no changes of position on the track, but that's Monaco for you!

But what was even more boring than the start was the rest of the race.

Everyone runs their own race, and unless there are any major mistakes by the drivers in front, the drivers behind will have no chance to improve their position.

The broadcast cameras were trying their best to find good shots, but there were none.

Lap after lap, not only the drivers but also the spectators were almost asleep, yet the track remained unchanged.

"It seems this is how it will turn out," the soldier said.

"This is so boring. The Monaco Grand Prix really needs to be changed, otherwise the qualifying rounds basically determine the points," Haoran said.

The three of them had nothing much to say about the match, so they could only chat about interesting things that happened in the paddock.

On lap 29, Hamilton was the first to pit, and soon the drivers in the points zone began to pit as well.

However, when he came out, Hamilton found that he was actually in 8th place.

Next lap, Vettel and Gasly pit.

When they came out, both of them were stuck in front of Hamilton!
"WHY?! I protected the tires to run a few more laps, why are you telling me to stop first?"

Hamilton immediately questioned the team.

The newly installed white tires were not warm enough, so they were actually slower than the previous red tires!

That means he was overcut by two people at the same time!
The team didn't respond to his question because what's there to say about a strategic mistake?
Let Hamilton vent in TR.

Verstappen pitted on lap 34.

Wu Shi was finally able to enter the station.

On lap 35, he drove into the pit lane.

The race car stopped precisely in the work area, the vehicle was lifted up, and the sound of the pneumatic hammer whistled past.

Heh!

But behind his goggles, Wu Shi quickly frowned.

Something's wrong. Something's totally wrong!
Sure enough, the left front wheel and the two rear wheels were removed one after another, and shiny new tires were installed, but the right front wheel got stuck!

"No way!" the soldier exclaimed.

"This!" Haoran was so anxious that he couldn't speak.

However, the technician in charge of the front right side was still struggling to apply the pneumatic torch to the bolts.

This is the fourth time!

"The bolt is locked! What's going on? Quick! Find a way to remove it!" Wu Shi shouted anxiously in TR.

But it didn't work.

"I can't get it off!"

The technician panicked and immediately tried the spare pneumatic wrench on the ground, but still couldn't remove the tire.

Everyone panicked, because they had never encountered this situation before!

However, no matter what I tried, the right front wheel just wouldn't budge!

Wu Shi's hands left the steering wheel; the bolts were deformed and completely locked, making it impossible to remove them using conventional methods!
The director's camera also focused on Wu Shi from a first-person perspective, showing him letting go of her hand.

"How desperate must this be!" the soldier said, shaking his head involuntarily.

"Yes, it's a great opportunity," Fei Ge exclaimed.

Three more minutes passed, and the race had reached lap 37. Even after the mechanic adjusted the torque, he was still unable to remove the tire.

In other words, all the methods that could be tried have been tried.

With no other option, Mercedes-Benz announced Wu Shi's withdrawal from the competition.

"Oh my god! What is Mercedes doing?!" Haoran finally couldn't help but exclaim.

"No, how can the nut not be removed? That's such a basic mistake!"

"It's over, we've lost 25 points in one fell swoop."

The three were also indignant, because the loss of leading the race and then withdrawing was enormous.

"The supplier of the nuts must be held responsible for this!" the soldier said.

"I wonder if it's a problem with the nut. How could it be deformed? Is it not strong enough?" Fei asked.

Regardless of what the others said, Mercedes number 59 had already been jacked up and pushed back into the P room.

Wu Shi removed his headrest and then slowly climbed out.

He saw the mechanic in charge of the right front wheel clutching his head and pounding it repeatedly, looking extremely pained.

Clearly, the technician felt incredibly guilty.

Wu Shi took off his helmet, sighed, stepped forward, and patted him on the shoulder:

"Hey, Thorn, what's done is done, don't be sad."

Thorn was still holding his head, patting it repeatedly, his whole body choked with sobs.

The other mechanics saw this, sat down next to him, and patted him on the shoulder.

Wu Shi offered a few words of comfort, then went to the changing room in the back area. After changing his clothes, he did not return to the P room.

This accident was unexpected; no one knew why the bolts were damaged during the first use of the air gun.

We'll have to wait until the race car is towed back to the factory to find out the specifics.

He was about to take a casual stroll when he saw Leclerc.

When the man saw him approaching, his previously gloomy expression suddenly skipped a beat.

"Oh, that's not what I meant."

Lock & Lock still couldn't help but laugh. When you're down on your luck, seeing someone even worse off than you makes you realize that life isn't so bad after all.

"That's what competition is all about."

Wu Shi leaned back in the chair provided by Lock & Lock, slowly calming himself down.

But how could he calm down after seeing Verstappen's steady lead?
Damn it, I didn't get the old man's script, but I got Bottas's script instead!

At this point, Hamilton was still arguing with the team, as a tire change had caused him to drop from sixth to eighth place.

If Wu Shi hadn't withdrawn from the competition, he would have finished in eighth place!
Even though Wu Shi withdrew from the competition, he still finished in seventh place!
"Yeah, that's what the game is all about."

Locke nodded. The gearbox, which we checked yesterday, wasn't broken, but the driveshaft was. Who can say for sure what's going on?
The two watched the game like that, until some reporter found a good angle and managed to capture them in the shot.

"Two brothers in misfortune," the soldier couldn't help but say upon seeing them.

"This victory is important for both of them. Wu Shi is under a lot of pressure to win the championship this year, and he may lose the WDC title because of this loss in this match."

"Leclerc finally had a chance to win the championship at home, and he already had pole position in his hands. It was halfway to victory, but alas!" Fei Ge sighed.

"Mercedes has encountered significantly more problems this year than in previous years," Haoran said.

"This situation is due to the pressure of decision-making this year. As for Ferrari, shouldn't the whole car have been inspected after yesterday's crash?"

"They checked all night and said there was nothing wrong, but then a problem occurred as soon as we got to the track."

I still can't help but talk about Ferrari, because it's just too ridiculous.

"Could it be that they didn't check the rear wheel because they didn't touch it? Or was there a problem before, but something went wrong after they disassembled and reassembled it?" Haoran said.

"Haha, you can't just assume that," Fei Ge laughed.

The three chatted about things outside the race track, as there was really nothing to talk about during the race.

Every shot that seemed like an overtaking maneuver was actually just for show, because the narrow track simply didn't allow for any overtaking maneuvers.

The only way to overtake is because the car's performance is far superior to the car in front, allowing the driver to overtake by force on the straightaway and before the corner.

Once the commotion caused by the pit stop subsided, the order on the track remained unchanged. The only interesting thing was that Hamilton was still battling with the team, asking why he was made to pit so early.

He could have easily caught up in this match, but he messed it up like this.

In the end, overtaking occurred very rarely during the entire 78 laps of the race.

Verstappen withstood the pressure from Sainz and crossed the finish line amidst waving checkered flags.

He became yet another F1 driver to win the Monaco Grand Prix!

This championship is far more meaningful than any other stage victory because of the unique status it holds in the eyes of history.

Pan Zi was very happy after winning the game because the victory came so suddenly.

After stopping his car, he rushed over to hug his crewmates, and after taking off his helmet, he kissed Kelly, who had come to watch the race.

When the award was presented on the podium, he happily ran up to it.

After William's song ended, Pan Zi picked up a glass of champagne and celebrated the victory with Newey.

Norris, upon taking the stage, slammed the champagne bottle onto the ground, sending bubbles gushing out, becoming the top "scorer" of the night.

Below, Horner was overjoyed when Verstappen sprayed champagne over him; he opened his arms and stretched his face to bask in the air of victory.

Horner's excitement was perfectly normal.

This is not just a victory, but also a crucial moment for Verstappen to overtake Wu Shi in the standings!

Moreover, Wu Shi's withdrawal from the race has allowed the Red Bull Racing team to catch up with Mercedes in points by a significant margin.

If Perez performs well in the remaining races, then it's hard to say who will win the Constructors' Championship this year! Horner is naturally overjoyed!
Even after the award was presented, Verstappen could not suppress his smile.

However, when asked about the match, he suppressed his smile and said:
“I feel sorry for Charles. This is his home race, and he started from pole position. I don’t want this to happen to anyone.”

"So I also felt sad for Wu Shi. I didn't see him for a long time after he entered the station, so I thought he hadn't entered the station."

"But then I heard about his experience from TR, and to be honest, I think that's part of racing; everyone has stability issues."

"But this cannot be denied that Wu Shi lost 25 points that he should not have lost, even if it was not his fault."

"I would rather we decide the winner on the track than have an accident end the race."

Panzi didn't talk about how he struggled or how he won the championship; he talked about two friends.

While Panzi was being interviewed, reporters also came over to Toto's side.

Mercedes' performance this weekend was absolutely terrible, so it was only natural that Toto would want to interview them.

Facing the camera, Toto frowned, as if the sun was so bright that he couldn't open his eyes, even though it was a cloudy day.

After listening to the reporter's question, he looked off-camera and said:
"We don't know the specifics of the problem, but this locked nut can only be removed at the Blakely plant."

“We will audit the materials and the construction of the bolts, which is a huge loss for both the team and Wu Shi.”

He then had to discuss Hamilton's strategic blunders:
“We thought undercut would be more effective, but overcut worked. We didn’t have a good grasp of the tire condition.”

The reporter then asked:

"After this match, Wu Shi's points will be overtaken, but the gap will still be manageable. Will you try your best to ensure Wu Shi gets points?"

When faced with this question, Toto simply said:
"We are trying to help both drivers get as many points as possible. We are a team, and all our actions must be based on the actual situation on the track."

“Red Bull is putting tremendous pressure on us right now, and Honda is also performing exceptionally well. We face a formidable challenge.”

"But I believe that our whole team can meet this challenge and we will win the final game."

Mercedes suffered a major setback in Monaco, and Toto's statements became more forceful.

This behavior simply shows that Toto is getting anxious.

On the Red Bull side, Verstappen and Perez finished first and fourth respectively, bringing home a total of 37 points for the Red Bull team!
Meanwhile, Hamilton finished only 7th in the race for Mercedes, earning a paltry 7 points thanks to his fastest lap.

The two teams were 30 points apart in the round trip!
Not to mention the changes in the drivers' standings.

Verstappen scored 25 points, completely overtaking Wu Shi.

Although Hamilton only scored 7 points, he narrowed the gap with Wu Shi to 11 points.

The situation between the two teams and the three championship contenders is becoming increasingly tense.

Among the other teams and drivers, Sainz brought back a valuable second place for Ferrari, slightly making up for Locke's retirement.

Norris brought McLaren a valuable third place finish, proving once again his ability.

McLaren may have already regarded it as their own Wu Shi and Verstappen.

Vettel managed to finish fifth thanks to an overcut, halting his losing streak and salvaging some of the pride of his four-time champion status.

Gasly also overtook Hamilton with an overcut, finishing sixth and leaving Red Bull. He became happy.

Storl, Ocon, and Bottas finished in 8, 9, and 10 respectively.

Although Wu Shi withdrew from the race halfway through, giving interviews is still part of a driver's job.

So even after the match, he couldn't help but be dragged into rubbing salt into his wounds.

Wu Shi did not blame anyone, because it was not something he should do as a driver, and he did not want anyone to take advantage of the situation.

Therefore, he clearly told the reporter his thoughts:
"This was an accident."

"What's important for us now is not finding someone to take responsibility for this matter, but to study the bolts, find the problem, and prevent it from happening again."

The reporter nodded and asked, "You're already behind in the standings, what are your thoughts now?"

Wu Shi pinched his nose, speaking through his mask. The hot breath he exhaled made him uncomfortable. He said:

"The damage has already been done, and I will not dwell on the grief."

"We are facing tremendous challenges this year, and I think this is a test."

"Because when everything is going well, we don't notice many small details."

"Just like a few years ago, if I only withdrew from one match, it wouldn't have any impact."

"But this year is different. Every point is precious this year and could be the deciding factor in the outcome."

"So all I can do is adjust my mindset immediately and face the next Grand Prix."

The reporter nodded and said:
“We rarely see accidents before, so do you think these accidents have all happened this year?”

Wu Shi shook his head and said:

"You can't look at it that way. I've already given an example. Red Bull is very fast, and you think it's an accident that we didn't do well enough."

“In the past, you wouldn’t worry about which lap you would pit on because you had a huge lead and didn’t have to think about anything, so it didn’t seem like anything was going to happen.”

"This year, everything needs to be fought for, and even the slightest mistake can lead to failure, but you can't treat the slightest mistake as an accident."

Wu Shi thought he could leave after the questions were answered, but then a reporter showed him a printed picture and asked:

"After you withdrew from the match, we saw you sitting together with Charles. What were you discussing?"

Wu Shi smiled when he saw this and said, "They're discussing who withdrew from the competition more elegantly."

"Hahaha!" The reporters laughed along.

On the other hand, Leclerc also gave an interview, and he said happily:

"I'm unlucky, but there are others who are unlucky with me, so it's not so bad."

The Monaco Grand Prix has ended. In just the fifth race of the season, the standings have changed hands again, with the top three positions not separated by a large margin.

Wu Shi's removal from first place has given many people hope of breaking the Mercedes-Benz Arena's reign this year.

In fact, the point difference between the two teams was only 19 points at this point.

If things go quickly, it might only take one stop.

Mercedes and Red Bull both know that this year's competition will be extremely fierce.

The two team leaders will do anything to win!
So after Toto returned to the factory, he put pressure on the FIA ​​again, demanding that they immediately investigate the flexible rear wings of the Red Bull, Alpin, and Arro teams!
He told everyone, "If we don't stop the violations that have already occurred, isn't that another kind of violation?"

Toto is being aggressive because if he doesn't, Red Bull will have an advantage every time the tail wing remains unchanged!

Of course, for a big team like Mercedes, there are always two contingency plans.

After thoroughly studying the rules regarding flexible tail wings, and drawing inspiration from teams like Red Bull, they are also developing their own flexible tail wings.

If the FIA's sanctions are slow, they will also legalize this technology.

Horner naturally countered Toto's statement, accusing him of being nosy and constantly watching other people's race cars. Why didn't he pay more attention to his own?
He indicated that if Toto didn't want to take care of it anymore, he could take over.

But Horner wasn't one to speak without reason; he immediately reminded the FIA ​​that they needed to pay attention to Mercedes' front wing.

"When I looked at the Mercedes' in-car camera, I saw the sponsor's name written on the wing, and then it disappeared under the brakes!"
"Perhaps this is at the request of the aforementioned sponsors, or perhaps not. In any case, Todo should shut up!"

Horner's sarcasm and nitpicking prompted Toto to retort without reservation:
"Horner is just a gossip, he always wants to be on TV! He acts smart because Red Bull is in control, but he should be more humble."

The verbal battle between the two continued all the way to the Azerbaijan leg.

The FIA ​​finally responded, deciding to monitor all teams in Baku to prevent the controversy from escalating.

The specific method involves attaching 12 yellow stickers to the fenders of each vehicle and analyzing the degree of deformation of the fenders at high speeds using onboard cameras.

However, the data obtained from surveillance will not be used for sanctions, but will instead be compiled into a regulatory data report.

The restrictions will still officially take effect on June 15.

While the two major teams were exchanging barbs, another big team, Ferrari, was also quietly stirring things up.

Laurent Meeks was promoted to Competition Director, the position of Strategy Director was given to Inaki Rueda, and 26-year-old engineer Raven Jain was also promoted to the Command Wall.

Binotto, like Toto, chose to retreat to the garage to watch the game.

This personnel change signifies a further step in Meqis's position at Ferrari, but it remains unclear what the underlying purpose of this personnel reshuffle is.

On the first weekend of June, the sixth stop of the season took place in Baku, Azerbaijan.

At the press conference, all the drivers gathered together.

The reporter asked the four Red Bull and Mercedes drivers how they viewed the online battle between the two team principals.

Neither Wu Shi nor the old man had any intention of participating in the verbal battle.

Verstappen expressed the same view, telling reporters:
"I think they should fight in the ring; that would make it easier to determine a winner."

After the corny joke was told, everyone couldn't help but look at Pan Zi. This kid really knows how to talk.

Then Panzi added, "Considering Wolf's physique, this is not easy for Horner."

After saying that, Pan Zi gave a funny smile.

Everyone smiled knowingly. Toto is 1.93 meters tall, and you can see his firm muscles even when he's wearing a shirt.

It's hard to imagine how badly Horner and Toto would lose if they were in the ring.

After the antics, the reporters asked the crucial questions:

"Max, you came to Baku with a points advantage. Do you think you'll be more competitive here?"

Verstappen paused for a moment, his expression turning serious, as if he were considering the entire track, before saying:
"Baku is a completely different street race from Monaco; you have to drive here with less downforce."

"There is a long stretch of road with full throttle and very low grip, so it is impossible to make a comparison."

“Under normal circumstances, we should be more competitive.”

Wu Shi was also asked the same question, and he said:

"This is a challenge for us. In Monaco, we not only saw the advantages that Red Bull has, but also that Ferrari seems to be very suitable for street racing."

“I think we lack some key factors compared to them, but I will give it my all on the track.”

There's not much to say about Hamilton; he has a poor record against Wu Shi in qualifying, so he usually only gets to perform well in the race.

While there aren't many overtaking opportunities in the Baku race, there's plenty of room to maneuver, making it a good place for him to continue racking up points.

(End of this chapter)