F1: The Making of a Racing God

Chapter 150 Eating and Taking Away, Two Cars Take the Stage

After more than a week of reflection following the U.S. Grand Prix, I've finally returned to where my dream began.

The São Paulo circuit in Brazil.

The last time he came here, Shulong made his debut in his career, and even saw hope of winning the championship.

I'm back here after a year, and coincidentally, my teammate is still Gasley from back then.

"Don't you feel a little nostalgic?"

"Just a little bit, before leaving the team, should we give it our all and fight for a championship?"

"Aha?!"

Shu Long raised an eyebrow, let out a strange laugh, and punched Gasley on the shoulder.

After three months of relentless, intensive work, Toro Rosso finally caught up in competitiveness towards the end of the season, overtaking McLaren, Renault, and Match Point, who had once surpassed them.

Based on the comprehensive data analysis from the previous two practice races, Toro Rosso ranked fourth overall in lap performance and fourth in long distance in this race.

After all, it was a plan that was changed halfway through. It would be too far-fetched to think that the advantages that the three starter families had accumulated over a year could be wiped out based on just a few days of effort.

The mid-season development of large teams is not on the same level as that of small teams. Before the summer break, Shulong was frequently able to touch the edge of the podium, but now it has been a long time since we have seen any hope of competing for the podium.

However, compared to the overall competitiveness of the Toro Rosso cars, which ranked around fifth or sixth in the Brazilian Grand Prix last year, the Toro Rosso cars this year have shown a relatively stronger level of performance.

"The last time we were able to compete for the championship, it was purely by luck and a series of coincidences. We can't expect to have such good luck every year, but I think we can try for a double podium finish this year."

"A double podium?! Can we even dream about that now?"

"Yeah, it's the last two stops, we have to find a way to give it a grand finale, right? Even if it's just for Huber, you have to prove that you didn't come back to Toro Rosso because you're not good enough, right?"

This was a promise they made before the summer break ended. At the time, they thought it was just bragging, but who would have thought that their goal would actually be right in front of them now?

Gasly didn't hesitate any longer and quickly smiled and bumped fists with his teammates.

The São Paulo circuit in Brazil has always been a strong track for Red Bull's design philosophy cars. At this race, Red Bull held a slight lead in both long runs and single laps, with the gap between Ferrari and Mercedes not exceeding 0.2 seconds.

Toro Rosso wasn't that fast at this race, but it wasn't that slow either, trailing Ferrari by only 0.3 seconds in third place.

This advantage is actually quite small now, and Ferrari's engines have been weakening due to the cheating scandal. If anything goes wrong in the race, it's not entirely impossible for Toro Rosso to finish on the podium twice.

Ultimately, it still comes down to a bit of luck, but at least this time, they have the right to fight for themselves based on their abilities.

Racing competitiveness is ultimately just a number on paper; how much can be squeezed out depends on the driver's performance in the race. And right now, Toro Rosso's two drivers are full of confidence and determination.

Gasly knew that Shulong would not be staying with Toro Rosso next season because, as the 2019 season drew to a close, the teams began to officially announce their driver lineups for the next season.

The first to be confirmed is Ferrari. Vettel's contract has not yet expired, and Leclerc's performance this year has earned him a multi-year contract early on.

Then came Mercedes. Hamilton's current contract doesn't expire until after 2021, and Bottas's victory at the Japanese Grand Prix earned him another one-year contract extension.

Toto also has Russell under his wing, and he also needs to be ready to participate in the competition for the Dragons at any time. These two factors alone determine that no matter how hard Bottas tries or how obedient he is, he will not have a multi-year contract option.

In some ways, this hardworking second driver is even more pitiful than the battered Shulong.

The next official announcement came from the Renault team. Ricciardo was signed to a multi-year contract at a high price. Surprisingly, they did not choose to renew the contract with Hulkenberg, whose performance throughout the year was no less than that of Ricciardo. Instead, they secured the seat for next year with Mercedes' current reserve driver, Esteban Ocon.

Aside from Ocon's French nationality, people both inside and outside the paddock couldn't understand why Renault would make such a choice.

Red Bull, as if they felt the atmosphere wasn't explosive enough, announced the loan of Shulong to Haas after the US Grand Prix, and also confirmed the team's driver roster for next year.

The reaction to this news was even more sensational than their mid-season reshuffle. Red Bull's official website crashed for a time, and even their usually active social media channels had to fall silent for a short period of time.

I had some idea of ​​what was going on, but I didn't expect it to come so fiercely.

It's not just Simplified Chinese; Red Bull has been subjected to a Gatling gun barrage of a global language and culture mashup lately. Marko hasn't even shown up in the paddock, and even the usually thick-skinned Horner is finding it hard to cope.

In the end, they had no choice but to come out and explain that Shulong had not broken away from the Red Bull system, but that it was a choice made jointly by the team and the driver after discussions.

Common? How common?
Is it possible that the convoy used its power to coerce people into voluntarily participating?
However, after this explanation, the insults did indeed subside considerably.

Red Bull fans were worried that the team would be foolish enough to give away their top young player for nothing, so they are naturally much more at ease now. Verstappen's fans, on the other hand, didn't really want to see Shu Long join Red Bull and have been dissenting from the beginning.

As for the fans of other teams, they were all gloating and fanning the flames, tagging their own teams and urging them to recruit players.

Then from Wednesday to Saturday, not only Shu Long himself, but also any team leader in the paddock who was even remotely competitive was subjected to intense and continuous harassment from the media.

Binotto remained calm, stating that both of their current team members are outstanding drivers, but then jokingly added that they would open their doors to Shulong if given the opportunity.

Toto's face was practically splitting with a grin. He first expressed regret that he had been a little too slow in getting in touch with Shu Long, and then he would secretly stir things up whenever he had the chance. Every time he saw Horner with a gloomy face, he would go up to him and shake hands and hug him. He was happy to see Red Bull being roasted over a fire.

With such a significant piece of news as a foundation, even though McLaren, Arroyo, and Racing Point have all officially announced that they will maintain this year's driver lineups, it won't cause much of a stir.

The most crucial thing now is to determine what Shu Long himself has actually said.

"Shu, I'm sure you know that you almost turned the hunting grounds upside down recently. Now, can you answer some of our questions?"

"of course."

"Okay—hmm? I didn't expect you to agree so readily, considering you seemed reluctant to do interviews before. So... you seem to be in a much better mood than after the summer break? So what Mr. Horner said is true, and you made this choice voluntarily?"

"That's one way to understand it."

Shu Long wasn't exactly in a great mood, but he was definitely happy.

He has no way to directly retaliate against Red Bull's decision, but now countless strangers are willing to do it for him remotely, and he's enjoying watching the drama unfold.

“We’ve been keeping in touch with your manager, Alonso, for a while now. He’s been in contact with a lot of teams in the paddock, including some very competitive ones like McLaren, Renault, and even Mercedes. Can you tell us why you ultimately chose Haas?”

“There’s nothing strange about it. I can give them what they want, and they can give me what I want. It’s that simple.”

"But Haas finished second to last this season. Aren't you resentful that Red Bull pushed you out of the fourth-ranked team?"

"Why would you think that? Little Red Bull was also second to last before I came, so..."

Saying too much might hurt the feelings of the other members of the team, but what Shulong wanted to express was already very clear.

Toro Rosso's fourth-place finish this year is at least 7% thanks to Shu Long. Even if Toro Rosso's racing R&D department and engineers want to take credit, they have to admit that Shu Long brought the race car to a level that did not belong to them.

Even if you remove Gasly and Albon's scores, Shu Long's 170 points so far are enough to single-handedly challenge McLaren's current 120 points, keeping Toro Rosso firmly in fourth place among the teams.

Haas himself has a 18-year track record of finishing fourth in the team competition, so it's hard to say whether going there will be a good thing or a bad thing. Shu Long's only concern now isn't whether Haas will hold him back, but rather what if he manages to make Toro Rosso perform too well this year, and it causes him problems next year?
Of course, Shu Long wasn't working for the team entirely for nothing. At least his [Core of Synergy] was boosted to 87% through three months of intensive overtime work, while the extensive simulation work and races also honed his [Tai Chi] to 76%.
It is said that supplies are always provided before a major battle. With such thorough preparations made, I am not too panicked.

It's a pity that the Toro Rosso team will change its name to Alpha Tauri next year, and the clothing brand created by Red Bull in 16 will become the team's title sponsor next year.

Why is it a pity?

The brand name Alpha Tauri comes from Alpha Tauri, a star in the constellation Taurus. Shu Long himself is also a Taurus, and his birthday happens to fall within the Alpha Tauri constellation, the first star sector of Taurus. It feels like next year's little red bull is tailor-made for him.

Unfortunately, Albon has the support of Thai Bulls, and his and Verstappen's positions at Red Bull are quite secure. Otherwise, Shu Long might have preferred to stay at Toro Rosso for another year.

There's no need to persist now. Continuing to linger at Red Bull without any hope of promotion is just a waste of time.

At noon, I was dragged out to deal with a bunch of microphones again. I finally managed to get away and discuss the trailer strategy for the afternoon's ranked matches with Gasly.

Since the goal is for two cars to reach the podium, the qualifying result is of course crucial, as the advantage gained from a slipstream could very well determine the final outcome.

Other teams would likely find it difficult to maintain the harmonious and healthy competitive relationship that Toro Rosso has now.

They already had a good relationship and were both in the same boat as Red Bull after the internal strife. Shu Long's departure would not affect Gasly's seat at all, and Gasly's performance would not change Shu Long's choice to stay or leave.

With absolutely no vested interests involved, it was only natural for them to lend a hand to each other.

In the end, both of them made it into Q3, and each of them pulled a wedge. Finally, Shulong took two cities in a row and took down Alben and Bottas, returning to the familiar P5.

Gasly was a bit of a disappointment, as he was slightly behind Albon in the second lap by a mere 0.029, and could only start at P8.

For Toro Rosso's car, this starting position is actually a normal performance, but achieving a two-car podium finish is indeed a bit difficult.

But the beauty of the game is that you never know what will happen until the very last moment.

No one in the front row had a bad start, and Leclerc in P4 was again focused on marking Shulong behind him, and couldn't find a suitable overtaking opportunity until turn one.

During the pre-race drivers' parade, Leclerc had jokingly said that he would definitely not let Toro Rosso pass, but Shu Long did not take it as a joke.

The outside line at Turn 1 caused the already formed parallel line to fall behind by half a car length again, but then the inside line priority at Turn 2 forced them to hold their position. Then, taking advantage of Hamilton's attack on Vettel, who unintentionally squeezed both Ferrari lines at the same time, they climbed to fourth place with their absolute cornering speed advantage on the outside line.

After being repeatedly restricted, Ferrari's engine no longer had that unreasonable, unstoppable power, and Leclerc was temporarily blocked and unable to move.

In contrast, Gasly is also caught in a dilemma. He started in eighth place and is still in eighth place now, and the cars in front of him are all a little faster than him. He can only keep up but can't find an opportunity to overtake.

Especially now that Alben is ahead, and Alben is eager to prove himself, he can't possibly let Gasley pass him by so easily.

If this stalemate continues, the possibility of two cars taking the stage may just remain a dream.

In an attempt to break through the pack, Gasly pitted for tires on lap 21, which also tricked Albon, who was constantly marking him, into pitting as well.

This created a pit stop window for all the cars ahead. Shu Long, who had originally planned to use the same tire-preserving one-stop strategy as last time, also pitted with Verstappen and Hamilton.

On the contrary, the two Ferraris, by choosing to stay on the track, became the only two leading cars in the lead.

At first, Shu Long thought things were going badly. If Ferrari, which was using clean air for propulsion, really managed to create a time advantage by avoiding one pit stop, then not only his little Red Bull, but Verstappen and Hamilton might not be able to regain their positions.

But what no one expected was that just one misalignment in strategy brought the two Ferraris, which were originally racing separately, back together, thus sowing the seeds for unpredictable changes in the race later on.

Ferrari was just a little late to the pits, but that doesn't mean they didn't pit at all. After stopping, they both dropped to behind Bottas.

That wasn't all; thanks to their new tires, which had been worn for many laps, they overtook Bottas on lap 45.

If things continue as they are, their next goal will be to eliminate Shu Long, and then, by having one less pit stop, they might just be able to take the top two spots in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

According to feedback from Verstappen and Hamilton, this year's yellow tires don't seem to be as durable here as last year. Running on yellow tires for nearly fifty laps isn't easy, and a two-stop strategy might be necessary.

Shulong's tire wear is actually okay, but that's only when there's no offense or defense. If he faces two Ferraris taking turns attacking, the excessive tire wear could cause him to drop even further.

After much deliberation and hesitation, Shulong decided to enter the station and change his status.

Like Shu Long, Gasly and Albon, along with a large number of other mid-table teams, also chose to pit.

It seems that many people have used Shulong as a strategic reference for this race. It was actually a very conventional choice, and there was nothing wrong with it in general. However, things changed on the next lap of the track.

Bottas, struggling to regain its position, was followed by a plume of smoke from its rear end. The misfortune of an engine failure had befallen no one, and this time it befell Mercedes' engine.

Yellow flag! And a very long yellow flag at that!

It took the race organizers almost five or six laps to clear Bottas's car, and Verstappen, who had opted for a red-for-red start, got a very comfortable free pit stop.

However, Hamilton, who was originally in P2, seems to be planning to rely on his red to yellow position and this injury-free run to finish in P1.

Of course, these are all secondary issues. The key point is that this time, the yellow flag not only completely erased Ferrari's hard-won tire advantage, but also put them in a very awkward situation.

If they go in, their positions will be relegated to the back again.

If they don't go in, they won't have a positional advantage over Hamilton in front, and they won't have a tire advantage over Verstappen behind.

In addition, there is a powerful dragon that cannot be underestimated; its position will inevitably be lost.

After hesitating for a couple of laps, Ferrari finally decided to call both drivers back.

This series of actions infuriated Vettel and Leclerc. After only a few laps since the race restarted, the two were forced to retire due to a fight on the track, resulting in both of them being injured.

Another yellow flag.

Albon and Gasly, who were originally in a stalemate, both gained three free positions, and since they had just changed their tires in the previous round, there was no need for either of them to pit again this time.

However, the impact of the old tires is greater than expected. Hamilton, who has already been overtaken by Verstappen in the corners, will soon face the pursuit of Shulong. Moreover, judging from his lap time performance, he may not be able to withstand it. For Hamilton, this is another situation where he has no choice but to move forward.

The entire match was chaotic. Shu Long did almost nothing this time and was unwittingly placed in the P2 position.

After Hamilton left the pits, Albon, as the number two driver, didn't say anything this time and did his best to fulfill his duties as the number two driver.

Even if it weren't for Verstappen, with such a golden opportunity in front of him, he would fight for his first podium finish!
As a result, on the penultimate lap at Turn 10, facing Hamilton who wanted to steal the inside line, Albon made a very decisive shut-off.

But facing Mercedes' Vibranium left forward, this is another lose-lose situation.

Gasly, whose palms were sweating with nervousness, still managed to seize this opportunity bestowed upon him by God and get himself carried over by two cars to P3.

I thought they would have to keep pushing until the last stop, Abu Dhabi, but who would have thought that in just the penultimate stop, Toro Rosso would actually achieve the feat of having two cars on the podium.

(End of this chapter)