F1: The Making of a Racing God

Chapter 200 Scheming
Why is it always the three of us?

"what?"

The man, who had just won the championship, stretched and walked into the house, only to be asked this question by Hamilton, who was completely bewildered.

"It's nothing. It's just that this scene reminded me of a scene from a few years ago. Time really flies."

Shu Long smoothed his hair back, quickly composed himself, and put on a sad expression.

"I've heard that older people are more prone to melancholy and sentimentality. I never imagined you'd get tired of me so quickly. You fickle old man, you've really broken my heart!"

"Haha, are you serious? I remember you weren't like this before. You were such a cute young man here, all flustered and helpless. Why have you become so sharp-tongued now?"

"I don't know either. Maybe time is the best whetstone?"

"No, no, no! Time is a whetstone for you, but it's been very gentle with me. It only washes away the dust on my body. I'm still a teenager! Everyone knows that!"

This time, Shu Long's distressed expression was no longer feigned; Old Man Liu's shamelessness gave him goosebumps.

"What is that? A poem?"

"Poetry? No, no, it's just something I said spontaneously."

"The way you put it makes it sound even more disgusting!"

It was clear that the old man was in a good mood. He wasn't angry at being insulted to his face by Shu Long. Instead, he let out a magical laugh that sounded like he was pulling a saw.

Actually, anyone would be in a good mood if they were in that situation.

Although it was a pity that they couldn't snatch the championship from Shu Long at this race, the fastest lap points were also taken by Bottas after the team made him stop three times to switch to red tires because Shu Long went too fast on the last stint on yellow tires.

But after this game, the gap between him and Verstappen has narrowed back to 19 points.

If Hamilton wins the next three games, it's not impossible for him to pull off a comeback in the final game.

Based on the current performance of the two teams' cars, Mercedes should have a significant advantage over Red Bull, who are facing a rear wing problem, in the final three races of the season.

Mercedes engines are inherently more powerful than Honda engines, and Verstappen's current power unit has already been used in five Grand Prix races, so its power will only decline more and more in the future.

Hamilton, at least, felt that the current situation was much more promising than when, after the summer break, he was squeezed between two Red Bulls and had no hope of winning.

Even Shu Long, who initially gave Hamilton the biggest headache, has now become one of his hopes for a comeback in the championship.

If Verstappen chooses to replace the power unit in time to ensure competitiveness, it remains to be seen whether he can beat his teammates after being penalized. With each subsequent drop in position, the veteran's chances of winning the championship will increase.

There is only one variable.
"Oh, by the way, you should know about that, right?"

"what?"

Hamilton changed topics a bit too quickly, and Shu Long couldn't keep up with his train of thought for a while. It seemed that the rhythm of the whole conversation was in Hamilton's hands.

"That movie! When I was discussing it with Ellen, he mentioned you. We both thought it was a great idea to incorporate some of your experiences into the protagonist. Did he contact you again afterward?"

"No? I thought they already had a new project in mind. After all, scripts are always being revised, aren't they?"

“Well, you’re not wrong, but the director and producer Bruckheimer both think it’s a great idea, especially after learning about your story through Drive to Survive. You’re almost a legend, my little one!”

"Haha, although I know it's true, it still makes me a little embarrassed to hear you say it to my face, hehe~"

You're clearly smiling smugly!

Hamilton started sawing in his chest again, and Shu Long, infected by the infectious laughter, began to imitate him, panting and groaning.

"Alright, alright, alright! So I recommended you to them as a consultant during the film's production. What do you think?"

"I don't know. I've never been a consultant before, so how do you know so much?"

Hamilton crossed his arms and gave Shu Long a rather smug smile.

"Of course, it's because I also invested in this movie, and now I'm one of the producers of the project."

So how much money did you actually invest?

"That's a secret! Don't worry, it's not that complicated. Mercedes has also reached a cooperation agreement with them and will provide some technical support during the film's production."

[This sounds even weirder!]

Shulong may not be the only one who finds this strange.

Verstappen had gone to the toilet because of a stomachache, and now, having just finished dealing with the embarrassing situation, he pushed the door open and came back in with a straw in his mouth. Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but cough in his dehydrated, smoky voice.

"I have a feeling Toto sent you here on a mission, to poach players from our team?"

"No! If it were to poach Toto, he wouldn't have let me come. If Long signs with Mercedes, where am I supposed to go? Maybe I'm just trying to get him to help me win this year's championship?"

The moment Hamilton uttered those words, the air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment, and then the three of them burst into laughter again.

What an outrageous topic, so outrageous it sounds like a joke.

Fortunately, someone from backstage came to inform them that the awards ceremony was about to begin, and the awkward conversation did not continue any further.

At such a special and sensitive time when the championship is at stake, whether Hamilton's deliberate bringing up this topic was simply because of the movie is something that perhaps neither of the two young Red Bulls themselves can say for sure.

The last sentence, "Maybe I'm just trying to get him to help me win this year's championship?", is a crude attempt at sowing discord that it's almost like a joke. It's the least worthwhile thing to pay attention to when it's out in the open.

However, the earlier discussion of the film intentionally or unintentionally instilled in Shu Long the idea that "I am the protagonist, and I don't need to be a supporting character for others"; later, it subtly suggested that Mercedes' signing of Shu Long might threaten Hamilton's own position, which was also a way of guiding Verstappen's thinking about his role in Red Bull.
How could Hamilton, who managed to defeat two-time world champion Alonso in his rookie year through team politics, be a simple character?

However, each person is like a book with a complex background, and one cannot simply turn to a single page, take things out of context, and hastily draw conclusions about them.

Some people may prefer to always see the bright and glamorous side of things, but that doesn't mean that the finger that is about to make a choice hasn't silently reached into the darker side hidden behind the bookmark.

It's simply a matter of how clever the methods are, and whether the person decides for themselves whether it's worth revealing their hand.

An unprecedented eight titles seem to be a bargaining chip that anyone would be willing to make a decision about.
The Grand Prix in Qatar and the Brazilian Grand Prix were back-to-back. The Brazilian Grand Prix had just ended, and the teams were already packing up to head to the next race.

Since Verstappen bought a Soda Falcon 900EX last October, he usually travels to races in Europe by his private jet.

Shu Long was fortunate enough to hitch a ride on three occasions, but since he currently resides in the UK, he more often hitches a ride on the caravan's chartered plane or Horner's private jet.

However, the two races in the Americas were too long, and Verstappen's small plane with a range of about 8000 kilometers was having some trouble keeping up, so he traveled with the team during this period.

Having the rare opportunity to have both drivers by his side, Horner decided to hold a small meeting over a meal on the plane.

“Max, we now have another way to ensure you win the championship.”

"what?"

"The Interlagos game gave us some insights; perhaps we don't need to pit you and Hamilton head-to-head."

"I don't understand, what does this mean?"

This means that Red Bull currently has two drivers who are capable of competing for the championship.

This might still be a bit confusing, but this is Red Bull's current advantage over Mercedes, and it's also the variable that Hamilton was most worried about.

If Hamilton wants to turn the tide and win the championship, then Mercedes will have no choice but to let him compete for the race wins.

However, it would be much easier for Red Bull to retain Verstappen's title. Regardless of whether Verstappen or Shu Long wins the championship, unless Verstappen withdraws from any race, as long as Hamilton recovers less than 6 points in any race, the final championship will still belong to Red Bull.

The meaning is quite clear: once the team realizes that Verstappen is unable to compete for the championship, their strategy will completely shift to Shulong's side, just like in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

But
It's safe to say that, but what's the difference between this and just lying around waiting for your teammates to give you handouts?
Hamilton's seemingly casual remark backstage that day appeared to echo in Verstappen's ears once again.

"You know this isn't how I want to win, right?"

"Of course we know that no driver wants to achieve a year's worth of victories this way, but..."

This is a world champion!
How many opportunities does a race car driver have in their lifetime to reach the threshold of world championship? When that final step is truly in front of them, how many people will make a choice that they will never regret?
This year's timing is particularly unusual and sensitive.

The new regulations, which will take effect next year, mean that all teams will have to start from scratch, and whether Red Bull can still maintain its championship competitiveness remains to be seen. The helmets worn by the two drivers, one with a coiled dragon and the other with a lion's head, seem to foreshadow another fierce battle within the Red Bull team next year.

Faced with the pressure from the dragon, will Verstappen be able to withstand it and maintain his momentum this year?
Nobody knows.
Horner sighed and took a small sip of champagne.

He liked the taste and texture of this stuff, but the flavor that used to represent victory now tasted somewhat sour in his mouth.

He had anticipated that introducing the dragon would have a good effect, but he didn't expect the effect to be so good that it backfired.

The future champion will not be decided by the two rivals on the track, but by Shu Long, a latecomer who has further convinced Horner of the value that Shu Long can bring to the team.

What would be a dream scenario that would make any other team leader laugh in his sleep has become a headache for Horner. How can you explain this?

Looking back now, even Horner has to admire how astute Toto's decision not to buy out Shulong was back then.

For now, Red Bull has to deal with all the troubles. Once Shulong has gained momentum in a few years, Mercedes might be able to reap the benefits, even saving them the cost of training drivers.

That old fox! People who manipulate business are all filthy!
Shu Long remained silent, curled up in his first-class seat. Regardless of the outcome, he would be a beneficiary of this decision, and it was clearly not the right time for him to voice his opinion.

However, after a moment of silence, Newey, who hadn't uttered a sound the whole time, finally spoke up.

"Don't get hung up on these trivial things. With the car in its current condition, trying to win the championship is just a pipe dream. The priority is to solve the problem with the rear wing."

Also.

With an already disadvantageous engine and a weaker rear wing, expecting the team to decide who can beat Hamilton is nothing short of wishful thinking.

But on this matter...
The development of racing cars is handled by engineers, while the competition on the track depends on the performance of the drivers.

Regarding the landscape of the annual championship competition, Horner, as the team principal, naturally has his own way of handling those trivial matters off the track.

The circle of the paddock is actually very small. Although it seems that there are new faces every year, in reality, it is the same old acquaintances who rotate among the various teams.

Since Honda decided to withdraw from the F1 market, Horner has been recruiting talents for Red Bull's new power unit department in the paddock, and Mercedes has been poaching the most talent.

According to one of the Red Bull employees who previously worked at Mercedes:

Before the summer break, Mercedes' rear wing would pull back slightly when the car reached a certain speed, similar to activating a tiny DRS (Dual Reflector System).

After the summer break, the FIA ​​abruptly suspended this technology, affecting companies including Red Bull, with Ferrari being the hardest hit.

Um--

For some reason, every time the FIA ​​introduces a new technical directive to restrict other teams, Ferrari always gets inexplicably affected.

It now appears that Red Bull's internal problems are not to be underestimated, so Horner decided to use underhanded tactics to try and drag Mercedes down with him.

According to an employee who declined to be named for protection purposes, Mercedes tried a new method after the summer break: the lower wing would be pushed down slightly after the car reached a certain speed.

Moreover, this method is more difficult to monitor because the vehicle's view of the lower wing is blocked by the upper wing.

Mercedes has already received the rear wing that was locked up last week due to violations. If Mercedes insists on using it this week, Horner will choose to continue to complain and argue his case.

In addition, Red Bull has been intensifying its efforts to collect evidence of Mercedes' cheating, and has now observed strange wear marks on both sides of the lower mainboard of their tail wing, which may indicate that the other party's tail wing can indeed bend under certain conditions.

While the team was conducting rear wing cutting tests, Horner was also simultaneously nitpicking Mercedes.

Even if the cutting test doesn't go very smoothly, being able to break Mercedes' tail wing would be a good option.

However, as it turns out, the wrong path is ultimately a wrong path, and none of the above methods are so easy to achieve results.

Verstappen tried the old version of the medium downforce rear wing kit in the first practice session and set the fastest lap time on the red tires. However, the flap vibration problem after activating DRS was still difficult to solve. In the second practice session, he switched to the high downforce rear wing kit.

Shulong's first practice performance was quite good, and with the hand-made tail wing, he pushed the single lap to P4 in the entire field.

But problems arose after the second training session when the tires were changed to yellow ones.

Their long-distance performance was decent, but the lack of downforce prevented the yellow tires from finding proper grip quickly, putting them at a significant disadvantage in qualifying laps.

Although they can barely stay in the top ten, they basically have little chance of competing with the top teams.

The role of yellow tires in qualifying cannot be ignored. Qatar is a high-speed track with extremely high tire wear, and the biggest advantage that cars entering Q3 can gain for themselves is to start on yellow tires.

At least for now, that's the case.

This is clearly not the result Red Bull wants to see. They need to at least ensure that Shulong can take down Bottas and keep Verstappen's points loss in a single race below 7 points, given that he is clearly at a disadvantage.

So, in the latter half of the second training session, Shulong took over the barbecue grill again and temporarily helped the team collect data, leaving Newey to continue staring at his little whiteboard and racking his brains.

Finally, at 14:00 PM on the second day, before the third practice session, Red Bull's aerodynamics master finally presented his third version of the tail wing cutting scheme.

As for the final outcome, it may be just like Horner's complaint that disappeared without a trace; everything remains to be seen.

When the qualifying session started at 17:00 PM, the two Red Bulls advanced to Q2 without any pressure.

Although the car is currently experiencing some minor issues, it has the foundation of a Mars rover, and the team consists of two pure Martians. There's no reason why even advancing to Q2 would be an accident.

But after Q1 stopped and drove back to the pit wall, Shu Long suddenly unbuckled his seatbelt, climbed out of the race car, and went all the way to the pit wall outside the pit wall.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, I think we should use red tires to report our Q2 results."

"What's the reason?"

"The start time of tomorrow's main race is similar to that of today's Q1. The weather and track conditions should also be similar. Based on my experience of pushing the red tires to achieve a flying lap, the red tires might be more durable than expected when starting with this setup tomorrow."

Horner and Hannah, who was on rotation as the person in charge of strategy at this station, exchanged a glance. In the end, it was Hannah, who had more professional skills, who spoke up and asked:
"We know you used a different version of the cut-tail wing and tuning during your second practice session. Now, with only two flight cycles of experience, are you confident?"

"I can't give a specific quantitative value either, but I did have a different feeling just now."

Horner flashed that sly, mischievous grin that seemed to be full of tricks, glanced at the busy pit room at Mercedes next to him, and nodded to Shu Long.

"Then trust your gut feeling! We've even dared to gamble on that dog-chewed tail fin, what else wouldn't we be afraid to bet on?"

Well said! It's incredibly motivating for employees!

Newey, who was standing to the side, felt something was off. He lowered his head and pondered for a while before realizing something was wrong. He then raised his hand and gave Horner a slap on the side.

You're the one who was chewed by a dog!
Horner, wincing in pain, gave an awkward laugh and instructed Verstappen's race engineer, GP, to consult Max for his opinion.

This kind of thing definitely couldn't be discussed with other teams in the TR, so GP went to Verstappen's car himself. The two discussed it for some reason, and it seems that he finally got a negative answer.

It's not surprising.

Verstappen used a completely different setup than Shulong in this match, so he naturally trusted his intuition more, and the yellow tire might be the best choice for them.

As expected, with the exception of Shulong, almost all the teams insisted on trying to make their first flight lap with yellow tires.

Regardless of the team's strategy and strength, Red Bull and Mercedes both think that the yellow tires are better for the first stint. So, do you think it's better to copy the homework of top students?
However, some answers, especially those in science subjects, require you to understand them before you can copy them.

Especially for teams with mid-range competitiveness, the tires they start on are not important; making it into Q3 is the most important thing!
So those drivers who seemed to have a great chance of advancing to Q3 and whose strategy didn't matter whether they saved a new red for the race, pitted to change their reds and gamble on one last race when they were just a little short of the cutoff line.

Some people got in, and some people didn't.

Uncle with the crooked head was eliminated, and the two Ferraris also tragically left the competition.

Leclerc seems to have had a cracked chassis, while Sainz was too superstitious about starting on yellow tires, which cost him dearly.

However, as we entered Q3, no one expected that Red Bull, despite all its careful planning, would suffer the most painful betrayal from its own drivers.

Gasly got a flat tire on his last flight lap.

Shu Long and Verstappen, who were also on their flight laps behind, crossed the finish line at full throttle, one after the other, with the double yellow flags on the left side of the track in front of them.

(End of this chapter)