Chapter 60
When Rosa asked him this question, Wu Shi couldn't think of a way to explain it, and could only say it was a feeling.
He'll play it safer on tracks with more laps to ensure he can finish; he'll play it harder on tracks with fewer lap times to achieve incredibly impressive results.
Ultimately, the degree of precision here comes from the accurate feedback brought by the absolute driving feel, which allows him to calculate the energy consumption independently.
Verstappen also needs to use instruments to calculate tire wear during pre-race practice in order to estimate how to drive the car during the race.
Wu Shi won't need to refer to these at all. He estimates that when he drives F1 in the future, when the technicians in the TR report the tire wear and whether it is overheating, he will directly ask them to keep quiet so that he can concentrate on calculating the tire wear himself.
The thought of it made him feel that the scene was somewhat beautiful.
However, during the 2011 tournament, he also discovered a problem that was gradually becoming more prominent, a problem that could even affect the development of his professional career.
That's the absolute feel of a car.
Perhaps because he is sensing more and more parts, he is now feeling a bit overwhelmed and his ability to perceive new parts on the car has noticeably decreased.
This seems to suggest that the vehicles and components he can perceive are limited.
The reason for this problem is quite simple: it's most likely that your brain isn't working properly.
Therefore, learning to forget was Wu Shi's main goal in 2012.
At this time, he learned something bad.
"What? You're saying I can't run KF2 this year?" Wu Shi directly questioned the team leader.
The only significant difference between the KF2 and KF3 is that the KF2 has a slightly higher rotation speed and less water in the water-cooled tank.
These changes alone mean that lap times will improve by an average of one to two seconds, and even by three seconds on tracks with high power requirements.
"Yes, KF2 requires applicants to be at least 15 years old." The team leader was also helpless.
Wu Shi is only 14 years old this year, and will not turn one year old until the end of the year. According to the Europeans, this little guy is only 13 years old.
"No, Max can run, so I want to run too!" Wu Shi had no choice but to resort to cheating, which was a privilege reserved for children.
The team leader sighed, looked at Joss who was still fiddling with the go-karts with Verstappen, and said, "You should ask for some special treatment and request that your age limit be relaxed, just like when you participated in the WSK event last year."
Without hesitation, Wu Shi ran over to Joss and said, "Uncle, I want to run KF2 this year like Max."
"Of course, this is something that has been bothering me lately, and I'll try to ask about it," Joss said.
The two parties have already signed a technology and resource exchange agreement, so he naturally wants to find a way to help Wu Shi.
Besides the contractual requirements, he genuinely wanted Max to continue running with this exceptionally talented kid.
Because Wu Shi gave him and Max a lot of help.
This is not due to a difference in driving skills, but rather to the shared key data.
For example, where are the reference points for entering a curve, how much braking force should be applied, how much throttle should be applied, and when should it be applied? Without guidance, you can only figure these things out on your own.
Most importantly, Wu Shi was able to provide approximate wear and tear on the race car under different driving conditions, which allowed Max to choose the appropriate driving method based on this information.
To obtain this data directly, Max would need to run on the track day after day, constantly replacing parts to measure wear and tear.
This project is not only massive in scale, but also incredibly inefficient.
The official competition is still some time away. After Wu Shi communicated with Aunt Martina about this matter again, all he could do was wait.
"Wu Shi, let's tune the race car first," Rosa called out.
"They're here."
Because of the difference in engine speed, the go-kart's toe-in, camber/caster angle, etc., all need to be adjusted accordingly.
The KF2 uses softer tires, which means that the driving style also needs to be slightly changed.
The testing process is quite extensive. In addition to the initial setup, modifications and optimizations are required for different tracks. Before the race, practice, car setup, and car repair are the drivers' constant tasks.
Each time he replaced a part, he would test the speed of full perception, and it was much slower than it was in 2010.
After all, in 2010 and 2011, he spent at least several million euros on replacing parts, including a large number of sensory components.
How can one forget the parts and race cars they once knew?
Wu Shi tried to stop thinking about the go-karts he had owned, but that was just self-deception.
By February, he still hadn't found an effective way to solve the problem, to the point that he eventually stopped noticing the new wear and tear parts being replaced.
48.654
47.999
47.221
48.266
Lap times were set one after another, and the car was gradually adjusted to Wu Shi's driving habits, but the stability of the lap times dropped significantly.
"Wu Shi, have you been too tired lately? Perhaps you need to rest for a while." Rosa looked at the data; this lap time was quite good for a KF2 level on the test track.
But this is Wu Shi! The Wu Shi who can pull ahead of the second-place finisher by a second or even several seconds when the difference is usually within one second!
"Have you been feeling increasingly uncomfortable running lately? I used to feel that way too, like I'd hit my limit and my lap times weren't consistent anymore. But once you break that limit, you can go even further!" Verstappen chimed in.
Recently, Wu Shi's lap times have been comparable to his. If they were to actually go to the track, even if Wu Shi had a higher chance of winning, it would be very different from when he was being crushed before.
"Hmm, I've been lacking a bit of feeling lately." Wu Shi looked at the race car that had been set up and felt a sense of unfamiliarity with it.
The go-kart that he trained with for two months has been almost completely replaced, except for the engine, frame, and body panels. In other words, he now only retains awareness of these three parts.
Soon after, the frame will also need to be replaced.
"Kid, if you were my son, I'd be cursing you out right now." Joss stepped forward and spoke, rarely showing such a stern face to Wu Shi. After a moment's thought, he said:
"I sense that your momentum has disappeared. Before, whether in practice or in the race, you were always pushing your limits, but now, you seem to just want to bring the car back to a stable position."
"You haven't had any accidents recently, have you? What caused your mindset and driving style to change?"
"This is a crucial issue. Without solving this problem, even if your lap times remain excellent, you will never be able to lead by that much again, and you will never be as consistent as before."
Joss crossed his arms, his brow furrowed, and after a moment of silence, he continued:
"I have to admit that even if it were me racing karting with you from last season, I definitely wouldn't be able to beat you. As a driver who never gives up, I should feel ashamed to say this to you here."
"But your performance last year was truly amazing. I admit I can't do it, and I think no one can replicate it."
"Now it seems that you can no longer replicate it."
"As I said before, I can't offer you any technical or experiential advice; I can only tell you from the perspective of someone who's been there."
"No matter what happens, don't change your mindset. Don't bury the Wu Shi who pursued the ultimate and swept across Europe."
After Joss finished speaking, he patted Verstappen on the shoulder, and the two left together.
Rosa pressed the ballpoint pen, took out her phone with her left hand, and prepared to call Sid. She also felt that Wu Shi had recently encountered some inexplicable problems, which needed to be communicated with his agent in a timely manner.
Wu Shi gently stroked the go-kart, and despite being lectured by Qiao Si, he showed no negative emotions, even displaying a faint smile.
"Of course I know how important mindset is in a game, and I can still control it. I just ran into a big problem."
"I think,
"I can handle it!"
His eyes hardened, and at that moment, he seemed to have returned to the boy in his past life who was sitting in a LaFerrari, aiming to defend his title.
Absolute car feel; even if it doesn't solve your problem, I'm still fearless in the face of any challenge!
I will still stand at the highest peak!
I have made all the preparations!
Rosa, standing to the side, looked dazed. She didn't know how a teenager could suddenly exude such an aura. She simply pushed her phone back into her pocket.
Let's wait a while longer.