Chapter 72 Montezemolo Arrives
After the starting straight, T1 is a large, curved corner. Wu Shi was well aware of the car's grip, so he simply downshifted, applied the brakes lightly, and then slightly released the throttle to enter the apex of the corner, quickly passing the first corner.
Next comes a series of bends, with two large bends at the entrance and exit, and the middle one is more of a slightly winding road than a bend.
But the less obvious the curves on a road, the more it tests a driver's decision-making ability when navigating the curves.
After four hours of practice yesterday, Wu Shi has found a very good cornering line. With clean air and no cars in front of him, he maintains extreme precision as he enters the corner.
Rustling sound!
The race car swayed like a dragon winding its way through the bends, easily navigating the series of V-shaped bends before entering a sharp straightaway. There was really no skill required here; you just had to floor the accelerator.
Buzz!
The race car sped along and soon arrived at the hairpin bend.
"The timing and accuracy of the cornering are still amazing." Joss clapped his hands.
"Is he planning to go all out on his first lap?" the engineer asked, hanging his headphones around his neck.
"I think so," Sid nodded.
"He didn't even try more."
The engineers were puzzled; the flying lap that hadn't been completed in the early stages of the race would inevitably be affected.
In addition, these rookie drivers rarely get into the zone on the second lap, so the leading Flying Spurs usually don't go all out to avoid excessive tire wear. If they accidentally lock up their tires, they'll ruin the entire tire saddle.
"Wow, that's fast! It's 0.3 seconds faster than the previous three in just one timing segment." The engineer, who was puzzled just moments before, exclaimed in amazement.
While the group was chatting, the results for the second timeout were announced, and Wu Shi had shrunk by another 0.4 seconds.
"Oh! Are they going to go straight for a second?" the engineer couldn't help but exclaim, attracting the attention of the other engineers from the other drivers.
However, since this is the first year of the series①, no one really knew the actual speed of the vehicles. Seeing this result, people just thought that Wu Shi had revealed his strength in advance, and the regional drivers had not yet officially started to show their skills.
Whoosh!
Wu Shi's score naturally surpassed the previous few people by passing through the grid lines, propelling him to first place.
But he didn't stop at all and continued to speed along.
"Two consecutive laps?" The engineer immediately put on his headset and said in the TR, "Wu Shi, watch out, Antonio Foucault is cornering at turn four, and he's going very slowly."
"copy."
After Wu Shi replied, he quickly turned the first bend, and the rest of the process was the same as before.
He continued until he reached Turn 10 and saw the slower car ahead.
Wu Shi TR: "Notify them to make way."
Engineer TR: "I will let you know."
Rustling sound!
As Wu Shi rapidly approached Antonio Foucault and was about to enter the turn, the guy in front of him suddenly swerved for some unknown reason.
"What is he doing?!"
With his attention highly focused, Wu Shi immediately swerved to avoid Antonio Foco's car as it swayed.
Click click click!
The race car drove onto the shoulder and took a bite of Florida grass.
"Was he doing it on purpose? Didn't he know how dangerous it was?" Wu Shi questioned in TR.
"Is Wu Shi alright?" Verstappen, who was behind and had seen the situation, asked in TR.
"OK," the engineer replied.
Wu Shi, who had just re-entered the track, was frustrated. He had wasted a lap. The guy in front of him was driving terribly.
Engineer TR: "Wu Shi, bring the car back, change the tires, and try another clean lap. There are still thirteen minutes left, which is more than enough time."
Wu Shi TR: "This set of tires is enough to complete another Flying Spur lap."
Engineer TR: "I suggest you come back and change the tires; keep this set for the race."
Wu Shi TR: "Then I suggest that the person who just spoke give me an explanation."
Engineer TR: "OK, we understand the situation. His vehicle had some engine problems, and the swaying was caused by a mistake in operation."
Wu Shi (TR): "I understand, then I'll start flying again."
The engineer was speechless upon hearing this. He rubbed his temples and said to Sid behind him, "This guy is too independent. No team would like someone like him."
"Are you in his team?" Joss immediately questioned.
"Of course not."
"He's just not listening to you, not the team, so it's your problem, not his." Joss spoke without any mercy.
The engineer looked rather grim.
This is not Wu Shi's fault, because in his opinion, the lap time he could achieve with these tires would be at most 1.5 seconds slower than the previous lap, and based on the previously reported results, the fastest lap time of the others was probably around the same, so he didn't need to change tires at all!
Wouldn't it be better to keep the brand-new tires, run the second qualifying session, and secure pole position in the third race?
Just then, a commotion was heard in the maintenance area. Everyone looked towards a group of people walking in from behind. The leader was a man wearing a gray suit, with short hair combed to the sides and sharp eyes.
Luca di Montezemolo!
The current chairman of Lafayette!
Even Joss's eyes widened. This person must have just happened to be passing by. It couldn't have come specifically to watch the little guy run around, could it?
Before he could speak, someone led him directly to where Engineer Wu Shi was.
"What's his situation now?" Montezemolo asked directly.
"Yes, he just finished one flying lap, and when he was about to do his second flying lap, he was blocked. After letting him go, we were going to let him pit to change his tires and do another lap, but he stubbornly refused and insisted on doing one more lap," the engineer said.
"So you said all that just to tell me he's on his third lap right now?" Montezemolo demanded.
The engineer was sweating profusely. He hadn't noticed it before, but now that this high-ranking leader was standing next to him, the pressure was immense. He nodded and said, "Yes, he's on his third lap."
"good."
Montezemolo looked at the screen; Wu Shi had just passed Turn 16 and was preparing for his next flying lap.
His sharp eyes scanned the various data on the display screen, and he roughly understood the situation. He said to Martina, who was standing to the side, "It seems that she is a very opinionated child."
"He's been like this since he was a child."
Martina smiled. Wu Shi's precociousness left a deep impression on her, but why was he causing this commotion today? Drivers who don't follow team instructions are not likable, especially for a team like LaFerrari.
She couldn't help but look at Sid.
Sid shrugged. "You notified me about the main competition this afternoon! You didn't say I'd be here this morning."
Montezemolo paid no attention to the subtle movements and expressions of those around him; he only stared at the driver on the track who was lapping the old tires.
No one knows what he's thinking.
But the engineer, still seemingly angry about being contradicted, said, "With the wear and tear on his tires, if he flies another lap, his time won't be very good, and he might lose pole position in the second race."
"You shouldn't have said that to me; you should have told him in TR." Montezemolo frowned.
"Yes." The engineer realized he was doomed and reluctantly said in TR, "You're not following the team's advice, and you're likely to lose your pole position for the second race."
Sizzle~
After a burst of static in the earpiece, Wu Shi's shout came through:
"Stop talking nonsense, buddy! I'll fly this lap and you'll know who's right!"
① This series of races was only held for one year in 2014. Due to issues such as operating costs and driver registration fees, it was not organized afterward. In 2016, it was supposed to be held again, but that also came to nothing.