Chapter 182: Victory
With the battles for position settled, the only remaining on-track action came from the intra-team fights between the Red Bull and Toro Rosso drivers.
When Wu Shi overtook Hamilton, he was still nearly nine seconds behind Sebastian Vettel — a gap impossible to close in the remaining laps.
And even if there had been enough laps, the medium tires were already at the limit. Holding off Hamilton was victory enough.
On lap 56, Sebastian Vettel weaved left and right on the main straight before taking the checkered flag, the lapped Red Bull cars behind him forming the perfect backdrop.
Ferrari Team Radio:
"YES! Fantastic job, Sebastian! Absolutely outstanding! Ferrari is back!"
"Thank you! Thank you, everyone! Grazie a tutti! Forza Ferrari! We keep pushing forward! Ohhhhhh!!!"
Vettel's shout nearly blew out the radio channel.
He waved to every corner of the circuit, joy written across his face. In the grandstands and grass banks, countless tifosi in red waved Ferrari flags wildly.
David, equally emotional, celebrated with Ferrari in the commentary booth.
"For this Italian team, this is a victory worth celebrating! Since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, Ferrari finally returns to the top step of the podium!
"For Sebastian Vettel, this victory ends two difficult seasons. You can see how much it means to him!
"And this is the first time since Michael Schumacher left Ferrari that a German driver has won for the Prancing Horse!
"What we are witnessing may not be just a single victory — it could be the beginning of a new chapter!
"Ferrari's bold strategy and excellent tire management in these hot conditions made the difference today!
"And Mercedes is not invincible! The championship fight this season may be far more intense than we expected!
"No matter how you look at it, this is a hugely significant victory. Let's give them our loudest congratulations!"
The broadcast kept cutting between Vettel celebrating and Wu Shi on his in-lap.
"Well done, P2 today. Great drive," Jonathan said.
"Thank you. Thanks, everyone."
Wu Shi was excited, but far calmer than Vettel — after all, he hadn't won the race.
On the cool-down lap, he drove close to the track edges, picking up rubber marbles for the post-race weigh-in.
When he arrived at parc fermé, the spaces behind the top-three boards were still empty. Vettel was clearly still celebrating on track.
Wu Shi parked under the P2 sign and removed his steering wheel and headrest.
Moments later, the red Ferrari rolled into parc fermé.
Ferrari mechanics crowded against the barriers, the entire area filled with cheers.
After stopping the car, Vettel lifted his steering wheel high above his head.
The noise exploded again.
Wu Shi felt a pang of envy. Winning in a Ferrari was the lifelong dream of countless drivers.
He could only watch as he walked toward the inner area. Hamilton, whose car was closer, walked in ahead of him.
After weighing in, Wu Shi entered the lounge lined with hostesses.
Hamilton was already seated, helmet off, resting on the chair beside him. He looked exhausted, but when he saw Wu Shi, he stood and gave him a hug.
"You drove really well today."
"You too. This heat is brutal."
They chatted quietly while wiping sweat.
Suddenly, applause erupted from the corridor — Vettel had arrived.
He looked like he was practically bouncing with excitement.
This victory, tied so closely to Ferrari and Schumacher's legacy, clearly meant everything to him.
Wu Shi stepped forward and hugged him.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Vettel patted Wu Shi's back, then hugged Hamilton as well.
After that, he hugged his race engineer, leaning on his shoulder, gesturing wildly, stopping halfway, then starting again.
Finally, he sat down, one hand covering his face. A moment later, he stood up again, sweat streaming — whether there were tears mixed in, no one could tell.
Wu Shi turned away slightly.
Knowing what Ferrari would face in the years ahead, he didn't look directly at Vettel's joy, instead downing an entire bottle of water. Malaysia's dehydration was no joke.
A staff member handed him a podium cap.
Two consecutive podiums — his luck in F1 so far felt unreal.
He just didn't know if it would last into the next round: Shanghai.
The host's voice rang out from outside.
"Third place today — Lewis Hamilton!"
Hamilton put on his cap, still holding his water bottle, smiling calmly as he walked out, showing no sign of frustration.
"Now, let's welcome our second-place finisher — Wu Shi!"
The cheers grew louder.
Wu Shi stepped onto the stage, waving politely.
There were many Chinese spectators in Malaysia, though local attitudes toward China were… complicated.
As he turned toward the podium, he noticed a familiar face.
Wasn't that the Malaysian Prime Minister?
Right — it was tradition here for the Prime Minister to present the trophies.
Wu Shi shook his hand.
The Prime Minister smiled and even spoke in Chinese:
"It's truly a pleasant surprise to see an East Asian driver on this podium."
"Thank you."
Finally, the host announced:
"And now, your winner — Sebastian Vettel!"
Vettel ran out in his red race suit, holding up one finger and jumping sideways before climbing onto the top step.
The German national anthem played.
Vettel stood straight, though he couldn't stop himself from smiling more than once.
Wu Shi glanced at the Chinese flag on the screen behind him — the stars were correct.
He relaxed slightly. He'd been genuinely worried they might get it wrong. If they had, he would have walked off immediately, podium or not.
As the anthem ended, today's guest interviewer, Eddie Jordan, came onto the stage and shouted to the crowd:
"I know you're not used to seeing him in red — but he still wins!"
He placed a hand on Vettel's arm.
"You look emotional. Why is that? The last time you cried was when you won the world championship!"