Chapter 243: Summer Break
"Well done, your final overtaking maneuver was excellent," Jonathan said.
"Yeah, after the restart, I got a bit overconfident – otherwise our finishing position would have been better," Wu Shi said.
Seventh place: neither good nor bad, but better than leaving without points entirely.
At the front, Vettel's victory drew huge cheers and celebrations. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, fans were immensely enthusiastic about the German driver, with many newly won over by the youngest ever World Champion. Most importantly of all, the Prancing Horse stood on the top step of the podium once again!
With this result, Vettel moved back to second place in the Drivers' Championship Standings – now just 21 points behind Wu Shi.
Williams' underperformance in this race did not go unnoticed. Mid-season declines are common in Formula 1, affecting numerous teams across the grid. As a result, Wu Shi was widely viewed as a leader with a precarious grip on his position.
"Thank you, team! Maranello has put me on the podium again – woohoo!" Vettel exclaimed over team radio, as the Ferrari pit wall erupted in applause and hugs.
As the red car made its way past each grandstand, massive cheers rang out. Vettel kept his arms raised the entire time, waving to fans celebrating alongside him.
Over at Red Bull, Ricciardo and Kvyat were also celebrating on TR. Ricciardo's second-place finish was particularly notable, proving once again that even with a car lacking outright performance, he could capitalise on opportunities to deliver strong results.
Verstappen too had reason to celebrate, scoring a career-best finish. His father Jos, watching from the Paddock, tried to maintain his composure but couldn't suppress a smile.
Alonso and Button both picked up points, ensuring McLaren were not entirely absent from the day's headlines.
The mood was very different in the Mercedes Paddock. While Hamilton took third place, it was hardly cause for celebration. Consecutive races had seen starting errors cost the team dearly – Hamilton now sat four points behind Vettel and a full 25 points adrift of Wu Shi. To close that gap, he would likely need Wu Shi to retire while he won races; otherwise, it would take at least three events, possibly more. With nine races remaining in the season, Mercedes faced an enormous challenge ahead of the Summer Break.
Vettel parked his car in pole position's designated spot, climbed out, and embraced his teammates warmly. Broadcast cameras focused squarely on the winner as someone handed him the Ferrari team flag and the Hungarian national flag. Vettel took both, stood atop his car, and waved them high – cheers and applause echoing from every direction.
Hamilton approached after exiting his own car, hugging Vettel and offering his congratulations.
Wu Shi had returned to the Pit Lane earlier – without a podium finish, he could begin packing up and heading back to the hotel. On his way, he crossed paths with Verstappen, who was clearly elated to have achieved such a strong result in his Toro Rosso. After a brief conversation, both drivers waited for their media obligations to begin.
Press officer Gianfranco hurried over to Wu Shi: "We're still leading the championship right now. When asked about it, you need to project confidence."
Wu Shi nodded – cooperating with team communications was part of his role, even if his own confidence wasn't fully solid.
When Wu Shi stepped up for his interview, journalists were clearly eager – a championship leader facing setbacks always makes for compelling stories.
"Wu Shi, you seemed to struggle here this weekend – qualifying didn't go your way, and there were several incidents during the race. You finished seventh, maintaining your points lead but seeing it narrow significantly. What went wrong out there? You switched to the yellow-marked soft tyres late on – you looked to have the pace for a podium."
Wu Shi nodded in response: "We didn't get off to a good start, but that's not unusual in F1 – every car has tracks where it performs stronger or weaker, and this was one where we were at a disadvantage. I had opportunities to move up the order during the race, but I made mistakes that I'm not happy with. I need to improve my understanding of this circuit."
He paused, knowing the real issue wasn't lack of track knowledge but overconfidence in both himself and the car – though that wasn't something to say publicly.
"As you can see, we still hold the championship lead, and I'm focused on delivering better results after the break."
The journalist continued: "In the first half of the season, you built a solid advantage and proved you're a capable, strong Formula 1 driver. The gap to your teammate has grown considerably – how have you managed to pull ahead like that?"
The question was thinly veiled: was his success down to driving ability, or preferential car setup? One poor race was enough to spark such speculation.
Wu Shi glanced into the distance before replying: "Would you believe me if I said it was just luck?"
The journalist smiled and shook his head.
"Opportunity favours the prepared. When the Mercedes drivers made mistakes, I was able to capitalise and pick up points – that's how I built my lead. If Verstappen was in their car at his peak, things would be very different. He has incredible consistency – when he has a competitive package, he rarely puts a wheel wrong."
He continued: "The current Mercedes drivers are different. They have strong qualifying pace but have faced issues in races that cost them points. Rosberg can struggle under pressure, while Hamilton has split focus between racing and his other commitments – we've seen this pattern from him before. He only brings his full attention to the championship when he's fighting from behind, so leading him in the first half doesn't mean I'm the better driver."
Before the journalist could follow up, Wu Shi added firmly: "But I will take every opportunity I get. Not a single point will go to waste – the World Drivers' Championship is within reach, and I won't hold back."
The journalist nodded in acknowledgement.
After the interview, Gianfranco gave him a thumbs up: "Great stuff – you needed to show that fire! You've been too reserved until now."
"Really?" Wu Shi laughed wryly. He'd always preferred to celebrate after securing victory, having learned the hard way that celebrating early could lead to disappointment later. He wasn't about to show unshakeable confidence before the title was won.
With the race complete, the 24-day Summer Break was set to begin. Williams held their post-race review meeting in Hungary, led by Claire. The discussion focused on analysing the weekend's performance – Wu Shi's result wasn't ideal, but he'd shown competitiveness on track. Massa, however, had struggled significantly, and the team needed to understand why before the break began. While formal meetings would be on hold during the break, engineers would still be working to address issues – even if it meant doing calculations from yachts or beaches during their mandatory two-week rest period.
"I'm not comfortable in this car," Massa stated plainly. "Straight-line speed is good – credit to the Mercedes engine and our aero package – but carrying cornering speed is extremely difficult. On wide tracks, finding a consistent line is almost impossible, and with light fuel loads, rear downforce drops off sharply, making it hard to get power down on exit."
Massa's feedback was extensive, highlighting how the car prioritised raw speed over stability. The delicate balance meant any change – from driver weight to track camber, tyre grip to line choice – could throw off performance completely, making the car feel unpredictable. While Wu Shi had adapted quickly, Massa's experience and driving style made it harder for him to cope with the car's characteristics. Even Wu Shi admitted he'd faced challenges in the corners.
"We had to prioritise speed to be competitive – we'll look into these stability issues back at the factory," said Chief Engineer Rod Nelson. "What about you, Wu Shi – what do you need from the car?"
"I'd like more stability and cornering agility, but if we have to choose, I'd take performance over predictability. A slow car is useless no matter how easy it is to drive."
Rod Nelson nodded – asking for a perfectly balanced car was unrealistic given Williams' resources.
As the meeting concluded, the sky over the Hungaroring was darkening with stars.
"Any plans for the break?" Jonathan asked.
"Not really – I'm not much of a traveller," Wu Shi admitted.
"Focus on the second half then – if you can't relax, use the time to prepare," Jonathan said. While the FIA mandates a rest period for teams' R&D departments, drivers face no restrictions as long as they don't use simulators for development work – leaving them free to train or rest as they choose.
"I understand."
"Push for setup changes that let you extract maximum performance, even if it makes the car feel unusual," Jonathan added. "This is a championship fight – we might have to sacrifice future development for results this season."
His words carried a note of calculated risk that would inevitably affect Massa, and aggressive development could push the car into a dead end. Layer upon layer of modifications would create a complex, interdependent design – like spaghetti code – where changing one element impacted everything else. If the car reached its development limit before season's end, Williams would have no fallback, lacking the budget to start over.
Wu Shi started to speak, but Jonathan patted his shoulder: "Good luck."
Alone under the night sky, Wu Shi stood silent for a long time. He could still smell rubber in the air, still hear the echo of engines. He wanted to walk the track one more time.
"Sir, this area is closed for the evening – oh! You're Wu Shi! I didn't realise you were still here." The staff member was ready to make an exception, but Wu Shi shook his head.
"No need for special treatment – if it's off-limits, I won't go in." He took one last look at the circuit before heading back to his hotel.
During the break, drivers scattered across the globe – Hamilton attended fashion events and travelled, while others took holidays. Wu Shi planned to return home to see his father, meet Ling Kang and friends for dinner, then spend time with Louise in Italy.
On August 4th, he arrived in Pengcheng. The city looked much the same, and Boss Chen was as energetic as ever at the local karting track.
"Check out the renovations – not bad, right? Thanks to you, we're getting young drivers coming from all over to train here. We even have your old karts framed on the wall!"
"It looks great," Wu Shi smiled. The original track had been perfectly adequate – top-tier facilities are rare for karting venues outside professional circuits.
Just then, Ling Kang arrived with a group of young karters.
"Didn't know you were coming – we would have organised something special!" Ling Kang said. Boss Chen added: "He helps out here sometimes, coaching the kids, but he's still racing professionally."
"Does everyone know who this is?" Ling Kang asked the children.
"I know! It's Wu Shi!"
"The best Formula 1 driver!"
A small boy pushed his way to the front, calling out: "I'm going to be just like you – the best F1 driver ever!"
Wu Shi smiled, thinking how some of these children might be racing on the world stage in ten years' time.
Even during his break, Wu Shi kept up with F1 news – Button's French villa had been burgled, and while drivers rested, teams were quietly continuing work. Claire's main concern was the budget – Wu Shi's arrival had disrupted original plans, but she ultimately decided to increase investment, knowing a championship could secure Williams' future for years to come.
Ferrari confirmed Kimi Räikkönen's contract for 2016, while Haas F1 – set to join the grid that year – was linked to Hülkenberg, as well as Ferrari reserves Jean-Éric Vergne and Esteban Gutiérrez. Lotus faced a more pressing crisis, having fallen behind on payments to Pirelli; Track Operations Head Alan Permane acknowledged they were struggling to field two cars reliably, with Renault reportedly considering a takeover to return to the sport.
Holidays always pass quickly, and Wu Shi's break was no exception. After a week at home, he returned to Europe, where Verstappen invited him to visit – only to reveal he wanted to race on iRacing. Though Wu Shi joked about being tricked, he spent time studying the Hungaroring with Verstappen. Sim racing presents its own challenges, with less feedback than real cars – Verstappen even adjusted audio settings to hear tyre noise better and judge wear.
Beyond simulators, Verstappen also enjoyed football: "If I hadn't gone into F1, I'd probably have played professionally." He was straightforward about his goals and dedicated to achieving them.
Before heading back to the UK, they travelled to Belgium to see the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, venue for the 11th round of the season. The track was closed for preparations, so they couldn't enter.
"I remember you raced here in F3," Verstappen said.
"Really?"
"You took Eau Rouge flat out – I didn't have the nerve back then."
"You will now," Wu Shi smiled.
"Of course – if you can't go flat in an F1 car, you might as well play football!" Verstappen laughed.
As the late-August Belgian Grand Prix approached, Williams' increased investment was in motion, though results wouldn't show immediately. After the mandatory two-week rest period, Claire called Wu Shi to her office.
"Have a seat," she said – her short blonde hair was neatly styled, and the cabinets behind her held trophies from across the team's history, with one empty space in the centre.
"I'm assigning Rod Nelson to your race crew full-time."
Wu Shi looked up in surprise – the Chief Engineer joining his team was a clear statement of intent.
"Work closely together – the second half of the season will define our future," Claire said.
"Thank you," Wu Shi replied. While Claire had previously stated her support, ensuring the entire team followed suit had been difficult – the British Grand Prix had nearly cost him points due to strategic indecision. Now, with Rod Nelson on board, her commitment was unmistakable.
"My father wants to see us bring this home too," Claire added.
Wu Shi took a deep breath: "I've never given up on winning the championship, and I won't let any opportunity slip away."
"Excellent!" Claire stood up, gesturing to the empty space in the cabinet. "We're waiting to put your trophy right here."
She'd learned from earlier missteps that a team leader needed clear resolve – and she had now made her choice.