Chapter 248: The Only Remaining Strategy
Hamilton didn't hesitate, replying immediately: "Copy."
He understood the stakes – even if Rosberg took second, it was better than Wu Shi claiming the position, as it would close the 10-point championship gap. Still, his lead over his teammate was narrow enough that letting Rosberg pass easily could invite an attack on his own position. Ideally, he thought, Wu Shi and Rosberg would battle to the point of mutual retirement – a scenario he'd experienced with both drivers before, though the pair had never taken each other out together.
So he planned to play it cleverly.
Wu Shi felt Hamilton accelerate and had no choice but to keep up. Losing DRS would mean Rosberg overtaking him quickly, but pushing to stay close accelerated tire wear. He calculated silently: the soft tires should last 12-15 laps, requiring them to hold on until at least lap 28 – five more laps to go. If Hamilton maintained his current pace, it would be tight; if he eased off, there was hope. With DRS, Williams could match Mercedes on straights, and defending in corners would cost far more than holding position on the straight.
He held on through laps 24 and 25.
"Lewis has pulled away from you," Jonathan informed him.
As Wu Shi opened DRS on the main straight, he noticed Hamilton's line into Turn 1 was slightly off – barely noticeable to most, but enough to suggest he might be holding back to keep Rosberg at bay. Wu Shi couldn't fully grasp the logic, but he seized the opportunity.
"DRS activated – detection point gap is 0.981 seconds," Jonathan said as they passed the marker after Turn 1. It was a close call, but enough to get through another lap. Wu Shi's goal was simple: hold on as long as possible to wear Rosberg down.
By the end of lap 25, little had changed. Rosberg, growing frustrated, radioed his team: "How does Wu Shi still have Lewis's DRS? Why hasn't he pulled away?"
After a brief silence, the team responded: "We've instructed Lewis to increase his pace."
"Hahaha, the dynamics between these three are so twisted!" Brother Bing laughed.
Brother Fei chuckled before analyzing seriously: "From Hamilton's perspective, he should pull away. Wu Shi leads the standings – the lower he finishes, the faster Hamilton can reclaim the top spot. Targeting Rosberg hurts team relations and the Constructors' Championship bid."
"Why's that?" Brother Bing asked.
"Who's the bigger threat to him – Rosberg or Wu Shi?"
After a pause, Brother Bing answered: "Wu Shi, definitely."
"Exactly! Rosberg can't beat him in a straight fight for the title, but Wu Shi is always looking for a chance to challenge him. Hamilton knows that."
Their laughter faded quickly as Hamilton picked up the pace on lap 26. By lap 27, Wu Shi had lost DRS entirely.
"I know Hamilton's plan now," Brother Bing said decisively. "Hold Rosberg up for a few laps, then pull away so Nico can't catch him."
He was right. On lap 27, Rosberg caught Wu Shi on the straight after Turn 1, activated DRS through Turns 2-4, and closed in rapidly.
Wu Shi could feel the Mercedes closing in, judging the distance by the airflow around his car. When the gap narrowed to the point of attack, he sensed Rosberg's move – first a shift left, then a feint to the right.
Reacting instinctively, Wu Shi mirrored the left move before switching to the right just as Rosberg committed. At over 300 kph, the maneuver left Rosberg with no room to adjust. He tried to pass on the right but was blocked by Wu Shi's rear wheel, forcing him to brake harder.
Screech!
Wu Shi turned into Turn 5 smoothly, while Rosberg's harsh braking disrupted his rhythm, widening the gap to 0.7 seconds.
"Can't say he was too eager this time," Brother Bing commented.
"Does Wu Shi have eyes in the back of his head? How did he match every move?" Brother Fei marveled.
David, the international commentator, was more animated: "Incredible defense! Wu Shi's instincts are extraordinary – that synchronized line change was flawless! I need to know how he pulled that off!"
The replay showed the two cars moving in near-perfect harmony. While some questioned if Wu Shi's multiple line changes violated regulations, the FIA would need time to review. In the pits, Mercedes and Williams directors were already in contact with Race Director Charlie Whiting.
Rosberg cursed over the radio in frustration. Bono relayed the situation to Hamilton, who responded: "How could he be so careless? Wu Shi is tricky – tell Nico he needs an absolute advantage to attack, otherwise he'll just get bogged down."
Bono agreed but knew better than to pass that message on to Rosberg.
On lap 27, Rosberg chased again but waited until after Turn 1 to attack, drafting through Turn 4 before activating DRS. This time, his speed advantage was too great. Wu Shi blocked the left, leaving just enough space on the right – Rosberg swept past, kicking up grass clippings as he stayed just inside the white line.
"Wu Shi couldn't hold on in the end," Brother Bing sighed. "Mercedes is fast everywhere on this track – their post-summer optimization is clearly top-tier."
"A podium is still good – he'll keep the points lead," Brother Fei noted. "Now we look to the next race."
"Monza? Another Mercedes advantage track."
"Also a Williams advantage track! Though I'd prefer Monaco – his qualifying lap there was such a shame."
"Absolutely – on tracks where engine and aero matter less, his car control shines."
By lap 28, Rosberg was pushing to open a gap, but Wu Shi still had DRS. It wasn't until lap 29 that the distance stretched beyond one second. Both drivers' medium tires were worn – 18 laps for Wu Shi, 17 for Rosberg – and corner speeds were dropping. Wu Shi's only edge was his ability to adapt to worn tires; many drivers lost rhythm as grip fluctuated lap by lap.
"Nico isn't pulling away fast – gap is 1.6 seconds," Jonathan said.
"Am I only going to finish third?" Wu Shi asked bluntly.
"We're evaluating tire life – how much longer can you hold on?"
"At least 5 laps. How long do you need me to?"
After 23 laps, the tires would be dangerously worn, with high blowout risk. The strategy team calculated: if Rosberg switched to softs on lap 30, he'd gain 1-2 seconds per lap; Wu Shi would match that pace on new tires. The only chance was to pit first and build an out-lap advantage – but Mercedes would likely follow immediately.
Hamilton led by 4 seconds, Vettel was fourth (28.5 seconds back), and only Nasr in 14th posed any potential traffic issue – negligible for the front three.
Inside the car, Wu Shi made his decision, twisting a dial on the steering wheel to signal an emergency pit stop. The team scrambled to prepare, with Jonathan reminding the crew not to mix up tires again.
"Wu Shi is pitting!"
The camera cut to Williams' pit box and then to Toto Wolff's face. Mercedes hesitated – 5 seconds passed with no instruction to Rosberg, and the moment to prepare was lost.
Wu Shi entered the pits smoothly.
"Rosberg pitted a lap later first time around – same strategy makes sense now," Brother Bing said.
"Suitable doesn't mean better – what if Wu Shi's out-lap is much faster?" Brother Fei countered.
"Then we have to ask if soft tires can last the rest of the race. The earlier battle showed Rosberg struggles to pull away when tires are equal – if they both switch now, he might face wear issues late on."
"So the fight could go to the end?"
"Not necessarily – the earlier battle had Hamilton's DRS to help Wu Shi. Will that happen again?"
Neither wanted to concede the outcome was decided.
Click! 2.8 seconds later, car #59 rolled out on new soft tires. Wu Shi accelerated hard onto the track – the out-lap would be critical.
Mercedes finally radioed Rosberg: "Nico, how are the tires? Wu Shi has switched to new softs."
"I can still run," Rosberg replied on the straight after Turn 15.
"OK – pit next lap."
He cut off the radio, only to see Hamilton pit first. His heart lifted – was the team clearing the way for him? But as he crossed the finish line, the radio crackled again:
"Push flat out – Wu Shi was 2.6 seconds faster last lap."
"WHAT?! Why didn't you let me pit now?! Why make me run another lap?!"
"Sorry."