Chapter 249: A Tire Burst!
Williams was elated to see Mercedes recall Hamilton first. With a 2.6-second out-lap advantage, they hoped for even bigger gains in the following laps – new tires improve with temperature, and drivers typically adapt better as laps pass. What they didn't know was Wu Shi's adaptation period was far shorter than most; 3.5 seconds per lap was optimistic, but the potential was there.
"Mercedes' radio communication is really something – are they just messing with Rosberg?"
"Why tell him that now?"
While confusing to viewers, informing the driver of the situation was standard team protocol. Mercedes couldn't risk Hamilton pitting later and emerging behind Wu Shi – with a pre-pit gap of under 6 seconds and Wu Shi gaining 2 seconds per lap, it was a real possibility. Their priority was clear: secure the Drivers' Championship at all costs, avoiding any unnecessary complications.
Vettel, running a one-stop strategy in fourth, added another layer of risk – if a caution period occurred, he could switch to soft tires and threaten the podium. The team needed to keep the race simple.
Crunch! Hamilton's tire change took 3.1 seconds – slightly slow – but he accelerated hard onto the track. As he exited the pits, Wu Shi streaked down the straight, casting a shadow of pressure over the Mercedes crew.
"Lewis, you're 2.9 seconds ahead of Wu Shi – pull away as much as possible."
"Copy. Has Nico pitted yet?"
"No."
"Copy."
Hamilton settled in, but cold tires on the out-lap saw the gap narrow to 2.4 seconds. Wu Shi's pace was extraordinary – faster than Hamilton's out-lap, a feat Mercedes hadn't anticipated. This lap would become required study material for all teams, a reminder never to underestimate him.
Thankfully for Mercedes, as Hamilton's tires warmed up, he pulled away. At the end of lap 31, Rosberg pitted and emerged 5.5 seconds behind Wu Shi. The lap times from lap 31 raised eyebrows:
Hamilton: 1:52.507 | Wu Shi: 1:52.501
Mercedes' strategist frowned, comparing data to find an explanation. Williams' medium tires weren't faster than softs – instead, Wu Shi was driving in a high-pressure style that couldn't be sustained. Yet analyzing his telemetry left the strategist amazed: after the first half of his out-lap, his lines were identical lap after lap, as precise as a machine's programming. Entry points, exit angles, curb usage – all perfectly consistent.
"Lewis, maintain pace for one more lap – let's see if Wu Shi can keep up."
The plan was to lure Wu Shi into pushing harder, increasing his tire wear and buying time for Rosberg. Hamilton agreed immediately – he wanted to shake off Wu Shi as quickly as possible.
Commentators focused on the undercut:
"Mercedes is in trouble now – are Williams' medium tires really that fast?"
"No – it's Wu Shi who's too fast! We need to see if he's pushing too hard or can hold this pace."
On lap 32, Rosberg posted a 1:54.1 out-lap while Wu Shi slowed to 1:52.8 – widening the gap to 6.8 seconds. Replays showed Rosberg had locked up at Turn 5, disrupting his rhythm.
"The pressure is showing – he looks like a rookie next to Wu Shi's veteran composure!"
The pair became the focus of discussion:
"Wu Shi never seems nervous – he hasn't made major mistakes this season."
"He's incredibly consistent, like Kimi. His mental strength must be something else."
"Verstappen mentioned once that Wu Shi gets so nervous his legs cramp after races – he just hides it well."
"Right! He told Verstappen he's under huge pressure from Mercedes' speed. No one in F1 is immune to it."
They fell silent, aware that without experiencing the sport firsthand, it was impossible to grasp the weight of expectations – from teams, fans, sponsors, and themselves. Wu Shi's rare admission of error after the Hungarian Grand Prix had shown he wasn't invincible, but how it affected him remained unknown.
"Hamilton uses fashion shows to unwind during race weeks – everyone has their way of coping."
Elsewhere on track, Kvyat was closing in on Räikkönen, while Vettel's lap times dropped as Grosjean hunted him down. At the front, Hamilton stabilized at 1:52.6-1:52.9, while Wu Shi settled at 1:53 flat – the intense opening laps had taken their toll.
Rosberg, however, was pushing hard. He set a new fastest lap of 1:52.416 and held steady at 1:52.5, gaining 0.4-0.7 seconds per lap.
"He's pushing the tires to the limit – can he catch up?"
By lap 37, Kvyat had overtaken Räikkönen, and Rosberg had closed to 3.4 seconds with six laps remaining.
"Nico gained 0.6 seconds last lap – your pace is down 0.1 seconds," Jonathan warned.
Wu Shi could see Rosberg in his mirrors. He'd pushed too hard early on, and tire wear was worse than expected – only Williams' better light-fuel tire management kept his speed from dropping more sharply. He estimated Rosberg would enter the 1-second zone by the penultimate lap. With no traffic to block or DRS to use, it would come down to pure skill.
On lap 40, Rosberg arrived sooner than expected – 1.1 seconds back. Simultaneously, Grosjean closed to 0.7 seconds behind Vettel, setting up a battle for fourth.
Lap 41 saw the gap shrink to 0.8 seconds. Rosberg activated DRS on the main straight, reaching 352 kph to Wu Shi's 323 kph – the speed difference was staggering, narrowing the gap to 0.6 seconds. Pérez was overtaken by Kvyat, while Grosjean attacked Vettel in the same DRS zone, reaching 348 kph to Ferrari's 315 kph. He pulled alongside but couldn't complete the pass as Vettel defended into the corner, extending the gap to 0.9 seconds.
"Vettel and Ferrari hold on – Grosjean won't get another chance!"
The camera cut back to the front, where Wu Shi and Rosberg were 0.636 seconds apart as they began lap 42 – the penultimate lap.
Rosberg opened DRS on the starting straight, closing to 0.125 seconds. Wu Shi pulled a fraction ahead into Turn 1, but slipstream brought Rosberg back as they blasted through Turns 2-4, riding the curbs. On the main straight, Rosberg pulled out to overtake – Wu Shi stayed centered, leaving just enough space to force a risky move. Rosberg took the narrow line, leading into Turn 5 with late braking, but Wu Shi regained position on turn-in, using track space to disrupt Rosberg's rhythm. The gap widened slightly to 0.4 seconds.
Suddenly, the camera switched to Vettel – rubber fragments flew from his right rear tire.
Tire burst!
"Vettel's tire burst – watch your own tires! No Safety Car expected," Jonathan warned immediately.
Vettel controlled the crippled car skillfully, letting cars pass as he limped toward the pits.
Back at the front, Wu Shi and Rosberg continued their duel. Rosberg closed in on the straight after Turn 15 but lost ground in high-speed corners. Exiting Turn 19, the gap was 0.53 seconds.
On the final starting straight, Rosberg feinted left – Wu Shi didn't react. The deception failed, and they entered Turn 1 together. Down the hill, over the curbs of Turns 2 and 3, they hit the final DRS zone.
Rosberg didn't tuck in – he moved slightly right, showing he meant business. 0.4 seconds apart, DRS activated.
The cars drew alongside, sparks trailing from both rears. Wu Shi braked early, allowing faster corner entry, while Rosberg stayed on the brakes longer. Wu Shi pressed the throttle as soon as possible, his rear wheels spinning slightly to pivot the car into the corner. As he aligned his line, Rosberg followed inches behind.
White smoke billowed as they exited Turn 5, Rosberg diving to the inside of Turn 6. Wu Shi squeezed him hard – no yielding from either driver. Rosberg had rehearsed this scenario countless times: Wu Shi led the standings, not him – he had nothing to lose.
Wu Shi backed off just enough to avoid contact, and they squeezed through the corner together, heading for Turn 7. With the right-side position, Wu Shi held the inside line for the right-hander. He avoided the curb to preserve exit speed, emerging three-quarters of a car length ahead.
Rosberg's front wing sat beside Wu Shi's rear wheel – too close for effective slipstream. As they straightened out after Turn 7, the order remained unchanged. Wu Shi still led by half a step.