Chapter 251: 18 points
When the battle between Wu Shi and Rosberg concluded, the broadcast camera shifted to Vettel, who had just changed to new medium tyres.
At this point, the World Champion wanted to overtake further.
However, by the final lap of the race, the positions held would become the ultimate ranking.
Even F1 drivers whose car performance was inferior to Scuderia Ferrari's no longer needed to conserve their tyres.
They defended with all their might, giving Vettel no opportunity whatsoever.
Even a World Champion couldn't easily overcome them at this stage.
Vettel had no chance; he was mercilessly stuck behind and ultimately failed to score any points when he crossed the finish line.
On the other side, the Mercedes team began congratulating Hamilton on securing another victory.
"Excellent job, Lewis, a very good race, congratulations."
"Thank you, thank you, woohoo!" Hamilton whistled into the team radio.
Having secured another victory, Hamilton was clearly very excited.
He parked his race car behind the P1 marker and enthusiastically climbed out of the vehicle.
He was so excited that he didn't even remove his headrest before scrambling out.
It was fortunate he was relatively slender; otherwise, he might not have been able to squeeze out.
He reattached the steering wheel and stepped onto the car's front-right tyre.
He waved his hands to the entire crowd and excitedly bounced on the tyre.
Hearing the cheers from the stands, he became even more thrilled, leaping down and running to embrace his colleagues.
Then he returned to his race car, stroking it from the rear wing all the way to the driver's seat.
Clearly, he was immensely grateful for the car's performance in this race.
Wu Shi also got out of his race car, and the Williams team members were already waiting by the fence.
Upon seeing Wu Shi, they cheered loudly.
It was a spectacular race, and Wu Shi's performance had clearly exceeded everyone's expectations, which was the reason for their immense excitement.
When an F1 driver can always create miracles, the race crew naturally believes miracles will happen, and they will work even harder to create them alongside the F1 driver.
Among the top three, only Rosberg looked displeased after getting out of his car.
He didn't even high-five the Mercedes team race crew before taking off his helmet and walking towards the lounge.
Seeing the Mercedes Chief Engineer who came to collect the award, he showed no desire for much interaction.
After entering the lounge, Hamilton congratulated Wu Shi:
"You drove very well today, and when you overtook me, I was startled. I thought the victory was going to be taken by you again."
"Hahaha, I wish I could have taken the victory! Unfortunately, I was still a bit short."
Wu Shi responded, not specifying whether the 'shortage' was due to the car or his skill.
After weighing himself, Rosberg picked up a bottle of water and drank it, remaining silent in the lounge.
He stared blankly at the final results displayed on the lounge screen, the 0.012 seconds so glaring.
Wu Shi, however, had no animosity towards Rosberg.
He always believed that track matters should be resolved on the track, and outside the track, one shouldn't dwell on what happened during the race.
Otherwise, all competitors would eventually become enemies.
However, in reality, the 20 F1 drivers in the paddock generally have good relationships.
He patted Rosberg's shoulder.
Rosberg turned around, took a big gulp of water, and forced a smile:
"Congratulations."
"Thank you, the battle with you was incredibly thrilling. If it had been another 50 meters, I wouldn't have been able to match you."
Wu Shi said that Rosberg displayed extremely strong attacking capabilities during their wheel-to-wheel battle at the end.
This was a capability he had not witnessed before.
After all, Rosberg was an F1 driver with World Drivers' Championship potential.
You could say his consistency had issues, but you could never say his peak driving ability was lacking.
"What's the use of saying all this? The race is over, and the results are out, aren't they?" Rosberg smiled again.
At this moment, the excited voice of the announcer came from outside the lounge.
"Ladies and gentlemen, next up is the award ceremony for the 2015 F1 Belgian Grand Prix."
Upon hearing this, Rosberg patted Wu Shi's shoulder, said nothing more, and walked out of the lounge.
Once outside, he shed his troubled expression, adjusted his cap, and waved to the people who were still cheering for him.
Wu Shi followed, and loud cheers from his team erupted from below.
He smiled and waved to the crowd.
Finally, Hamilton emerged from the lounge, exultant.
He jogged all the way to the top step of the podium.
As he took his place, the national anthem began to play.
After the national anthem, Mr. Marco, President and Minister of Economy of the Walloon Region of Belgium, presented the awards to everyone.
The Belgian Grand Prix trophy was a large, smooth, circular plate with the Shell logo in the centre.
If Wu Shi were to describe it, it looked like a satellite dish used in the countryside.
Subsequently, Hamilton uncorked the champagne, initiating the spraying.
Today, he was the happiest sprayer and the happiest drinker.
Of course, everyone was still waiting to see if the interview guests would ask about the sensitive topic of Mercedes' final decision.
"Lewis, congratulations, you've achieved another victory in this race. It's a long-awaited victory and a very important one, as it has narrowed the points gap between you and Wu Shi.
"We saw that you seemed to encounter some issues at the start.
"However, you quickly regained your position and firmly controlled the pace of the race. Can you tell us how you feel right now?"
Hamilton took the microphone, smiled, and nodded, then greeted the entire audience in Belgian French.
"Yes, this race was very exhilarating, and I've secured another Grand Prix victory.
"I'm very grateful to the fans here for their encouragement and support for me.
"Of course, I'm also very grateful to the team for their help; they provided me with a stable and powerful power unit and excellent tuning.
"Without the team's help, I wouldn't have won this race as easily as I did.
"Actually, at the start, I didn't feel like I had done anything wrong, so when I saw Wu Shi catching up alongside me, I was very surprised.
"I don't know why his start was so fast?"
Hamilton showed a puzzled expression when he said this, turning to look at Wu Shi and casually asking:
"I really want to know why you can start so fast."
He finished with a smile, didn't wait for an answer, and returned to the topic:
"Although I defended against him at Turn 1, I made some mistakes later, running over more of the kerb.
"At that moment, Wu Shi very keenly seized the opportunity, attacked me, and then completed the overtake.
"Really, in a race, you can't give Wu Shi any opportunity, or you'll have to watch your position."
At this point, he looked at Wu Shi again; even now, recalling the overtake on the first lap still made his hair stand on end.
"Obviously, I later regained my position, thanks to having a good race car and my driving.
"So I still want to thank the team for everything they did this weekend. Thank you."
The interviewer nodded and then continued to ask:
"During the Virtual Safety Car, your distance was closed. What were your thoughts at that time?"
Hamilton thought for a moment and replied with a smile:
"No, the race was still under my control at that time; I wasn't worried about anything."
"During the final second pit stop, you were called into the pit lane earlier for tyre changes. How do you view this?"
The interviewer revealed his true intention.
However, Hamilton showed no hesitation when faced with this question, smiling and saying:
"I always follow the team's instructions. When the team tells me to pit, I pit."
The interviewer smiled knowingly, understanding that Hamilton would not offer any opinions on the matter.
So he turned to Wu Shi and began to ask:
"Wu Shi, I don't know whether I should congratulate you now or feel sorry for you."
Wu Shi held the microphone and said with a smile:
"I've done my best in this race.
"In my homeland, there's a proverb that says: 'Man proposes, God disposes.'
"In such moments, I believe there's no need for regret or pity, because you've done everything you could.
"If a better result is achieved, then everyone is happy; if an exceptionally outstanding result isn't achieved, there's no need to be sad about it."
The interviewer smiled and nodded, saying: "Okay, you've taught me a lesson. So today, I congratulate you here, congratulations on taking second place.
"Today's race was obviously very exciting for you; you even took the lead for a while, but unfortunately, you couldn't maintain it.
"Can you share your race with us?"
Wu Shi nodded: "Yes, at the start, I once again seized the opportunity.
"I successfully gained an unexpected position, but at the beginning of the race, Mercedes' speed was simply too fast.
"I had no way to block Hamilton behind me.
"And I knew that if I tried to block Hamilton at that moment, it would only prematurely age my tyres.
"Strategically, this would be a net loss, and we knew at the time that Nico was stuck in the back of the pack.
"At that time, our team's strategy was to do everything possible to secure second place.
"As you can see, we achieved all of these things.
"Thanks to my team, they gave the instruction for a second pit stop at the correct time.
"We successfully undercut Nico; without this well-timed pit stop, I definitely wouldn't have achieved this result.
"The team provided me with excellent support throughout the weekend, and through continuous attempts, we found a setup that was more suited to this track.
"We consistently completed this race and achieved a better-than-expected result."
The interviewer nodded and asked:
"You are currently being constantly chased by Lewis. Do you feel pressured?"
Wu Shi thought for a moment and nodded seriously:
"Of course, I do. Our car is not the fastest in the paddock.
"Therefore, to maintain our lead in points, we have to do much more than the Mercedes team."
After completing the interviews with the Champion and runner-up, the interviewer looked at Rosberg.
This was the main focus of today's interview.
Everyone knew that Rosberg had lost a position due to the team's strategy issues.
The interviewer didn't beat around the bush and directly said:
"Nico, it's a shame you only finished third in today's race, one position lower than your starting position.
"We know you encountered some problems at the start, losing many positions, but you eventually climbed back to second place.
"However, during the subsequent second pit stop, you not only lost position but also lost a lot of time.
"Do you think this was a strategic error? Or was it caused by other issues?"
Rosberg continuously spun the microphone in his hand and only spoke after a long pause:
"My first pit stop was earlier than Lewis's. I do believe I should have pitted earlier.
"However, the team's strategy group must have considered more comprehensive factors, and I accept those considerations.
"If I hadn't made a mistake on the out-lap, perhaps I could have caught Wu Shi at the end.
"This race was quite regrettable."
The interviewer smiled and nodded. Rosberg did not evade the question, which was enough.
The interviews with the three podium finishers concluded, and everyone began to leave the venue.
F1 Grand Prix are like this: grand in their staging, and quick in their dismantling.
On the way back from the podium, Wu Shi saw Vettel being interviewed.
At this time, the World Champion was sharply criticising Pirelli tyre issues.
He mentioned that Rosberg's tyre also suffered a puncture over the weekend.
And in this race, his tyre also suffered a puncture.
Rosberg, passing by, also supported his German compatriot.
Wu Shi did not express his opinion, because he knew that Pirelli tyres simply could not last for too many laps on this track.
He couldn't comment on Rosberg's tyre puncture during Friday practice.
But it was clear that Vettel wanted to run 28 laps on a set of medium tyres, so a puncture was inevitable.
Even he couldn't run that far on a set of medium tyres and expect them to remain stable without puncturing.
Of course, the controversies surrounding this race were far from over with its conclusion.
Many reporters and sports media published comments after the race, discussing whether Mercedes' decisions in this race were fair.
This brought significant negative impact to Mercedes' image.
In Germany, some media outlets criticised Mercedes' biased decisions and rallied in support of Rosberg.
However, in the UK, more media supported Mercedes' approach.
In fact, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, which participates in F1, has its headquarters in Brackley, UK, and its technical centre in Brixworth.
From this perspective, the Mercedes F1 Team should be a British team.
There's nothing much to say about the intricacies involved.
In short, this turmoil, stemming from Mercedes' mistakes, ultimately had to be borne by Mercedes itself.
After this race, Wu Shi's lead over Hamilton in points narrowed to 18 points.
If he continued to lose 7 points in each subsequent race, then in just three races, Wu Shi would fall behind in the standings.
And after that, there were still a full eight Grand Prix.
So, the situation facing the Williams Martini Racing Team remained extremely grim.
The next Grand Prix will be held in Monza, Italy.
Mercedes held another closed-door meeting, but no information was released this time.
Everyone only knew that reviewing this race shouldn't just focus on the second pit stop issue, but also on the start of the race.
Why did Mercedes have to face the decision of a second pit stop?
It was all because the starting issues of both F1 drivers were too severe.
If the start had been as normal as at the beginning of the season, then Wu Shi would have had no opportunity.
On the second day after the Grand Prix, sad news came from the racing world.
Former F1 driver, Justin Wilson, was involved in a crash during an IndyCar race held yesterday at the Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania, USA, and subsequently suffered a head injury, falling into a coma.
This F1 driver competed in F1 for Minardi and Jaguar in the 2003 season.
From 2004 to 2007, he competed in CCWS (Champ Car World Series) races.
From 2007 until this year, he had been fighting in IndyCar, and was only 37 years old this year.
Perhaps after he left Formula 1, public attention on him decreased.
But he was also an excellent F1 driver, having won the European Formula 3000 Championship in 2001, defeating Mark Webber.
As soon as this major accident occurred, Wu Shi expressed his view that the safety of open cockpits should begin to be improved.
Bianchi's lucky survival is not a reason for the racing world to disregard the importance of open cockpit safety.
Many people, like him, discussed adding coverings outside the cockpit.
There were also many who opposed it; Hamilton, Verstappen, and others felt it was unnecessary.
Furthermore, before the Italian Grand Prix in September, the organisers of the Italian Grand Prix expressed that the Grand Prix was expensive to operate.
Because they had to pay FOM (Formula One Management) 25 million Euros annually.
And F1 President Bernie Ecclestone made no concessions when discussing this fee.
Although in July, the Italy Senate provided 20 million Euros for track modernisation, was that enough?
Far from enough!
Ultimately, F1 Grand Prix are simply not profitable enough.
Just like the gradually unprofitable Olympic Games, fewer and fewer countries will be willing to host them.
The F1 calendar has already lost Germany and France; losing Italy would be unacceptable.
However, Ecclestone's stance remained firm. He publicly stated:
"Losing the Italian Grand Prix would be a huge loss for F1.
"We no longer have Germany, we no longer have France, but paying the price we ask should not be a tragedy!"
In reality, he was still telling everyone:
The money must be paid!
No matter how great you are, not paying this money is useless.
Monaco: Really?
Monaco is special; its entry fee is negotiable.
No one knows the exact amount, only that it is probably less than 15 million US dollars.
Before the race in Monza, Wu Shi also took a day to shoot a promotional poster for Pengcheng Aviation.
This video was mainly because Pengcheng Aviation wanted to expand into overseas markets, and considering Wu Shi's current influence in Europe, they negotiated a deal.
Just standing and striking a few poses earned him a million US dollars; it was another delightful business venture.
However, after the delightful business concluded and he returned to Oxfordshire, all the pressure came back.
If the car wasn't fast enough, would they commit slow suicide for all the remaining eight races?
"I wish Nico could unleash his inner power and put pressure on Lewis," Wu Shi said helplessly at the meeting.
"Hmm, that's right, so if we can prevent Lewis from winning the World Drivers' Championship, I think we will lean towards blocking him," Rodrigo said.