Chapter 253: He Has No Chance
Monza demands a very high level of car setup skill from drivers; not everyone can acutely provide data feedback after driving on a high-speed track.
That fleeting sensation requires very rich experience to grasp.
Even Wu Shi was frequently pitting during the First Practice Session, searching for the direction of the car's setup.
"What do you think of the tyre pressure?" Engineer Mark asked.
"For the sake of the tyres, I believe the tyre pressure should be appropriately increased for the race."
Mark nodded. In fact, the minimum tyre pressure stipulated by Pirelli was already very high.
Many teams simply used the minimum tyre pressure calibrated by Pirelli throughout the entire race.
Lower tyre pressure means a larger contact patch, allowing the tyres to provide more grip at the start and reach working temperature faster.
So, if possible, teams are more willing to lower tyre pressure during Qualifying.
However, lowering tyre pressure carries a very high risk, not to mention the potential issue of failing tyre pressure checks afterwards.
The main reason is that excessively low tyre pressure puts greater stress on the tyre sidewalls, easily leading to blowouts.
Especially when tyres are worn, the fragility of the sidewall becomes even more apparent.
Mark provided several calculated tyre pressure values.
Wu Shi would attempt to find the optimal race tyre pressure over these next few laps.
On the other side, Massa was also diligently providing feedback.
As a veteran, he had a very deep understanding of Monza and possessed extensive experience.
Although this experience might not necessarily be applicable to Wu Shi.
However, having two cars conduct different tests maximised the use of Practice Session time.
Massa was currently searching for the optimal camber angle setup parameters.
The camber angle setting is primarily to gain more grip during cornering.
A suitable camber angle also disperses pressure on the contact patch during cornering, thereby extending tyre life.
Massa discussed with the engineering team in the garage for about ten minutes before getting into the car.
After the First Practice Session, Wu Shi had already made a judgement on tyre pressure; different tyre pressures would be used for Q2, Q3, and the race.
Massa's entire test session essentially involved the engineers adding a few shims to the front brake ducts, increasing the camber angle.
This data would be further tested by Wu Shi during the Second Practice Session to seek the best cornering performance.
Throughout the First Practice Session, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team still dominated.
Hamilton was first with 1 minute 24.670 seconds, and Rosberg was second with 1 minute 25.133 seconds.
Vettel was third with 1 minute 26.258 seconds, trailing Hamilton by a full 1.588 seconds!
After the Practice Session, reporters responsible for quick reports directly described in their articles:
"This is a team on a different planet from the rest."
This drew Toto's displeasure. Toto now strongly disliked the paddock praising the performance of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team's car.
During the Second Practice Session, Vettel briefly held second place, but ultimately found it difficult to take a bite out of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team.
Neither of the two Williams drivers showed enough speed, struggling in sixth and seventh places.
In fact, at this time, both drivers were still testing the car's setup, so the lap times had no real significance.
As Wu Shi said in a previous interview, to maintain their lead in the standings, Williams Racing had much more work to do than other teams.
Mercedes only needed to reach a comfortable setup range to drive, as their car was already fast.
Scuderia Ferrari had not yet entered the championship contention, and the atmosphere within their team was very different from Williams.
However, even if they entered the championship contention, Scuderia Ferrari's internal management issues would likely prevent them from fully utilising their potential.
To achieve even a few hundredths of a second improvement per lap, Williams Racing needed to make several attempts.
This greatly increased Wu Shi's burden.
After all, only Wu Shi could test those few hundredths of a second improvements per lap.
Massa primarily played a supporting role; he would identify a general direction for optimisation.
Then, he would continuously refine it, providing a smaller range of values, with Wu Shi completing the final testing step.
Red Bull Racing also had bad luck; Ricciardo's replacement gearbox hydraulic system failed, and he didn't complete the Second Practice Session.
Instead, Force India's Pérez and Hülkenberg ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, showing good competitiveness.
However, during the post-race interview, the Force India Team Principal stated that they still needed to adjust the balance.
Considering their performance in the previous race, Force India indeed showed significant improvement after the summer break, and the Team Principal's remarks were seen by everyone as humility.
Due to Williams' poor performance, many media outlets expressed concerns about their performance in this race during interviews.
Regarding the media's concerns, Williams Deputy Team Principal Claire stated:
"We encountered some issues and are making adjustments. We believe we can find a suitable solution in tomorrow's Third Practice Session."
And so, the next day arrived.
Saturday morning, the Third Practice Session began.
Hamilton and Rosberg both conducted longer-distance tests, completing 18 and 19 laps respectively.
Hamilton still topped the charts with a time of 1 minute 24.544 seconds.
Rosberg was 0.3 seconds slower, ranking third with a time of 1 minute 24.844 seconds.
Scuderia Ferrari's Vettel, however, ran a 1 minute 24.808 seconds lap, placing him second.
Wu Shi was exactly 0.1 seconds slower than Rosberg, ranking fourth.
The good news was that Massa also performed well in this session, only 0.1 seconds slower than Wu Shi, placing fifth.
Force India seemed to have encountered some problems, just as their Team Principal mentioned in the post-Second Practice Session interview; Pérez only ranked eighth.
Hülkenberg did not enter the top ten.
But the biggest problem was Räikkönen, who failed to enter the top five in all three Practice Sessions.
According to Scuderia Ferrari, they encountered issues with the setup.
As soon as the Practice Session ended, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team held a pre-Qualifying meeting.
"Wu Shi hasn't shown much speed in all three Practice Sessions. What is his estimated Qualifying time?" Toto asked directly to the data team.
"In the Third Practice Session, Wu Shi ran a 1 minute 24.934 seconds, and Massa ran a 1 minute 25.101 seconds. These are their fastest times.
"Combining their fastest times from each sector, we estimate Massa's final Qualifying time should fluctuate around 1 minute 24 seconds, plus or minus 0.1 seconds.
"As for Wu Shi, based on previous experience, we estimate around 1 minute 23.5 seconds."
After the engineer read out the data, the room fell silent for a short while.
Toto stroked his chin and asked, "What's our own estimate?"
"1 minute 23.5 seconds," the engineer replied.
'Was the engine change for nothing?'
Toto felt like swearing but held back, only thinking it to himself.
"Massa himself has a high level of familiarity with the Monza Circuit. I don't think Wu Shi will be that much faster than him this time."
Another engineer raised an objection.
After he finished speaking, he typed a series of commands on his laptop, and once the system simulated the results, it was immediately projected onto the screen.
Everyone looked over.
On high-speed tracks like Monza, most teams adopt a low downforce setup.
After all, straights account for a full 77%, so it's mostly about flooring the accelerator.
And with all low-drag setups, the demand for engine output power is reduced.
Additionally, with only 11 corners, it's difficult to create significant gaps.
So, even driving cars with some performance differences, top drivers will still not have vastly different speeds.
The data chart showed the top speeds on the main straights for each team, and the differences were not very large.
"So your calculation result is that Wu Shi will be slower than 1 minute 23.5 seconds by about 0.2 seconds?" someone asked.
"Yes," the engineer nodded.
Toto's gaze, however, turned to the two drivers.
Engineers manage data, drivers manage the car.
Ultimately, the drivers determine the final performance.
"With each race that passes, we get closer to the end of the season!
"And now, we are still behind in the Drivers' Championship, and I hope to end this matter as soon as possible."
After speaking, he still seemed somewhat dissatisfied and continued:
"Whenever the paddock discusses what an incredible car we have built, I only feel it is an insult to us."
Hamilton placed his hands on the table, looking at Toto like a student being scolded.
Rosberg, on the other hand, kept his head down, not looking directly at Toto.
Toto's words silenced the entire meeting room for a full 5 seconds.
Those suffocating 5 seconds only dissipated after Toto uttered "Continue."
Subsequently, the heads of various modules began to report their situations, followed by the two drivers' reports.
Unlike the suffocating and oppressive atmosphere in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team meeting room, in the Williams Racing meeting room, everyone felt immense pressure and anxiety.
They simply couldn't catch up, they just couldn't catch up!
In this Third Practice Session, even Wu Shi couldn't achieve a sufficient time, making everyone feel helpless.
"Let's put our heads together and quickly adjust the car before Qualifying begins."
Claire rubbed her temples after listening to the reports from the two drivers and engineers.
The intense and orderly work continued.
Wu Shi and Massa huddled with the engineers, pointing at various data and discussing feasible setup changes.
Throughout the entire morning, the pit crew members were busy, not eating anything.
Even though Wu Shi knew Louise had arrived, he could only snatch a moment to greet her before immediately diving back into work.
Without any rest.
In the afternoon, Qualifying began.
The final configuration was only confirmed just before the start of Qualifying.
Wu Shi and Massa were not very confident and entered the track early.
In a few laps, Wu Shi clocked a time of 1 minute 24.9 seconds.
This time was enough to enter Q2, but Wu Shi did not stop lapping.
After the second Flying Lap, he breathed a sigh of relief; the setup had no problems.
So he pressed the radio button and told the team, "Everything is normal."
"OK, do you need to continue?"
"Yes, I need to do a few more laps," Wu Shi said.
So, he remained on the track, flying around to find the optimal racing line.
The simpler the track, the more it tests the subtle driving in each corner.
With a newly adjusted car, Wu Shi still needed to get a feel for it.
Because the suspension's stiffness and softness had subtle differences, all the kerbs previously identified needed to be re-evaluated.
This was undoubtedly a major undertaking.
Including flying laps and cool-down/charging laps, Wu Shi completed a full 9 laps before returning to the garage.
Massa, however, finished relatively quickly, setting a time of 1 minute 25.184 seconds after only 7 laps, a result that would certainly get him into Q2.
Q1 didn't have any major upsets; as usual, the two Manor Marussia cars and two McLaren cars were eliminated.
Max Verstappen did not participate in Qualifying due to vehicle issues.
In Q2, the real competition began.
As before, to ensure better tyres for the race start, drivers aiming for the front row preferred to do only one Flying Lap to conserve tyres.
On a high-speed circuit like Monza, even the most skilled drivers couldn't guarantee an optimal lap time every time.
The pit crew reduced Wu Shi's tyre pressure to the minimum limit.
Wu Shi only planned to do one Flying Lap.
"You need to improve your time by at least 0.5 seconds to safely enter Q3," Jonathan said.
"I understand."
For the first few minutes, Wu Shi didn't even get into the car, standing in the paddock and watching everyone's lap data.
Louise stood beside him.
At this moment, a camera focused on them.
Wu Shi smiled with pursed lips and waved at the camera.
Louise also cutely tilted her head and greeted them.
This unexpectedly sparked cheers from the stands.
The spectators who came to watch the Qualifying Session on Saturday were mostly absolute enthusiasts.
After all, if not for season tickets, many spectators wouldn't even want to buy tickets for Friday and Saturday.
"You're still so popular in Italy," Jonathan said.
"After all, I'm a driver who came up through here," Wu Shi replied with a smile, then turned his head to glance at Louise.
His fan base in Europe was primarily accumulated from his karting days all the way through F3.
He had been a standout in various competitions since childhood, and people naturally admire the strong; coupled with his good looks, he naturally attracted a group of fans.
If he were to start a live stream now, it would surely attract a large number of fans.
However, he didn't have that much free time this season.
Wu Shi only drove out of the pit lane when less than 6 minutes remained in Q2.
"Wu Shi coming out at this time surely plans to do only one Flying Lap; he actually has such confidence," the commentator said, surprised.
In all of Q2, only Hamilton and Räikkönen chose to do this; even the previous generation's prodigy, Vettel, had already come out and done a Flying Lap.
As Wu Shi drove onto the track, his mind was filled with every detail of the entire circuit since yesterday.
He carefully felt the grip of the soft tyres.
During the warm-up, with his frequent acceleration and braking, the tyres and brakes quickly heated up.
Before the end of the lap, everything was ready.
It was only Q2.
Wu Shi got into the zone and started his Flying Lap.
The camera on the long straight still focused on Wu Shi—the sponsors on the Williams this year were getting plenty of exposure.
His timing appeared at the bottom of the screen.
Hamilton had been doing his Flying Lap just before.
Given the huge gap before, no one actually believed Wu Shi could post a time that would threaten the veteran.
What everyone was concerned about was whether Wu Shi could push this car into the 1 minute 23 second range.
Regardless of the Q2 cutoff, for drivers aiming for pole position in Q3, Q2 already required a maximum Flying Lap to get a feel for the track.
A moment later, Hamilton crossed the finish line.
His time was 1 minute 23.383 seconds.
The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team directly punched the air and shouted, "Nice! That was beautiful!"
Far better than what was estimated in the meeting; this is the driver's skill!
Meanwhile, Rosberg, who was preparing for his second Flying Lap, saw Hamilton's updated time, pushing him to first place, on the large screen by the track.
He knew he also had to set a good time!
Half a minute later, he sped towards the finish line, beginning his Flying Lap.
And Wu Shi's time had also come out.
1 minute 23.611 seconds!
"Nice!" Jonathan exclaimed excitedly.
He had originally expected a time close to 1 minute 24 seconds to be good, but this result far exceeded his expectations!
Subsequently, Räikkönen's time appeared: 1 minute 23.757 seconds.
After that, Rosberg's: 1 minute 23.864 seconds.
Inside the previously jubilant Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, there was no great disappointment now, just expressionless faces, as if they had anticipated this result.
Vettel's second Flying Lap time also appeared: 1 minute 23.577 seconds, placing him second.
This gave the Scuderia Ferrari pit crew a thrill and sparked considerable cheers from the stands.
Monza, after all, is Ferrari's home ground!
Q2 was nearing its end.
The times were basically set.
Hamilton was in a league of his own.
Vettel followed closely, 0.194 seconds slower.
Wu Shi was third, 0.034 seconds slower than Vettel.
This indicated that there might be an intense battle between Williams Racing and Ferrari in Q3.
Räikkönen was fourth.
Rosberg was fifth.
Massa was sixth.
The top six were swept by the three major teams of the season.
Red Bull Racing's Ricciardo did not participate due to engine failure, and Kvyat was eliminated at the bottom, likely also due to an engine issue, not pushing to full power.
Sainz was second to last and also eliminated.
Both Red Bull affiliated teams were out in Q2.
After a break of less than fifteen minutes, Q3 began.
"Everyone did their best in Q2," Jonathan said to Wu Shi.
"Of course, me too," Wu Shi nodded.
In Q3 tradition, drivers who couldn't make the front row would symbolically do a Flying Lap and then call it a day.
Ericsson was so casual that he only managed a time of 1 minute 26.214 seconds.
Hülkenberg and Pérez also didn't struggle, finishing early after one Flying Lap.
Grosjean, however, wanted to climb up the positions.
When the track was clearer, Wu Shi went out.
His first Flying Lap was a smooth 1 minute 23.622 seconds, putting him at the top.
Claire nodded; Wu Shi's performance was always so consistent.
"Just encountered some wind," Wu Shi told Jonathan over the radio.
"OK, do you want to stay on track or come back first?"
"I'll stay on track," Wu Shi said.
"Alright, I'll watch the traffic situation."
After a brief conversation, the veteran's first Flying Lap also came out.
1 minute 23.417 seconds.
Naturally fast.
It seemed that, just as Jonathan had said earlier, everyone had given their all in Q2.
Now, both Hamilton's and Wu Shi's first Flying Laps were not faster than their Q2 times.
Immediately after, the other drivers also began their Flying Laps.
The first collective Flying Lap surge concluded here.
Most drivers chose to return to the paddock to rest, waiting for the final moments to re-enter the track for their second Flying Lap.
Only Wu Shi remained on the track.
"The track traffic is very good now, are you ready to start your Flying Lap?"
"Of course."
After a simple reply, Wu Shi began his second Flying Lap.
As before, he pushed the track limits almost everywhere to compensate for the Williams' lack of downforce in the corners.
This lap was extremely challenging, putting a huge physical strain on him.
Whoosh!
The lap ended, and the time appeared.
1 minute 23.440 seconds.
Gasp!
Even the Williams Racing pit crew looked at this time with some disbelief.
"Phew!"
Wu Shi took a breath and said over the radio: "Just caught a tailwind, very lucky!"
"Yeah, very good!"
Jonathan looked at Wu Shi's time; now, the only one to worry about was Rosberg.
Even the director realised the crucial point, so the camera focused on Rosberg, sitting in his race car, waiting.
Rosberg noticed everyone's gaze; he looked at the camera, his expression serious.
"I should go out," Rosberg said to his track engineer.
"Wait a bit longer," the track engineer refused him.
"..."
While Rosberg waited, Hamilton next door went out.
Nearly three minutes later, Hamilton updated the fastest lap.
1 minute 23.397 seconds.
Rosberg took a deep breath, still only able to wait for his track engineer's instructions.
His track engineer was also under immense pressure.
As more and more cars did Flying Laps, the track conditions were continuously improving.
He only let Rosberg out when the traffic situation was also good enough.
"After the warm-up lap, you need to start your Flying Lap immediately; we only have this one chance," the track engineer told Rosberg.
"Copy."
After agreeing, Rosberg began his Flying Lap.
Before everyone's attention turned to him, Räikkönen's and Vettel's times had already come out.
Both Ferrari drivers posted times around 1 minute 23.6 seconds.
Räikkönen was slightly ahead by 0.05 seconds.
At this point, Rosberg's time became the most crucial focal point.
Wu Shi, who had already returned to the paddock, was also watching what his direct competitor was doing.
However, before the first sector was even completed, he directly told Jonathan:
"He has no chance."
"Why?"
Jonathan was a bit surprised, because each driver's proficiency in each sector is different, so the speed of one sector can hardly determine the final result.
The main thing was that Rosberg hadn't even finished his first sector!
Wu Shi explained: "He didn't push hard, and..."
"And I feel he was a bit slow coming out of the corners."
From the T-cam view, it was visible that Rosberg was not utilising the entire track space to its limit.
Even if Mercedes' car didn't utilise the space to its limit, it could still achieve very good results, but this was a fight for pole position!
If he didn't push hard in the first sector, it would be even harder to push in the subsequent sectors.
Indeed, after about twenty seconds, Rosberg's time came out.
1 minute 23.703 seconds, placing him sixth.
Applause erupted within the Williams Racing Team.
Wu Shi once again secured a front-row start.
"Well done."
Claire also stepped forward, patted Wu Shi's shoulder, and said:
"Rosberg is stuck behind again; we still have a good chance in the race."
Wu Shi nodded, smiling: "Of course, I'll try to go head-to-head with Lewis."
"Hahaha, then we'll wait to see you bring us a surprise."