Chapter 113 - 40: Straightaway, Welcome Victory!

Chapter 113: Chapter 40: Straightaway, Welcome Victory!

After Turn 4 was the large, sweeping Turn 5. Because its curve was so wide, the only difference from a straightaway was that drivers needed to slightly turn the steering wheel and fight off a "little" bit of G-force.

"Wu Shi is following very closely! Tailing another car like this easily causes the engine and tires to overheat, but with only a lap and a half left, he can’t afford to care about that anymore!"

Following the commentators’ perspective, the two cars rounded Turn 6, sped down the short straight, and clipped the apex of the obtuse Turn 7. Together, they arrived at Turn 8—the very corner where Wu Shi had previously plotted his overtake on O’connor.

Here, Wu Shi wasn’t actually preparing to overtake because the conditions were less than ideal. But no matter how inadequate the conditions were, he would still attempt an attack.

Verstappen was practically splitting his attention between the road ahead and his rearview mirrors. The No. 32 car behind him was as slippery as an eel, constantly looking for gaps to squeeze through. He felt immense pressure. His heart rate skyrocketed, and his brain was working in overdrive, consuming so much energy that it actually made him feel slightly dizzy.

Ever since 2008, he had been competing against Wu Shi every single year. It had been six years of rivalry! His mind was entirely filled with Wu Shi’s driving style—and the driving style he had developed for himself based on studying Wu Shi’s techniques.

Wu Shi kept his eyes glued to Verstappen’s car. He knew Verstappen’s driving characteristics and style. They were driving the exact same car, and when it came to familiarity with the machine, he definitely far surpassed Verstappen! Therefore, he knew exactly where the car’s limits were at every corner when driven according to Verstappen’s habits.

At Turn 12, he continued to launch attacks to pressure his opponent.

Verstappen struggled to control his vehicle and maintain his position. Going into the combination of corners from Turn 13 to Turn 16, he kept up his defense. Almost every second, he was contemplating whether to change his racing line or slam on the brakes. As they exited the series of corners, both cars nearly skidded.

GASP!

The team principal clenched his fists. They couldn’t let both cars retire from the race! Reaching this critical juncture, he couldn’t help but grow nervous!

Wu Shi noticed the slight slip of Verstappen’s rear wheels, and a smile finally appeared on his face. No one could maintain limit-driving forever. Anyone pushed to endless extremes would eventually make a mistake. He knew the opportunity had finally presented itself!

His own skidding was because his tires were nearing their absolute limits, but Verstappen’s skidding was a pure mistake! Through a full lap of extreme pressure, he had discovered Verstappen’s weakest point on the entire track. Now, the next step was to keep applying that pressure! And then force him to make another mistake in the exact same spot!

Faced with such tremendous pressure, even the 17-year-old Verstappen found it difficult to cope effectively!

At Turn 17, Wu Shi continued to aggressively dive into the inside line. He wasn’t aiming for a complete overtake; instead, he wanted to force Verstappen to block him using even more extreme defensive maneuvers. At their closest, the two vehicles were practically nested together, front to back.

Under the setting sun, the cameras focused on the two Van Amersfoort Ford race cars as they returned to the starting straight. This time, Wu Shi didn’t stay behind to ride the slipstream. He needed to cool his engine, so he kept to the right side of the track.

Approaching Turn 1, Verstappen moved to the middle line again to block him.

"Verstappen’s defense is incredibly tight! He doesn’t want to give up even a fraction of overtaking space, but we see—oh! Both cars are skidding again!

"They’re still dogfighting! Turn 2, Turn 3, Turn 4! He still hasn’t managed to overtake!"

The commentators’ voices boomed through the speakers. Everyone held their breath in rapt attention, only managing to sigh in slight relief once the cars entered the large sweeping curve. However, everyone knew the dogfight only subsided here because of the Great Straight. Wu Shi’s car couldn’t trail directly behind Verstappen, otherwise, his engine and tires would absolutely overheat. This took away his ability to pull out of the slipstream—a classic overtaking maneuver.

After Turns 6 and 7, they quickly reached the combination of corners from Turn 8 to Turn 11.

"Earlier, Wu Shi launched a successful overtaking strike on O’connor right here. Will he make his move on Verstappen here as well? He’s making his move! Is he trying to replicate the switchback from earlier!?

"No, he doesn’t have enough distance, and Verstappen is being too aggressive. Their cars are about to collide! They backed off! They both backed off at the exact same time!"

Wu Shi knew all about Verstappen’s aggression, and Verstappen was equally aware of Wu Shi’s. At the very last second, they both chose to save their cars.

Now, it wasn’t just Wu Shi who broke out in a cold sweat; Verstappen was sweating bullets as well. Inside the Van Amersfoort Racing Team pit garage, the tension was so thick it was almost suffocating.

The race had entered its final stages. Turn 12 to the final Turn 17 twisted and clamped together tightly.

"I’m afraid it’s going to be hard for Wu Shi to overtake now," the commentator said, taking a deep breath as the two cars sped down the straight between Turn 11 and Turn 12.

The track map in Wu Shi’s mind was incredibly clear. Entering the final six corners, he could feel the race car slipping under his inputs. The tires’ lifespan was nearing its absolute limit. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Verstappen just ahead to the side. This time, he entered Turn 12 with an absolute late-braking maneuver. Naturally, Verstappen wasn’t going to brake early and let him pass either.

SCREECH!!!

"Both of them locked up at the exact same time!"

Indeed, at this stage, the horribly degraded tires meant even Wu Shi couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t lock up. Both cars lost more than 0.3 seconds on this corner, allowing the third-place O’connor to close the gap.

However, the battle between the two continued. Heading into Turn 13, Wu Shi maintained his absolute dominance, while Verstappen locked up once again. White smoke billowed into the air, but the No. 32 car managed to brake and enter the corner right beside him!

"Oh! What just happened?! How did Verstappen make such a massive mistake!"

The commentators were baffled, but Wu Shi knew exactly what was going on. Over the course of their two-lap duel, he had completely shattered Verstappen’s perception of the car’s braking limits. After all, following multiple lock-ups, the guy had certainly lost his feel for the current condition of his tires. All Wu Shi had to do was keep pressing him and find a good spot—like Turn 13!

This corner was the place Verstappen was least familiar with!

"Oh! Wu Shi makes the turn! He didn’t lock up! He’s been locking up earlier due to poor tire conditions, so how did he manage to control it here!"

WHOOSH! VROOOM!

The engine let out its final roar. Wu Shi’s brain trembled; every flick of the paddle shifters felt like a strike to his very soul, and the rubber sloughing off the tires resembled flying drops of sweat. At the final crucial moment, the No. 32 car operated with absolute precision and near-zero margin for error, accelerating out of the corner and quickly navigating the two minor bends.

By the time they reached Turn 16, intermittent white smoke puffed from all four tires simultaneously. Wu Shi’s human ABS kicked in, ensuring the vehicle’s final ounces of grip. He saw Verstappen catching up, trailing right by his rear wheels. This was not the place to yield.

He squeezed from the inside line toward the outside. He had to enter Turn 17 slow and exit fast; otherwise, he wouldn’t gain the advantage needed for the final straight!

CLACK CLACK!

The car’s limits were squeezed completely dry. After leaving a trail of white smoke at Turn 17, Wu Shi finally cut across Verstappen’s vehicle, trapping him firmly behind his rear wing.

And then came the straightaway. It was time to welcome victory!

SWISH!

"He crosses the finish line! Wu Shi! He took the win! He took the win!" the commentator roared.

Inside the pit garage, the usually steady Alan leaped high into the air, his cheers echoing throughout the pit lane. In the grandstands, the sparse scattering of spectators stood up in unison, their frantic shouts ringing endlessly. The waiting reporters had glowing eyes and rapid breaths.

This victory exceeded everyone’s expectations! It shattered everyone’s understanding! A race where he started from eleventh place and charged straight to the win!

One had to remember, this was F3! This was a spec series! This wasn’t built on a performance advantage; it relied entirely on the driver’s extraordinary skill!

"Oh, oh, I’m so excited—I’m so thrilled I don’t even know what to say! Oh, God, what a race this is!"

The commentator’s hoarse voice even carried a hint of a choke. Only those who truly understood F3 knew the absolute gold-standard value of this victory!

At the same time, across the ocean in Blackley, United Kingdom, at the Mercedes-Benz Headquarters. An old man in a red hat clapped his hands. Beside him, a well-built young man stood straight up.