Chapter 117 - 43: Reality Far Exceeds Fantasy

Chapter 117: Chapter 43: Reality Far Exceeds Fantasy

"However, it won’t be a Mercedes-Benz seat. At least, not for 2015," Toto added.

Sid had expected as much, so he wasn’t too surprised.

If Mercedes-Benz were short-staffed, the chances of securing a seat would be high. Unfortunately, they had no shortage of excellent drivers at the moment.

Getting a seat with one of their customer teams to break into F1 was still an excellent outcome. After all, the seat offered by Rafa was most likely with Sauber anyway.

Since Wu Shi’s firm stance had already made an impact, Sid no longer needed to play the hard-liner. A negotiation required a balance of soft and hard tactics. All soft, and you might as well be on your knees; all hard, and you might as well start a fight.

He nodded and said, "We understand your caution and your concerns. A driver who has never competed in F1 does indeed need an opportunity to prove his abilities."

As an engine supplier, Mercedes-Benz could exert considerable influence over its customer teams. Carving out a seat from one of them wouldn’t be difficult.

The promise, therefore, carried significant weight, and Sid had no reason to doubt it.

"Williams," Toto said directly, not beating around the bush.

Before joining Mercedes-Benz, Toto had been the team principal for Williams. He’d only been there a year before being poached by the new Mercedes-Benz works team.

When Wu Shi heard this, he couldn’t help but think back to his daydream on Monday. Back then, as he went through the process of elimination, Williams was the last one left, and even then, he’d thought his chances were slim.

But before he fell asleep that night, he’d had a sudden realization.

’From a historical perspective, both Massa and Bottas are exceptionally talented drivers.’

’But he had completely overlooked one crucial fact: just how brilliant a driver *he* was!’

’He’d even thrashed the future top-tier driver, Verstappen, leaving him with no recourse. That meant he was already among the best drivers in the paddock.’

’So he shouldn’t think he couldn’t measure up to Massa or Bottas. On the contrary, he should feel it’s only natural for them to make way for him. In fact, with his level of talent, it was questionable whether Williams was even worthy of *him*.’

Ever since Sir Williams resigned from the board in 2012 and his daughter, Claire Williams, took his seat—becoming the de facto team principal of the Williams Team a year later—the team had been on a rapidly accelerating downward spiral, which continued until its acquisition in August 2020.

Although the Williams Team’s fortunes were declining, their results for this year and the next were still respectable, though this was primarily thanks to the Mercedes-Benz engine, which was a generation ahead of the rest of the paddock.

’Still, it’s ultimately not a championship-contending car.’

Having untangled the core of the issue, Wu Shi’s self-assessment became far more objective. He felt he was fully capable of securing a seat at Mercedes-Benz. Ignoring Sid’s warning glance, he spoke up again.

"Williams has a rich history and is certainly a fine team for a rookie driver. But, sir, you are the team principal of Mercedes-Benz. We should be discussing a Mercedes-Benz seat, should we not?" Wu Shi said.

Sid stared at the young man in astonishment. ’To jump straight into F1 is already an incredible outcome! After all, a promise from Mercedes-Benz isn’t like the one from Rafa, full of uncertainty and variables.’

"It’s good for a young man to have ambition," Niki Lauda remarked with a sigh, then turned to Toto. "You may have been Williams’s team principal the year before last, but right now, we are all here for the good of Mercedes-Benz."

Wu Shi’s eyes lit up, and he shot the old man a grateful look.

’If I remember correctly,’ he thought, ’the Mercedes-Benz dynasty has already begun in 2014.’

Toto was also taken aback by the old man’s words. It seemed Lauda wasn’t just optimistic about Wu Shi; he had given the young man his full endorsement. Toto couldn’t understand why.

He grew even more conflicted. No one who wasn’t in his position could appreciate the full scope of considerations.

’Everyone says Wu Shi is talented, and it’s true he’s performed well in karts and formula cars. But whether he can continue that performance after entering F1 is always a big question mark.’

’He truly believed Wu Shi had the talent to be a WDC, but you can’t reach that level without being tested and refined!’

’Besides, how old was this young talent?’

’According to his information, Wu Shi was born on December 3, 1998. Today was May 8, 2014. The kid was only fifteen years and five months old! His sixteenth birthday was still seven months away!’

’What did that age even mean? Most drivers his age, or even older, were just entering Renault Formula and getting accustomed to open-wheel racing.’

’Still, Niki Lauda’s words were worth considering. Was investing in a young driver worth the risk?’

"I already have drivers who can contend for the WDC. Compared to them, what makes you a must-sign?" Toto asked.

"They may be able to contend for the WDC, but some drivers need the fastest car on the grid to do it. I don’t! I can keep the championship fight alive even when Mercedes-Benz doesn’t have the fastest car," Wu Shi stated with conviction.

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

Niki Lauda applauded.

Toto glanced over. ’Old man, stop stirring the pot,’ he thought. ’We can just place Wu Shi at Williams for now. We can always sign him back whenever a Mercedes-Benz seat opens up!’

’Besides, a season at Williams would be the perfect way to see if he can truly adapt to F1.’

’After all, being able to drive a car quickly and being able to drive quickly under immense pressure are two completely different things.’

’One shouldn’t underestimate the pressure of the F1 stage. The whole world is watching. It’s the pinnacle of motorsport. Any driver who sits in that monocoque will feel the nerves!’

This time, Toto hesitated for a long while. He felt the weight of the responsibility. If he signed Wu Shi now and the kid failed to perform, it would undoubtedly be a massive risk for him.

"Perhaps... we should give it a try."

"A try?"

"Yes. I’ll arrange for you to participate in a Friday practice session. If you’re truly as outstanding as you claim, I’ll consider your proposal. However, if you fail to meet our requirements, I can’t even guarantee you the Williams seat."

"Fine. It’s a deal!" Wu Shi agreed readily.

Sid’s hand shot out, but he was too late to grab Wu Shi’s sleeve.

’Kid! You just threw away a guaranteed seat to gamble on a so-called Mercedes-Benz seat!’

’You’re a rookie! Just getting into F1 is the biggest victory! Why do you have to aim for a top team seat right from the beginning?’

’Besides, Williams has a legendary history!’

"I believe we should opt for a compromise," Sid interjected.

Sid knew he couldn’t let the young man’s confidence ruin his future. He had to secure Wu Shi a firm place in F1 first; everything else could come later.

"Oh? To be honest, that’s what I was thinking all along," Toto said with a smile.

Wu Shi turned to look at Sid.

Sid shook his head slightly, silently urging him to stay calm.

Just then, Niki Lauda spoke up, setting the final terms. "Let’s do it this way. I’ll make the call. If he delivers the performance we require, he gets the Mercedes-Benz seat. If he doesn’t, he gets the Williams seat."

Hearing this, Toto didn’t argue. He simply nodded and said, "Then it’s time to discuss the other parts of the contract."

"I’m all ears." Wu Shi knew Toto’s conditions were coming.

"In the practice session, your fastest lap must be within the top three times of a qualifying run," Toto stated bluntly.

"As long as the Williams seat is guaranteed, I have no objection to that," Sid said, focused only on securing a seat.

"This isn’t a negotiation."

Toto revealed his tougher side, his sharp gaze fixed on Wu Shi. ’Isn’t this young man supremely confident?’ he thought. ’Let’s see how you answer this.’

"No problem! As long as you unlock the car’s qualifying mode, what’s to stop me from taking pole position?!" Wu Shi shot back with a bold declaration, though in reality, he wasn’t entirely sure he could pull it off.

A fastest lap in a practice session.

’Never mind the track conditions—with so little time to get familiar with the car, how could he possibly guarantee such a result?!’

’F1 cars were so complex. In such a short time, he’d be lucky to even get a full feel for the car. In the end, it would all come down to him!’

"Excellent!" Niki Lauda said with a grin.

If Wu Shi had backed down, he would have seen all the previous bravado as nothing more than arrogant ignorance.