Chapter 121: Restless

Chapter 121 -47: Restless

Since F1 began in 1950, countless teams have come and gone, and numerous drivers have cycled in and out of the sport. Today, the sport has evolved into something far more complex than simple athletic competition. Why is Sir Williams so deeply respected? It is because people believe that individuals like him, who retain the purest passion for racing, are becoming increasingly rare. In today’s paddock, with eleven teams and twenty-two driver seats, which seat doesn’t come with its own tangled web of complications?

Wu Shi always knew that his background meant he would face immense resistance in this sport—perhaps even more than Hamilton had. Had he not displayed extraordinary talent from a young age, and had Martina and Old Verstappen not protected him along the way, he would have undoubtedly been bullied in various competitions. Not to mention other things, just through deliberate penalty calls, they could easily use the rules to make him miserable, leaving him with no way to even appeal afterward.

During a previous trip to the United Kingdom, Zhou Guanyu had told him that back in their karting days, other drivers would intentionally crash into him, force him to stop, and make nasty remarks in private. If he hadn’t proven himself with solid results, such discriminatory behavior would have definitely been far more rampant.

When he reached a contract agreement with Mercedes-Benz on Thursday, he thought his biggest challenge would be quickly familiarizing himself with the car during future F1 practice sessions. He never expected someone to stir up trouble before he even reached that stage. Logically, the only people aware of this contract should have been him, Toto, Nikki, Sid, and the drafters. It was even questionable whether Mercedes-Benz’s other shareholder, Daimler Company, knew the specific details. After all, when it came to running the Mercedes Team, Toto held immense power. This was not only because he was a shareholder himself, but also because he had forcefully persuaded the majority of the board of directors.

“Sid and I definitely didn’t leak this, and Toto and Nikki wouldn’t do such a thing either,” he thought. “Could it be that Toto signed the contract and then regretted it? No, Toto isn’t the type to be indecisive and fickle. So, the answer is already quite obvious.”

As Wu Shi’s mind raced, he was just about to speak to Sid when cheers erupted from outside. His attention was briefly diverted, but he quickly brushed it off and turned back to Sid. “The two of us definitely didn’t leak the information about this contract. The problem originated from within Mercedes-Benz.”

“I know that, of course,” Sid replied, his face filled with concern. “Going over there this time, I get the feeling it’s not just a simple issue with the non-disclosure agreement.”

“We’ll just have to deal with it as it comes,” Wu Shi said. He only knew that this was highly likely an internal Mercedes-Benz issue. For now, he could only rely on Sid for more detailed information.

“Yeah, I’ll be going then.” Sid didn’t delay. He needed to meet with Toto as soon as possible to figure out what they were thinking so he could proceed with the upcoming mediation.

Wu Shi left the meeting room. As the wind blew past, the dried sweat stuck to his skin, bringing a slight chill. Verstappen had just returned. The earlier cheers were because he had driven a lap time of 1:10.067, second only to Wu Shi.

“WOOHOO!” Verstappen roared excitedly as he took off his helmet. After high-fiving his crew, he walked straight over to Wu Shi. “You’re looking a bit serious,” he noted.

“Yeah, just some annoying things,” Wu Shi nodded.

“Doesn’t seem like a small matter, but don’t let it get to you too much. Things will pass. Just keep pushing hard.” Verstappen continued sharing his optimistic outlook. This perspective was perhaps a result of the strict upbringing Jos had subjected him to since childhood, which had ultimately forged this mindset.

“Of course. You had a good run today, by the way,” Wu Shi said, turning to pat Verstappen on the shoulder.

“Hah, naturally! I watched quite a few recordings of your practice sessions after I went back,” Verstappen laughed.

“You were stealing my moves!”

“Hey! It was just for reference.” Verstappen grinned, knowing Wu Shi was joking. After all, it wasn’t as if the team had leaked Wu Shi’s data to him.

As they chatted, the second qualifying group began. Surprisingly, the overall skill level of this group was quite low. Lucas took first place with a time of 1:10.429. If this time had been placed in the first group, it would have only ranked fourth. Latifi, also driving for Prema, only managed a 1:10.559, and Furu O’connor fared even worse. Even the veteran Bromquist only clocked a 1:10.634. The street circuit ruthlessly exposed the gap in talent among the drivers, as the majority of those who made it to the front row were actually rookies.

According to the schedule, the first race would be held at 11:15 AM on Saturday. The second round of qualifying would also be divided into groups, taking place at 4:30 PM and 4:55 PM, respectively.

That night, Wu Shi tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.

On the night he signed the contract with Mercedes-Benz, he hadn’t told Sid that he was actually too thrilled to sleep. After all, this was Mercedes-Benz—the top-tier team that, starting this year, would completely dominate the paddock all the way until 2021! If he joined Mercedes-Benz in 2015, not only could he break multiple “youngest driver” records, but he might even win the WDC in his debut season. And by 2021, if everything went according to history, he could guarantee that he would do even better than Hamilton! He wouldn’t give Verstappen so many chances, nor would he let the championship suspense drag on until Abu Dhabi, effectively tossing the decisive power over the World Championship into the hands of the race directors. This path held the hidden opportunity to win seven World Championships! How could he not be excited? How could his thoughts not race? Aside from having some talent in racing, he was, at the end of the day, just like any normal person—susceptible to anxiety, worry, and the fear of gain and loss.

Early the next morning, Wu Shi felt as though he hadn’t slept a wink all night.

Since it was already past nine o’clock, staying in bed was pointless; there was no way he could catch up on his sleep now. Besides, with the race just over two hours away, he had to head over early to prepare. When he arrived at the circuit, everyone could tell that Wu Shi was looking a bit sluggish.

“Looks like you didn’t sleep well last night,” Alan remarked.

“Yeah, I had some insomnia,” Wu Shi admitted.

“You shouldn’t be this nervous, right? Your mental resilience has always been solid.” Alan found it a bit strange. In the previous six races, Wu Shi had always been as steady as a rock. Why was he so out of form for this race? Had something affected him?

“Yeah, it’s fine. Let’s just get ready for the race.”

Wu Shi didn’t know what Alan was thinking. If he did, he would have simply asked internally: “When seven World Championships are placed right in front of you, but could just as easily fly away, could you stay calm?!” He feared that no driver in the world would be able to remain composed!

“Alright, perk up. Street circuits don’t leave any room for distraction,” Alan said.

“I know.”

Wu Shi nodded. He went back, suited up, put on his helmet, and strapped himself into the car. After completing the reconnaissance lap, he stopped on the narrow street grid. He felt a tinge of regret that there were no grid girls at a small track race like this. After all, the profession of grid girls was destined to be abolished in the future due to certain gender-related power struggles.

The five red lights lit up consecutively, and the drivers focused their attention. CLICK! The moment they fully illuminated, the lights went out, and the race officially began!