Chapter 160 - 81: A Protective Mode

Chapter 160: Chapter 81: A Protective Mode

Wu Shi slept soundly that night. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was tired from driving over twenty laps in an F1 car, or because the heavy burden on his heart had finally been lifted.

That was just his personality. He would get nervous before a race, but once he was on the track, that tension seemed to be instantly devoured by a desire to push beyond his limits. It always made him drive with incredible desperation on the track.

And after the race was over, he would accept the result, no matter what it was. He had already done everything he could, so there was no point in getting stuck dwelling on past results—whether they were brilliant or humiliating, they were all in the past for him.

Wu Shi woke up on the morning of the 20th.

The third practice session and qualifying were both scheduled for the evening. He would have had some free time to wander around the country known as the Garden City.

But just as he finished freshening up, he got a call from Toto, telling him to put on his team uniform and head to the pit garage.

Wu Shi didn’t have any complaints. This was just the life of a driver; during a race week, there was no such thing as rest.

When he arrived at the back of the pit garage, Rosberg was there too.

"It’s not just you. My luck doesn’t seem to be that great either," he said to Wu Shi.

"Hasn’t the gearbox issue been resolved?" Wu Shi asked.

"They worked on it all night. The mechanics told me it’s drivable for now."

Rosberg gave a helpless smile. He was currently 22 points ahead of Hamilton. While it seemed like a large advantage, the truth was he couldn’t afford to lose a single race.

The F1 regulations in 2014 awarded double points for the final race. First place would get a full 50 points, and while second place still got 36, that was a 14-point difference!

Wu Shi caught the phrase "for now." It didn’t sound reliable at all. He could only sigh and say, "There’s still room for improvement with the car’s problems this year."

"Hahaha, no need to be so diplomatic. Everyone knows the car’s stability is poor. We don’t need to hide that fact, as long as we can solve the problem later."

Rosberg appeared to be laughing very casually.

But Wu Shi, standing beside him, could feel the anxiety coming off him.

’Indeed, what driver could remain calm when faced with the allure of a world championship? If such a driver existed, they certainly wouldn’t be a championship contender.’

"By the way, I’m not here to fix a car, am I?" Wu Shi asked. After seeing him come in, Toto had told him to wait a moment, but then disappeared.

"There," Rosberg said, jutting his chin toward the simulator. "He’s planning to have you contribute to the team as a simulator test driver."

"Oh? That’s great!" Wu Shi licked his lips excitedly. He was currently lacking knowledge about the F1 cars of this era.

"Alright, I can’t chat anymore. I’m going to see if I can help my crew. They’re facing a real beast of a problem right now." Rosberg patted Wu Shi’s shoulder and left the back of the garage.

Wu Shi waited a little longer before Toto walked in, with Niki Lauda accompanying him.

"Wu Shi," Toto called out, his expression terrifyingly grim.

Wu Shi jolted. ’Why so serious all of a sudden?’ He looked at Toto, shedding the relaxed feeling he’d had while chatting with Rosberg.

"After reviewing the investigation, we’ve determined that the final loss of engine power was due to it entering a protection mode," Toto said.

Wu Shi nodded. F1 engine systems are incredibly complex, with numerous smaller systems nested within larger ones. That’s why they sometimes act up for no reason, and even the engineers who designed them don’t know why.

’So what Toto is saying is that the engine issue might be a design flaw, ruling out the possibility of sabotage.’

He didn’t rush to argue. He was a driver, and in situations like this, he needed to strictly control his behavior. If there was any arguing to be done, that was a job for Sid and his management team.

In the paddock, establishing a personal image is crucial. Hamilton, for example, had done so quite successfully.

As expected, even Toto was surprised to see Wu Shi remain so calm.

Toto knew that his words might have been a plausible explanation for anyone else, but to the driver who was in the car, they were utter bullshit.

The appreciation in his eyes grew stronger, but some things couldn’t be changed by one person’s will alone.

Although the Daimler Group, as the majority shareholder, gave him free rein, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t intervene in anything.

However, he then changed his tone and said softly,

"This protection mode can be activated manually."

"!"

Now it was Wu Shi’s turn to be surprised. ’This... can he really say something like that?’

He had no idea what Toto was trying to do, so he remained silent.

"I am very sorry," Toto apologized sincerely, then continued, "The result cannot be changed, and there won’t be a second chance."

When he received the results of this review, he immediately proposed to the board that they give Wu Shi another chance.

But why had the Daimler Group agreed to let Toto sign that contract with Wu Shi in the first place? Wasn’t it because nobody thought Wu Shi had a shot at pole position?

But now, the strength Wu Shi had demonstrated made them terrified to give him another chance.

As for why they were being so contradictory—unwilling to give him a seat, yet still wanting to keep him on the line?

This was probably a common occurrence in the paddock. For example, nearly a decade later, after Piastrini won back-to-back F3 and F2 championships, the Alpine Team was unwilling to promote him to F1, which ultimately led to the talented young driver’s departure.

In the end, teams are greedy. They always want to have their cake and eat it too.

The situation at Mercedes-Benz was the same now. With two powerful drivers like Hamilton and Rosberg, the Daimler Group was unwilling to take a risk on Wu Shi. One or two outstanding performances from a new driver weren’t enough to win everyone over.

Most importantly, Hamilton was a world champion, and Mercedes-Benz needed him. Rosberg was German, and a German team naturally had a greater need for a German driver.

Wu Shi nodded, understanding what Toto meant.

"We bear a great deal of responsibility for this matter. Regardless, we will give you a result you can accept."

Niki Lauda also spoke up, saying he found the whole affair to be a great pity.

But if Toto, a minor shareholder, couldn’t overrule the Daimler Group in a board meeting, it was even harder for him, as a non-executive director, to change the board’s decision.

"Alright, as our Mercedes-Benz reserve driver, how about you try the simulator first?" Toto changed the subject.

"Of course."

Wu Shi didn’t refuse. He knew perfectly well why Toto and Niki Lauda were telling him this alone. Wasn’t it so he could relay the message to Sid?

He wasn’t an adult yet, so many decisions had to be made by his management company. Therefore, he couldn’t give them an answer on the spot; he could only take the news back with him.

This created a buffer of time.

Mercedes-Benz didn’t want—or at least, Toto and Niki Lauda didn’t want—things to turn sour with Wu Shi.

Wu Shi got into the simulator. This one was even more impressive than the one at Hamilton’s house.