Chapter 84 - 16: Race Car Tuning

Chapter 84: Chapter 16: Race Car Tuning

It was not yet April, and London’s temperature was quite comfortable. However, the weather was uncooperative; beneath the heavy gray clouds hung a damp, almost viscous air. Back in his geography classes, Wu Shi had always viewed the temperate maritime climate through rose-tinted glasses, believing it to be "warm in winter, cool in summer, with a small annual temperature difference." But if one actually stayed here for a while, they would realize the real climate was far less pleasant than the textbooks claimed.

After settling into his hotel for the night, Wu Shi arrived at the circuit early the next morning. On the way, he spotted the container trucks rented by the team and surprisingly felt the urge to drive one. After all, he had spent a considerable amount of time playing *Euro Truck Simulator*; it was his favorite way to relax off the track.

The FIA had previously organized a single-day test session, but Wu Shi had been delayed in America and missed it.

The team showed him various test parameters, and the engineer, Alan, explained some of the key points noted by the previous test drivers. After the briefing, Alan took him on a track walk around the Silverstone Circuit. A track walk was always a necessary step to understand a circuit. Walking through this incredibly familiar place, various fragments of memories began flashing through Wu Shi’s mind. Without exception, these fragments were filled with the whistling wind and roaring engines.

"The speeds on this circuit are very high, and there are only a few corners that require heavy braking," Alan said, frowning when he noticed the young driver wasn’t paying close attention.

Sensing the pause in conversation, Wu Shi snapped back to reality. "Understood. The corners that require the most deceleration are Turns Three and Four, followed by Turns Six and Sixteen. The rest of the corners can be taken quite fast, but it requires keeping the car under control."

Alan found this strange and couldn’t help but ask, "Are you very familiar with this circuit?"

"Yeah, I’ve watched a lot of formula races held here." Wu Shi nodded. He thought, "I have also raced formula cars here quite a few times."

"Alright." Alan had heard about an interview Wu Shi gave when he was a child. When the reporter asked him why he was so skilled, his answer was simply that he had watched others race. At first, no one took those words seriously, writing it off as a child’s ignorant arrogance. If merely watching was enough to know how to race, what was the point of data analysts and engineers? A truly top-tier driver not only needed to know how to drive but also required a team to help him understand the circuit.

Yet now, hearing this sentiment again, doubt drummed in his heart. Could this Hua Country person really know how to race just by watching? He couldn’t believe it and simply continued his track breakdown.

The track walk took nearly an hour, and that was at a brisk pace. Returning to the garage, Wu Shi reviewed the data again. "Let’s give it a try first."

"This private test was requested for you because you missed the official test session," Alan said. "We applied for two more sessions, but they haven’t been approved yet. Therefore, we need you to get through a substantial amount of work today."

"Yeah, I understand."

Wu Shi returned to his changing room and put on the racing suit required by the FIA. By the time he stepped into the pit lane, his car was fully prepped and parked in the pit box.

An F3 car was significantly smaller than an F1 car, giving off an overall impression of being compact and formidable. The F3 car Wu Shi was driving was covered in various logos. The most prominent was the Red Bull logo, alongside the Volkswagen emblem on the nose cone, representing the engine supplier. Peng City Airlines had failed the F3 sponsorship audit, so their logo couldn’t be printed on the chassis. The majority of the sponsors on this car actually had nothing to do with him; he was merely piggybacking off the team’s or Verstappen’s sponsorships.

"Take a few laps to adapt and get a feel for it. Don’t rush," Alan said.

"Understood."

"We’ve set up a ’Mark’ button for you. Remember to press it if anything comes up." The so-called "Mark" button was designed so that the driver could immediately flag any issues discovered while driving. Once the test was completed, the engineers would analyze the marked data.

"OK." Without another word, Wu Shi slid into the cockpit.

VROOM!

The car was released from the pits. Alan sat in front of a bank of screens, scanning the data. Everything was normal.

After two formation laps, he spoke over the radio. "Try to pick up the pace."

Wu Shi TR: "BZZT! A flying lap or cruising speed?"

Alan TR: "Cruising speed. After all, this is your first time speeding on this circuit, so you aren’t familiar with it."

Wu Shi TR: "Actually, I’m already quite familiar with it."

The pit crew members were a bit dumbfounded upon hearing his reply. What was this guy bragging about? He had only driven two laps and was already very familiar with it?

Alan TR: "OK, I get it, but please maintain cruising speed. Stay safe."

Wu Shi TR: "Copy."

Just as he was approaching Turn Fifteen, Wu Shi felt a surge of excitement, but he still followed the team’s instructions and kept to a cruising speed. Once past Turn Fifteen, the car began to accelerate. Approaching the final three corners in quick succession, he applied heavy braking, effortlessly maneuvered through them, and entered the Great Straight.

SWOOSH!

The sound of the speeding car echoed across the track.

Alan turned his head to look at the track and told his colleagues beside him, "Keep a close eye on the data."

"Yeah, the monitors are all normal."

"Everything’s normal on my end, too."

As they communicated, Wu Shi had already reached Turn One. It was a relatively fast corner that didn’t require much deceleration; he could even tap the brakes, lift off the throttle, and glide right through it. Since he was running at cruising speed and had only tested the car for a mere two laps, his feel for the vehicle was still very low. Because of this, he didn’t try any fancy maneuvers and simply took the corner normally.