Chapter 102: Road Conditions Are Good
After the interview, Wu Shi returned to the team ahead of schedule to resume training, while Sid stayed behind to continue discussions with Zhi Shiwei.
"We've been sponsoring Wu Shi since his karting days," Sid said. "Seeing him come this far—it's genuinely something worth celebrating."
"Of course," Zhi replied politely. "The talent he's shown… no one from his generation could compare."
Big Eye Media and Sid had reached a preliminary agreement for a major sponsorship package—enough to support Wu Shi's entry into an F1 program if needed.
Naturally, the final decision wasn't something Zhi Shiwei could approve on her own; she was merely relaying her superiors' intentions.
According to her private comments, their progress so far was only possible because Tianyan Group was seriously considering sponsoring the entire project.
But since nothing was finalized yet, Wu Shi chose not to dwell on it.
Right now, all he needed to focus on was performing well at every race.
The team arrived at the Hockenheimring in Germany at the end of April, transporting equipment and settling into their allocated garages.
Before leaving Italy, Wu Zhenlin kept his promise and flew in to have dinner with Wu Shi—a rare reunion for the four of them.
But just as quickly, they parted again.
Wu Zhenlin flew back to the Asia-Pacific region, while Wu Shi departed for Germany on May 1st.
Many rookies were unfamiliar with Hockenheim, having never driven the circuit before.
To the outside world, Wu Shi—despite his rising reputation—was lumped into the same category.
May 2 — Practice Day
Drivers were allowed onto the track for the first time, with two practice sessions scheduled at 13:40 and 14:25, followed by the first qualifying session at 18:35.
Before FP1 began, reporters came to conduct interviews, but Wu Shi and Verstappen had already slipped away with a bottle of Red Bull each, sitting high up in the grandstand.
"Did you watch the Bahrain Grand Prix this year?" Verstappen suddenly asked.
"Yeah," Wu Shi replied. "Hamilton versus Rosberg—that was one hell of a fight."
He licked his lips. Others didn't know, but he knew those two would clash brutally over the next two years.
"They've been close since karting," Verstappen said, his tone calm.
Wu Shi paused, then nodded. "F1 is a melting pot. No one escapes the politics."
He shook the can in his hand. The racing world was small; most F1 drivers had known each other since childhood.
Just like Wu Shi, Verstappen, Albon, Ocon, Leclerc—their names were linked long before they reached formula cars.
"I won't change," Verstappen said in his usual low voice. "A track is a track. On track, I only fight for victory. I won't show mercy to anyone."
Wu Shi took a sip of his drink.
"Of course. Courtesy depends on seniority. Schumacher can give way to Vettel. Hamilton and Rosberg? No way."
"Hahaha! Exactly!" Verstappen reached out and gripped Wu Shi's hand firmly.
Wu Shi understood why Verstappen brought it up.
After the Bahrain GP, the tension between Hamilton and Rosberg had exploded. Rumors leaked that Hamilton discovered the team shared internal research files with Rosberg, and that Rosberg was allowed to use a stronger engine mode in the final laps.
That incident nearly destroyed their relationship.
As a viewer, Wu Shi only remembered the moment when Hamilton threw the cap back at Rosberg.
Thinking of it, he smiled.
He and Verstappen would never reach that point.
There are no friends on the track—only drivers fighting for victory.
And when titles are on the line, bad blood is nothing unusual.
How many World Champions made it through their careers spotless?
Track Walk & FP1
In the morning, drivers conducted the standard one-hour track walk, studying braking zones, cambers, bumps, and the exact texture of the asphalt.
FP1 began right on schedule at 13:40.
Wu Shi didn't set a strong time. Even though he had memories of the circuit, everything was different—the year, the weather, the surface conditions.
In FP1, he focused entirely on grip mapping—understanding how much traction each sector offered, and how much the car moved under throttle.
After 22 laps, he set a best of 1:34.400, placing sixth.
Verstappen hid his pace even more deliberately, running only 1:34.807.
As for their two teammates… it was unclear whether they were intentionally sandbagging or simply struggling.
The fastest FP1 time came from Antonio Giovinazzi (JAWC) at 1:34.019, with Ocon just behind.
"We'll push a little harder in FP2," Alan said, handing his analysis sheet to Wu Shi. "Pole this year should be around 1:32 flat."
FP2 — 14:25
Lap times across the field improved as the grip increased.
Antonio set the fastest again at 1:33.135, with Wu Shi only 0.01 seconds slower.
When he returned to the garage, Alan immediately asked,
"How much margin do you still have?"
"Running a thirty-two is definitely no problem," Wu Shi answered confidently.
"Good. Focus in qualifying."
Qualifying 1 — 18:45
Wu Shi went out immediately.
On his third flying lap, he clocked 1:32.416.
"Nice," Alan said over team radio. "P1 for now."
Wu Shi didn't reply. He could feel he was close to the car's limit.
Soon, Alan updated:
"Lucas Auer, 1:32.387. Giovinazzi, 1:32.505. You're between them."
"Copy. One more push lap."
Pole position meant everything in F3. Most race winners started from the front, so every team fought desperately for P1.
"Wu just told the team he's going for one more lap—he clearly wants pole," the commentator said.
On his next run, Wu Shi went purple in Sector 1—0.107 seconds faster.
"He's pushing the limit! Let's see if he can convert this into a new fastest lap!"
He didn't look at the delta—he just kept pushing.
The tires screamed through the corners.
Across the line—
1:32.007.
Back to P1.
"Incredible!" the commentator shouted. "Verstappen only managed 1:32.586, but Wu improves to a stunning 1:32.007!"
"Several teams are trying slipstream runs, but it seems even a tow isn't as strong as Wu's raw pace today!"
Few teams used slipstreams in Q1 because conditions were unstable.
Q2 mattered more anyway, as it set the grid for both Race 2 and Race 3.
Qualifying 2 — Next Day, Noon
The team planned to have the two teammates tow Wu Shi and Verstappen for better times.
It took several laps to position correctly.
On Lap 3, Jules successfully slipstreamed Verstappen and set 1:32.223, a strong improvement for him but not enough for the top ten.
They needed to keep trying for several more laps.
Meanwhile, Gustavo adjusted his speed through the hairpin and entered the main straight.
"GO! Push!" America shouted over his radio.
Gustavo floored the throttle.
Wu Shi had just exited the corner behind him.
If he could catch the tow, he could gain precious tenths.
But as Wu Shi straightened his car, he saw Gustavo's right wheels kicking up a large cloud of dust—he had run wide.
Wu Shi instantly radioed, "Careful!"
The warning came a fraction too late.
Gustavo's rear snapped violently.
The car spun, then shot into the gravel trap.
Forget giving a tow—if Wu Shi hadn't reacted instantly, the debris could have hit him.
"Are you alright?" Wu Shi asked over radio.
"Yeah… sorry," Gustavo said, voice heavy.
He had ruined not only his own run, but also potentially his teammates'.
Wu Shi didn't blame him. Mistakes happen.
He simply continued his fifth lap.
"I need to set a lap by Lap 6. The tires won't hold after that," he reminded the team.
"Copy."
With their tow plan destroyed, they had to rely on themselves.
Verstappen and Jules had just improved their times—they couldn't abandon their runs to help.
Alan quickly recalculated strategy.
"You need two valid laps," he said firmly. "Don't gamble everything on one."
He continued:
"The current provisional pole is Bromqvist, 1:31.655. Verstappen is P2 with 1:32.014. Their second-fastest laps are 1:32.169 and 1:32.198. That means they're also P1 and P2 for Race 3."
"If you want pole in Race 3, your second-fastest lap must be under 1:32.169. Can you maintain two laps faster than that?"
Wu Shi exhaled slowly.
The team had clearly abandoned the idea of beating Bromqvist's fastest and shifted their strategy toward securing pole for Race 3.
He already had his own plan.
"What's the track condition before my Lap 6?" Wu Shi asked calmly.
Alan replied:
"Road conditions are good."