Chapter 206: Spain Has Many Memorable Moments
In May, Spain was neither hot nor cold. If one were to stroll along the red brick streets in the morning and evening, the temperature would be pleasant, but by noon, it would become quite steamy.
The rather long inter-race break finally ended, and shortly after the press conference, on May 8th, the two practice sessions began on schedule. Pirelli provided hard tyres and medium tyres for this race.
For most spectators, practice sessions were where teams hid their cards, showing little, so enthusiasm wasn't high. But for the teams, their data engineers weren't just focused on their own F1 drivers.
During the First Practice Session, Wu Shi did not participate; instead, Williams test driver Susie Wolff – Toto Wolff's wife – took his place. Susie was 32 years old this year, and in the highly competitive F1 world, this was considered advanced age, as most drivers are eliminated for various reasons before turning 30. She remained in the paddock thanks to her considerable ability and the deep relationship between Williams and herself.
She had participated in First Practice at last year's British Grand Prix, becoming the first female driver to take part in an F1 Grand Prix weekend since 1992. In fact, she was currently the closest woman in history to becoming a full-time F1 driver – an aspiration that kept her committed to her role as Williams' test driver.
Wu Shi and she had a decent relationship, though they hadn't met many times. He had no issue with his car being used for First Practice; Susie was scheduled to appear in several sessions this season, and while the team's reasons for choosing his car over Massa's were unclear, he didn't dwell on it.
Instead, Wu Shi stood behind his race engineer Jonathan, headphones on, watching Susie lap the Circuit de Catalunya in the FW37. The test focused on tyre degradation – no overly complex procedures were planned for this session. After observing for a while, he asked Jonathan for a laptop and began analyzing data from Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, and Räikkönen.
Mercedes' competitiveness remained strong; their cars handled corners with effortless precision, a result of both excellent engineering and skilled driving. Rosberg's form since returning to the European circuit was far improved – his inputs were smoother and more decisive than earlier in the season. This was not good news: Mercedes maintained no clear #1 and #2 driver hierarchy, meaning the team viewed Rosberg as Hamilton's near-equal. A fully focused Rosberg in a Mercedes was an invincible prospect.
The two Mercedes drivers easily clocked 1 minute 26.8 seconds, leading Ferrari by more than a second. Massa posted a time of 1 minute 28.831 seconds – eighth overall – and Wu Shi shook his head, already sensing the challenge ahead. He held off discussing his concerns with Jonathan until he could drive the car himself in Second Practice.
When First Practice ended, Susie brought the #59 FW37 back to the pit lane. Mechanics jacked up the car and pushed it into the garage, positioning fans to cool the brakes and powertrain. Susie lifted her headrest, removed the steering wheel with effort, climbed out, and pulled off her helmet. Spotting Wu Shi, she said directly:
"I feel this car is much harder to drive than during pre-season testing."
Wu Shi nodded. "We made subtle adjustments based on my feedback – Massa's car might feel more familiar to you. Also, track conditions aren't ideal; there's a lot of pollen on the surface, so grip is lower than usual."
Susie paused mid-way through stuffing her balaclava into her helmet, surprised. "You can pick up on details like that just from watching?"
"Uh – the team briefed me on track analysis," Wu Shi said, rubbing his nose.
"Toto really missed out by not signing you to Mercedes," Susie smiled, running a hand through her hair before sighing. "I'm getting old – I'd never have been this tired after one practice session before."
Wu Shi wasn't the most articulate, but Susie's optimism quickly returned. "Haha – the truly old ones are sitting over there not smiling!" She nodded toward Toto Wolff.
"I don't think I've ever seen Uncle Toto smile at work – he's always so serious," Wu Shi said.
"He's meticulous and focused on the job," Susie replied, her face softening as she spoke of her husband. Wu Shi couldn't help but notice how strong their bond was. He knew Toto had once dreamed of being an F1 driver, but at 1.92 metres tall, the cockpit simply wouldn't fit. Yet as team principal of a championship-winning outfit, married to a driver chasing her own F1 dream – wasn't that another way to realise it?
After changing clothes, Susie called Wu Shi over, and they went to find Toto. His face lit up when he saw her.
"How did it go out there?"
"Pretty good – though this young man's car is tricky to handle," Susie laughed, gesturing at Wu Shi.
"Performance always comes with trade-offs. The FW37's setup has clearly had a lot of work put into it," Toto said, then turned to Wu Shi. "I assume that's proprietary information?"
"It's a secret – but you could always ask Claire [Williams] to spill the details," Wu Shi joked. Williams and Mercedes had a strong relationship, and Toto's time as Williams' team principal had been what led Mercedes to recruit him.
"With you here, why would I need to?" Toto laughed, patting Wu Shi's shoulder. "You've grown taller since I last saw you – be careful you don't end up too big for a cockpit!"
"People shouldn't grow too tall," Susie added. "You're perfect as you are – if you were his height, I'd have to stand on tiptoes for photos!"
"Haha – then I'll squat down next time," Toto grinned.
Wu Shi pinched the bridge of his nose – the couple's affection was sweet, if a little overwhelming. His thoughts drifted to Louise, and he subconsciously licked his lips. The three had lunch together before heading back to prepare for Second Practice.
Wu Shi drove the same FW37 as in the previous race – no major upgrades, only setup adjustments for the track. He ran smoothly, but his time of 1 minute 28.3 seconds was slower than Verstappen's. Mid-session, Grosjean's engine cover detached, triggering a red flag and significant delays.
After the session, Wu Shi debriefed with the team, and the mood grew heavy. Massa pulled him aside afterward: "Everyone else is bringing upgrades, but we're standing still – we're falling behind."
Wu Shi nodded. F1 was relentless – a "Martian car" one year could be mid-field the next, and development through the season made a huge difference. "I feel partly responsible – I've been feeding so many ideas to engineering that upgrade designs keep getting revised," he said, scratching his head.
"We just need a faster car," Massa shrugged. There was nothing more to be said now.
The following day brought Third Practice – the final session before qualifying, where teams focused on race pace and qualifying simulations. Mercedes led again, with Rosberg fastest, followed by Vettel, Hamilton, Wu Shi, and Räikkönen – all within the 1 minute 26 second mark. Red Bull showed renewed pace, while Massa struggled to adapt to the conditions. The Toro Rosso cars of Verstappen and Sainz also performed well – had Renault's engine upgrade finally paid off?
"Run a few extra laps," Jonathan told Wu Shi as he climbed into the car.
"More data to collect?"
"Focus on brake temperatures and front downforce during the cool-down lap – Catalunya's data is valuable for future setups."
"Understood."
Qualifying
Q1 passed with few surprises: the Manor drivers were eliminated last, followed by Force India (waiting on upgrade parts) and Sauber's Ericsson. Pérez narrowly advanced to Q2, while both McLarens made it through – a promising sign of progress.
In Q2, Wu Shi, like the Mercedes and Ferrari drivers, completed three timed laps, setting a 1 minute 26.222 second time. The Mercedes cars were in a league of their own, breaking into the 1 minute 25 second range – Rosberg led Hamilton by 0.5 seconds. Wu Shi knew the lack of upgrades was hurting their competitiveness. Massa had to run a second flying lap to secure his place in Q3 with 1 minute 26.1 seconds. Verstappen and Sainz advanced in their Toro Rossos – a major surprise. Lotus, McLaren, and Sauber filled the eliminated positions.
Q3 delivered no miracles. Rosberg took pole with a blistering 1 minute 24.681 seconds – his first pole of the season – while Hamilton was 0.267 seconds behind, locking out the front row. Wu Shi pushed hard but could only manage 1 minute 25.318 seconds for third place. Vettel was fourth – confirming Ferrari's upgrades were underwhelming. The Toro Rossos impressed in fifth and sixth, with Räikkönen seventh, Kvyat eighth, Massa ninth (after a mistake cost him a faster lap), and Ricciardo tenth.
As one of the top three qualifiers, Wu Shi joined the pre-race press conference. The hosts focused primarily on Rosberg's resurgence.
"Nico, congratulations on pole – this is the first time you've outperformed Lewis by such a margin this season. What's changed?"
"Thank you – I've felt really comfortable in the car since yesterday," Rosberg said. "We fitted a new gearbox, replacing the unit I used last year, and it's made the car much more predictable. Form comes and goes in this sport – what matters is that I'm back at my best now."
"Were you affected by the slower start to your season?"
"Every driver goes through tough periods, but I never lost focus. Now I'm on pole, and my goal is to convert this into a lights-to-flag win."
The host turned to Hamilton: "Lewis, second place must feel unusual for you – what held you back?"
"I was more conservative in some high-speed corners and took time to adapt to the latest setup changes," Hamilton said. "Qualifying is done now, so there's no point dwelling on it. I'm hungry for victory – I've won every race so far this season, and that won't change tomorrow."
Finally, the host addressed Wu Shi: "You've become a regular in these top-three press conferences – what are your expectations for the race?"
"The gap to Mercedes is significant, so we'll focus on our own pace," Wu Shi said calmly. "Our priority is defending against Ferrari – we need to hold position and score solid points."
After the conference, Wu Shi returned to his room and unlocked his phone – Louise's photo was on the screensaver. What outsiders saw as effortless performance was the result of relentless work and focus.
What would tomorrow bring? Could he hold off Vettel and Räikkönen? The Mercedes cars were untouchable – first and second were out of reach. But Spain was full of memorable moments, and if Rosberg won while Wu Shi finished third, the German would overtake him in the drivers' standings.
His grip on second place was fragile – just as Hamilton only truly defended against Rosberg, because the only threat to a fully competitive Mercedes was another fully competitive Mercedes.