Chapter 216: Continuing to Lead the Standings
With just a handful of laps remaining, Wu Shi's heart thundered in his chest. This was nothing like his last win – then, Mercedes' double retirement and Ferrari's inability to challenge had all but guaranteed victory. Today, he'd resigned himself to second place… until Verstappen's crash brought out the safety car, and Mercedes made the stunning call to bring Hamilton in for tires!
The sudden opportunity left his hands trembling slightly. Just finish these final laps, and he'd claim his second career Grand Prix win.
"Wu Shi – Lap 72, 7 laps to go. Rosberg is 1.7 seconds behind; Vettel's 4.23 seconds back and fighting with Hamilton," Jonathan's voice cut through the roar, pulling him back to focus.
Engine noise drowned out everything else, punctuated only by waves of cheers from spectators packed onto terraced buildings lining the track.
Swish! Swish!
The broadcast flashed to Williams #59 streaking past, then immediately cut to Mercedes #6 (Rosberg) hot on his heels. Cameras alternated between the white and silver cars, capturing every twist and turn as they carved through the streets.
"Lap 73 – Rosberg's fallen 2.1 seconds behind. Stay sharp," Jonathan warned.
The cameras shifted entirely to Vettel, showing a rear-facing view of Hamilton desperately trying to find a way past. The reigning champion was off-line, using his fresh tires to probe every inch of track – but there was simply no room to overtake.
Briefly, the broadcast cut to Ricciardo diving inside Räikkönen for a pass, causing minor contact before securing the position. The replay ended quickly, returning to the battle for third and fourth. Hamilton tried every trick in the book, closing in endlessly but never finding an opening – a testament to both Monaco's narrow streets and Vettel's masterful defense.
After Lap 73, Wu Shi set a fastest lap of 1:18.411 – though no one noticed amid the drama behind him.
"Impossible," Hamilton said over team radio after Turn 1 on Lap 74, his voice heavy with defeat. Completely impossible to pass!
"Ricciardo and Räikkönen's collision is under investigation," Jonathan updated Wu Shi.
At the same time, Ferrari told Vettel: "Hamilton just said he can't get past you."
Lap 75 saw Wu Shi set a new fastest lap.
"Lap 76 – only 3 laps left! Wu Shi still leads – we're about to witness his second win of the season!"
"Mercedes' strategy team made a massive mistake here – they'll have some explaining to do. Why call Hamilton in for tires at that point?" Fei wondered aloud.
"The real issue was the slow stop. Even 3 seconds would have kept him ahead, but they took a full 6!" Bing added.
"Leading drivers rely so much on their teams – the pressure on strategy groups is immense."
As they discussed, Mercedes radioed Hamilton with another update. Static crackled as he replied: "Don't talk to me now – I'm concentrating."
"Hahaha, looks like he's upset!" Bing laughed.
"Can you blame him? His own team cost him the win!" Fei shook his head. While Lewis lost out, Wu Shi was set to gain – and both commentators were thrilled by the turn of events.
On the final lap, Ricciardo was cleared of any penalty.
"Here we go – the final lap! Wu Shi is about to win back-to-back races this season! What an achievement!"
"Turn 19 is coming up – after this corner, he'll cross the line! The checkered flag is waving!"
The broadcast switched to first-person view, scenery blurring past as the car surged forward. The starting grid and zebra crossing flashed by, then the green ROLEX billboard – and ahead, the red platform with the checkered flag waving high.
Roar, swish, swish!!
The car crossed the finish line!
"He's done it! Congratulations to Wu Shi – winner of the Monaco Grand Prix! Back-to-back victories for the young driver!" Bing shouted excitedly.
"Yes! What an incredible surprise!"
Wu Shi pressed his radio button: "We did it!"
"Congratulations, Wu Shi! Your second career win – you drove brilliantly today!" Jonathan's voice was filled with emotion.
Hamilton never managed to pass Vettel, finishing fourth. From race leader to fourth place in one strategic misstep.
"That's it," he said simply over radio, parking his car in the Turn 8 run-off area. Marshals stared in confusion before he restarted and drove back to the pits.
Due to Monaco's track constraints, the winner's parking spot was on-track. Wu Shi drove past the pit entrance and parked behind the #1 sign – the mark of victory. Cameras of all sizes were already pointed his way, capturing every moment.
He removed his steering wheel and headrest, climbing out carefully as every action was recorded. A staff member approached to walk him through the procedures:
"The podium is this way. Awards first, then weigh-in and other formalities. Are you familiar with our etiquette here?"
"No – could you explain?"
"The cheek kiss – right first, then left," the staff member noted, gesturing toward the royal box.
"Got it."
By then, Rosberg and Vettel were also out of their cars. Wu Shi shook hands with both, exchanging congratulations.
"Congratulations on winning Monaco – this is a huge victory!" Rosberg beamed, all earlier tension gone.
"Thank you! And well done to you too – this win really came out of nowhere," Wu Shi smiled.
"Haha – track racing is full of surprises!" Rosberg pulled him into a hug.
Vettel approached next, pushing sweat-soaked hair from his forehead: "Congratulations – still leading the standings."
"Thanks."
They removed their helmets and balaclavas, donning baseball caps as the host announced Wu Shi's name. Cheers erupted as he walked onto the podium – many spectators were stunned by his youth.
Members of the Monegasque royal family greeted him with visible surprise.
"Congratulations! Young driver from China – you've won the Monaco Grand Prix!" Prince Albert II shook his hand, looking him over carefully.
"Thank you so much!"
"We knew you'd joined Williams back in January, but we never imagined you'd win here. What a wonderful surprise!" the Prince chuckled warmly.
Wu Shi paused before responding: "They say luck favors the prepared, but I have to admit today was lucky! Winning Monaco is an incredible honor in my career!"
He squeezed the Prince's hand slightly – he always responded warmly to those who showed respect to him and his country.
"Haha! Excellent. Next time I'm in China, maybe you'll show me around?"
"Absolutely – it would be my pleasure!"
The Prince patted his shoulder and directed him to greet the other royals. A short-haired Princess in white approached: "Handsome young man – congratulations on your win!"
"Thank you!"
Wu Shi felt a bit reserved as she placed her hand on his arm for the cheek kiss, but he remembered the order – right, then left.
After greeting everyone, Prince Albert presented the winner's trophy. Wu Shi held it high, waving to the crowd – regardless of whether they knew him, everyone cheered for the champion.
Rosberg was much more at ease on the podium, having long-standing ties to Monaco. After chatting briefly with the royals, the Princess presented his trophy. Vettel, however, looked less than thrilled – the reason unclear.
To the right of the podium, the red flag rose in the center as ceremonial soldiers saluted. Monaco's sense of pageantry was truly impressive.
This was the second time his national anthem played at a Grand Prix – a feeling Wu Shi cherished deeply. If one day this becomes the regular 'closing music' of F1, my career will be complete.
After the awards, champagne was handed out. Wu Shi sprayed his team first, finding Jonathan and soaking him in celebration. His engineer laughed, eyes closed and mouth open to taste the bubbly victory.
Post-race interviews followed immediately:
"Wu Shi – congratulations on making history with your second win. How do you feel?"
"I'm incredibly excited. This win was unexpected – a bit of luck involved – but regardless, I'm thrilled to have won here!"
The reporter turned to Rosberg next, shifting focus to Mercedes' controversial strategy – one that cost Hamilton the win and Mercedes 13 valuable points, narrowing their lead after the previous race's double retirement.
"Nico – congratulations on second place. You've won here twice before – a shame you couldn't make it three in a row."
"True, but as Wu Shi said, luck played a part in this result too."
"Did you know why the team called Hamilton in but not you?"
Rosberg waved his hand: "I really don't know – I was just focusing on driving. When I saw him exit the pits behind us, I was as surprised as anyone."
Listening nearby, Wu Shi agreed Mercedes' strategy seemed baffling. Vettel had proven fresh supersofts couldn't pass older soft tires on this track – why risk pitting at all? If Williams had asked him to pit, he would have refused outright.
He thought back to Mercedes' past operations: 2014 and 2015 saw Rosberg trailing Hamilton, but swapping race crews in 2016 led to four straight wins and a season-long battle. Rosberg retired immediately after winning the title, shocking the team – Niki Lauda called him selfish and unteam-oriented. Clearly, Mercedes' internal dynamics were complex.
Looking toward his Williams teammates, Wu Shi felt grateful – no bitter power struggles here. Teams torn by infighting always lost their edge, much like the late Ming Dynasty's collapse due to internal strife despite claims of loyalty.
Attention soon turned to Hamilton, who showed remarkable restraint in his interview: "Victory belongs to both driver and team. Everyone worked hard today, and we gave it our all."
He didn't blame anyone, answering calmly even as tensions between the Mercedes drivers were well-known. Wu Shi felt a pang of regret – Lewis had driven flawlessly all race, only to be undone by a pit stop error. He stepped forward to offer comfort, and Hamilton forced a smile to congratulate him on extending his standings lead.
Once all procedures were complete, Wu Shi headed straight to the hospital where Verstappen was being checked. Tests showed no serious injuries, and when Wu Shi told him about the race result, he stared in disbelief.
"What were their strategists thinking? Everyone knows you don't pit late in Monaco!"
"Blame you for that," Wu Shi grinned.
"Me?!"
"You brought out the safety car!"
"Then you should be thanking me – without that, Hamilton would have taken the points lead!"
"Fair enough – I owe you a meal."
"Forget it – how about you join me for some GT racing instead?"
"GT? Like real races?"
"No, simulators. I avoid F1 sims outside the team's – they mess with how I judge the real car's feel."
"So you play other sims in your free time?"
Wu Shi shook his head in amazement. Verstappen truly lived and breathed racing – aside from his family, it was all he cared about.
The Monaco Grand Prix's dramatic finish dominated headlines, with everyone speculating on Mercedes' motives for calling Hamilton in. The decision left him further behind Wu Shi in the standings instead of reclaiming the lead.
Mercedes didn't release official details, but experts concluded it was a miscalculation. Hamilton had reported tire concerns after pushing hard, and with the safety car closing gaps, the team decided to pit based on their data. The calculation was slightly off, but the real problem was the slow stop – 6 seconds instead of the usual 3 pushed him too far back.
Wu Shi read the analysis and agreed – the delayed tire change was the critical factor.
Matching the race's excitement was Wu Shi's continued hold on the championship lead.