Chapter 147: There Is No Injustice
After changing into a Mercedes team T-shirt in the rear area, Wu Shi returned to the pit lane. The technicians were already disassembling the No. 6 W05. If the gearbox issue wasn't resolved quickly, it could affect the race weekend — and at the very least, delay Free Practice Two later that night.
"You did an incredible job out there," Niki Lauda said immediately. "Have you really never driven a Formula One car before? Not even in a proper simulator?"
Wu Shi caught the double meaning in the question, smiled, and answered honestly.
"I've never driven an F1 car. If F1 2013 counts as a simulator, then I suppose I've driven one."
"Haha!" Lauda laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "We'll have a proper talk after Singapore."
Wu Shi nodded.
In truth, his lap time wasn't slow at all. The reason Mercedes was treating the situation so seriously was simple: that brief power limitation had exposed a real internal problem.
He didn't think his performance was enough to surpass Hamilton or Rosberg outright — but beating Red Bull and Ferrari? That should have been within reach.
Toto Wolff came over and asked a few questions about how the car felt.
"It felt great," Wu Shi replied. "Very comfortable. Honestly, I wanted to buy one immediately."
Toto laughed.
"If you like Mercedes that much, I'll get you one when you turn eighteen."
Then he gestured toward a cordoned-off group nearby.
"The reporters are getting impatient. Go talk to them while there's a break."
---
As Wu Shi approached, a Sky Sports reporter immediately raised a microphone, while a journalist from an Italian newspaper squeezed in beside him.
Wu Shi glanced instead at the CCTV reporter and subtly gestured for him to go first.
The reporter smiled.
"Before we start, allow me to say something."
Wu Shi nodded.
"Wu Shi — you were amazing!"
Wu Shi coughed awkwardly.
"Haha—!"
The reporter laughed, then quickly composed himself.
"Hello, Wu Shi. I'm from CCTV Sports. To be honest, I'm extremely excited right now. When you set a lap time of 1:45.879, I think the entire Chinese motorsport community was shaken."
"That lap time is extraordinary. Based on current projections, it could easily place you in the top three in qualifying. As a driver making his Formula One debut, how do you feel about this result?"
Wu Shi answered calmly.
"Thank you. I can feel your excitement — and I'm excited too. Not just because I got to drive an F1 car, but because I got to drive this year's championship-winning car. I don't think many rookies get an opportunity like that."
"As for today's lap time, I think I did everything I could. I didn't have much time to adapt to the car, and some lines weren't ideal. To go faster, I had to push myself to the limit."
"Overall, it's a lap I'm satisfied with."
He deliberately avoided mentioning the power issue, and the CCTV reporter tactfully moved on.
"We all saw it. You were driving on the absolute limit. Several times it looked like you were about to hit the wall — but you didn't. You used every centimeter of track. Your skill is no less than that of many veteran drivers. China is proud to have a driver like you."
"Could you wave to the camera and say hello to your fans back home?"
Wu Shi nodded, turned to the camera, and smiled.
"Hello everyone. I'm Wu Shi, currently racing in Formula 3. Thank you for taking the time to watch today. I really appreciate your support."
He waved.
The footage was broadcast live across China.
Those watching were already dedicated fans — people who knew exactly who Wu Shi was. Seeing him on screen, hair damp with sweat, smiling shyly, many couldn't help but cheer aloud.
The noise drew complaints from neighbors.
---
Six Star Sports, using the international F1 feed, only saw the side-angle footage.
"An interview in Chinese!" the Soldier exclaimed. "I never thought I'd see this again."
"Yes," Fei Ge nodded. "And he gave CCTV priority."
"Ahem," the Soldier cleared his throat. "In Formula One, Western media has always dominated the narrative. Conducting a live interview in Chinese — that's extraordinary. For anyone else, I wouldn't even dare imagine it."
Fei Ge understood.
"Some foreign media might criticize him tomorrow. But his speed, his talent, and the commercial backing behind him mean he doesn't need to worry."
"That's exactly it," Bing Ge said. "Other Chinese drivers wouldn't even dare dream of this."
---
Once CCTV finished, Sky Sports finally got their turn.
They weren't there to congratulate him.
They wanted headlines.
"Wu Shi, congratulations on your performance. Many believe this lap fulfills the agreement between you and Mercedes. There's a strong chance you could become a Mercedes race driver next season. How do you feel about that?"
Wu Shi immediately recognized the trap.
"I'm very grateful to Mercedes for giving me today's opportunity," he said carefully. "This is part of my role in the Mercedes Driver Development Programme, and it's an invaluable experience."
"So you believe this performance puts you firmly in the top three for qualifying tomorrow?"
"In Free Practice One, nobody revealed their full pace," Wu Shi replied. "I also have very limited Formula One experience. It's not something I can predict."
The reporter pressed again.
"We heard you say 'no power' on the radio. What happened?"
"I'm not an engineer," Wu Shi said evenly. "I don't know the cause."
"But if that issue prevents you from qualifying in the top three, would you feel that it was unfair?"
Wu Shi looked directly at him.
"There's no injustice in racing. In karting, I learned that mechanical issues are part of the sport. Everyone faces them."
The reporter smiled, satisfied. He had gotten his quote.
---
The Italian media followed, asking Wu Shi to greet fans in Italian.
He did — fluently.
Ironically, at this point, he had more fans in Italy than in China.
After the interviews, Wu Shi finally rested.
During Free Practice Two, he sat in the garage with headphones on, holding a water bottle, watching the session unfold.
Most drivers focused on supersoft tyre degradation. Rosberg, still affected by the gearbox issue, ran long stints instead — completing thirty laps at race pace, with a best time of 1:49.075.
The problem had clearly prevented a push lap.
Hamilton, Alonso, and Ricciardo each dipped into the 1:46 range, showing that the true fight had begun.
Watching Hamilton's lap, Wu Shi thought carefully.
It wasn't the fastest possible lap — but it was clean, controlled, and far from the limit.
If he pushed a little harder…
He could easily reach the mid-1:45s.
Hamilton's understanding of the circuit was profound.
Wu Shi replayed the lap again and again in his mind.
Free Practice Two ended at 10:30 p.m.
The Marina Bay Circuit remained brilliantly lit as engineers began inspections and maintenance, preparing for the battles still to come.