F1: Absolute Car Feel

Chapter 239 Mercedes Continues to Dominate Ranked Matches

21 days may seem like a long time, but for F1 development, it's just a fleeting moment.

Williams' R&D team experienced three unforgettable weeks.

Wu Shi's consecutive victories widened his lead in the standings, raising everyone's expectations dramatically.

However, through continuous testing and improvements, Williams' speed at Hungaroring is far inferior to that at Silverstone.

Regardless of the outcome, time doesn't care about that.

On Friday, July 24, the sun blazed down over Budapest, making the heat unbearable.

However, the heat is better than the rain, because if it rains, a missile might be launched here.

In the FP1, Williams tested the new tuning and introduced aerodynamic upgrades to some of the wing kits.

Under the rules of air mobility, the complexity of the kits has reached a point where just one glance can make one dizzy.

The new kit is expected to bring greater downforce and balance in corners, helping the FW37 adapt better to the Hungaroring circuit.

After Wu Shi and Masa conducted data simulations on the simulator, they always felt something was off.

While downforce is indeed present, the simulated resistance is also increased, which can lead to instability in corners with steep inclines.

Massa stated very directly that he could not tolerate this.

Wu Shi remained silent. The trade-off between pressure and stability could only be determined by actual practice runs.

Massa's refusal revealed to Wu Shi the powerlessness of this uncrowned king.

If you were to ask young Massa whether he prioritizes better downforce for faster cornering or better stability for smoother cornering, he would say he prioritizes more stability.

He would not hesitate at all on the latter.

Shortly after the start of the practice session, Perez lost control in a corner and the car rolled over, but fortunately no one was hurt.

However, due to the severe damage to his vehicle, he was unable to participate in the afternoon's second training session.

Ferrari and Red Bull both demonstrated impressive speeds on this track.

McLaren seems to have found its rhythm thanks to Honda's engines, and its speed is no longer consistently among the lowest.

Mercedes' two stars easily secured first and second place, while Kimi and Ricciardo occupied third and fourth.

Wu Shi's lap time reached 7th, while Massa was even further down to 14th.

Williams' performance was mediocre, but the crowd in the paddock remained calm.

Who doesn't know that Williams likes to hide these days?
However, at noon, Massa still expressed his dissatisfaction with the new kit.

Wu Shi gradually came to appreciate the fun in it, finding moments of balance in the instability, which he always found very exciting.

Shortly after the start of the second practice session in the afternoon, Hamilton improved his lap time from 1 minute 25 seconds in the first practice session to 1 minute 23 seconds.

Ricciardo, who performed well in practice, suffered an engine failure, and Renault once again surprised Red Bull.

The track temperature had reached 52°C, and the teams were considering conducting long-distance tests.

Williams' cooling system was put to a severe test. Although the data was normal after running lap after lap, Wu Shi felt it was very hot.

He reported this situation to the team, but it was impossible to resolve the issue in one night.

Compared to Wu Shi's opinion that it was too hot, Massa's side thought it was acceptable.

This difference is actually caused by the two teams pushing their cars to their limits differently.

After the two practice sessions on Friday, both Wu Shi and Massa expressed in interviews that they were not used to the cars and that their speed was affected.

After listening to the interview, Hamilton joked:
“They always say that, and then Wu Shi will suddenly pop up and give me a headache for the whole match.”

Vettel also joked, "Wu Shi has the humility that is unique to Chinese people, so his words should be taken into account."

"If he thinks it won't work, then it will work; if he thinks it will work, then it will be great; if he thinks it will be great, oh, he's never thought it will be great before."

After making a joke, Vettel returned to the topic of Ferrari itself:

“The upgrades in the previous rounds were painful for us. After reverting to the earlier configuration parts, we are actually more adapted to this track.”

Ferrari finished second in the paddock in both practice sessions, according to telemetry data.

Upon hearing Vettel's interview, Wu Shi lamented that it was no longer Friday and Saturday, "gogogo," and Sunday, "nonono."

Oh, no, that's a reference to Lock & Lock, but it hasn't been released yet.

Unfortunately, Ferrari only went halfway through on Saturday.

In the third practice session, Hamilton took first place with an absolute advantage of 1 minute 22.997 seconds.

Rosberg was only 0.089 seconds slower.

Compared to the two stars' speeds, third-place Vettel only had a time of 1 minute 23.886 seconds, nearly a second behind.

This is half of Ferrari's Go.

Kimi had little opportunity to test his car due to a water leak, and finished only sixth.

I almost triggered the famous saying, "Must be the water," in the nesting strategy.

In the unassuming tests during the third training session, Mercedes' speed shocked the paddock.

During the midday interview, everyone was considering whether Wu Shi could create another miracle and once again defeat the Mercedes-Benz G15 twice.

Regardless of what others say, in the team's internal meeting after the third training session, Wu Shi was straightforward:
"My predicted lap time is exactly 1 minute and 23 seconds."

After working together for so long, everyone still believes in Wu Shi's predictions.

Not to mention, Massa also said later:

"Overall, it doesn't feel as good as Silverstone. I estimate the lap times will be slower."

The two drivers' estimates were not derived from direct data, but they are still very valuable for reference.

People became somewhat subdued.

Claire gently tapped the table and said:
"Everyone, don't forget that just a few years ago we were still frowning over a few points."

"This year I'm already feeling frustrated about not being able to compete with Mercedes, which is a huge step forward. There's no need to put so much pressure on myself."

"As before, if everyone plays their part and finishes the game, that will be enough."

When the second boss spoke up, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Competing for the championship isn't just stressful for the drivers; everyone else faces the same pressure.

The strategy of launching the platform has been heavily criticized by outsiders.

Although this doesn't affect their normal work, it is a form of denial on a psychological level, and most people will be affected to some extent.

With Mercedes out of reach, Williams naturally set his sights on securing third or fourth place.

Because of the difficulty of overtaking on this track, qualifying is highly valued.

Maintaining third or fourth place in qualifying is equivalent to maintaining third or fourth place in the main race.

Wu Shi listened critically to the engineer's suggestions for optimizing lap times, taking into account his own driving experience.

Wu Shi did not take a nap at noon, as the waking period after a nap always affected his performance.

Besides, he couldn't sleep at that moment.

Knowing that the vehicle was at a disadvantage, they wanted to strive for a better outcome.

The qualifying races began at 2 PM.

Based on previous practice sessions, Mano's two cars had lap times of around 1 minute 27 seconds and 28 seconds, directly securing two elimination spots in Q1.

In addition, Sauber's lap time is estimated at 1 minute 25 seconds, and he may break into 1 minute 26 seconds.

These are the four slowest cars in practice, so there's only one elimination spot left in Q1.

中游车队的三练圈速基本在1分24秒，也就是说只要跑进1分24秒，就能够稳稳进入Q2。

In fact, the requirements for entering Q2 will be even more lenient.

Wu Shi doesn't have much to say about the Hungaroring circuit, but the kerbs on this track give him a lot of headaches.

Many corners where you hit the curb will affect your exit speed, which will ultimately translate into a difference of about 1 or 2 points in lap time.

And the second bend, which has an angle, requires different approaches to maintaining stability depending on the vehicle.

Therefore, you can't get too close to the apex of the corner, because the apex has the largest lean angle, which will make the car difficult to control and affect the lap time.

Wu Shi entered the game two minutes after the start of Q1. It's good that he was able to advance steadily into Q2, but he also needs more practice time.

"Wu Shi left very early again. In previous interviews, we saw that both Williams drivers said they were not used to this station."

"But Williams always manages to emerge as a dark horse in qualifying, so I think the focus today will still be on the battle between Williams' Wu Shi and Mercedes' drivers for pole position."

Compared to the commentary for the main competition, the commentary for the qualifying matches is much more relaxed and enjoyable.

吴轼开始尝试能不能跑进1分23秒。    第一个飞驰圈受到交通影响，仅仅跑出1分23秒7的成绩。

This was enough to get into Q2, but Wu Shi stayed on the track, seeking another chance for the flying lap.

Three minutes later, the second flying lap began. Wu Shi drove on the outer line at turn 2, which did give him a more stable driving experience, but it still felt a bit slow.

He pressed the "Mark" button and continued driving.

The time for one lap was 1 minute 23.233 seconds.

A very good result, but still far from breaking the 23-second barrier.

Three and a half minutes later, on his third flying lap, he focused on the large "U" turns, such as 2, 13, and 14, trying to find the best path in these wide sections of the track.

Unfortunately, Q1 stopped working soon after.

Hamilton tops the list with a time of 1 minute 22.890 seconds.

Rosberg finished second with a time of 1 minute 22.979 seconds.

Mercedes demonstrated remarkable dominance on this track.

Even though this location isn't particularly demanding on the engine, they still managed to achieve a leading time, suggesting that the advantages created by the rest of the vehicle's configuration are difficult for other teams to match.

Wu Shi finished third with a time of 1 minute 29.023 seconds.

Upon seeing this result, the commentator burst out laughing:

"See? He wasn't good before the game, but he was good during the game! Wu Shi is still second only to Mercedes."

Vettel finished fourth with a time of 1 minute 23.312 seconds.

"Fara used the old kits again, which actually helped them a lot, which is hard to imagine."

Kvyat finished fifth with a time of 1 minute 23.587 seconds.

"Red Bull's performance at this stop was significantly better, demonstrating considerable competitiveness."

Sainz ultimately closed the gap with a time of 1 minute 24.623 seconds.

The vehicles eliminated were Patton, two Saubers, and two Manor vehicles.

Entering Q2, constrained by tire regulations, Wu Shi did not want to become the second Flying Wheel.

The team also agreed with this strategy.

After all, a driver who completes two laps will have to run at least five laps, which means they will wear out more tires than a driver who only completes one lap.

Not to mention that most of the time when you fly two laps, you waste a full four laps on warming up the tires, cooling down, and charging.

Wu Shi remembered the feeling of Q1 and, with better track conditions, ran a time of 1 minute 23.198 seconds.

After completing one lap of racing, I went straight to the garage to rest.

Vettel and Kimi had the same plan, and both only stayed on the track for 3 laps.

Their results were also very good; Vettel's time of 1 minute 23.168 seconds was faster than Wu Shi's.

Kimi also had a time of 1 minute 23.460 seconds, easily making it into Q3.

The three drivers who only wanted to do one lap finished their work, and only then did the rest of the drivers begin their serious races.

Verstappen ran his first flying lap in 1 minute 23.662 seconds, which is a pretty good time for Toro Rosso.

Rosberg and Hamilton were stopped on their first flying lap due to Alonso's car malfunction.

However, they soon completed their second lap.

Rosberg's lap time was 1 minute 22.775 seconds.

Hamilton slammed home a backhand shot in 1 minute 22.285 seconds.

It's clear that, at least in 2015, the old man's ranking ability was far superior to the princess's.

The final timeout for Q2 was Grosjean's 1 minute 23.805 seconds.

The eliminated drivers are Hulkenberg, Sainz, Perez, Bottas, and Alonso.

Q3 arrived quickly.

The 12-minute schedule was quite tight, with Hamilton and Rosberg leaving very early.

They were also intimidated by Wu Shi, and they gave it their all in the first lap of racing.

Rosberg flew a time of 1 minute 22.766 seconds, placing him first.

Then Hamilton countered with a backhand shot in 1 minute 22.408 seconds.

The Mercedes duo's speed is astonishingly exaggerated.

"It seems that Mercedes is indeed fast at this race. Wu Shi's first flying lap was only 1 minute 23.123 seconds, a full 0.7 seconds away from pole position. It's hard to imagine that he still has a chance."

The commentators no longer have high hopes for Wu Shi.

"Actually, Wu Shi gets pole position in special circumstances. Either it's raining or the two Mercedes drivers make mistakes. Under normal circumstances, there is no car faster than Mercedes in qualifying."

Another person added,

This resonated with many, as Mercedes' lap times in qualifying were truly disheartening.

"Then there's basically no chance of anything changing in the main competition."

维特尔飞驰出1分22秒975位列第三，很快Kimi也飞出了1分23秒107，将吴轼再挤下去一名。

"Ferraris are really fast!"

After the commentator finished expressing his admiration, upon seeing Massa's time of 1 minute 23.819 seconds, he couldn't help but say:

"The gap between Massa and Wu Shi is too big!"

Soon, all the drivers finished their first flying lap.

The track became empty for a moment, and in the last five minutes, the drivers changed to the new softest tires for a final push.

Hamilton took the lead and set an incredible time of 1 minute 22.020 seconds, completely eliminating any chance of pole position for other non-Mercedes drivers.

Rosberg followed closely behind, but made a mistake at the 13th "U" turn, finishing his race with a time of 1 minute 22.595 seconds.

Wu Shi started relatively late, and after much effort, he finally finished the race with a time of 1 minute 22.977 seconds.

This was originally a lap time second only to Mercedes, but Vettel immediately set a time of 1 minute 22.739 seconds, pushing him off the top!
Ferrari fans who arrived at the scene cheered immediately, and some commentators became excited.

Sure enough, Ferrari's performance in the paddock was the most exciting.

Kimi sped right behind Vettel, both in the first and second segments.

When Williams and his teammates saw this, they couldn't help but clench their fists.

It flashed by, 1 minute 23 seconds 020 seconds later.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and smiled; being in the second row to start the bus was pretty good.

But soon, the camera focused on Ricciardo speeding away at the very end.

This driver, whose performance in the first two qualifying sessions was far inferior to his teammate Kvyat, was expected to have a time of around 1 minute 23.3 seconds.

But looking at the situation now, he suddenly unleashed his full power!
Wu Shi had returned to the P room and saw Da Ya speeding around, but unfortunately the camera was flashing too fast and many parts weren't captured in full.

He's pregnant.

Swish!
A moment later, Ricardo crossed the finish line in 1 minute 22.774 seconds!

They ranked fourth by a narrow margin.

Wu Shi wasn't too discouraged after being eliminated. Thinking about Ricciardo's big laugh later, he was actually quite happy for this exceptionally talented driver.

With the clock stopped in Q3, the two Mercedes drivers, who were behind in the standings, demonstrated Mercedes' dominance in the paddock with an absolute lead.

Hamilton and Rosberg started from the front row.

Following that is:
Vettel, Riccardo
Wu Shi, Kimi
Koviat, Massa

Verstappen, Grosjean

The qualifying results were astonishing, showcasing Mercedes' strength. However, some people mocked the two Mercedes drivers, saying that despite driving such a good car, they kept letting a rookie steal the lead.

Wu Shi started from the third row, his worst starting position of the season, raising questions about whether Williams' development can keep up with other teams.

Of course, Ferrari's resurgence has also given many people a glimmer of hope—Vettel's chances of winning the championship.

The back-and-forth between Wu Shi and the Mercedes duo made many people forget that Vettel's points were only single digits behind the Mercedes duo.

In Hungaroring, the chances of overtaking at Turn 1 after the start are very high, although only at the start.

Therefore, tomorrow's match is bound to be interesting.

(End of this chapter)