Chapter 141: Doing Our Best
On September 8, the day after the Italian Grand Prix, Mercedes officially announced at a press conference that Wu Shi had joined the Mercedes Driver Development Program.
At the same time, the team confirmed that Wu Shi would drive Nico Rosberg's car during Free Practice 1 on Friday, September 19, at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The news detonated like a bomb in the racing world.
Questions flooded in immediately—about Wu Shi's age, his nationality, and above all, whether someone so young was even qualified to sit in an F1 cockpit. Among them, age became the sharpest point of contention.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't really an "attack." Wu Shi was extraordinarily young. No one in history had ever driven a Formula One car in an official session at his age.
Fortunately, under the current regulations, the super licence system did not yet use a points-based threshold. As long as a driver met the FIA's standards and had sufficient backing, age alone could not bar him from the track.
And even if Wu Shi never competed in another race for the rest of the season, he would still finish as the European F3 Champion—one who had crushed the field and built a points gap so large it bordered on the absurd.
The shockwave quickly reached China.
State-affiliated sports media moved with astonishing speed. Representatives contacted Wu Zhenlin almost immediately, informing him that a crew would fly to Singapore to film Wu Shi's first F1 appearance.
Major online outlets followed closely behind. Big Eye Media began preparing coverage plans for the Singapore Grand Prix.
This was explosive news.
A Chinese driver stepping into Formula One—at a time when the sport's ladder system was becoming increasingly rigid and unforgiving—was almost unimaginable.
Social media erupted.
A video edited by the creator Ningjing de Xiatian on AC Station spread like wildfire, shared tens of thousands of times across platforms such as Tianyan, Tianya Forum, and Tieba. On September 9, multiple official sports accounts cited the video in their reports, pushing Wu Shi squarely into the national spotlight.
That was simply how Chinese sports culture worked.
The 110-meter hurdles had once been a niche event—until Liu Xiang appeared. Overnight, an entire nation learned the rules, the times, and the competitors.
Now, Wu Shi was standing at a similar threshold.
Six Star Sports even published a long-form analysis boldly claiming that if Wu Shi successfully joined Mercedes, he could become China's first Formula One World Champion.
Of course, the article quickly tempered its enthusiasm. Based on the information released by Mercedes, Six Star Sports concluded that Wu Shi's chances of securing a seat were still slim. After all, a driver who had never driven an F1 car before achieving a top-three qualifying result was nothing short of fantasy.
To insiders, this was obvious.
But those same insiders were celebrating anyway.
A practice-session opportunity with Mercedes was already an extraordinary honor. And how old was Wu Shi, really? He hadn't even come close to his peak yet.
For most people, it wasn't the present that mattered—it was the future.
Amid the nationwide excitement, one person remained conspicuously silent: the content creator Peaceful Summer.
Then, a comment appeared beneath the viral video:
> "Case solved! My brother works in Italy and says foreign media confirmed that the girl next to Wu Shi in the Mercedes garage is named Louise. And guess what—the UP's profile picture is Louise from Zero no Tsukaima!"
The comment exploded with likes.
In a dark room with the curtains drawn tight, the only light coming from a computer screen, Ning Jingxia stared at the comment in silence.
After a long moment, she slammed her fist on the desk and typed:
> "No. The uploader is Chinese."
She posted the reply—and immediately changed her profile picture.
---
"Louise, you're famous now."
Wu Shi lay half-reclined on the sofa after finishing his workout, Louise leaning lazily against him.
"Huh?" Louise was focused on the TV.
"Didn't you check your phone?"
"Not yet."
She picked it up, scrolled through Twitter and Instagram—and froze. Her face instantly flushed red.
"No! How can they—?!"
"What? What did they say?" Wu Shi grinned, watching her practically steam.
"Hey! Don't look!"
Louise lunged at him, trying to grab the phone.
"Oof!"
Wu Shi felt an elbow dig into his chest. Thankfully, she was light—otherwise he might've needed medical attention.
He surrendered the phone helplessly. "I already saw everything."
"Waaah—!"
Louise buried her face against him, letting out a muffled groan of embarrassment.
---
Wu Shi's rest time was growing shorter by the day.
On Tuesday, he left Italy for the Netherlands. Louise, still on summer vacation, was reluctant to see him go, but there was no helping it.
Van Amersfoort Racing had a simulator—one that could help Wu Shi familiarize himself with the Singapore circuit.
He had briefly considered going to Hamilton's home in Monaco. That simulator would have been even more useful.
But he was too visible now.
If he were photographed entering Hamilton's home, and it became known that he was using a Mercedes-provided simulator, it could create unnecessary trouble. Even if technically permitted under their agreement, Mercedes could still void it if the optics turned sour.
Some things only worked as long as no one put them on a scale.
Wu Shi had driven the Singapore circuit countless times in his previous life, but the layout had changed frequently over the years. His memories were vague at best.
After a week and a half in the Netherlands, he packed his bags and flew to Singapore with Sid.
They arrived on Thursday, September 18.
"Don't be nervous," Sid said. "Just drive well."
He had been following the online discussions too. The praise was loud—but so was the skepticism. A weaker mindset might have cracked under that pressure.
"I know," Wu Shi replied calmly. "I'll do my best. Besides, both Mercedes drivers have been very kind to me."
"Oh?" Sid raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"After Monaco, Hamilton invited me to his place to use the simulator. After Monza, Rosberg added me and started explaining F1 driving techniques."
Wu Shi laughed softly. "It's… strange."
Sid frowned briefly, then nodded in understanding. "They both assumed you'd replace the other one?"
"Exactly," Wu Shi said. "Hamilton thought I'd replace Rosberg. Rosberg thought I'd replace Hamilton—or that I'd end up at Williams."
"That makes sense," Sid said, then realized his wording and tried to soften it.
Wu Shi waved it off. "It's fine. Everyone's pessimistic. That's normal. All I can do is do my best."
He reached up and rubbed his neck.
The physical demands of F1 were on an entirely different level. Other drivers transitioned after years in F2 or GP2.
He'd been in F3 for barely half a year.
"Keep your mindset steady," Sid said seriously. "And remember—people in the Mercedes garage may not be as friendly as they appear. They don't necessarily want you pushing anyone out."
Wu Shi nodded.
Whether because of his nationality, his age, or the threat he represented, he was an outsider in a very competitive hunting ground.
He would tread carefully.
And he would still do his best.