Chapter 223: What are you hiding?
The fourth meeting for the Austrian Grand Prix wrapped up at Williams headquarters, with final setup adjustments now largely locked in.
The Red Bull Ring is a high-speed circuit boasting an elevation change of more than 60 meters – a feature that puts intense stress on a car's suspension. While it appears deceptively simple, it's widely regarded as one of the most challenging tracks to master on the F1 calendar.
Onboard footage from the 2014 race shows success here depends on fine details – above all, maximizing use of track width through every section. Compounding this, track limit rules for Turns 4 to 8 are updated frequently, forcing drivers to adapt their lines year after year to stay competitive and within regulations. With few corners overall, and all but Turn 3 being high-speed sweepers, precision is critical; as every driver knows, the faster you travel, the smaller the margin for error.
Following damage from a collision in the prior race, Wu Shi's car was fully repaired, and the team elected to install a new power unit. This would not trigger a grid penalty, as it fell within the season's four-unit allocation rule.
"The weather for qualifying and race day is looking uncertain," said Jonathan, with a note of concern. Back in Europe, variable conditions had once again become an unpredictable factor for strategy.
"That'll certainly make things complicated," Wu Shi agreed.
The complexity of strategic decision-making is often lost on outsiders – it can feel like choosing between dozens of near-identical options, where calls are sometimes guided by probabilistic judgment as much as hard data. Wu Shi was never fond of such uncertainty, especially since he had no clear memory of how the 2015 Austrian Grand Prix unfolded.
Jonathan patted him on the shoulder. "Leave the rest to us – you just focus on putting together clean, fast laps."
"Understood."
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself – just drive like you normally do."
"Understood."
In the days that followed, the team arranged for Felipe Massa to walk Wu Shi through the Red Bull Ring's key sections. The circuit leans heavily on experience, yet always feels fresh each time you drive it – and Massa knew it well: when the track returned to the calendar in 2014, he claimed pole after the Mercedes duo were knocked out in the second qualifying segment.
Friday, June 19 – Practice Sessions
Rain the previous day left the track wet and overcast for First Practice (FP1). Within a handful of laps, Wu Shi reported the car felt significantly more balanced than it had in Monaco. After flagging minor feedback to his engineer, he was told Massa had noted similar improvements – though it was unclear whether this was due to recent development updates or the FW37's natural aptitude for high-speed circuits.
Mercedes set the early pace, but after just two flying laps, Wu Shi could see the gap to the silver cars was minimal. He held back deliberately, however – practice is for data collection, not setting lap times – finishing FP1 in fourth place with a time of 1:11.300, just fractions slower than Kimi Räikkönen.
Second Practice (FP2) got underway in the afternoon, and Wu Shi grew increasingly at ease in the car. As he returned to the pits, he watched Massa narrowly avoid colliding with Ferrari Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene, who was crossing the paddock lane.
The new power unit and gearbox in car #59 proved to have excellent compatibility. Other teams were less fortunate: McLaren's driver suffered another gearbox issue, leaving little running time after repairs, while Sebastian Vettel also encountered gearbox problems in his Ferrari.
After FP2, Wu Shi pulled Jonathan aside to review the Mercedes drivers' performance data.
"Are you saying you think we have a genuine shot at pole position?" Jonathan asked, clearly surprised – Wu Shi rarely spoke so boldly about challenging for the top spot.
"Have we closed the gap to them?" Jonathan pressed.
"Not exactly," Wu Shi said, pulling up a track map. "On high-speed circuits, power output is the priority – and in that area, we're practically on par with Mercedes. Our straight-line speed matches theirs, and with most corners being fast sweepers, it's tough for anyone to build a meaningful advantage through the turns."
Jonathan nodded in agreement. Simpler track layouts typically result in tighter gaps across the field.
"How confident are you?"
"Fifty-fifty," Wu Shi stated.
Jonathan was taken aback at first – he'd expected a higher level of certainty – but quickly recognized that even a 50% chance of pole was impressive. Not even Massa, despite his strong record at the track, would have considered it a realistic goal. Wu Shi's consistent form had raised the team's expectations.
The discussion stayed strictly between them; if Mercedes caught wind of Williams' potential, they might adjust their qualifying setup to protect their position. Keeping a low profile was essential.
Saturday – Third Practice (FP3)
The morning forecast warned of rain, making the dry opening portion of FP3 crucial for finalizing setups. Midway through the session, a light shower arrived, leaving the track surface slippery. Wu Shi wasted no time, pitting to switch to intermediate tyres and assess the car's wet-weather behavior.
The circuit's undulations made driving in damp conditions even more demanding. Soon after, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Nico Hülkenberg both spun off – incidents that came close to triggering yellow flags. Max Verstappen, however, excelled in the wet, posting faster times than Räikkönen and drawing attention from across the paddock.
Wu Shi's lap times were unremarkable, leading some to speculate he struggled in wet conditions. The talk faded quickly, though – when reporters asked team principals and fellow drivers for their thoughts, most simply smiled and declined to comment.
Across all three practice sessions, Wu Shi's pace was steady but not standout, while Massa topped the Williams timesheets.
Post-Practice Interviews
"Wu Shi – this is one of the few weekends where you've been outpaced by your teammate in practice. Is the track not playing to your strengths?" a reporter asked.
Wu Shi glanced around briefly before responding: "The track itself isn't especially difficult, but I know there's more pace to unlock. It's not just about hitting the right apexes – I think there's a specific technique I haven't quite perfected yet."
The comment was widely understood as a polite way of acknowledging he was still adapting.
When asked the same question, Verstappen shrugged: "He can say what he wants – there's always room to refine how you drive here."
After the interviews, Verstappen slung an arm around Wu Shi's shoulders. "So, what are you hiding?"
"Hiding? Nothing at all," Wu Shi said, caught off guard.
"Come on – I know you're planning something. Pole position? Did you know it would rain this afternoon? Or is the car just that quick? Massa's been way faster than he was in Monaco."
Wu Shi paused before answering: "Looks like rain is on the way, doesn't it?"
Verstappen glanced up at the grey sky. "Definitely. Are you going to pull off another Malaysia?"
Envy was clear in his eyes. He prided himself on his natural talent, yet always seemed one step behind Wu Shi – and with Red Bull's current package, he was eager for a car that could let him compete on equal footing.