Chapter 225: An Unexpected Pole Position
The broadcast camera followed Rosberg briefly before switching to Hamilton. Rosberg's lap was solid but not fast enough to beat Wu Shi's time, so all attention shifted to the Mercedes number 44.
Known as "One-Lap Lewis" for his precision and perfect racing lines, Hamilton pushed his car to the edge. After the first two corners, he was slightly ahead of Wu Shi's sector times – but as he turned right into Turn 3, the car suddenly snapped loose.
Hamilton counter-steered instantly, but the slide worsened. The Mercedes swayed violently before sliding sideways off the track, coming to rest on the large run-off area – a lucky escape that avoided damage to the car.
"Hamilton is off! Yellow flag! Rosberg won't be able to improve now!" the commentator yelled. Before the camera could switch, Hamilton rejoined the track and the yellow flag was lifted.
"Rosberg is crossing the line now – his time is slower than before," the commentator shook his head. "Both Mercedes drivers hit trouble. Does this mean pole is Wu Shi's?"
With two minutes left in Q3, drivers could still squeeze in one more lap, but the team decided against sending Wu Shi out to avoid unnecessary risk.
"Hamilton's out of contention – his tyres have a big flat spot that'll ruin any further laps," Jonathan said.
Wu Shi nodded in agreement. The team's decision to run him early had been designed to avoid exactly this scenario – late-session mistakes triggering yellow flags. If he'd followed the Mercedes pair as usual, he would have been caught up in the disruption.
"You don't need to worry about Rosberg either – he's not in the right rhythm," Jonathan added.
While data drives most F1 decisions, Wu Shi understood the value of "form" – that intangible feel that can make or break a lap. Even top drivers experience days when everything clicks, or nothing does.
"He's still out there – looks like he wants another go," Wu Shi noted.
Rosberg stayed on track for a cool-down lap, with 1 minute 40 seconds left on the clock – just enough time to start one final flying lap before the session ended.
"I'm going for another run – tyres still have life left," he told his engineer over radio.
"Approved. Three cars ahead of you – we'll keep you clear of traffic."
Rosberg took a deep breath, focusing on the task ahead. The championship was tight – the top four were separated by just a handful of points, and he led Hamilton by only 1 point. As a technical driver who relied on analysis and calm, he centered himself by mentally walking through each corner.
The car roared down the straight – but then: "Yellow flag! Yellow flag!"
"WHAT THE F**K!" Rosberg's composure shattered instantly.
"Grosjean went off at Turn 4, into the gravel," his engineer explained.
"Why is he even on track now?!" Rosberg fumed.
His team fell silent before reminding him to calm down. Drivers often run late flying laps, and while top teams rarely make mistakes, it was not unusual for others to do so. Before he could respond, another alert came through: "Verstappen spun at Turn 10 – yellow flags in all sectors."
With two yellow flags across the track, qualifying was effectively over. Wu Shi hadn't even registered the chaos when Jonathan's voice crackled over radio:
"Congratulations – pole position is yours!"
"Huh?!"
Before he could reply, team members swarmed around him, lifting him into the air as cheers rang out: "Wu Shi! Pole position! Wu Shi! Pole position!"
Sir Frank Williams watched from the side, his face showing rare emotion, while Claire Williams smiled and clapped – reserved as always for a female team principal.
"Congratulations on pole for the Austrian Grand Prix!" they said together as Wu Shi was set down.
"Thank you – it's all down to the team's brilliant strategy," Wu Shi said gratefully. Their decision to run him early had been decisive.
Post-Qualifying Press Conference
Press officer Gianfranco soon arrived to escort Wu Shi to the conference, handing him a sheet of potential questions and standard responses. He entered the room and took the middle seat – the spot reserved for pole-sitters.
Hamilton and Rosberg joined him shortly after, wiping sweat from their brows. Hamilton's expression was neutral, while Rosberg looked visibly frustrated.
The first question went to Rosberg: "Your second flying lap was similar to your first – did you face issues?"
"Yes, I had some slides and held back to save tyres for a third attempt," he said. "Unfortunately, the late yellow flags ended things early."
Turning to Hamilton, the reporter asked: "You seem disappointed – you could have improved further?"
"Hindsight is 20/20," Hamilton shrugged. "I made a mistake in judgment – the track wasn't as good as I thought it would be."
When the reporter called it a "good result" to be second, Hamilton's face darkened – a reaction Wu Shi barely suppressed a smile at.
The focus shifted to Wu Shi: "Congratulations! Before the race, both you and the media were not optimistic about your chances here."
"Right – the BBC was particularly negative," Wu Shi raised an eyebrow. "Their comments were quite harsh, so I felt I had to respond with results. It's frustrating when they publish incorrect opinions – especially when they target not just me, but my home country."
Gianfranco winced from behind the camera as the BBC cameraman shifted uncomfortably.
The reporter quickly moved on: "Massa finished fifth – does this mean Williams is more competitive now?"
"I don't think so," Wu Shi said seriously. "Lewis and Nico both made mistakes, which gave me this opportunity."
Asked about their 1-point points gap, Hamilton said: "I'll hold my position and then attack – that's what a driver should do."
"Hold?" Rosberg interjected sharply.
Hamilton stood firm: "Maintaining position before pushing is standard practice."
Rosberg's face darkened – the comment felt like a jab at his aggressive driving costing him pole. Wu Shi leaned back slightly, his innocent expression drawing a small smile from the reporter.
The Mercedes pair were careful with their words after that, giving little away.
After the Conference
Wu Shi's pole made front-page news across most F1 media – though British outlets called it an "unexpected pole position." Domestic coverage featured a photo of him sandwiched between the tense Mercedes drivers, with netizens joking about his "pitiful" position.
Qualifying may have ended, but the race planning was just beginning. At the team meeting, Wu Shi joked: "Am I going to become the driver with the most poles and the fewest wins from pole?"
The mood lightened as Jonathan quipped back: "You're already the youngest driver with that 'honor'!"
Rodrigo, the strategist, took over: "Tomorrow's temperatures will be low, so tyre wear will be manageable. We're leaning toward a one-stop strategy – pit window around laps 32-37."
"The key question is: pit early to avoid undercuts, or late to prevent overcuts?"
"Mercedes usually pits the leader first to avoid undercuts," Wu Shi noted.
After reviewing data, Rodrigo said: "Our advice is to pit late – Mercedes is faster in clean air, so we need to avoid being overcut."
Claire confirmed the plan: "Supersoft to soft – one-stop."
The team also noted a 70% chance of yellow flags – the Red Bull Ring's simplicity belied its high accident risk. Meetings continued until 6:30 PM, when Wu Shi finally stepped outside to find Verstappen had just finished his own team sessions.
Verstappen was serious about strategy and rules – despite his playful reputation, he was an expert on track details.
"One-stop tomorrow?" he asked.
"Are you doing two?" Wu Shi countered.
"Of course not – when are you pitting?"
"Lap 70," Wu Shi joked.
Verstappen laughed before growing serious: "Turns 1 to 5 are all good overtaking spots – let me show you something."
He led Wu Shi to a track map and began explaining Red Bull's insights – as the home team, they knew the circuit better than most after its return in 2014. Wu Shi listened closely; while his car control was strong, local knowledge could unlock new limits.
Their discussion was interrupted by Jenson Button, who joined them eagerly. He remembered racing at the track in 2003, when Michael Schumacher won, and smiled at the new generation of talent emerging.
"Let me share what I've learned," he offered. Despite struggling at McLaren this year, his experience gave him unique insights.
He explained how Turns 2 and 3 were effectively a single complex – entry speed into the fast left-hander at Turn 2 directly impacted Turn 3's exit. Small details like car positioning and steering input made all the difference.
By the time they finished, it was past 8 PM. Wu Shi planned to test Button's suggestions on the team simulator – a high-end custom setup he was sure Verstappen would join if it were networked.