Chapter 229: Considering Next Year's Seat
Wu Shi climbed out of the car, exhausted, and sat on the cockpit edge.
"Oh! OH! OH!"
"WU SHI! WU SHI!"
Excited cheers rang out from the VIP box on the second floor. He looked up in surprise, pushing his goggles up – fans were waving and cheering just for him! He pumped his fists, then raised both hands high in a "number one" gesture.
I'm the champion. Another win – and this one was earned with pure skill.
It was a statement victory, proving he had what it took to fight for the world title. Reporters swarmed the fence, cameras ready – everyone knew this wasn't a fluke. He could surpass Hamilton's record of second place in a debut season.
After catching his breath, he jumped down and hugged his crew tightly. When he turned to remove his helmet, Hamilton walked over, shook his hand, and clapped his shoulder: "Your lines were brilliant – gave me plenty to think about. Congratulations, weekend champion!"
"Thanks! When I saw you ahead, I thought I'd blown it."
They smiled and headed for the lounge, where Rosberg was finishing up with his team.
"Congrats on second – nice overtake," Hamilton said.
"Thanks – your defense almost stopped me," Rosberg replied, his tone polite but distant. He then turned to Wu Shi: "Congratulations again. Last year you were just sitting in my car – now I'm chasing you."
"Thanks – we just had good pace this weekend," Wu Shi chuckled, noticing Hamilton watching a replay of his slow start on a small TV.
A staff member called them to the podium. Hamilton and Rosberg went first; when Wu Shi's name was announced to thunderous cheers, he put on his "1st" cap and stepped out.
The national anthem played as he looked at the fluttering red flag. When it ended, he lifted the trophy – shaped like the Red Bull Ring – high above his head. Cameras flashed nonstop.
Before he could react, two streams of champagne hit his face. He closed his eyes and sprayed back wildly, only to find all three podium finishers targeting him. Claire watched from the side in her white uniform, gesturing playfully to keep the spray coming.
Note to self – learn proper champagne technique from Norris later, he thought, wiping his face.
The interviewer embraced Rosberg first – Austria was like home turf for him – then turned to Wu Shi:
"Congratulations! You're the second champion since the circuit returned. You beat two Mercedes cars to win – how did you pull it off?"
"I thought we'd be competitive here. Practice showed we had a shot at pole, and while Mercedes had better single-lap pace, their mistakes opened the door. Race pace was close across the board, and tire wear was similar – that's where we capitalized."
The FW37 was perfectly suited to Austria, especially on tire management – Massa's late pit stop with no issues proved it, even if his pace was slower.
"Your starts are flawless – what's your secret?"
"Starts are crucial – that's where overtakes happen easiest. I focus completely on the lights going out; everything after is instinct, like breathing."
The crowd laughed as the interviewer joked about everyone "taking notes."
"Your first pit stop almost cost you the win, but you fought back hard. Can you talk about that?"
"When I saw Lewis ahead, I was shocked – angry even. But I knew the only way back was to fight. We had the pace to overtake, but the battle took a toll on tires. Lap times dropped fast, and I was worried Rosberg would catch up. If Lewis hadn't held him up, I might have been passed – my tires were really struggling."
Racing was about more than overtakes – resilience and consistency often went unseen.
The interviewer turned to Rosberg: "You overtook once at the start, once later – and finished second both times!"
Rosberg laughed: "When cars are evenly matched, it comes down to starts and building gaps. I passed Lewis early, then again with fresher tires. When my tires faded, I just focused on holding position."
To Hamilton: "Slow start, then you took the lead before being overtaken – what happened?"
"Qualifying told me Wu Shi's pace was close to ours. When I couldn't beat him there, I was already planning how to handle him – maybe that distracted me at the start. Defending against him after the pit stop wore out my tires, but it was worth it. You can't let a title rival pull away without a fight, even if it costs you."
The crowd cheered loudly for his competitive spirit.
After the Podium
Back at the team, champagne flowed again as everyone celebrated. Wu Shi's points lead had grown, but so had the pressure – could this high-speed success carry over to the next race? Small teams often had inconsistent results, even with increased R&D funding from his strong performance.
Domestic media went wild with coverage. Headlines like "Wu Shi Leads Standings – Next World Champion?" drew massive traffic, and F1 fever surged online. New fans joined in, though some went overboard with praise or provocative comments.
"Who still says he's lucky?"
"Crush those Mercedes guys!"
"Why not go to Ferrari?"
"Please don't – that'd be a death sentence!"
Wu Shi disliked the "god-making" trend and posted positive messages on his official account to guide fans. Abroad, opinions were polarized, with racial discrimination rearing its head – Hamilton publicly condemned it and shared a photo with Wu Shi, who thanked him privately.
Genuine fans focused on racing itself – analyzing his driving, growth, and whether Williams or Wu Shi was the real reason for success. Most agreed the FW37's low-drag design shifted pressure to the driver, making his achievements a testament to skill.
Driver Gathering
The next evening, drivers held a small get-together. Lewis and Vettel insisted Wu Shi treat them – he'd wanted to skip like Verstappen, but decided it was important for camaraderie. Being underage saved him from drinking, which he was grateful for.
"Already on the sauce?" he asked, surprised to see Verstappen slightly tipsy.
"It's non-alcoholic – look!" Verstappen grinned. He'd only come because Wu Shi dragged him along to face other drivers' teasing about pushing Bottas off track.
Vettel stopped by to discuss the race, marveling at how Wu Shi controlled the car during close battles. Sainz greeted him, praising the Williams pace – when Wu Shi jokingly asked if he wanted to join the team, Sainz looked almost tempted, though his father's influence meant he'd aim higher than a private team.
Alonso pulled Verstappen over, asking if "the old man's tips" had helped – they had, and Wu Shi agreed that Button's track insights had made small but crucial differences.
Bottas was more friendly now; the earlier seat competition had made him distant, but Wu Shi's performance had put those concerns to rest. He'd never been overly competitive anyway – which is why he'd later accept being a number two at Mercedes.
Looking Ahead
The Silverstone Grand Prix was just two weeks away, so everyone headed home after dinner. Wu Shi returned to Italy to meet Louise – and to discuss important business with Martina and Sid.
They didn't waste time with pleasantries. Sid got straight to the point:
"We need to talk about next year's seat."
"WHAT?" Wu Shi was stunned. He'd signed a three-year deal with Williams, but he'd never imagined a change after just one season.
"You were busy with the race last week, so we held off," Martina added. "But things have developed faster than expected."