Chapter 170: Pre-Race Press Conference
Winning the opening round did not mean the season ahead would be smooth sailing.
Both Wu Shi and Felipe Massa remained cautious about what lay ahead—especially Massa. Over long race distances, he believed Williams still trailed Ferrari in overall race pace and tire consistency.
Before the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend officially began, Wu Shi received an invitation from the organizers to attend the FIA pre-race press conference.
He had originally assumed his first appearance would come at the Chinese Grand Prix. Instead, it arrived sooner than expected.
Clearly, his second-place finish in Australia had drawn more attention than anyone anticipated.
Alongside him, the five invited drivers were Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, and Felipe Massa.
Wu Shi took a seat in the back row, hands folded neatly on the table.
"Alright," the host began, "we're heading into the Malaysian Grand Prix. Sepang is known for its unpredictable weather, something all of you are very familiar with. What are your expectations for this weekend?"
Hamilton, seated in the center of the front row, spoke first. Under the lights, his eyes carried their usual confidence.
"This circuit always brings a lot of variables," he said after a brief pause. "Honestly, it's a challenge for any Formula One driver. Last year's qualifying turned chaotic because of the rain. Hopefully this year will be a bit calmer."
The host followed up immediately.
"Mercedes showed strong performance in Australia. Are you confident of winning again here?"
Hamilton shrugged lightly. "I wouldn't say absolute dominance. After all, it wasn't a one-two finish, was it?"
The host chuckled awkwardly and shifted his attention to Vettel.
"I actually think rain could work in my favor," Vettel replied, as concise as ever.
The host nodded, then turned to Alonso.
"You missed the opening race due to injury. This will be your first race of the season. How are things looking?"
"My recovery is going well," Alonso said, exhaling slightly. "But honestly, the power unit situation worries me. Everyone saw what happened in Australia. That's… not good news."
He hadn't yet delivered the infamous 'GP2 Engine!' radio message, but the frustration was already visible.
Before the host could continue, Rosberg spoke up himself.
"Sepang has its own character," he said calmly. "The changing conditions are part of what makes it special. I'm looking forward to the race."
Alonso glanced sideways at him.
Rosberg had finished behind Wu Shi in Australia—and somehow managed to miss one of the most intense battles of the race.
The host tactfully moved on and addressed Massa.
"Felipe, Williams showed strong competitiveness in Melbourne. Do you see a podium opportunity this season?"
"Everything depends on conditions," Massa replied. "Last year, we were eliminated in Q2 because of the rain. I just hope our pit-lane execution is cleaner this time. But yes—I like this circuit."
Finally, the host turned to Wu Shi.
"As a rookie, you delivered an impressive debut. Do you have expectations for this race?"
Wu Shi answered carefully.
"Although this circuit is geographically close to my hometown, this is my first time racing here. I'm not familiar with the track yet. I'll need the practice sessions to understand the conditions."
He wasn't holding anything back—Sepang had been removed from the calendar in later years, and his experience here was limited.
The host nodded.
"Alright. One last question—do any of you have advice for the younger generation of drivers?"
Alonso spoke first, his tone uncharacteristically reflective.
"He's already an excellent Formula One driver, with enormous potential. My advice would be simple—experience everything, enjoy the race. This sport will give you far more than you expect."
Hamilton smiled and added, "I actually met him a long time ago. Back in 2007, at the Shanghai Grand Prix."
He gestured with his hand. "He was only this tall."
Laughter rippled through the room.
"He somehow wandered into the pit lane. I had just retired from the race, stuck in the gravel," Hamilton said, his voice softening. "He told me he wanted to become an F1 driver. I smiled and said, 'That day will come.' I just didn't expect it to come so soon."
The room applauded.
Alonso suddenly chimed in, grinning.
"He also said you were his target to chase. And last race—he was already right behind you."
Laughter broke out again.
Hamilton nodded. "Yes. On track, he's already someone I need to take seriously."
Vettel followed. "He's extraordinarily talented. I don't think I have better advice than that."
All eyes turned to Rosberg.
"Well," he said after a pause, "his performance speaks for itself. We saw his ability as early as 2014. I just hope he continues to develop good driving habits."
Finally, Massa spoke candidly.
"He's the most talented driver I've ever worked with. If he's given a top-tier car, he'll absolutely be a title contender."
Only a teammate could truly understand how abnormal Wu Shi was.
When telemetry couldn't fully explain something, Wu Shi could describe it intuitively—with frightening accuracy.
This feedback ability made him indispensable to the engineers. Everyone wanted to consult him.
Massa understood this well. Competing internally with someone like that made little sense—especially when maintaining a good relationship with a "human data logger" was far more valuable.
Besides, Massa's ambitions had already shifted. Retirement was quietly on his mind.
Finally, the host turned back to Wu Shi.
"And what would you like to say to your seniors?"
Wu Shi thought for a moment.
"When you were all racing, I was still a child. Being able to compete with you now is both an honor and a dream come true. I'll treat every race with full respect."
He finished with a shy nod.
As he stood up, Wu Shi suddenly remembered the press conference two weeks earlier—when Verstappen had been just as shy.
So shy, in fact, that he later crashed into nearly every senior driver on track.
Wu Shi chuckled quietly.
Verstappen's torpedo instincts were exceptional.
The paddock's veterans were in for quite a ride.