Chapter 173: Reviewing Wu Shi's First Pole Position
Massa returned to the garage, pulled off his gloves, and walked straight over to Wu Shi.
He gave him two solid pats on the shoulder, then raised his thumb.
"That's incredible."
"Heh—everyone else was just driving too conservatively," Wu Shi replied with a grin. There was no point pretending to be humble now.
"Pole position, ahead of two world champions," Massa said, a trace of bitterness flickering through his voice.
He, too, had once stood at the doorstep of a championship.
But the past was the past.
Massa shook his head, then added seriously, "You'll need to push hard tomorrow. The championship is already within reach."
"I will," Wu Shi nodded without hesitation.
He would fight tooth and nail even for second place—let alone first.
---
Media Zone
After post-qualifying scrutineering, the drivers headed to the interview area.
Because of the rain, the original outdoor setup had been moved indoors. Behind the temporary barriers, a Sky Sports reporter smiled brightly, microphone in hand.
At least three shoulder-mounted cameras locked onto the space, surrounded by photographers.
Wu Shi's fourth-lap flyer had shocked the paddock. Media outlets that followed F1 closely had already anticipated something big—and came fully prepared.
"Over here!" the reporter called warmly.
"Our youngest pole-sitter!"
Wu Shi stepped forward calmly, straightening his Williams team cap—though the trident logo somehow always felt more eye-catching than the team name.
"Wu Shi, congratulations! This is your first Formula One pole position. How do you feel right now?"
"I feel great—and honestly, a little surprised," Wu Shi said. "In my opinion, the heavy rain helped me a lot."
"Yes, your wet-weather driving was outstanding," the reporter said.
"I just watched your onboard footage. Your steering inputs were decisive—you didn't seem afraid of sliding at all. Do you have some kind of magic touch in the rain?"
Magic?
Wu Shi thought for a moment, then replied solemnly:
"Now that you mention it, I did briefly attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Scottish Highlands before joining Williams. Studied magic with Harry Potter for half a year."
He said it with a completely straight face.
The room burst into laughter.
"When you're in the spotlight," Wu Shi continued, smiling, "even bad jokes seem funny."
Then he became serious.
"Actually, I'm just a bit more sensitive to grip than most drivers. It's not that I didn't slide—I did. At Turn 15, I got a little too excited and lost the rear. Thankfully, nothing serious happened."
The reporter nodded.
"Pole position brings you one step closer to the championship. Tomorrow will be your first front-row start—and potentially your first Grand Prix victory. You must be very excited."
Wu Shi puffed his cheek slightly and nodded.
"Of course. Any driver who gets pole position in a car that isn't the fastest on the grid would be excited—and I'm no exception."
He paused.
"But tomorrow will be extremely challenging. Our car isn't the fastest, and in practice our tyre degradation was noticeably worse than Mercedes and Ferrari."
The reporter smiled.
"Then we look forward to your performance tomorrow. Who knows how many more records you'll break in the future?"
Wu Shi nodded politely and stepped aside—just as Hamilton approached.
The two exchanged a brief fist bump.
No words were needed.
Hamilton's expression remained composed. Years of pressure had tempered his emotions.
A pole position alone didn't convince him that Wu Shi could hold the lead in the race.
---
Hamilton Speaks
"Lewis," the reporter began, "despite the unexpected rain, you secured second place in qualifying. A strong result."
Hamilton pinched the earring on his earlobe. He knew exactly what she meant.
"As you can see," he said bluntly, "I was slower than Wu Shi in the rain. That surprised me."
He shook his head lightly.
"How he managed that lap in a Williams—I honestly don't know. I'll definitely be watching his onboard footage again."
The reporter smiled—she had what she wanted.
"And tomorrow? Any plans for the front-row start?"
"Of course. The start is where opportunities appear," Hamilton replied.
"I hope to seize the initiative. And even if I don't—"
He paused deliberately.
"—I don't think I'll end up like my teammate did in the last race."
Hiss.
The atmosphere stiffened.
The Mercedes garage this year was already tense. Team orders were being used early just to prevent contact.
The reporter hadn't expected such a sharp comment from a routine question.
---
Others React
Vettel followed, offering brief, measured remarks.
Rosberg admitted regret—his mistake at the end had cost him dearly.
Ricciardo and Kvyat were questioned mainly about Red Bull's performance and Renault's engine limitations. Ricciardo eventually circled back, congratulating Wu Shi on his first pole.
Seventh-placed Verstappen drew attention as well.
"Max, you reached Q3 for the first time today and closed the gap to your teammate. Thoughts?"
"The car is still a bit slow," Verstappen said honestly.
"There's a lot to improve, but today's result is good. I'm satisfied."
The reporter smiled knowingly.
"If you and Wu Shi were in the same car—could you beat him?"
Verstappen laughed.
"That's hard to say. We haven't raced in the same car yet. But we can try it in a game sometime."
"So you'll publish the results?"
"If he agrees," Verstappen shrugged. "Sure."
He waved to the camera and left.
---
Public Reaction
Wu Shi's pole position exploded across Europe.
In China, the reaction was even more intense.
"Pole position?! With a Williams?! Unreal!"
"What's wrong with Williams? In 2014 they were second only to Mercedes!"
"Compare him with his teammate first—pole vs P8. Enough said."
"Massa's a wet-weather novice!"
"Fine—then explain Hamilton and Vettel!"
Online arguments erupted instantly.
Ironically, smaller communities were far calmer.
On AC Station, an UP named Quiet Summer uploaded a new video titled:
"Revisiting Wu Shi's First Pole—Perhaps It Was Brewing Since He Was Nine Years Old."
A clear female voice narrated:
"Wu Shi showed extraordinary wet-weather sensitivity as early as the National Karting Championship. He could always find grip where others couldn't."
She recounted Pau, Norrisring, and finally concluded:
"Perhaps it was already destined—back in 2007 at Zhuhai, when he recovered from a spin and drove faster than everyone else through the rain and fog."
The video spread rapidly.
CCTV reposted it:
'Thumbs up for the Chinese driver o(￣▽￣)d'
Sang Tong added:
"Wet driving reveals true understanding of grip. Go, Wu Shi!"
Under the video:
"Where did all this footage come from?"
"Is the UP someone who knew him as a kid?"
"Hey—why did the UP change her avatar?"
Bang!
Quiet Summer slammed her desk.
---
Back to Reality
Pole position excitement faded quickly.
The real pressure was tomorrow.
Over twenty people crowded into the Williams meeting room.
"Forecast: clear skies," Jonathan said.
"Hot conditions, similar to Friday."
Heat.
Williams' biggest enemy.
"In practice, the hard tyre is almost a second slower," Rodrigo explained.
"Our degradation rate is worse than Mercedes and Ferrari—even with three stops, we lose time."
Wu Shi frowned.
"How long can I hold Hamilton back?"
Silence answered.
"Fastest projected strategy," Rodrigo continued,
"Medium–Hard–Hard–Medium."
"No two-stop?" Wu Shi asked.
Rodrigo shook his head.
"If Massa three-stops, fresh mediums will be 1.5 seconds per lap faster than your worn hards."
Wu Shi inhaled sharply.
That was terrifying.
Two seconds per lap meant twelve laps to open a pit window.
Ferrari's medium tyres degraded almost like hards.
Two stops were possible.
He closed his eyes, recalling practice.
Medium tyres felt like two ice creams melting on hot asphalt.
Tomorrow, pole position wouldn't protect him.
It would paint a target on his back.