Chapter 140: Practice Session Confirmed
"The Singapore Grand Prix?"
Wu Shi paused for a moment.
This was different from what Hamilton had implied earlier.
The Singapore Grand Prix would be held in two weeks, on September 21, while the next round after that—the Japanese Grand Prix—was scheduled for early October.
"Yes," Toto Wolff nodded. "Your Free Practice 1 appearance will be in Singapore."
Wu Shi immediately understood that either Hamilton's information at the time had been incomplete, or Mercedes' internal plans had shifted.
Regardless, he had no intention of negotiating.
"Understood," he said simply.
At that moment, music began to echo around the circuit.
"Let's go watch the podium ceremony," Toto said.
---
The track was already crowded with spectators.
Most of them were waving Ferrari flags, even though the race result had little to do with Ferrari at all.
One Ferrari had retired, and the other finished only ninth.
If Felipe Massa hadn't managed to stand on the podium in front of his home crowd, the atmosphere might have been downright awkward.
Yet the Tifosi showed no embarrassment. They cheered with undiminished passion—supporting Ferrari was a matter of belief, not results.
On the elevated podium, Hamilton, Rosberg, and Massa stepped into position as God Save the Queen played.
Wu Shi stood among the crowd, looking up.
Even as the dominant force in FIA F3, standing here made him feel insignificant. Compared to these men, he was still an outsider.
Mercedes team members hugged and celebrated—another one-two finish.
Wu Shi spotted Anthony Hamilton in the crowd, smiling broadly.
"That trophy looks like a silver wine goblet," Louise commented.
"Do you like it?" Wu Shi asked, half absent-minded.
"It's not very pretty."
"Awoooo—!"
When Massa lifted his trophy, the cheers from the grandstands exploded. Home advantage was undeniable.
"One day, everyone will cheer for you like that," Louise said excitedly. Then she turned to Wu Shi, eyes shining.
Wu Shi laughed.
A man should aspire to moments like this.
Champagne sprayed across the podium. Rosberg doused Hamilton, and Hamilton returned the favor—then sprayed the crowd below.
---
"Has Williams finalized their seat yet?" Wu Shi suddenly asked.
Toto turned, slightly surprised by the question.
"They want to make a decision as soon as possible," he said, shaking his head.
"I see."
Wu Shi nodded.
That explained it. Advancing his FP1 appearance to Singapore was likely related to pressure from Williams as well.
Most people who knew the situation believed his eventual destination would be Williams.
Only Wu Shi himself believed that Mercedes was worth fighting for.
On the podium, after the champagne spray subsided, Hamilton poured champagne into his trophy and took a deep drink.
He hadn't won the previous three races for various reasons, and his points deficit to Rosberg had grown. The pressure on him was immense.
The three drivers raised their glasses together.
"They seem to get along pretty well," Wu Shi remarked.
Toto laughed suddenly.
Wu Shi laughed with him.
The rivalries were real—Hamilton and Massa, Hamilton and Rosberg. Their conflicts dated back to 2008, and even now, those relationships were still evolving.
"If I remember correctly," Wu Shi said, "Massa's result in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix indirectly cost him the world championship."
That year, Massa lost the title by one point.
Toto nodded.
Back then, he was still chasing his own racing dreams. And Singapore 2008 was a race no one could summarize easily.
Massa's infamous pit stop—driving off with the fuel hose attached—had destroyed his race.
Ferrari's operational errors were already notorious.
But even that paled in comparison to what followed.
After Fernando Alonso's pit stop, Nelson Piquet Jr. crashed into the wall—later exposed as deliberate—handing Alonso the victory.
The fallout lasted for years.
Massa's camp even questioned whether the race results should count at all. Without Singapore, Massa would have been world champion.
Since then, Hamilton and Massa had clashed repeatedly. Many of those incidents would ignite massive controversy if they happened today.
But time erases everything.
Crashes, conspiracies, even deliberate incidents—history remembers only championships.
Who still remembers the six Hamilton–Massa collisions of 2011?
Years later, when Hamilton reached seven world titles, new fans would know him only as a legend equal to Schumacher.
Wu Shi understood this deeply.
As long as you operated within the rules—or at least within the gray areas—history would forgive almost anything.
In Formula One's decades-long history, how many champions were truly spotless?
---
After the celebrations ended, Wu Shi returned to the Mercedes garage with Toto.
There was nothing more to say. In two weeks, they would meet again—on track.
Just then, the drivers returned.
Rosberg was in high spirits, showing no trace of frustration.
"I heard you'll be driving in a practice session at Singapore," he said cheerfully.
Wu Shi shook his head.
"Toto only told me it's FP1. No specific car yet."
"Then do your best," Rosberg said, glancing briefly at Hamilton.
"I can give you some pointers if you want."
Hamilton stood nearby, expressionless, his face already dark—and now even more so.
"Thank you," Wu Shi replied sincerely.
Rosberg was a classic technical driver. If you wanted to learn, he was the right person—everything backed by data and logic.
"No problem," Rosberg said, patting Wu Shi on the shoulder.
"We might be teammates someday."
After a short exchange, Wu Shi left the garage with Louise.
---
Just outside, Louise tugged at his sleeve.
"What is it?" Wu Shi asked.
She blinked repeatedly, her face practically spelling out I'm dying of curiosity.
Wu Shi laughed.
"Are you Chitanda Eru or something?"
"Huh?" Louise looked even more confused. "You have time to watch anime?"
"Ahem," Wu Shi cleared his throat. "The agreement with Mercedes was signed back in May."
"Oh~" Louise tilted her head. "Then why wasn't it announced?"
"Because it wasn't a driver announcement," Wu Shi explained.
"It was only an agreement about potential future cooperation. Those things aren't made public lightly."
"I remember seeing posts saying you were joining Mercedes," Louise puffed her cheeks.
"And you told me it wasn't true! ╭(╯^╰)╮"
Wu Shi smiled.
"In this world," he said gently, "there's a difference between not true and not decided yet."