Chapter 134 - 59: I Think a Ferrari Suits Him Well

Chapter 134: Chapter 59: I Think a Ferrari Suits Him Well

After the qualifying session ended, the crew members finished their meals and returned to the pit lane.

Car No. 32 was fully lifted, and the rear covers were removed, revealing the powerful engine inside with its tangled, muscular intake manifolds.

"We’ve looked at the data, and there’s no obvious variance. Are you sure there’s a problem inside?" Alan asked.

"Yes, I believe there’s an issue. It would be best to take it apart and have a look," Wu Shi said.

If an ordinary driver had said this, the engineers and mechanics would have undoubtedly shot them down. Tearing down an engine was a massive undertaking! Who would want to work overtime in the middle of the night?! But the young man in front of them was Wu Shi, a driver who had shown absolute dominance in F3.

Alan exchanged a glance with the mechanics and nodded helplessly. This guy called the shots now; they had to follow his requests.

However, they were a team after all, and everyone had their own thoughts on the matter. So, even though Alan, as the manager, had agreed, one of the mechanics couldn’t help but vent his frustration over his ruined evening.

"We have the most comprehensive data at our fingertips. Why go through all this trouble just because of a slight feeling that something is off?"

Wu Shi glanced over when he heard this but remained silent. This was a situation for Alan to handle.

Alan didn’t directly reprimand the mechanic. Instead, he said, "It’s our responsibility to ensure everything is foolproof. Since Wu Shi thinks there’s an issue with the engine, it’s necessary for us to check it out. If nothing is wrong, we can just treat it as early engine maintenance. But if there is a problem... If there is a problem, we have just enough time to fix it," Alan added, raising his wrist to check his watch.

The mechanic hadn’t intended to stir up trouble. Like most ordinary employees finding out they had to work overtime, he had simply tossed out a casual complaint. If his grumbling could make the boss reconsider the overtime, that would be for the best.

Since the complaint was ineffective, so be it. What else could a miserable wage earner do?

The mechanics worked together to unmount the engine and began disassembling it. Wu Shi didn’t go to the simulator to practice the track; instead, he stood to the side and watched.

The engine truly was a crown jewel of human industrial civilization. Only during the teardown process could one realize just how complex the machinery was. Every line of every component held the blood, sweat, and tears of its designers. During his free time, Wu Shi already enjoyed watching videos like "Big V8 Maintenance and Cleaning" or "V12 Restoration," so he watched the process now with great interest.

Van Amersfoort used engines provided by Volkswagen. The specs of this engine were on par with Mercedes-Benz in every aspect, though the tuning capabilities varied, with each team showing their own unique strengths once they received them.

The mechanics sorted the parts into categories and used floodlights to carefully inspect the cylinder walls, crankshaft, and pistons.

This process took a full three hours. Suddenly, a mechanic spoke up. "There’s some debris in the exhaust port."

As he spoke, he wiped it with his hand, leaving dark gray, gritty oil stains on his glove.

"The blockage isn’t too severe, but it has already caused a minor chain reaction," he continued. The so-called chain reaction meant that due to the blockage, exhaust emissions slowed down, and the slower the emissions, the easier it was for debris to accumulate.

The rest of the mechanics hurried over to inspect it as well. After looking, they all unanimously turned their gazes to Wu Shi. Serving as their spokesperson, Alan asked, "Could you really feel the engine acting up?!"

"Like I said, it felt off on that section of the track. The difference from before was tiny, but a difference nonetheless," Wu Shi said with a shrug.

"Incredible!" Alan gave him a thumbs-up. He then turned to the mechanics and said, "Come on, guys! Do another thorough check to see if there are any other issues, and let’s get it all sorted out together!"

The ensuing busywork of cleaning and maintenance was exceptionally time-consuming and labor-intensive. The job lasted until one in the morning. Alan tried to persuade Wu Shi to get some rest early a few times, but Wu Shi shook his head and refused each time.

"PHEW! It’s finally done!"

At this time, the entire race track was incredibly quiet. The occasional chirping of insects and birds made the dark night seem even more profound.

"Alright, you can go rest now," Alan said to Wu Shi.

"Of course! Everyone get a good rest, and watch me take the victory tomorrow!" Wu Shi said happily.

"WOOHOO! Let’s go!"

"Get us another six-race winning streak!"

The mechanics cheered happily, both because they had finally finished the repairs and because they were thrilled by Wu Shi’s confidence in tomorrow’s race! After all, a person might not care about winning, but no one disliked the prize money that came with it.

Wu Shi let out a yawn and returned to his lounge.

Throughout this season’s races, his car had never suffered a mechanical failure on the track, all thanks to his keen perception. Tracing back even further to his karting days, his numerous victories were largely built upon having a stable, reliable car. No matter how skilled the driver was, if the car failed, the race was over.

The next day’s schedule featured the first race at 11:10 AM, followed by the second qualifying session at 4:25 PM.

Because Wu Shi was extremely familiar with this track, the race was practically devoid of suspense. And since this F1-grade circuit was wide enough, the back of the pack put on a spectacular show of intense battles.

In the end, Wu Shi took the championship, Bromquist claimed second place, and O’connor finished third. As for Verstappen, he ran into some issues on the sixth lap and retired from the race.

In Maranello, inside an office at Rafa Headquarters.

Montezemolo took a deep breath after reviewing the documents on his computer and called Martina in.

"It seems Wu Shi can easily achieve the goal I set for him," Montezemolo said.

"This is only his ninth victory. It’s still too early to tell what will happen next," Martina said with a smile.

"Well, I’m planning to free up a seat at Ferrari," Montezemolo stated.

Martina’s expression remained entirely composed. When the chairman called her over, she had roughly guessed what they would be discussing.

"The team currently has two world champions holding down the fort. Is an adjustment really necessary?" Martina asked in return.

Montezemolo gave Martina a profound look, already understanding what this capable female executive was thinking. It seemed that as internal struggles grew increasingly fierce, many people were doing their best to avoid getting involved.

However, Martina’s complete lack of interest in the Rafa seat wasn’t solely about avoiding internal political strife. It was mostly because Wu Shi had better options available to him right now. A seat at Rafa was undoubtedly tempting, but Montezemolo was currently in a precarious position. He could easily coordinate a seat for Wu Shi in a customer team like Sauber, but if he wanted to push Wu Shi into a direct Rafa seat, he would likely face massive resistance. Even if he managed to push him through, the atmosphere within the team wouldn’t be very favorable for Wu Shi.

Martina had a deep understanding of the situation at Rafa and naturally didn’t want Wu Shi to become a pawn in the power struggle between the two internal factions.

"Wu Shi’s talent is obvious to everyone. If we give him a championship-contending car, he’ll be the next world champion, and possibly the youngest one in history. I believe Ferrari is a great fit for him."

Seeing how tight-lipped Martina was being, Montezemolo had no choice but to take the initiative and express his intentions first.