Chapter 47 - 11: Can I Try Skipping a Grade?

Chapter 47: Chapter 11: Can I Try Skipping a Grade?

As kart No. 398 crossed the checkered flag, cheers erupted across the track.

It was an unquestionable victory. The vast majority of the crowd was shocked by Wu Shi’s terrifying overtaking ability. While a pole-to-win was impressive, surging from last place to first showcased an even higher caliber of skill.

Immediately after the race, Wu Shi was pulled aside to complete a weight check. Officials towed his kart away; his performance today had been so outrageously dominant that some people still suspected his vehicle had been tampered with.

Just like in F1 races, teams didn’t only focus on their own cars—they constantly monitored their competitors’ vehicles. The moment they noticed a car going too fast, they would scrutinize it for any illegal designs.

Consequently, after the race, numerous teams and parents demanded a strict inspection of Wu Shi’s kart to ensure its compliance with the regulations.

"Oh, God! Your performance was absolutely divine! Don’t worry, we know better than anyone whether this kart has any compliance issues. Leave the rest to us. You’re going to stand on that podium without a hitch and secure an unprecedented record of seven consecutive victories!" Seth exclaimed.

After speaking, he led the team’s mechanics toward the official inspection area. They needed to keep a close eye on the proceedings and provide explanations for the vehicle’s setup and the origin of its parts, all to prove that kart No. 398 was fully compliant with the rules.

Just as the C.D Speed Team members left, a reporter walked over. Handing him the microphone, he said, "Hello, Wu Shi! Although there were a few unexpected incidents during this race, you still claimed victory with absolute dominance. So much so, in fact, that many are questioning the legality of your kart. Could you share your thoughts with us right now?"

Wu Shi nodded, knowing that post-race interviews were standard procedure. "Of course. Actually, I anticipated there might be some chaos at the start, but I didn’t expect to be hit by an out-of-control vehicle entering turn one. At that moment, I thought I couldn’t let it force me into retirement. So, I tried my best to turn the vehicle around and use the front—which can withstand impacts best—to brace for the collision.

"Facts have proven my choice was right. There isn’t much crucial equipment at the front, and it has bodywork coverage. This prevented my kart from being completely destroyed in the crash and allowed me to continue driving it to fight for the win."

The reporter adjusted his earpiece, looking slightly surprised. "Are you saying that turning the vehicle around before the collision was intentional, and not a result of losing control out of panic?"

"Yes. I wouldn’t let my kart lose control," Wu Shi said with a nod.

"In today’s race, you displayed phenomenal overtaking skills and incredible ability in controlling your kart on a wet track. Congratulations, Wu Shi. If everything proceeds normally from here, you will become the first overall champion to win every single stage!" the reporter concluded with congratulations.

"Thank you."

Wu Shi stepped away from the camera and wiped his sweat. The continuous overtaking required fighting against G-forces, and at his young age, it had left him feeling quite tired.

Before all the categories finished their races, the compliance inspection results for kart No. 398 were released. Obviously, the kart met all standards; there were no violations whatsoever.

Upon hearing the news from an excited Seth, Wu Shi smiled and told him, "Then I guess I can call myself a budget Seven-Time Champion."

"That’s right! You might just be the next Schumacher!" Seth laughed heartily.

Wu Shi paused. Right. The Seven-Time Champion he was more familiar with, Hamilton, had just secured his very first world championship the week before, becoming the youngest world championship winner in F1 history at the time.

So, whether it was the seven titles or the honor of being the youngest WDC—could he achieve it? 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

He didn’t know, but a sense of urgency had already sprouted in his heart.

The year was 2008, and another star in F1 history, Max Verstappen, was rapidly rising.

He would go on to set many difficult-to-break records—for instance, becoming the youngest points scorer in F1 history.

That guy completely defied convention. Valued by Marco of Big Red Bull, he skipped directly from F3 into F1. As a result, he became an F1 driver before he even came of age, successfully scoring points in the subsequent races.

Later on, the FIA even changed the requirements for obtaining a Super License because of him, making coming of age a crucial criterion.

Of course, sometimes the FIA’s so-called rules mattered little. In the future, the Mercedes-Benz prodigies Little Kimi and Antonelli became exceptions. The FIA even issued an amendment for this, stating that drivers who consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity could obtain a Super License at the age of seventeen.

However, no matter how the FIA changed the rules, they certainly wouldn’t stipulate one year that drivers under eighteen were barred from obtaining a Super License, only to make exceptions the very next year.

Therefore, he had to secure a chance to enter F1 before 2016. Otherwise, the records for the youngest F1 driver and the youngest points scorer would still be snatched away by Verstappen.

Since he was starting over, why shouldn’t he fight for these accolades?

The familiar national anthem echoed throughout the venue. Forty-six seconds later, the song faded, and the track resumed its bustling atmosphere.

Wu Shi concluded his 2008 racing season with the posture of holding his trophy high.

The tail end of 2008 held few interesting events.

Before Christmas, Sid helped Wu Shi secure three new sponsors: DLI, a karting helmet manufacturer; UY, a karting livery provider; and a business focusing on youth nutritional products.

This meant Wu Shi would have an income of over one hundred thousand euros next year. Even though this amount was negligible compared to the expenses of racing karts, it was already quite impressive within the Mini karting tier.

For this, after Christmas ended, Wu Shi shot commercials for the three sponsors, adding an extra sum to his income.

Simultaneously, at the end of the year, the C.D Speed Team signed a new contract with him, granting him higher privileges—making him an absolutely free driver for the team.

He would be able to join another team at any time without paying a penalty fee. Such an outrageous contract was offered simply because Seth, the Team Principal, knew his small team wouldn’t be able to retain a boy with such immense talent.

Thus, he chose to build goodwill, figuring it would count as a favor down the line.

"I still have to race in the lower tiers for another year. So annoying!" Wu Shi flopped down onto the sofa.

"It can’t be helped," Martina said helplessly. Generally speaking, one had to be fourteen years old to participate in the world-class KF3 series. Since Wu Shi had just turned ten, he could only race in the Mini Max and KF5 categories.

In fact, if it hadn’t been for his outstanding performance in the ACI Championship during the 2008 season, he wouldn’t have even been able to register for the KF5 category.

For the race organizers, restricting driver age wasn’t age discrimination, but rather a way to protect younger drivers. The higher the tier, the higher the operational demands, and the greater the danger caused by a vehicle losing control.

Wu Shi knew very well that he possessed the ability to drive in F1, but others didn’t know that!

So, in order to become an F1 driver, he still had to follow the rules and go through the promotional races step by step.

"Aunt Martina, do you think I can try to skip a grade?"