Saturday evening at the Red Bull Ring.
The paddock had quieted down. The other teams had all left, and only the GP3 teams remained after their Feature Race. The spotlights and cheers were slowly fading.
Yet, even in this cool, quiet atmosphere, the news of "Kai Zhizhou's dominant win" was spreading like a shockwave.
The bustling whispers and heads leaning together were all discussing Kai. You could feel the weight of the topic. This young man who had seemingly popped out of a rock was gathering attention with the force of a landslide, skyrocketing to fame.
Unfortunately, arrogance and prejudice were stubborn things.
People casually poured cold water on his achievement, completely ignoring Kai's performance and attributing everything to the team.
It wasn't just Austria; they were doing the same for Spain.
In the Feature Race, if Russell and Aitken hadn't collided, Kai would have just been a beneficiary of chaos, and the result might have been completely different.
In the Sprint Race, it was just because the other young drivers underestimated him, not knowing his style, allowing him to luck into a comeback.
The real key, they said, was the car.
"The ART team has done a perfect job. Looks like they're going to dominate GP3 again this year."
This is an eternal debate in the world of Formula racing:
Is the victory due to the car, or the driver?
This is exactly how the greatness of F1 drivers is measured.
Ayrton Senna, the "God of Racing." Although he only won three World Championships, he could always extract 120%, even 200%, of his car's potential. Even without the fastest car on the grid, he was always a strong contender for victory in every race.
Michael Schumacher, the "King of Racing," a seven-time World Champion and holder of most F1 records. Of his seven titles, at least three were won in the second or even third fastest car on the grid.
But even Schumacher is only hailed as the "King." The true "God" is Senna, and only Senna.
Some people might be confused. Vettel and Hamilton have both won four championships (as of 2017). Why is their historical status not yet equal to Senna and Schumacher? This is the reason.
Undeniably, Vettel and Hamilton are excellent, one-in-a-million drivers. But all their championships came in the fastest car on the grid. The driver was important, but perhaps not the sole key.
And now, it was the same story with Kai.
Although GP3 isn't F1 it's a spec series where the cars are theoretically equal and the gaps are small true professionals know how much advantage a professional team with ample funding can gain, even in GP3.
Just before the Austrian race, the sponsorship money from Richard Mille and Brembo had hit Kai's account. And the results were immediate.
In just a few words, the gossiping onlookers had lumped Kai in with the likes of Nicholas Latifi and Lance Stroll the rich kids.
Average talent, but backed by a big tree.
Look, the facts were right there. Just two or three GP3 wins, and the praise, hype, and fanaticism were already sweeping in.
Without someone pulling the strings behind the scenes, how was this possible? Even Nicolas Todt was fawning over him, clearing a seat for the "young master." It seemed Kai's "money-power" was extraordinary.
In their minds, the onlookers had filled in all the blanks, smugly convinced they had glimpsed the truth.
Some second-generation heir of a Chinese tech giant? An illegitimate son of a Middle Eastern oil tycoon? The leader of a hidden aristocratic family? The rumors flew, eager to assign Kai a "Long Aotian" (overpowered protagonist) background to explain what they were seeing.
In short: it was just the car. No need to make a fuss.
Of course, luck played a part, too. The grid position at the Red Bull Ring gave Kai a loophole, and Russell was still too young to defend it properly.
But don't worry. The Sprint Race would reveal everything.
Unlike Spain, Kai was now exposed. He couldn't hide in the shadows and play the assassin anymore. The other drivers were on high alert and wouldn't let him pass easily.
The key was that the Red Bull Ring was a track full of overtaking opportunities. The Sprint Race was like the Feature Race on fast-forward fewer laps, no need to worry about tire wear. Drivers could push their cars to the absolute limit, making it even more intense and exciting.
Now, Kai's performance in the Sprint Race would be the true test of his level.
On one hand, he had three ART teammates ahead of him. With identical car setups, breaking through that blockade would be harder than climbing to heaven.
On the other hand, there was Boccolacci, eyeing him hungrily from behind.
So far, the only team that could keep up with ART was Trident, and the only driver was Boccolacci.
Unfortunately, starting P4 in the Feature Race, Boccolacci had gone off at the start, damaged his tires, and never recovered. He fell to P8, and in the final stages, even lost that to Campos's Hyman, finishing P9.
So, this scenario emerged:
Campos's Hyman would start on pole for the Sprint Race, just like in Spain. Would he repeat his mistake or redeem himself?
And Boccolacci, after a nightmare race and missing the reverse-grid pole, had only one hope left: the Sprint Race. He would be starting right behind Kai. This was his best chance to pass Kai, suppress him, and beat him.
Regardless of podiums or points, if he could dominate Kai in a head-to-head, close-quarters battle, Boccolacci could still prove himself.
In GP3, where you need to seize every opportunity, Boccolacci would absolutely not let this pass. The Sprint Race was a fight to the death.
No wonder the onlookers were so calm yet so excited.
Wolves in front, tigers behind. No rookie protection. Even the ART car advantage was gone. Kai was fully exposed, a target for everyone. The Sprint Race would be the moment his true form was revealed. All the praise and awe would turn into bubbles, popping in the slightest breeze.
"Calm down, calm down. No need to make a fuss. Is it a mule or a horse? We'll find out soon enough."
"The next Verstappen? Hehe, you think any random cat or dog can be Verstappen?"
"Careful now. The higher you fly, the harder you fall tomorrow. Just a lucky 'Nepo-Baby.' You guys are acting like you've never seen the world. Hilarious."
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