For a long time, Jiang Mo had reservations about racing. Although she didn't directly oppose or block it, Kai always knew her attitude.
Even after Kai became a Ferrari driver, stood in the paddock that all drivers dreamed of, and won in his career debut, it still failed to move Jiang Mo. Her worries, fears, and wild thoughts wouldn't disappear easily because of these achievements.
"Worrying about your safety is my instinct and my job," Jiang Mo said.
Actually, Kai genuinely hoped Jiang Mo could come to the scene to watch a race, to feel modern Formula 1 up close, not just the charm of racing, but also the ever-improving safety protection.
For example, the HALO system that everyone complained about.
Because it was unfamiliar, it was scary; because it was unknown, it was mysterious. Precisely because of a lack of understanding, it was easy to be trapped by one's own stereotypes.
But as long as that layer of paper was broken, things would be different.
Originally, fighting at home was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Unfortunately, Jiang Mo still didn't show up.
Kai always kept these things in mind. He hoped to prove himself, and also hoped Jiang Mo wouldn't worry anymore because he understood what he was doing.
In Shanghai, Kai wanted to deliver a top performance more than ever, not only because it was his home court but also because he knew Jiang Mo's knot.
But now?
Without warning, without mental preparation, Jiang Mo appeared.
Kai couldn't hide his surprise, actually frozen on the spot, subconsciously turning to look at Lu Cheng, casting a questioning look.
Lu Cheng patted Kai's head gently. "Aren't you going to welcome her? Be careful your mom turns around and leaves again; I can't hold her back alone."
Kai went up dazedly. "Mom, why are you here?"
Jiang Mo deliberately pulled a long face. "What, not welcome? Won't perform poorly because I'm present and you're too nervous, right?"
The corners of Kai's mouth rose, chuckling. "In that case, if I perform poorly in the race, the excuse is thought of in advance."
Jiang Mo glared at Kai speechlessly. "Stay focused. Instead of thinking of excuses there, better focus on the race."
"Yes, Mother!" Kai straightened his back and even made a standing-at-attention posture, answering seriously and loudly.
Aside, Zhang Qiaomu couldn't hold back, laughing so hard she leaned back and forth.
Looking left and right, Zhang Qiaomu actively patted Kai's shoulder to adjust the atmosphere. "Don't worry about your mom, I'll take good care of her today."
"Go prepare yours. Doctor told me you guys are busy as hell before the race. You need to adjust your state and concentrate. Hurry back and prepare."
Kai took two steps forward, closing the distance. "Thank you, Aunt Qiaomu. After the race, I'll treat you to a big meal."
Zhang Qiaomu's face was full of smiles. "Okay, then I'll wait for the big meal."
Kai didn't stay here too long after all. Lorenzo, who traveled thousands of miles to Shanghai to watch the race, served as a guide responsible for taking care of them. And Kai, as Song Bo said, before entering the race, needed to warm up, maintain focus, and enter the race state.
Steps trotting out lightly, but he still couldn't help it. Kai stopped and turned to look back, just in time to see Jiang Mo and the others waving. He also waved his right hand, took two steps back, and trotted all the way towards the pit lane full of energy,
He was ready.
Not just the home court; this was the first race Jiang Mo watched on site.
Last time in Melbourne, under Lu Cheng's gaze, he created a miracle; today in Shanghai, under Jiang Mo's attention, he wanted to sprint again.
Mood bloomed slowly between flying steps. Kai felt unprecedented vitality, couldn't help opening his arms and sprinting.
Standing behind, Jiang Mo watched her son the whole time. Seeing that cheerful back figure, the corners of her mouth couldn't help rising, shaking her head gently. "He's still a child."
Zhang Qiaomu looked over. No matter how old the child, they never grow up in their eyes. But before she could speak, Song Bo's voice came from ahead.
"Aunt Jiang, how did you know? Now everyone calls Boss Baby Driver..."
Zhang Qiaomu looked at the sky speechlessly. "You still say Little Zhou is a baby; I see you are the one still wearing diapers."
Hahaha, a burst of laughter.
Amidst the gagging and joking, Jiang Mo's mind relaxed slightly. Standing in the paddock watching the race up close didn't seem as terrible as imagined.
However, such thoughts couldn't last too long. When the team pushed the cars onto the starting grid, and drivers and teams began to prepare, the steady heartbeat began to become chaotic again.
Actually, the weather today wasn't hot, and it was cloudy. Standing in an open place, wind came from all directions, with some residual chill in the air.
But at this moment, the air was still dense with rolling heat waves, starting to twist ferociously. It seemed one could clearly see the temperature climbing, making people breathless; engine roars continuously impacted the eardrums like stormy waves. Jiang Mo's internal organs couldn't help but start churning.
This time, whether Lu Cheng or Zhang Qiaomu, their comfort had no effect. Jiang Mo couldn't listen at all.
Vision, hearing, smell, and touch, she felt that teeth-baring pressure from all directions, which couldn't be felt in front of the TV.
Then, Kai appeared on the broadcast screen.
Focused, steady, the whole person appearing very relaxed, communicating with the team aside for the last time, jumping on the spot to adjust relaxedly, only then sitting into the car cockpit. One could even see a faint smile and eager light in those eyes. That was a son she had never seen,
In working state, fully devoted, passionate, radiating confidence from the inside out.
Jiang Mo's world quieted down along with it.
Worry was still worry, unease and anxiety still surging, but Jiang Mo straightened her back quietly, seemingly able to feel Kai's energy,
Regardless of what challenge, face it calmly with head high. This is the only way to challenge limits and seek breakthroughs. No shortcuts or tricks, only frontal victory and defeat.
Quietly, Jiang Mo clenched her fists, attention concentrated, staring at the screen intently.
At this moment, Kai was fully focused with no distractions, truly entering a state of concentration. The disturbances outside the field all disappeared. Only he and the car, the track spread out before eyes, and the team's strategy and tactics remained. The relaxed brain was ready for high-speed operation.
The formation lap ended successfully. Unbelievable cheers came from the direction of the main grandstand. Massive red overflowed and poured down like magma.
The air was blurred.
Red lights on. That cheering and screaming pushed to a brand new height, tearing the engine roar, smashing fiercely onto the track with the posture of a violent storm.
Five!
CCTV-5 and Great Sports cut the audio instantly, all falling into silence, standing at the crossroads of history, brains stopping operation briefly.
The world, silence reigns.
One!
Five red lights all on, extinguishing simultaneously,
Instant start, standing out.
Kai maintained a sensitive state, but he immediately realized that despite trying his best to control, he was still slightly too excited.
Start speed was very fast, almost stepping on the edge of a jump start! This should be his best start state ever!
However!
No time to think at all. Kai immediately noticed a bright red on the left diagonally ahead squeezing over resolutely.
No way, again?
The starting line design of the Shanghai International Circuit is very distinctive. Although F1 track starting lines are basically straights connecting to corners, the first corner of the Shanghai track is a compound corner,
Like a snail shell, spiraling tight, forming a vortex of over 720 degrees extending all the way down.
This means one must lay out the racing line from Turn 1, otherwise the mid-corner rhythm in the subsequent compound corners and subsequent exit tail speed connecting to the straight will all become a disaster.
Moreover, the turning radius gradually shrinks, and the adjustment space in the corner will also become smaller and smaller. It can be understood as: having a chance to salvage if deviation occurs at the beginning, but subsequent correction opportunities will gradually disappear.
Precisely because of this, at the start of the Shanghai track, the scramble for position and line will be exceptionally fierce.
Pole position is on the left, which happens to be the standard racing line of the Shanghai track. With line and position, the driver can calmly climb along a gentle slope to complete the classic "out-in-out" line, perfectly cutting into Turn 1, smoothly rolling down along the spiral curve into the torrent.
All in one go!
Correspondingly, for the second grid position on the right, line selection is more difficult. After the start is a small gentle slope. If willing to give up the opportunity to overtake and fight for first, a left turn outward, following behind the pole car, taking the "out-in-out" line, would be simplest.
However, if wanting to overtake and occupy a favorable position at the start stage, that is dancing on the blade tip, finding a cut-in point amidst limits and constraints. Going inside might not win enough entry speed; going outside might not find enough grip. Absolutely a test.
Triggered at touch!
At the moment the red lights went out, Kai flew out like an arrow from a bow, proceeding straight along the right side, trying to bite the inside line tightly to win faster entry speed.
However!
Almost simultaneously, Vettel on the left diagonally ahead, without hesitation, decisively cut inside while starting, crossing the middle road to cut to the right.
Squeeze!
The main grandstand sucked in a cold breath instantly!
Following Bahrain, for the second consecutive stop, Vettel squeezed Kai's racing line at the start stage. The bayonet-point contest had already begun at the moment of launch.
Actually! Again!
Facing the rookie driver teammate, the four-time world champion showed no mercy, displaying the decisive side on the track.
To this, Kai wasn't surprised, even mentally prepared early on.
The problem was, plans can't keep up with changes.
Preparation is preparation. The ever-changing characteristics of F1 often catch people off guard. Vettel even seized Kai's shortcoming of insufficient experience to take a yard after taking an inch.
"Damn it! Is he closing the door?"
Kai was furious, but the radio was silent, no response,
Squeezing the racing line is one thing; squeezing is squeezing, but still leaving a window. Closing the door is another matter entirely, directly cutting off and blocking the racing line. A moment of inattention means rear-end collision, friction, collision, or even both out. From the rules perspective, this is not allowed behavior.
But right now, Vettel was trying to close the door.
He fully utilized his pole advantage, cutting across crisply, not only occupying the racing line but further jamming in front of Kai, so much so that Kai was forced to squeeze into the pit exit lane. A bit further right was the grass!
Instantly, Kai was trapped!
In the silence of the radio, Kai immediately realized that his sensitive start reaction should have been a good thing, but before Vettel closed the door, he failed to seize the racing line in advance. Now he put himself in a dilemma instead, because the car distance with Vettel was too short, adjustment space limited.
Switching to the middle road or even outside was too late now. On the left, Bottas and Hamilton could be seen approaching successively, forming an encirclement.
Nowhere to escape!
Just started, before even reacting, Kai found he had become a turtle in a jar.
All this must be thanked to the affectionate care from the teammate.
In the flash of lightning, Kai calmed down instead. No time to pay attention to the radio. He must thank Vettel for attaching such importance to him and guarding against him so strictly,
To him, this was an affirmation, meaning Vettel truly felt the threat like a thorn in the back.
Then, how could he disappoint his teammate?
No position, no line, even completely no adjustment space. At this moment, Kai was helpless. Going with the flow was the only way. The result of any rash move would be exiting crisply in the first compound corner.
Obviously, this wasn't Kai's plan.
But going with the flow also needed an overall layout. Wolves surrounded, competitors in favorable positions; they wouldn't easily let go of such an excellent opportunity.
So!
Originally should brake, but instead, Kai started to lift off, controlling speed and line entering Turn 1, relying on throttle and steering control to drive hugging the apex tightly.
If he could catch Vettel's slipstream, that would be best, but at this moment Vettel had already opened a car length gap, not waiting for Kai.
In the broadcast picture, one could see Kai seemed not fast, but stuck tightly to the apex. Bottas, relying on late braking entry, had already caught up, vaguely exceeding half a car length driving side by side; Hamilton behind also seized the opportunity, following Bottas closely, matching the rear half of car 22 driving side by side.
One Ferrari stuck with two Mercedes entering the spiral compound corner.
Wheel to wheel! Pinpoint against wheat awn!
At this moment, Bottas was exceptionally uncomfortable.
Clearly, he had occupied a favorable position and should have overtaken easily, but Kai maintained the mid-corner rhythm exceptionally well. The driving line withstood Bottas abruptly, entering Turn 2 without giving an inch, throwing Bottas into greater G-force oppression instantly.
Bottas concentrated fully, clenching his teeth, finally relying on the advantage paved earlier to win faster exit speed and complete the overtake!
Seeing Kai positioning perfectly, unhurried yet steady as Mount Tai, he quickly steered right to occupy the middle road slightly close to the apex, blocking the position, ensuring Kai was left behind. His heart finally started beating again, gaze aiming at the other Ferrari in front immediately.
However, Hamilton wasn't so lucky.
Hamilton tried to overtake from the outside, but on the surface, Kai seemed to have no speed advantage, yet perfectly blocked the line, vaguely forming suppression. Hamilton, unable to win more advantage by late braking like Bottas, actually couldn't do anything to Kai.
Turn 2, Turn 3. Hamilton on the outside of the curve tried to increase rhythm in the corner, resulting in inadequate strength, never finding a chance.
Turn 4 was already ahead. Seeing the spiral compound corner about to end, Kai's tenacious defense in passivity left Hamilton helpless.
Worse, Verstappen starting fifth had chased up like a lingering ghost, aiming at the fierce struggle between Hamilton and Kai,
Reaping the benefits.
Verstappen cut inside, biting Kai's tail. Although in the corner now, he wasn't worried about dirty air at all, following Kai closely, actually already parallel with Hamilton.
Out of Turn 4, entering the short straight, Verstappen caught Kai's slipstream, cut right instantly, sped up, and instantly followed behind Kai, squeezing Hamilton behind.
Not only that, Verstappen didn't hesitate in the high-speed Turn 5, preparing to launch an attack from the right inside line, wanting to surpass Kai in one go!
The entire Shanghai track held its breath. Jiang Mo clenched her hands into fists, sweating profusely. Unexpectedly, the race just started, and Kai encountered continuous dangers!
The bayonet-point offense and defense left no breathing room!
The first compound corner, wide at front and narrow at back, not only presenting a spiral shape but space gradually tightening. Kai precisely utilized such geographical advantage, relying on precise and meticulous control to block the line firmly. With mid-corner rhythm not dominant and tires not yet up to working temperature temporarily, he withstood wave after wave of impact,
Vettel. Bottas. Hamilton.
However, things still hadn't ended. Verstappen had entwined like a maggot in the tarsal bone, without hesitation, launching an attack immediately.
Turn 4 left, Turn 5 right, both high-speed corners.
Kai firmly occupied the line in the compound corner, finally winning higher tail speed at the exit moment, completing the breakaway instantly. Hamilton, whose position was constantly blocked, had his exit speed obviously restricted. Just in a blink, the two cars closely connected just now had opened half a car length.
But Hamilton's crisis hadn't been completely relieved. Verstappen had seized the gap in the chaos, sensing Kai's dilemma. Like a shark smelling blood, he acted decisively and unhesitatingly, stepping forward, inserting into Kai's right side to follow forcibly.
One wave not settled, another wave invades, like a tsunami.
Left was Hamilton, right was Verstappen. Kai was trapped, like a sandwich biscuit.
At this moment, Kai had no way to choose the racing line, so he simply drove along the inner racing line of the middle road, delivering throttle stably, relying on steering to control dynamic balance, keeping the car stable amidst the turbulence of left and right pincer attacks, speeding through two high-speed corners in the cramped narrow space. As long as tail speed wasn't lost, he could complete the breakaway.
Sure enough!
Hamilton was blocked by angle in the corner and had to lift off early to avoid understeer. Exit speed was dragged down instantly.
Verstappen tried to overtake forcibly from the inside, but the car rear swung gently in dirty air, missing the best opportunity.
Instant, breakaway!
Verstappen concentrated fully, pupils shrinking slightly. He tried to seize the opportunity in the high-speed corner. Obviously, number 22 was in chaos and passivity. Let alone grip, the car balance and rear wing swing condition were also exceptionally obvious in the corner turbulence. This was the best window for overtaking.
But, number 22 actually escaped death!
Since emerging in GP3 last year, this guy's rise speed was simply too fast, breaking all records he created with a destructive posture. The capital he once relied on for fame and survival in the paddock was all left behind. The guy he once didn't put in his eyes was already walking in front of him.
More cruelly, before the season started, he was still that guy's competitive benchmark, but now, the names listed alongside that guy were already Hamilton and Vettel. In people's eyes, he seemed no longer qualified to be that guy's competitor.
He wanted to surpass him, just like yearning to surpass all opponents running in front of him in the paddock.
From Melbourne to Bahrain to Shanghai, until today, their first frontal duel on track truly kicked off.
Verstappen was very focused, no panic or wavering. Although that car 22 had shaken off his car 33, he didn't try to attack forcibly at the Turn 6 hairpin, instead falling back slightly, following tightly behind car 22's butt.
Once out of the corner, connecting to the small straight, Verstappen followed up immediately biting the slipstream. At this time, the two young men had squeezed Hamilton out. Hamilton, driving on the dirty side deviating from the racing line, was inadequate, failing to bite Kai. The gap was approaching one car length.
One red and one blue light shadow slid quickly towards the next two high-speed corners. Verstappen remained calm, like an assassin, patiently waiting for an opportunity.
Turn 7 and Turn 8, this is an S-curve, and a stretched-out high-speed corner. In the continuous high-speed offensive and defensive entanglement, Kai never had a chance to adjust the racing line. Instead, he maintained mid-corner rhythm through adjustments in driving style, cleverly blocking the defensive position,
He was in the middle. Regardless of whether the opponent behind tried to attack from inside or outside, he could make corresponding defense immediately.
This was a strategy to turn the situation around and seize initiative in a passive situation. Had to say, the bold are skilled; Kai was indeed breaking conventions.
Then, Verstappen observed. Bottas in front of Kai tried to attack Vettel, but Vettel also cleverly blocked the position, so Bottas was trapped between two Ferraris. Kai was shortening the distance between him and Bottas.
So, the question came,
Would Kai launch a counterattack? If the answer was yes, where would Kai launch the counterattack? The last spiral compound corner?
Kai was trying to turn the situation around unconventionally, which meant if Verstappen wanted to break the deadlock, he also needed to subvert the rules.
Opportunity?
No, none. Kai didn't sell a loophole, but Verstappen didn't care. Attacking forcibly without opportunity, and at an unconventional overtaking point.
Turn 8. He noticed Kai in front didn't have optimal grip; tires still hadn't fully entered working temperature!
Without hesitation, Verstappen pulled out from the slipstream, but didn't cut inside. Instead, he cut to the outside, abandoning the idea of grabbing the inside to hug the apex, breaking through forcibly from the outside,
Right now!
Late braking, pulling up side by side!
Verstappen glanced from the corner of his eye. He wasn't sure if that guy was scared, but he was sure in the flash of lightning that guy's defensive space was running out.
Trail braking, running a fuller arc along the outside of the corner, maintaining speed, biting the opponent tightly in the corner, wheel to wheel forming a stalemate.
Exit, throttle fed, Verstappen already won faster exit speed. Rear wing closed quickly, rushing forward like cutting water with a knife and cutting back horizontally to form a squeeze, blocking the line.
A hair's breadth! Fleeting changes!
Car 33 already rushed to the next corner ahead of car 22. Kai had no chance.
The car's own state was one aspect. From the start, it had been bumping and adjusting, grip delayed in finding; Verstappen was the other aspect. Kai admitted he didn't expect Verstappen's move, actually attacking at Turn 8, an inexplicable place, an atypical overtaking position.
Not only sudden, but crisp, leaving no space for breathing and reaction. Winner decided.
This time, Verstappen's attack was indeed beautiful, worthy of applause!
Kai knew nothing about Verstappen's offensive and defensive style. This was the first time experiencing it personally. Everything was too sudden. No wonder he was hailed as a genius seen once in a decade in the paddock; not without reason. He had a premonition that they would engage many, many times in the future. Even no need to wait for next time; today would do.
Chaos, bumps, dizziness, losing positions continuously, but Kai didn't intend to feel sorry for himself or blame others.
"Sorry. My bad." On the radio, Kai faced the result of losing position just now crisply and frankly. Although this wasn't a mistake, but the opponent breaking the balance with better performance, Kai still said so, attention concentrating quickly.
Ahead, Red Bull finally revealed its edge. Unwilling to let Mercedes and Ferrari play the leads, they were also determined to win the championship. Verstappen's tail speed after exit was excellent. In just a blink, he had opened an advantage of one and a half car lengths, chasing Bottas quickly.
Behind, in the Turn 9 right-angle corner, Hamilton noticed the confrontation between Kai and Verstappen,
Hit you when you are down.
For a rookie, such moments are often prone to mood fluctuations and distracted attention. Hamilton seized such a gap to launch an attack.
Calm, sharp, accurate, fatal blow,
Dagger, showing its edge!
Hamilton seized the opportunity. The downturn and loss of the previous three seconds were basically smoke bombs, preparing to profit from the conflict like a fisherman.
Here it comes immediately.
Different from Melbourne, Hamilton appeared more patient and firmer. Decisively cutting inside, occupying the line, hugging the apex tightly.
At this time, Hamilton's front wheel had passed Kai's rear wheel. If Kai forcibly closed the door to cut off the racing line now, let alone the danger of friction collision flying off track, this was also violating defensive rules.
Once judged as a violation, might be penalized ten seconds.
In other words, Hamilton had already seized the initiative.
However, encountering attacks from Verstappen and Hamilton successively in just one second, Kai didn't panic. Not only not, but fully entered the state, blood boiling, heart surging. In the flash of lightning, he had reacted conditioned reflexively, driver's instinct launching a counterattack.
Late braking.
Kai didn't cut line to defend, but let Hamilton block the position, braking half a car length later than expected!
Wheel to wheel!
Two cars entered Turn 9 side by side. When entering, Hamilton shortened the distance quickly, but when hugging the apex, it seemed to stabilize, gap not shortening further.
At this time, one could clearly see Kai's top-tier ability to handle changes without shock. While braking late, he didn't squeeze the braking system to the extreme all at once. Steering turned, releasing brakes, feeding throttle slowly.
In the flesh-to-flesh close combat, biting the arc top of the corner tightly, withstanding Hamilton's attack abruptly, thrillingly sweeping past Turn 9, like running on the cliff edge, crumbling and perilous, yet without breathing time, immediately facing the consecutive second right-angle corner,
Direction correction, throttle to floor, cross-cutting apex, piercing out!
Instant breakaway!
Hamilton, who was just entangled wheel to wheel, was completely caught off guard. Preparing to deal with Turn 10, because the angle was sharper, he had to lift off slightly to avoid understeer. But in this blink-of-an-eye gap, Kai seized the opportunity, throttle to floor piercing towards the straight.
Then could see, Kai relying on detailed steering adjustment stabilized the slightly shaking rear wing. Ferrari's straight-line speed advantage fully released, distance pulled open instantly.
The whole audience, dumbfounded,
From Bottas to Hamilton to Verstappen then to Hamilton again, fully encircling Kai. They hadn't even left Sector 2 yet, offensive and defensive confrontation had already staged fully four rounds. Dazzling, overwhelmed. Even the commentators in the broadcast room couldn't keep up with the situation changes on track.
One second praising Verstappen surpassing Kai, next second amazed by Kai's excellent defense shaking off Hamilton.
Climaxes rising one after another! Heat waves rolling!
"God! What a crazy and chaotic start! Unbelievable! Incredible!"
"Vettel launched an attack at the start, no conservation, no mercy, forcing Kai to almost no space to go, pushing him directly into the dilemma of wolves surrounding. Following Bahrain, Vettel showed the qualities of a killer when facing rookie opponents for the second consecutive time."
"Although Kai guarded the line steadily, Bottas still completed the overtake. And Verstappen, like a shark smelling blood, launched attacks twice consecutively, finally succeeding in Turn 8 in an unexpected way, surpassing Hamilton and Kai consecutively to rise to third!"
"Don't forget Hamilton. He tried to attack twice consecutively, but Kai showed unbelievable toughness in chaos, almost flesh-to-flesh frontal confrontation, abruptly withstanding Hamilton's attack, tenaciously guarding the hard-won position, not sliding further into the abyss."
"This is a chaotic and disorderly start, but also magnificent!"
Passionate, blood boiling. Croft opened machine gun mode spitting saliva. No one expected the start to be so wonderful.
Staging a good show!
Vettel's unexpected decisiveness should have made the home audience break into a cold sweat, and the two confrontations between Kai and Hamilton made fanatical fans fall into the abyss of despair. Waves of exclamations could be heard from various stands. The race entered the climax stage right from the start.
Aside, Brundle was no exception. He tried to grasp thoughts in chaos, analyzing calmly.
"A classic chaotic start!"
"Look, Kai could still precisely control braking points when tires hadn't fully entered working temperature, forcefully blocking Hamilton's two attempts. This shows his grasp of car grip is very exquisite."
"But the problem is, continuous defense, continuous turbulent airflow damaged his exit speed, giving Verstappen an unexpected attack window."
"Overtaking on the outside of Turn 8 is very rare, and Verstappen utilized a fuller racing line and trail braking control, squeezing Ferrari behind abruptly. Verstappen is showing his unparalleled offensive talent. Obviously, he isn't satisfied with letting Kai steal all the limelight."
Admiration, surging in the chest.
Croft managed to pull his thoughts back with difficulty. "So, our current queue is, Mercedes' Bottas is attacking Vettel, Red Bull eyeing covetously, Ferrari barely controlled the situation after fighting."
"The front six cars have opened a stable formation, but don't think you can relax. Now just entering the rhythm stage. Next, tire life and pit strategy are the core of confrontation. Pirelli gave three pit strategies for the Shanghai track, should be mainly one stop."
Brundle added immediately. "Correct. The first wave of pit frenzy should be around Lap 20. We know Red Bull and Mercedes always dare to adventure in strategy, especially liking to strike first tactically. Considering today's track temperature and tire wear situation, I'm a bit curious who will pit first to break the balance, and when."
"The key lies in how other teams respond, or trust their straight-line speed and tire life. This will be the focus of the first round of strategic game."
Lap 1 ended. Vettel, Bottas, Verstappen, Kai, Hamilton, Ricciardo. The top six cars passed the starting straight in order.
Undoubtedly, discerning people could see, "Home Hope" Kai and "King of Shanghai" Hamilton fell into a dilemma, both losing positions.
Especially Kai. Vettel's aggressive attack completely put him in a dilemma.
CCTV-5, Great Sports, and social networks wailed. The broadcast screen replayed the start picture repeatedly, trying to reproduce the chaos and splendor of the opening, and also trying to analyze the race situation. But for home viewers, it was equivalent to sprinkling salt on the wound. They anticipated the situation of wolves surrounding, but didn't anticipate the reason Kai fell into the trap.
Hearts raised high were pulled back to the ground fiercely in a mass of heat and madness. The Shanghai track erupted fully like a volcano in chaos.
However, in the chaotic situation, Kai still stood firm quickly, finding focus in the terrible situation, minimizing losses as much as possible.
Before eyes, the gaps of the top six were all small, basically within two car lengths. But at this time DRS couldn't be enabled temporarily. If wanting to overtake, must sacrifice tires, and tires happened to be the key next,
The battle, only just began now!