In Shanghai, Pirelli brought three dry compounds: Ultrasoft, Soft, and Medium.
In Q3, all drivers used the Ultrasofts. For the race start, almost everyone opted for the Softs, which were projected to last fifteen to twenty laps.
Martin Brundle predicted the pit window would open around Lap 20.
After pitting, the logical choice would be the Mediums. Pirelli suggested these could last twenty-five to thirty laps, meaning teams were aiming for a one-stop strategy, running to the end on the harder compound.
Of course, a two-stop strategy opened up more tire combinations.
The importance of pit stops and tire strategy was magnified.
In free practice, Kai noticed Ferrari struggled with tire temperature management in Shanghai. The degradation curve was volatile.
This wasn't Melbourne or Bahrain. He believed Ferrari needed to be bold, to dictate the race rather than react to opponents. Especially after locking out the front row, Ferrari had the cards to control the game.
But Vettel disagreed. He believed in stability, wait for the opponent to move, then adjust.
Arrivabene sided with Vettel.
What did this mean?
For Vettel, leading from the front, he could run his own race. But Kai couldn't.
After losing position at the start, Kai was boxed in. He couldn't attack recklessly and burn up his tires. Sandwiched between a Red Bull and a Mercedes ahead, and a Mercedes and a Red Bull behind, the three teams formed a gridlock. One move would trigger a chain reaction. Without knowing his rivals' strategies, he had to be patient, hold position, and play the team game.
Obviously, everything revolved around Vettel. Arrivabene was reminding everyone, with actions, that Kai was the number two driver.
So.
After Lap 1, the race settled into a rhythm.
In the midfield, the battle for points was fierce, keeping the broadcast director busy. But the top six, the Big Three, held station. They maintained a steady pace, probing but not engaging.
Gaps opened slightly to about two seconds to avoid dirty air and tire wear. But if the gap grew to three seconds, the trailing car would speed up, keeping the leader within striking distance.
Stalemate.
In other words, a bit boring. The cameras focused on the midfield battles.
In Melbourne, Hamilton had pushed to build a pit window, showing Mercedes' aggression. They controlled the initiative.
But here, Vettel didn't do that. Bottas stayed within two seconds.
If it were just Bottas keeping up, it could be Mercedes being aggressive. But Verstappen and Kai were also right there, forming a high-speed train.
This was Ferrari's conservative strategy. Vettel wasn't trying to build a window.
It didn't take long, maybe eight or ten laps, for Ferrari's strategy to reveal itself. The Mercedes and Red Bull pit walls began whispering. On the surface, calm; underneath, the currents were shifting. The game had begun where the audience couldn't see.
It was a perfect example of F1 as a team sport: track, pit wall, pit lane, all interconnected.
Then, Lap 18. Red Bull struck first.
Double Stack.
Verstappen was third, Ricciardo sixth, separated by about six seconds. Christian Horner chose to gamble. He pitted both cars on the same lap. One mistake, one slow wheel gun, and Red Bull's advantage would vanish.
This was Red Bull. This was Horner. A boldness bordering on recklessness.
And they pulled it off. Efficient, precise. Both cars pitted successfully, throwing the first punch in the heavyweight bout.
The Ferrari pit wall noticed immediately. Greenwood relayed the info to Kai. With Red Bull pitting, Kai was now sandwiched between two Mercedes cars. Ferrari's strategy had to pivot to cover the Silver Arrows.
"David, Plan Beta?" Kai asked immediately.
In Shanghai, Ferrari had five tactical plans. The priority was Plan Alpha.
Plan Alpha: With Vettel and Kai running 1-2, Vettel pits first. Kai stays out to back up the pack, preventing Mercedes from taking the lead. Then Kai pits, handing the lead back to Vettel, who controls the pace to give Kai space. A guaranteed 1-2.
But Plan Alpha was dead. Vettel's "gift" at the start had thrown Kai into the wolf pack.
Naturally, the strategy had to adjust.
Plan Beta: Kai pits first to prevent an undercut. Use Kai as bait to disrupt Mercedes. Whether Mercedes covers Kai or not, Ferrari adjusts to protect Vettel.
To Kai, the situation was clear. Red Bull had moved. If he wanted a podium, he had to respond to Verstappen immediately. Furthermore, Ferrari needed to move before Mercedes. Kai needed to pit before Hamilton.
It seemed complex, but they could still seize the initiative.
For Ferrari, the pit window was open. Especially for Kai.
Kai believed Wolff was smart. If Ferrari didn't pit, Mercedes would pounce. Hamilton would likely pit first, as his position relative to Bottas mirrored Kai's position relative to Vettel.
However,
"Wait," Greenwood replied. He seemed to be asking Arrivabene for a decision.
The radio silence stretched. And in that gap, Kai's fear materialized.
Hamilton boxed.
Kai didn't need the radio. He saw it in his mirrors. Lap 19, Hamilton dove into the pit lane.
"Requesting pit stop! Requesting pit stop! Hamilton is attempting the undercut!" Kai responded instantly, the air in the cockpit tightening.
He was past the pit entry now, but he had to pit next lap. He knew the team's decision-making was slow, so he warned them early.
"Copy. Wait," Greenwood said.
And then... nothing.
Kai: ???
He couldn't believe it. The situation was crystal clear. He should have pitted just now to cover the position. Now Hamilton had taken the initiative. If Kai didn't follow immediately, Mercedes would strangle him.
Not just Kai, the commentators sensed the danger. Just as Kai thought it couldn't get worse, the race slid further into the abyss.
Lap 20. Bottas boxed.
The Ferrari pit wall was sluggish. Since Red Bull's surprise attack, they had missed two windows. Mercedes, decisive and ruthless, had seized both.
Instantly, Ferrari was on the back foot. Mercedes had reacted to Red Bull's aggression and taken control.
Who would have thought Ferrari's biggest weakness was their own pit wall?
Damn it!
Kai couldn't control himself. He gritted his teeth and cursed. Missing two opportunities was a fatal error.
Some might ask: Why did Kai have to ask? Why not just drive into the pits?
Setting aside the consequences of disobeying orders, a pit stop requires coordination. The crew needs to bring the tires out of the blankets. The jack men need to be ready.
If the crew isn't ready, a driver driving into an empty box loses way more than a few seconds.
So, communication is mandatory.
Finally!
Greenwood's voice returned. He told Kai that Vettel would pit next lap. Kai was to stay out.
Kai wasn't surprised. Ferrari wasn't worried about Hamilton undercutting Kai; they were worried about Bottas undercutting Vettel. After all, Vettel and Bottas were fighting for the win.
Lap 21. Vettel boxed.
"Tense!"
"This is going to be very, very close. Mercedes is telling Bottas to push!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, here comes Bottas!"
"Bottas and Vettel are racing for the first corner! Bottas! God, Bottas gets there first!"
"Unbelievable! The Mercedes undercut worked!"
"Bottas passes Vettel! Mercedes' timely reaction and correct judgment have flipped the race!"
In a flash, the tables turned.
Bottas suppressed Vettel. Positions swapped. The nightmare scenario for Ferrari had happened. Arrivabene held his head in his hands.
It wasn't close. It was a clear gap. Bottas was two and a half car lengths ahead. In one lap, Mercedes had executed the undercut flawlessly. No danger, no chance for Vettel to fight back. They even broke the DRS tow immediately.
A complete victory.
Mercedes had defeated Ferrari on strategy.
"Kai, Bottas undercut successful. He is currently 7.1 seconds behind you," Greenwood said. No time for regret; he had to stabilize.
Kai frowned. He caught the subtext in Greenwood's voice immediately. "Why are you telling me the gap to Bottas?"
"Jesus Christ, David, are you planning to leave me out to attempt an overcut?" Kai seized on the hesitation.
He paused, not attacking immediately, giving Greenwood space to refute. He waited for an explanation.
Silence on the radio.
Kai: ...
He couldn't believe it. "David, this isn't Melbourne. The situation is different. I don't have a lead. I don't have a tire advantage."
"You want me to use twenty-seven-lap-old Softs to pull a gap on Bottas who is on fresh Mediums? What was Bottas's out-lap time? You shouldn't be thinking about if I can build a pit window; you should be thinking about how long this seven-second lead will last."
"If my pace can't suppress Mercedes, the overcut has zero chance of success. Even if a Safety Car comes out now, it's not enough for a free stop. I shouldn't be wasting time on track."
"Or do you want me to deliberately slow down, back Bottas up, and create an overtaking chance for Seb?"
"If not, I should box. Only God knows where I'll come out now."
"Box! Now!"
Kai was furious. Truly angry. Again and again, the pit wall dithered, afraid to lose, judging the situation poorly. It was a disaster.
Not just the wall, the Ferrari garage was chaotic, hearts pounding.
Every second counted. Bottas had just completed the undercut. Kai would reach the pit entry in about a minute. Dialogue took time. There was no room for hesitation.
Greenwood looked at Arrivabene. As the race engineer, he needed a decision, but the Team Principal had the final say.
Arrivabene frowned, struggling.
He was still hesitating whether to leave Kai out. Even if the overcut failed, Kai could at least hold up Bottas.
One second, two seconds. Amidst the engine roar, you could almost hear time slipping away.
Greenwood clenched his fist, palms sweating. They had missed two windows. They couldn't miss the third.
The scale tipped in the suffocating tension.
"Box. Box. Box," Greenwood ordered, not waiting for Arrivabene.
Before he even signaled the crew, the mechanics were moving, hearts nearly bursting out of their chests.
"Ferrari!"
"Lap 22, Kai finally pits!"
"But obviously, they've lost position. Bottas undercut Vettel. Hamilton undercutting Kai should be a given."
"The focus now is: Can Kai come out ahead of Ricciardo?"
"Oh, God!"
"Ferrari pit stop! 3.3 seconds! Not a satisfactory stop. The tire change wasn't clean. They haven't found their focus. Two races in a row with sloppy stops."
"The straight! Here comes Ricciardo!"
"Ferrari vs. Red Bull. An unexpected duel, but, "
"Daniel Ricciardo! Brilliant positioning! Ricciardo leads Kai! Kai is trying to fight back!"
"Kai judges the position instantly and counter-attacks without hesitation!"
"Ricciardo! Beautiful late braking! The Honey Badger pulls out his signature move! Relying on braking control in Turn 1, he holds off Kai's counter! Kai's fresh tires aren't up to temp! Ricciardo defends successfully!"
"Ricciardo leads! Takes P5!"
"Kai drops to P6! For the home hero, this is a nightmare five minutes. Undercut by Hamilton and Ricciardo consecutively! Ferrari's strategic chaos and pit crew panic are dragging him down, almost ruining his race."
One wrong step, every step wrong.
Things were spiraling. Just one pit stop cycle, but due to misjudgment of the situation, Ferrari had thrown away their advantage.
Pain, despair, struggle. The Ferrari pit wall was silent, trying desperately to maintain composure in front of Mercedes and Red Bull.
But the mask of indifference couldn't hide the loss seeping from their hearts. A freefall into the abyss.
Jiang Mo felt it too.
She knew nothing about racing, nothing about undercuts or overcuts. But precisely because of that, she remained objective.
"They missed the timing. Mercedes' timing was correct. Ferrari lost the initiative."
Jiang Mo frowned.
She knew that feeling. You did nothing wrong, gave your all, were in great shape, yet were dragged into the abyss by the chaos of the team. That sense of powerlessness and frustration was more devastating than performing poorly yourself.
Right now, that was Kai.
Standing in the paddock, she seemed to feel Kai's breathing and heartbeat, merging into the car chasing the end of time.
Involuntarily, Jiang Mo turned to Lu Cheng. "Is there still a chance to turn it around?"
Lu Cheng sighed lightly. "Hard."
Unless something unexpected happened, there were no more pit stops. It was all down to track performance.
But this wasn't GP3. Blocking Kai were Red Bull and Mercedes. None were pushovers. Replicating the GP3 charge from the back was harder than climbing to heaven.
Thousands of words turned into one sigh.
Lu Cheng paused. "Finishing in the points is also an achievement. Besides, Kai has scored points in three consecutive races. No rookie does that."
Lu Cheng tried to comfort Jiang Mo, but she took a deep breath. "The race isn't over. Kai won't be satisfied with just points."
As she spoke, Kai's radio message appeared on the screen. "Come on, the race isn't even halfway. The party hasn't even started. David, make some noise."
Pfft!
Zhang Qiaomu couldn't hold back. "Did Little Zhou just say 'make some noise'?" She didn't understand the other English, but she understood that.
A light flashed in Jiang Mo's eyes. She looked at Lu Cheng.
Quietly, Jiang Mo straightened her back. No matter the result, she would fight alongside her son to the end.
On the radio, Greenwood didn't respond. Only silence.
What the broadcast didn't show was the follow-up. Kai teased, "Don't force me to sing."
Greenwood: ... "Kai, stay focused. You are correct, the race isn't over. What do you need?"
Not just Greenwood, the entire pit wall perked up. Especially Arrivabene, a look of surprise in his eyes.
"Gaps. How far to Ricciardo and Hamilton?"
"Ricciardo, 1.666; Hamilton, 4.891."
"Copy. Watch my tire temps."
Angry? Depressed? Frustrated?
Of course. All of it. Kai used all his strength to suppress the urge to scream. Today's race was shattered. From the start, nothing went right,
The pressure of the home race. Although Kai ignored it, the lack of experience was magnified under pressure. The more he wanted to perform, the less he could relax and enjoy the race.
He had to admit, Shanghai was different from Melbourne and Bahrain.
But, it is what it is.
He could wallow in anger, or he could turn frustration into fuel for the second half.
He chose the latter.
Now, he needed a plan. Step by step. Don't look at the podium; look at the opponent in front.
First Ricciardo, then Hamilton.
34 laps to go. The Mediums lasted 25-30 laps. He couldn't sprint recklessly, or his grip would vanish before the end.
So, follow Ricciardo's pace. Find an opportunity.
Especially after confirming Ricciardo and Hamilton's pace with Greenwood. Ricciardo was matching Hamilton, eating away the gap slowly. This meant if Kai kept up with Ricciardo, he wouldn't be dropped by Hamilton.
Another feature of Shanghai is the powerful slipstream effect. The main straight, the back straight after Turn 13, using the tow effectively could save tires for the attack.
The Ferrari pit wall split its attention.
One part watched Kai following Ricciardo, slowly closing on Hamilton. The gap was under four seconds.
But Kai wasn't the priority. Vettel was.
The other part watched Vettel. He was closing on Bottas. The gap hovered around one second. DRS range was imminent.
Ferrari's chance to flip the race was close.
But the calm didn't last.
Lap 29. Sauber's Leclerc braked too late for Turn 1, understeered off track into the gravel. He almost retired but recovered. A false alarm.
Lap 30. Third sector. Turn 14 hairpin into Turn 15. The two Toro Rossos engaged in a fierce battle.
Gasly tried to pass Hartley on the inside. Hartley defended. Gasly's front wing slammed into Hartley's rear right wheel. Debris flew.
Hartley spun!
Yellow Flag!
The wind changed.
But the yellow lasted less than five seconds. Neither car retired. They continued.
Green Flag!
False alarm.
But before anyone could exhale, the race leaders, Bottas and Vettel, arrived at Turn 14.
Bottas saw the debris on the racing line first. He had to cut inside to avoid it, nearly losing position.
Vettel was preparing to attack but also saw the debris and had to back off. He raged on the radio. The opportunity slipped through his fingers.
As they entered the main straight, the stewards finally reacted.
Safety Car Deployed.
Debris had to be cleared. The tension froze instantly!
Whoosh. Bottas passed the pit entry.
Whoosh. Vettel passed the pit entry.
Greenwood heard Kai's voice on the radio immediately. "Box! Box!"
Crisis could also be opportunity.
Chaos. Confusion.
The Ferrari pit wall was overwhelmed. The battle between Vettel and Bottas was suffocating. Just as Bottas showed a weakness, debris ruined it. Vettel was screaming. The Safety Car came out.
Wave after wave.
Arrivabene and Greenwood couldn't keep up. Then, the radio crackled.
"Box. Box."
It was Kai!
Greenwood froze. Box? For what? Didn't Kai just pit? Nine laps ago, they planned to run to the end. Where did a second stop come from? It wasn't discussed in the briefing. Was Kai talking nonsense?
However, at that moment, a car passed behind Greenwood.
Reflexively, he glanced,
Verstappen!
Verstappen, currently P3, had pitted on Lap 18. Seeing Bottas and Vettel pass the pit entry, Red Bull's Christian Horner showed his killer instinct. In two seconds, he made the call. Box.
Arrivabene froze. What was happening?
Two seconds. His brain couldn't process it.
Greenwood was the same. Dazed.
But the key was: This wasn't the first time. In this race, this was the fourth time Kai had made a judgment call. The previous three times, he was right.
So, what should he do?
In a split second, without time to think, Greenwood glanced at Arrivabene and blurted out, "Box. Box."
Seizing the instinct, Greenwood turned and signaled the crew.
Then, he saw,
Whoosh. Hamilton passed the pit entry. He didn't stop.
This meant Mercedes, like Ferrari, hadn't reacted.
If Wolff didn't move, should they stay put?
But... Kai's race was already a disaster. Started P2, now P6. Staying conservative wouldn't change anything.
Greenwood glanced at the screen. Magnussen (Haas) was P7, 14 seconds behind Kai.
In Shanghai, a normal pit stop is 21-23 seconds. Under Safety Car, it's 12-14 seconds.
Kai had a "free" pit stop window. He could pit without losing position.
Then,
Gamble?
"Mediums?" Greenwood asked.
"...Softs. David, Softs! The yellow ones." Kai was calm. Every second counted. No time for temper.
Greenwood nodded furiously, switching channels. "Softs. Repeat, Softs."
Unknowingly, the initiative had fallen completely into Kai's hands. Greenwood didn't even look at Arrivabene. No time. Everything had to be fast, decisive, resolute. Just like Kai.
Home Alone. The tables had turned!
The pit crew was dazed, scrambling like headless flies.
"Fuck!"
Mekies stepped forward.
"Calm down! Everyone calm down!"
In the paddock, with the noise, they wore headsets. Yelling didn't work.
But Mekies didn't care. He ripped off his headset, screaming red-faced, using hand signals like a windmill. In three seconds, he took control.
A car appeared at the pit entry,
Ricciardo!
Sure enough, Red Bull were lunatics. Verstappen and Ricciardo were double-stacking again.
Following closely was the Ferrari number 22.
The Mercedes crew at the pit entry was stunned, staring at the two teams behind them in disbelief.
Compared to Red Bull's disciplined efficiency, Ferrari was clearly shaken, scrambling to find focus.
Ricciardo: 2.5 seconds.
Kai: 3.7 seconds.
Just in the pit stop, Kai lost a second.
Fortunately, the Safety Car was leading the pack. That second didn't matter. It would be erased when they rejoined. The key was a safe release.
Kai followed Ricciardo safely out of the pits.
In the Ferrari garage, everyone looked at each other, panting. Confused. What was that second stop about?
Suddenly, Mekies remembered. "Softs? Right? Confirm. Were they all yellow Softs?"
The blank stares exchanged glances, then nodded. The stone in Mekies' heart dropped.
Wolff, Horner, Arrivabene. The three old foxes' minds raced. The pit lane calmed down, but the radios were chaotic.
So, what just happened?
Simply put: Tires.
In winter testing, everyone saw the gap between compounds. The delta between Soft and Medium could be 0.4 to 0.8 seconds per lap.
Chasing Mediums with Softs was easy pickings. Unless the car performance difference was massive, the driver on Mediums was a sitting duck.
Currently, everyone on track was on Mediums. Without accidents, the race would be a stalemate decided by Vettel vs. Bottas.
Even if Kai drove like a god, he might pass Ricciardo and Hamilton. Challenging Verstappen for the podium would depend on how much time and tire life he burned doing it.
But the Safety Car changed everything.
If Kai switched to Softs now, facing opponents on Mediums, the advantage was massive.
According to the rules, Pirelli provided 13 sets of dry tires. After returning practice and qualifying sets, they had 7 sets for the race.
Kai started on Softs, switched to Mediums. He met the two-compound rule. Now, with the window open, he switched back to Softs.
The possibilities returned.
Although his Mediums were only 10 laps old, Kai seized the key,
Decisiveness.
Surprisingly, Horner was even bolder. He put both Ricciardo and Verstappen on Softs.
Barring accidents, the remaining 26 laps would be "Kai and Red Bull vs. The World"!