"Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck! What in god's name? Does that idiot know what the hell he's doing?"
A stream of profanity exploded over the radio. Vettel had lost control. His rage was uncontainable, the airwaves filled with bleeps and fury.
Riccardo Adami choked on a breath. He hadn't expected Kai to actually attack. Not only did he execute a move in the spiral complex reminiscent of Schumacher passing Alonso, but he did it cleanly, decisively, leaving no chance for defense.
Yes, they knew Kai had the tire advantage and Vettel was a sitting duck, but the sheer audacity of the move was shocking.
So, what now?
They were preparing to give Kai the green light. That was a fact. But Kai attacking before the order was given? That was something else entirely.
Everyone knew Kai wasn't a pushover, but seeing him bare his fangs to defend his own race was a visceral shock.
Subconsciously, Adami looked at Arrivabene. This is tricky.
Arrivabene held his breath, indecision swirling in his mind. Three seconds, five seconds passed. The situation on track had already flipped.
So,
Silence. The radio remained dead. Vettel's rage was met with a void.
However, the broadcast booth was boiling over.
"Kai!"
"Beautiful! Clean overtake, top-tier offense! Understanding of the car and track, timing, detail control, everything perfect!"
"Wow!"
"At the start, Vettel squeezed Kai, throwing him into chaos and costing him positions. Now, Kai strikes back on track! With unparalleled poise, he passes Vettel, issuing a challenge to the team leader with action!"
"Ferrari this year is the biggest surprise!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, don't forget, in GP3, Kai conquered everyone with this kind of fearless, sharp aggression."
"Incredible! Kai has passed Hamilton and Vettel consecutively in two different ways! The home hope is back in the podium hunt!"
The air was burning. George Russell, watching from the Mercedes garage, felt his heart threatening to burst. He clenched his fists, staring at the screen.
He yearned to be on that track, to duel with the best, to go head-to-head with Kai. The desire had never been so scorching.
The noise had just reached a peak when, without pause, it was pushed to a new zenith. The entire track was engulfed in flames.
Adami was instantly alert. "Seb, watch your mirrors. Verstappen is close. 0.8 seconds."
Just as expected,
First Ricciardo, then Kai. Cars on Softs were putting on a show. Verstappen had no reason to stay silent.
Especially since Verstappen was third before the pit stop and lost position due to impatience. He wasn't willing to sink without a fight.
Verstappen didn't care who was in front, Kai or Vettel, it was all the same. He attacked without hesitation.
Climax after climax,
Vettel showed the class of a four-time champion. Facing another Red Bull product, he gave Verstappen a defensive masterclass. Lacking grip, he relied on line control to hold on for a full lap.
Unfortunately, Verstappen had no patience for "lessons."
Hamilton had already taught him a lesson earlier. Now facing the Red Bull alumnus, Verstappen showed the vigor of youth. He forced the issue.
After all, the situation was stark: Vettel's Mediums were spent; Verstappen's Softs were in their prime.
Turn 14. After the 1.2km straight, Verstappen prepared to copy Ricciardo's strategy: DRS plus late braking.
Ricciardo had used this to pass Hamilton and Vettel. Now, could Verstappen replicate it?
Result!
Verstappen braked late for Turn 14, cutting inside to force a pass. But his control was slightly off. His left front wheel hit Vettel's right rear.
Double Spin!
The commentary box gasped. The Red Bull garage fell into despair.
In an instant, the board shuffled.
Hamilton swept past to take fourth. Verstappen recovered first to take fifth. Vettel, bedraggled, fell to sixth.
The nightmare wasn't over.
Hulkenberg (Renault), running seventh, seized the opportunity. He closed up and used DRS on the main straight to pass Vettel easily.
Hulkenberg and Vettel swapped positions.
"So close!"
"Just a little bit! Verstappen looked set to join the podium fight, but missed it by a hair!"
"Verstappen tried to match the rhythm of Ricciardo and Kai, but ultimately failed. After this race, the gap between Verstappen and Kai is becoming clearer. Those voices trying to use Verstappen as a template for Kai can quiet down now."
Subsequently, the FIA investigated and ruled Verstappen at fault. A 10-second time penalty. This effectively ended his podium hopes.
It should have been Kai and the Red Bull duo fighting the world. But Verstappen's two errors killed the dream. Now, it was a two-dragon race. Blocking Kai and Ricciardo was the last hope of Mercedes,
Bottas.
Number 77 was under immense pressure.
Obviously, Bottas hadn't expected this. After a successful undercut to lead, he was now a sitting duck in the final stages, facing two fresh-tired sharks with his twenty-five-lap-old Mediums.
Normally, everyone's Mediums would be similar. But the Safety Car changed everything.
Still, Bottas gritted his teeth. He proved that being Hamilton's teammate wasn't just luck.
Bottas had one advantage: since pitting on Lap 19, he had been in clean air, running his own pace. His tire wear should be the best among the leaders.
With that small edge, Bottas managed to hold off Ricciardo for a full lap, resisting two DRS attacks.
But Ricciardo had no time to waste. Kai was coming.
"Ricciardo! Ricciardo!"
"Turn 6 hairpin! No DRS!"
"Late braking! Ricciardo's signature divebomb! Inside line, hugging the apex!"
"Line! Position! Exit speed!"
"Ricciardo passes! Bottas has no chance!"
"Unbelievable! With ten laps to go, Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo leads the race!"
However, Bottas couldn't breathe. Without pause, Car 22 was upon him.
Damn it! Do you have to push so hard?
Wave after wave, no respite.
At this moment, Bottas showed his steel.
Logically, his tires were dying. Chasing Ricciardo was impossible. better to focus on defense. He might hold off Kai for a lap or two. If variables appeared, he might survive to the end.
More importantly, defending would secure third against Hamilton and Verstappen.
Tires had to be saved. Strategy was needed.
But Bottas didn't. He counterattacked immediately, biting Ricciardo's tail, closing the gap to 0.2 seconds.
Ricciardo was startled. One second celebrating on the radio, the next refocusing to pull away.
Behind them, Kai: ?
A question mark floated over Kai's head. He didn't expect Bottas's choice, but thinking about it, it made sense:
Ten laps left. Hamilton and Verstappen were five and eight seconds back. The podium was safe. Instead of dying a slow death, why not go down swinging?
Maybe second place was still possible. Bottas trying to suppress Hamilton internally wasn't empty talk.
Facing the limits of the Mediums, Bottas chose a last stand. This actually put Ricciardo and Kai on Softs in a slightly passive position.
After all, their Softs had run 15 laps of hard attacking. If they weren't careful, the grip cliff might hit them faster than the Mediums.
Bottas's grasp of the battle was sharp. In the gap between the wolf ahead and the tiger behind, he found breathing room.
Bottas struggled to follow Ricciardo. With the gap from his earlier lead, he was safe for now. The gap to Kai was about 1.6, 1.7 seconds.
Kai didn't rush. He stuck to his rhythm. According to Greenwood, he was gaining 0.6 seconds per lap on Bottas. Two laps later, maintaining tire stability, he was in DRS range.
Actually, Kai was worried about Ricciardo.
Or rather, Horner and Ricciardo. Since Bottas had no hope of passing Ricciardo, Ricciardo could have given Bottas DRS to reduce his tire wear and boost his defense, using Bottas as a roadblock against Kai.
If so, Ricciardo wins, Bottas second. Mercedes and Red Bull could join hands to screw Ferrari.
However, Kai's worry didn't materialize.
Ricciardo was alert. Waiting for Kai to close on Bottas, he sped up, throwing Bottas to the sharks like bait.
Bottas: ? Am I toilet paper? Use and throw?
"Kai, Ricciardo gap opening. 1.1 seconds." On the pit wall, hearts pounded. Greenwood was nervous.
Who would have thought Ferrari's hopes rested entirely on Kai? Vettel locked up twice, lost positions, grip falling off a cliff. If they had known earlier, they should have swapped them immediately. If Kai lost the chance to pass Ricciardo because of those two laps of hesitation...
Unfortunately, there is no medicine for regret.
On the radio, Kai showed his decisiveness. "Leave me alone."
One sentence. Greenwood fell silent.
Kai needed focus. His attention had to be on Bottas. If he looked past Bottas to Ricciardo before the pass was done, taking it for granted, he could make a mistake at 300 kph.
A mistake now would be fatal. No recovery.
Borepeller knew this in GP3. Now, Kai had no time to explain to Greenwood. He had to pass Bottas. Fast.
And cleanly. No trouble left behind,
Main straight. Catch the slipstream. Pull out right. DRS open. Give Bottas no chance. Hug the apex a car length early.
Firmly occupy the line advantage. Pass completed before turn-in.
Bottas had been waiting, preparing. Wolff had ordered him to delay Car 22 as much as possible.
Mercedes' primary target was Ferrari. Stop them at all costs. If Bottas could delay Kai, Hamilton was coming. Two Mercedes could sandwich the rookie.
Unfortunately, ideals are full; reality is bony.
Bottas tried to hold position, but speed, tires, timing, all were inferior. The cars weren't on the same level. He lost the position before he could blink.
Bottas watched helplessly as Car 22 turned into a stream of light, drilling into Turn 1, blocking the position firmly, leaving no counterattack space. It flowed out of the spiral complex, the gap opening bit by bit. By the exit of Turn 4, there was a car length of space.
A sense of powerlessness choked Bottas.
Ahead, Kai was gone. Not relaxing, focus elevated to another level. Eyes only on Ricciardo.
"David, gap?" Kai asked.
"1.8 seconds."
"Pace?"
"Ricciardo, 0.985; You, 0.795."
Currently, Kai and Ricciardo were the only drivers lapping in the 1:36s. The advantage was clear.
Kai calculated quickly. He was 0.2s faster per lap. Nine laps left. That was why Ricciardo sped up; he hoped Bottas would delay Kai. Unfortunately, Kai's decisiveness foiled that plan.
"Pace isn't enough. I'll push harder. David, watch tire and brake temps. Left front is blistering."
"Copy."
Concise, efficient. Kai finished communication, refocused on the track, entered pursuit mode.
Jiang Mo noticed it immediately on the screen,
Fast, but stable.
The cameras noticed too. Kai wasn't rushing. Gaining 0.3s per lap on average. Approaching Ricciardo steadily and efficiently.
Although both on Softs, the pressure of Kai's lap times was covering Ricciardo like a blanket.
Pressure, accumulating layer by layer.
Thump, thump. Heart beating faster and harder. Engine roar surging in the blood. Jiang Mo stared at the screen, body tense, forgetting to breathe.
"One second!"
"Lap 52. Four laps to go. Kai is officially in Ricciardo's DRS range! Unbelievable! The Shanghai Grand Prix winner will be decided in the final moments."
"All eyes on Car 3 and Car 22! Ricciardo is in Kai's kill zone!"
Ups and downs, twists and turns. The engine roar burned in the blood. Thousands of eyes on the Shanghai circuit focused on the lead battle. Hearts in throats. No one could sit. Everyone stood.
Unexpected start, unexpected process, unexpected result. The battle for the win lasted until the very end.
"0.4 seconds! 0.3 seconds! Kai is looking for an opening!"
"Straight! Slipstream! Pull out! DRS!"
The commentary stopped abruptly. On screen, the rear wing of Car 22 stayed flat. It didn't open.
"God, Ferrari Car 22 DRS failure! Didn't activate! What's happening?"
Without hesitation, Kai cut inside decisively, hugging the apex hard. Tires screamed. Red and Blue entered Turn 1 side by side.
"Wheel to wheel!"
"Ricciardo! Daniel Ricciardo! Limit braking! Incredible control! Ricciardo squeezed Turn 1 and his Red Bull to the absolute limit!"
"Ricciardo withstands Kai's crazy attack! Unbelievable! Ricciardo leaves the first compound corner first!"
"Kai attacked beautifully! Ricciardo defended beautifully! The Australian from Perth shows his talent and vitality again, continuing to lead!"
In the broadcast booths, reactions varied.
Sky Sports cheered with scalps tingling. CCTV sports lost speech briefly from tension. Great Sports was full of regret.
The Ferrari pit wall pressed pause,
DRS stuck. At such a critical moment, DRS failed. The pit wall was helpless.
Greenwood was tense to the limit, fists trembling uncontrollably. He tried to speak but found no words.
Should he apologize? Should he comfort?
Before Greenwood could speak, Kai's calm voice came on the radio. "David, brake temps!"
Greenwood snapped back. "Copy! We're on it!"
Not just DRS. In continuous attacking and overtaking, the braking system faced severe challenges. Overheating.
Just now, the brakes didn't respond timely enough. Kai had to adjust to avoid going off track while attacking. The bold Ricciardo squeezed the Red Bull to the limit to neutralize Kai's attack.
F1 cars are like this. Pushing speed to the extreme pushes everything to the limit. 90 minutes of racing tests every part. Developing a fast and stable car isn't easy. Every race is a drive on the cliff edge.
Today, from Lap 1, Kai faced challenges, constantly adjusting in offense and defense. Compared to Ricciardo, who started sixth and waited patiently for the Safety Car, Kai's car condition was naturally incomparable.
So, surrender?
No. That wasn't Kai's style.
Fair and square, all in, one last fight. Refusing to leave regrets on the track. That was Kai. He hated "if only" and "what if."
Patience!
Kai knew, only one chance. Miss it and it's over.
Ricciardo remained focused, watching Kai closely. He knew he should focus on himself, but Kai's pressure was too great.
"God, is this really only his third F1 race?"
Lap 56! Final Lap!
The Shanghai Grand Prix entered the sprint stage, yet the winner was undecided. More importantly, Kai still wasn't rushing.
That calmness and focus almost pricked Ricciardo's neck. A full lap of focus, constantly worrying about an attack that never came. That tension of "it could happen anytime" made the whole circuit hold its breath.
The finish line was approaching. The closer it got, the tenser it became. Tense to the point of explosion. Even a breeze could snap the nerves. Before one could blink, the leaders entered Sector 3.
Exit Turn 13. Car 22 followed, biting the slipstream. Ricciardo noticed Kai's move in the mirror immediately.
Alarm bells ringing!
1.2km straight plus Turn 14 hairpin. This was paradise for DRS and late braking. This was where Ricciardo passed Hamilton and Vettel!
Ricciardo: This is it!
Ricciardo concentrated all nerves on his feet,
Late braking maniac. Squeezing the car, the hairpin, and himself dry. Limit braking, blocking his position tightly.
However!
"Fooled."
Ricciardo exclaimed. Because Kai didn't attack. Biting the slipstream, pulling out, not to attack, but to find the perfect entry angle.
Kai abandoned the inside pass, choosing the outside. Flowing through the hairpin. Although not threatening Ricciardo's position, he found a better rhythm with superior mid-corner speed. He planned to use the last bit of grip on the final corner, Turn 16.
Ricciardo: "That lunatic!"
Everything happened in a flash. Ricciardo didn't have time to panic. Instinct took over,
Block the line. Block the position.
Never give way!
A blue and a red flash passed the Turn 15 kink at high speed. Turn 16, the right-angle right hander, pounced on their faces.
Without hesitation, decisively, Ricciardo braked late for the second time consecutively. The Number 3 Red Bull was pushed from one extreme to another.
Hugging the apex tightly, dead tight. Overwhelming G-force poured down. Sweating profusely, but Ricciardo clenched his teeth, refusing to relax. The murderous look in his eyes exploded, utilizing the angle and space of Turn 16 to the limit.
In the mirror, Ricciardo could see that red blur. Unhurried, un-rushed. Showing incredible calm in the moment of life and death.
A flick, cutting to the outside. Kai didn't plan to out-brake Ricciardo for the inside. Instead, relying on steering and throttle coordination, he let the car glide in the fierce wind, entering the outside of the right-angle turn smoothly. Although the line was longer and the arc larger, he could maintain speed as much as possible.
Speeding past, like mercury pouring down the ground. The rear wing shook imperceptibly, seemingly about to lose control in the wind, yet unbelievably stabilized under Kai's control. Constantly challenging the limit edge. The right rear wheel ate the curb completely, dancing perilously on the cliff edge.
Entering the corner, Car 22 was still behind Car 3. But in the corner, it closed up visibly fast,
"Tail speed!" Ricciardo woke up immediately. This was Kai's plan. All bets on the last corner. Deciding the winner at the finish line.
Thousands of eyes watched the finish. The whole venue's heartbeat stopped collectively. Before they could capture it, two light shadows crossed the finish line, turning into flowing light chasing the ultimate speed. Red and blue shadows pierced the entire starting straight mightily. The noise of the main grandstand froze.
Everything froze, instantly becoming eternal,
1st: Ricciardo. 1:35:36.380.
2nd: Kai. 1:35:36.591.
0.211 seconds. A hair's breadth. The championship settled.
Buzz,
Silence reigned. All words lost color before the bayonet-point peak duel. Forgot even to exclaim.
Staring blankly. The race... ended... like this?
"Unbelievable!"
"Incredible!"
"Kai, oh God, the Ferrari number 22 baby driver just dedicated the most wonderful scene of the season. Battling to the last second. DRS failure, brake overheating, tire decay, car imbalance. In front of heavy difficulties, Kai still fought with all his might to the end."
"Even making Ricciardo break into a cold sweat."
"0.211 seconds! Two cars crossed the line side by side. Ricciardo wins the Shanghai Grand Prix by a hair. This is the smallest winning margin since Schumacher led Barrichello by 0.011 seconds in the 2002 US Grand Prix. We are witnessing history."
"But! I mean! Kai!"
"He undoubtedly fought to the last second, the last meter! We couldn't even identify the winner with naked eyes, had to confirm with slow motion. Like the Olympic 100m sprint. Kai gave everything unreservedly in extremely difficult situations. He made Ricciardo sweat. The Red Bull pit wall looked like survivors of a disaster. This baby driver shocked the paddock inside and out."
"If two more laps, no, one lap. If the race had one more lap, the champion might be different."
"Applause, all for Kai!"
"This young driver can welcome all flowers and applause with head held high, he deserves it!"
"He showed the temperament of a champion and the courage of a warrior. Facing difficulties throughout the race, fighting relentlessly to the last moment. Trapped from the start, but relying on his own calmness and boldness to turn the tide, saving this race for Ferrari single-handedly."
"Vettel... disappointing. Passed by McLaren's Alonso in the final stage. Started on pole, finished only 8th."
"If not for Kai, Ferrari's race in Shanghai would be a complete disaster. But this young man carried the Ferrari flag, turning the tide. Not just fighting for the championship, but the resilience in front of difficulties and setbacks, re-igniting high morale."
"Incredible!"
"How long has it been since we saw such an inspiring, blood-boiling duel in the paddock?"
Stand up, applaud!
Croft stood up straight. Even though the audience couldn't see the broadcast booth, he insisted on showing respect with this action.
Not only that, why were his eyes full of tears, the surging blood in his chest unable to calm down?
Inside Car 22, the engine roar calmed down gradually. The burning adrenaline still boiled in the veins. A breath stuck in Kai's throat. The high-speed brain went blank instantly, losing thinking ability briefly, completely hollowed out.
"P2, Kai. P2!"
Greenwood's voice came on the radio, trembling slightly, clearly feeling the aftertaste of the race. He paused, then added.
"Wonderful race. Really. Very very very wonderful race." Paused again. "Thank you."
The logic, Kai understood.
He had given everything, calculated everything, used all his strength, left his soul and energy on the track unreservedly. No regrets. Missing by a little is missing by a little. This is F1, this is sports. Not every all-in bet pays off.
He could accept the result with head held high.
But... why was he so unwilling?
Then, the radio sounded again, a strange voice came. "Little Zhou, this is Mom."
"Mom?" Kai was stunned, blurting out subconsciously.
"Beautifully done. A wonderful race, very very wonderful. Mom is proud of you." Jiang Mo said.
Caught off guard, hit Kai hard. He was a bit bedraggled, quickly taking a deep breath to control himself. "Ah, almost champion."
Jiang Mo: "Mom knows. But, gave everything, no regrets, right? You fought to the last moment. This is the result you fought for. Face the result with head held high, confident and proud. This second place, you earned it. Little Zhou, you are really great."
"Haha, come again next year. Keep some expectations. Turn second into first next year, then put the trophy at home." Kai laughed heartily.
Wang Lin stood in the vast sea of people in the stands, taking a deep breath, for a long, long time. Then straightened his back, opened his shoulders, staring intently at the end of the track waiting for that touch of red to appear.
"...Almost. Just a little bit."
A voice came from behind. Wang Lin turned his head immediately, glaring furiously. "What did you say? Dare say it again!"
That fierce look scared the other person. The fist the size of a bowl raised threateningly. The noise disappeared instantly.
Aside, Li Miaomiao pulled Wang Lin, trying to dissuade him.
Wang Lin was like a firecracker, exploding at a touch. "What do you mean almost? Sounds like Boss didn't try hard."
"This second place was fought for by Boss. He left all his energy on the track. If not for Vettel squeezing him at the start, if not for the Ferrari pit wall dragging him down, if not for the DRS failure, the result might be completely different. But even facing such difficulties, Boss fought unreservedly to the end, sprinting for the championship until the line."
"Getting on the podium in the first home race, creating history with such wonderful performance!"
"No one is qualified to criticize Boss! Whoever dares say one more word, I'm not done with him."
A torrent of words poured out, syllables carrying impassioned blood. The enthusiasm of the main grandstand was ignited instantly, echoes everywhere.
Then, Car 22 appeared before eyes, slowly stopping in front of the podium. Wang Lin took the lead to shout hoarsely first.
The home audience couldn't control their joy and excitement anymore,
"Kai!"
"Kai!"
Mighty, boundless. Bright red connected into a piece, filling the entire Shanghai track in a blink.
Witness, history!
Indeed, how could they forget? They were witnessing history. Not only witnessing the first Chinese driver stepping onto the F1 race stage at home, but also witnessing this young driver getting on the podium in his first home battle, dedicating an unparalleled race to the home audience.
No!
This wasn't the end, nor needed regret and sadness. This was a beginning! The outsider popping out of a rock, turning the paddock upside down like the Monkey King. After this battle, people should realize his existence. Just three races, that baby had won a place in the paddock fair and square!
So, they should cheer! Revel! Celebrate wantonly!
The moment Kai climbed out of the cockpit, the frenzy of the whole venue broke free and lost control.
Li Miaomiao looked at Wang Lin shouting hoarsely with tears in his eyes, then looked at the burning heat waves from all directions. Her mood couldn't help surging along.
Just then, Li Miaomiao and Su Tong's gazes collided. Then both showed smiles, joining the frenzy before them.
One shout. Then another.
Unfamiliar and shy at first, but after shouting out, could feel that carefreeness and wantonness. Smiles broke free rushing out of the chest, abandoning reason completely, joining this carnival. An energy hovered under the blue sky for a long time, sweeping across like a volcanic eruption.
"Kai!"