Vroom, vroom, vroom—
The roar of engines, mixed with the explosive sound of bursting water mist, tore down the main straight. The massive, howling sound kicked up gusts of wind, snatching the hearts of the spectators as it swept past. All eyes stared unblinkingly at Car 33 and Car 22, trailing each other as they pierced into the Senna S.
At this moment, it was obvious that Leclerc was slightly slower. Even without knowing the exact time difference, the physical gap between the cars was glaringly apparent.
So, was Leclerc trying to help Kai hold up Hamilton... or not?
Everyone believed Kai wouldn't stay behind Verstappen for long. Since he had already reached P2, there was no reason to stop there.
However, the close-quarters combat of "Kai vs. Verstappen" didn't happen immediately in the Senna S.
Kai stayed calm and patient. He wasn't rushing. Not because he was being conservative, but because he refused to be reckless. In rainy conditions, visibility is a severe problem. Even behind the Safety Car, the spray from the car ahead practically blinds the trailing driver. To avoid rear-end collisions, cars usually leave larger gaps than in dry conditions.
Therefore, when the Safety Car pitted, instead of immediately chasing Verstappen, Kai focused more on himself, securing his position and finding his rhythm.
Furthermore, Verstappen must have been on high alert, his nerves taut. He would definitely defend his lead at all costs.
After all, he had nothing to lose.
The facts proved Kai's judgment correct. After the Safety Car pitted, Verstappen's reaction on the straight was sharp, leaving no openings.
Kai followed closely, not risking a forced overtake in the Senna S, but seamlessly switching to push mode to begin his pursuit.
Initially, the audience was slightly disappointed. They hadn't witnessed a bayonet-to-bayonet duel right away. However, the atmosphere quickly heated up because both Verstappen and Kai were frantically setting fast laps. Even without physical contact, the remote duel had already begun.
"Verstappen, Purple!"
"Kai updates the fastest lap immediately!"
"Verstappen, Sector 2! Beautiful!"
"Unbelievable! Unbelievable! Kai just squeezed out the limit in Sector 3! The fastest lap drops below 1 minute 22 seconds for the first time!"
Back and forth, swords drawn and bows bent.
There were no wheel-to-wheel collisions, but the tension permeating the air continued to rise! The two teenage geniuses were displaying the hot-blooded passion of youth!
Seeing Verstappen and Kai running faster and faster, the usually calm and steady Hamilton also showed signs of wavering, revealing a hint of impatience.
The disadvantage of the full Wets was slowly becoming apparent. The tires, taking too long to reach their operating window, prevented Hamilton from immediately attacking Leclerc. Meanwhile, Leclerc's pace couldn't match the two cars ahead, continuously increasing the difficulty of Hamilton's subsequent pursuit of Kai.
As the laps ticked by, the Goddess of Victory seemed to be slowly inching away from Mercedes.
Hamilton communicated closely with Bono, but Bono kept urging Hamilton to wait—the full Wets were indeed tying their hands.
Before Mercedes could strike, the main grandstand suddenly erupted in unbelievable cheers. A carnival atmosphere instantly ignited the entire venue, a wave of heat crashing over them.
A dense wave of heat, mixed with raindrops, slapped Hamilton in the face as he passed the main grandstand. He noticed the commotion. "What happened?"
Bono paused for a moment. "Kai is attacking Verstappen. Focus, Lewis. We need to focus on ourselves!"
For three whole laps, Kai had been incredibly patient and calm. He hadn't anxiously tried to get it done in one fell swoop. He waited for the opportunity to appear before striking—
On the straight, catching up.
But he didn't dive into the slipstream. Instead, he quickly pulled out, cutting to the outside. Relying on raw engine power on the straight, he ate his opponent alive, stabbing straight toward the Senna S.
Instantly, it ignited the fanaticism of the main grandstand, detonating passion.
The duel was finally happening!
Verstappen sensed the crisis immediately. A chilling wind pricked the back of his neck. Decisively, without hesitation, he swerved outward. It wasn't the gentle, slight squeeze of the racing line like Hamilton's; it was a raw, tough, newborn-calf-fears-no-tiger lunge, pulling alongside forcefully, looking ready to collide. Like a monster truck, disregarding everything, seemingly prepared to ram his opponent off the track.
Kai wasn't surprised by this at all—
The Torpedo was truly the Torpedo. The barefooted fear not the shoed; Verstappen really had nothing to fear, pouncing unreasonably with a ferocious posture.
What should Kai do now?
If he fought fire with fire, he was at a disadvantage. In the rain, a spin into the wall was highly probable. If he backed off, he would lose momentum and fall behind in this wheel-to-wheel duel. The next time they went wheel-to-wheel, his opponent would know to exploit this weakness, pushing his luck and becoming even more aggressive.
A dilemma!
This was exactly why, in the 2016 season, Rosberg had such a headache with Verstappen, complaining about him to the media more than once or twice.
It wasn't just Rosberg; this version of Verstappen was a nuisance to every driver in the paddock. Although Verstappen had matured a lot this season, his core was still the Torpedo. In Baku, Kai had personally experienced the Torpedo's power. One moment of carelessness, and he could experience that nightmare for a second time, handing over his dream of the World Championship.
So, what to do?
In a flash, Kai not only didn't back down, but actively leaned in and stuck close. Pushing the throttle, continuously moving forward, riding the momentum to merge lines and stick close—wheel-to-wheel! Hardball to hardball!
Gasp! A collective cry swept through the crowd. Cheers and screams, unease and excitement all intertwined, turning into a storm that swept through the entire pit lane.
Seeing a collision imminent, seeing a disaster about to unfold right before their eyes, seeing the race about to hit another turning point, the air instantly froze.
Bang.
Friction. Contact. Collision.
It ultimately happened inevitably. The whole world went quiet. Not a sound, dead silence, leaving only rough breathing echoing in their ears.
The collision of equally matched forces created a balanced reaction force on the high-speed straight. Although the two cars collided, they separated with mutual damage, veering off their respective racing lines to the left and right in opposite directions, each swept into their own storm.
F1 instantly turned into Mario Kart!
G-forces spiked suddenly, the car skewed, the rear axle began to drift. Kai's breath exploded in his chest, but he didn't lift off the throttle!
Continuous corrections, continuous adjustments. Not just steering, but delicate, millimeter-precise throttle coordination. The centrifugal force trying to drag the car off track was inconceivably dispersed. Kai cleverly utilized the topography of the straight, relying on the interplay of force and speed to quickly regain the car's dynamic balance. Like performing a highly difficult routine on a balance beam, after a small wobble, his speed didn't drop; instead, he grasped the inertia and pierced into Turn 1—
Grip, it was back!
The entire stadium: ...
Dumbfounded!
It wasn't just Kai; Verstappen was the same. In the stormy waves, he made continuous corrections to adjust, entering the Senna S without a moment to breathe. But at this time, the entry angles of the two cars were completely separated, forming a sixty-degree fan shape—Car 33 and Car 22 were at opposite ends of the fan, with no time to continue squeezing or colliding, completing the corner in their respective ways. The sparks in the air still ignited, filling the gap between the two cars in the blink of an eye. The surging tension filled the crevices between the raindrops.
Wheel-to-wheel! 2.0!
On one side, Verstappen was still Verstappen. Without hesitation, he hugged the apex of the left-hand Turn 1 tightly, using extreme braking to secure his position. More aggressive, more ferocious, tougher. In the fine rain, his rear wing wobbled slightly, but his correction was extremely timely, powering fiercely through Turn 1.
On the other side, Kai once again demonstrated his steadiness and calmness. His choice to attack at this moment was clearly well-thought-out. Even though Verstappen's pressure made the car slightly unstable, he still relied on throttle and steering control to smoothly flow over the crest, unhurriedly hugging the curve to secure his position.
On entry, Verstappen held the advantage, but he quickly realized Kai's trap.
After that contact, Verstappen had been constantly correcting and adjusting. Extreme operations under extreme conditions, combined with the difficulty and tension of driving in the rain, meant he had to constantly correct to maintain dynamic balance. The direct result was a disruption of his mid-corner rhythm, making it hard to stay smooth.
Clearly, Verstappen's slightly aggressive defensive line choice hadn't helped either.
In contrast, the prepared Kai relied on gentle, delicate control, turning the turbulence and swaying into inertia, going with the flow. Unhurriedly passing the left-hand Turn 1 and the right-hand Turn 2, the transition from the crest to the apex was silky and natural, gradually catching up by relying on his mid-corner rhythm.
Then, the left-hand Turn 3, side-by-side—
From contact and collision to parting ways and then merging again, the two cars were once again running parallel in the corner. Wheel-to-wheel!
Verstappen's nose was still slightly ahead, claiming the apex first.
Kai steadily yet firmly occupied the racing line, yielding not an inch in the side-by-side situation, pushing back hard, tightly hugging the crest.
Although the two cars didn't touch, the air squeezed between their bodies was compressed to the limit. Unable to compress further, it turned into turbulent airflow, ready to explode at any moment. Both the cars and the track trembled and swayed slightly in this force, but no one refused to yield.
At this moment!
The slippery track played a crucial role. The constantly moving water film meant the grip on the racing line was always changing. The tense attack-and-defense duel added a series of variables. Millisecond-level operations amidst layers of pressure relied entirely on instinct and intuition; no one was willing to give ground.
Precarious! Teetering on the brink!
Every step was terrifying!
Traps everywhere, crises everywhere. But Verstappen and Kai, two young, hot-blooded youths, completely lost themselves, throwing all crises to the back of their minds. In every corner of the classic Senna S, they continuously displayed flashes of brilliant talent, inconceivably keeping their cars under control.
Neither yielded! Both refused to surrender!
Then, going side-by-side through the corner—
Verstappen noticed Kai's position and immediately leaned outward, following the exit curve, trying to stick to Kai and squeeze his space.
In the worst-case scenario, he would directly force Kai to rub against the wall!
Biting onto Car 22 in this manner, unyieldingly refusing to surrender, desperately clinging to a sliver of hope, trying to forcefully overturn the situation.
Unfortunately, this time Verstappen was a step slower than Kai.
Passing the crest and through Turn 3, Kai hardly needed any deliberate steering corrections. The car was already pointing straight down the straight. He applied the throttle promptly. Before the rear wing could sway, he seized the brief window to shoot out, leaving only a red afterimage, making Verstappen lunge at empty air.
Riiip, the water curtain burst. The navy blue air once again became hazy due to the instantly erupting water mist, instantly swallowing that touch of dark blue. Only the bright Ferrari red broke through the restraints, its sharp edge exposed, charging ahead taking the lead just like that.
"Senna S! Kai! Launches an attack!"
"Contact!"
"Bayonets drawn, both cars refuse to give up position, but the duel isn't over! Verstappen and Kai tangle into Turn 1!"
"Side-by-side! Yielding not an inch!"
"Kai! Kai's mid-corner rhythm control is absolutely perfect! Unbelievable line, unbelievable control! Kai has completely suppressed Verstappen in the Senna S!"
"Inconceivable!"
"Kai is trying to complete the overtake! Can he do it?"
"Jesus Christ! He can!"
"An unbelievable overtake! A brilliant duel! Master-level control!"
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Kai Zhizhou has arrived! Ferrari's Number 22 rookie is leading the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix!"
"What are we witnessing? God! What exactly are we witnessing!"
Heart-wrenching, passionately surging.
For a brief moment, Croft didn't even know what he was saying, purely following the race's progression on instinct.
When he realized the Ferrari had taken the lead, his voice cut off, his scalp tingled, and he froze in place, completely losing his ability to react.
Then, Brundle inhaled sharply and immediately stepped in. "Verstappen is here!"
"Verstappen refuses to surrender! Verstappen decisively launches a counter-attack, trying to reclaim the position at Turn 4!"
The passion was erupting, but before it could fully detonate, that deep, brilliant dark blue had already torn through the rain mist, chasing unstoppably. He gave his opponent no chance to buffer, cutting into the left inside line like an arrow released from a bow, burying the throttle.
Madman! A true madman!
On a slippery track, overly aggressive maneuvers often lead to a loss of control, like driving on ice and forgetting to put on snow chains. They had to be extremely cautious; even in push mode, the operations were different from normal.
But the Verstappen before them had gone completely red-eyed. Pushing the throttle, rolling with billowing water mist, he lunged forward, instantly locking onto the position on Kai's left, leaving no room to breathe.
So, had Verstappen lost his mind?
No, he hadn't.
Verstappen was very calm. Despite his boiling blood, his mind was crystal clear.
He knew he was fighting for the Brazilian Grand Prix victory; he knew he was in a head-to-head duel with Kai; he also knew Kai was fighting for the World Championship, while he wasn't. Therefore, Kai might be overly cautious, wanting to win but afraid to lose. Verstappen was the one who could let loose and show what he could do.
He could beat Kai head-on!
Although it looked crazy, Verstappen knew exactly what he was doing.
The throttle wasn't completely floored; he applied it progressively, keeping up with Car 22 on the straight, immediately securing the inside racing line.
Whoosh, whoosh. The sound of the wind, mixed with raindrops, rushed against his face. Car 33 had successfully pulled alongside Car 22.
Gasp!
A second ago, Interlagos was immersed in shock and cheers. No one wanted to believe their eyes, but they hadn't even had time to confirm the facts: the next second, a sudden change occurred. The sharpness Verstappen displayed in the duel instantly cut off all the noise, and the world fell silent again.
Everyone stared unblinkingly at the entrance of Turn 4, forgetting to cheer, forgetting to think, even forgetting to watch the live broadcast screens, only gazing at the two streaks of light at the edge of their vision. One red, one blue, deadly entangled, as if sketching magnificent watercolors on the canvas of Interlagos.
Not even the Mercedes garage was an exception. Everyone held their breath.
Wolff's back had quietly straightened, leaving the backrest. He sat up straight, involuntarily clenching his fists, silently praying deep inside: Come on, Max! Go, Torpedo, go!
Then, they could clearly see it—the two streaks of light were engaging in a braking duel!
The light rain was still falling continuously, but the passionate flames swept across the entire venue. The track atmosphere continued to rise. The suffocating tension and excitement intertwined, violently slamming against hearts, so much so that they temporarily forgot to breathe.
Turn 4, a left-hander. Car 33 on the left, Car 22 on the right. Yielding not an inch, running side-by-side. One blue, one red, rolling towards the corner like flames.
Verstappen didn't brake. Kai didn't brake either.
One left, one right, one slightly behind, one slightly ahead. Both cars were challenging the limits, engaging in a bayonet-drawn frontal clash in the drizzle, pushing the boundaries.
Although Leclerc and Hamilton were right behind, and the race was still ongoing, the eyes of all of Interlagos, and indeed the whole world, were focused here. The head-to-head duel between the two young genius drivers meant even the battle for the season's World Championship had to temporarily step aside and yield the spotlight.
Wheel-to-wheel, 3.0!
Then, Kai braked—
To persist further meant the risk of understeer was too great. He knew both Red Bull drivers were madmen when it came to extreme braking. There was no need to fight an ego battle at this corner.
Kai wasn't controlled by hot blood and impulse. He lightly skimmed the crest of Turn 4. At this moment, they could see Verstappen, having braked at the absolute limit, hug the apex, his nose completing the overtake in what looked like slow motion.
Verstappen turned his head and "looked" at Kai.
Although his expression couldn't be seen through the helmet, his posture and movements had leaked the truth. That high-spirited sharpness could no longer be hidden.
Because Verstappen similarly didn't recklessly insist on challenging the braking limit. He still managed to control himself slightly. As soon as he saw Kai brake, he immediately braked as well, just a hair slower, but enough to secure the position and hug the apex.
That single glance sparked with electricity, the smell of gunpowder filling the air.
Car 33 had already exited Turn 4 a step ahead, firmly occupying the inside line. Although not a complete overtake, Kai, relying on excellent mid-corner rhythm control, stayed glued to Verstappen. But the upcoming Turn 5 was also a left-hander, and Verstappen forcefully and resolutely held the racing line.
One left, one right, side-by-side. The tension and gunpowder smoke were almost spilling over.
Refusing to yield! Refusing to slacken! Shoulder-to-shoulder, wheel-to-wheel, charging towards Turn 5!
This time, Verstappen only needed to delay his braking point slightly; he didn't need to challenge the limits at all. Relying on his advantage in line and position, he exited Turn 5 a step ahead of Kai—"Beautiful!"
Pounding the desk and standing up!
"Verstappen's immediate counter-attack is incredibly brilliant, sufficiently firm, sufficiently decisive, and perfectly executed, with a boldness akin to licking blood off a knife's edge, breaking the balance!"
"He gave Kai no time to breathe, immediately taking his position back! This young, famous super genius is indeed shining with astonishing brilliance!"
"Verstappen reclaims the lead!"
A pause, hot blood boiling in minds, thoughts surging, hearts almost bursting.
"But!"
"Kai hasn't given up! Kai is still biting tightly onto Verstappen on the straight! God! Kai is also preparing to counter-attack and take the position back!"
Brilliance, wave after wave, almost leaving no room to breathe, launching a relentless bombardment!
Car 33 took the lead exiting Turn 5, piercing onto the straight ahead. The continuous technical corners of Sector 2 that followed should have been Red Bull's strong suit. But it was clear to see that Car 22 was completely unaffected. Even after losing the lead, it still held its line, showing no signs of wavering.
Although he lost the position, he steadily held his line, and his exit speed was still excellent. In contrast, Verstappen hadn't completely solved the rear wing wobble caused by continuously delaying his braking points. At this moment, his straight-line speed clearly wasn't optimal—of course, the most important reason was Kai's firmness and toughness, offering no flaws and leaving Verstappen no further room for adjustment.
Then, on the straight, Kai didn't change his line at all. Continuing to stick to his line on the right side of the track, he pushed the throttle without hesitation and chased after him.
The next corner, Turn 6, is a right-hander!
Wait, could it be that Kai had stuck to the right-side racing line starting from the Senna S because he anticipated Verstappen would be a difficult opponent who wouldn't easily surrender, and was prone to impulsiveness and recklessness, potentially causing rubbing and collisions?
So Kai simply went with the flow, changing his strategy, adopting a wheel-to-wheel posture to pressure Verstappen the whole time, tempting Verstappen to proactively seek changes and disrupt his mid-corner rhythm. Meanwhile, Kai unhurriedly stabilized his own mid-corner rhythm, ultimately seeking opportunities to counter-attack or even establish a lead in the technical corners!
Gasp!
An inspiration drilled up from the soles of his feet like an electric current, but before he had time to think, Car 22 had rapidly closed the gap, entering Turn 6 side-by-side with Car 33. Croft's heart instantly rushed up and blocked his throat.
"Wheel-to-wheel!"
4.0 wheel-to-wheel. Verstappen's first reaction was to squeeze Kai's racing line, securing the position before Kai's front wheels could pass his rear wheels, forcing Kai off the track. If it didn't work the first time, he would try a second time.
Tough enough! Domineering enough!
However, if the first time didn't work, it meant the second time wouldn't work either, because Kai had planned this, anticipating an unprepared opponent. He had already laid out his strategy.
Adjusting the braking point! Slightly delayed!
But he didn't lie across the corner, engaging in a mutually destructive head-on clash with Verstappen. Instead, he steered following the arc of the apex, securing his position in time. Turn 6 is not a sharp corner; it's a high-speed corner. Even though Verstappen squeezed the racing line, Kai relied on his steering to yield some space, sneaking his nose in half a beat early to secure the position.
Then, friction! Contact! Collision!
For the second time!
This time it was clearly visible: Kai's front left tire and Verstappen's front right tire rubbed against each other. In an attacking stance, Kai completely held the upper hand. Verstappen's car lost its angle advantage in the corner and was instantly pushed aside. The path ahead for Kai had opened up. He unhesitatingly applied the throttle, charging towards the continuous high-speed corners ahead. But the radio instantly blew up.
Kai: "Does he have water in his brain? Defending like that?"
Verstappen: "Idiot! He's a fucking idiot!"
Yielding not an inch, sparks flying. Neither young man hid their anger. But before waiting for feedback from the pit wall, the two were tearing at each other again.
Verstappen, having lost the position, immediately corrected and adjusted, trying to continue securing his spot. But Kai's advantage in Turn 7 was obvious, suppressing Verstappen's counter-attack, completely tucking Car 33 behind his rear wing. Then, the sharp Turn 8 was right in front of them.
Without hesitation, Kai used extreme braking combined with throttle and steering to push forward rapidly, taking the sharp corner with grand, sweeping moves, exactly in Verstappen's style.
Taking the lead!
Verstappen watched dumbfounded as Kai navigated Turn 8 using his own signature style, finding the best exit speed while floating on inertia on the slippery track, leaving Verstappen no room to counter-attack. Speeding down the straight, he completely shook off Verstappen.
The outcome was decided.
Confrontation, entanglement, counter-attack, collision. Four instances of wheel-to-wheel, bayonet-to-bayonet combat. Gunsmoke filled the air, blood boiled. Both young men used every trick in the book, even clashing with murderous intent and anger, stretching from Sector 1 to Sector 2. Finally, before entering Sector 3, a victor emerged. The brilliant duel plunged the audience, who had been holding their breath the entire time, into a frenzy. Then, they finally remembered they needed to breathe.
Croft's voice, pushing beyond its limits, exploded in their ears—
"Kai completes the overtake again! He officially leads the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix! Oh! God!"
The sound of rain, engines, and heartbeats exploded simultaneously. Interlagos boiled completely at this moment!
Ah!
Suddenly, Nappi stood up, thrusting his clenched fist hard into the sky, wordless, his burning gaze fixed on the red afterimage on the live screen.
Ahhhhhhhhh!
The entire Ferrari pit lane completely boiled over. Even the usually calm Pierre was no exception, clenching both fists and roaring.
Crazy, crazy, collective madness—who could refuse such an incredibly brilliant counterattack?
—
"God, oh! God!"
"A storm sweeps through Interlagos. Under layers of pressure from teammates and rivals pouring down, at the crucial moment of challenging for the World Championship, almost everyone thought Kai would eventually collapse under the squeeze of internal and external troubles, just like Hamilton back in the day, losing the initiative in the championship fight."
"However, Kai said: On the track, I am the storm!"
"Decisive! Bold! Wise! Calm!"
"Under the influence of continuous rain, Kai made precise judgments and correct choices every time, and cashed in his talent with an unparalleled performance on the track. Chasing all the way, counter-attacking all the way, inconceivably returning to the leading position. An unparalleled race."
"If a viewer just turned on their TV right now and saw all of Interlagos boiling, they might not understand. Kai started from pole, Kai is leading now, this should be an incredibly boring race. Only those who have truly watched this entire race from the beginning understand how inconceivable this is. This is a race worthy of the history books. No one should miss what is happening right now."
"Ladies and Gentlemen, if the race ends with the current standings, then in the Drivers' Championship, Kai will tie with Hamilton; in the Constructors' Championship, Ferrari will trail Mercedes by four points! With Vettel retired, Kai, relying entirely on his own strength, has withstood the impact, keeping Ferrari's hopes for the World Championship alive. Everything will be decided in Abu Dhabi!"
"Can you believe all this?"
"You better believe it, because it is happening right now."
Boiling, surging, burning, a geyser of heatwaves—Ah! AHHHHHH!
No one in the Ferrari pit lane was an exception.
When Kai and Vettel collided, all hope had turned to ash. An entire season's effort had seemingly gone down the drain. One accident, one mishap, easily wiping out the team's hard work for the whole year.
But Kai refused to surrender. Forging ahead with a sense of mission, he refused to admit defeat, refused to surrender, refused to accept the outcome before fighting to the last moment. Step by step, he carved a bloody path through the chaos and turmoil, fighting single-handedly against the blockade of Mercedes and Red Bull.
And, he did exactly what he said he would do.
Not just Ferrari, the eyes of the entire paddock gathered—if Singapore was just a coincidence, what about Interlagos right now?
Wolff stared at the live broadcast screen expressionlessly, his face dark as water, saying nothing. No one could tell what he was thinking at this moment, but his "do not approach, do not disturb" aura made the entire garage hold its breath. Only the continuous roar of engines pierced the rain curtain to assail them.
The 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix, Lap 50. Pole-sitter Kai Zhizhou returns to his rightful place, retaking the lead!
However, amidst the jubilant atmosphere, Kai was perhaps the sole exception.
Staying calm, staying steady, refusing to let his guard down. Verstappen and Hamilton were still lurking behind, relentlessly pursuing. With 21 laps left in the race, if the rain continued, the possibility of mistakes and the opponents' chances of catching up could not be taken lightly.
He didn't have to wait long. Kai finally received his first piece of good news of the afternoon—"The FIA has concluded its investigation. For the second collision just now, Verstappen gets a ten-second penalty," Pierre informed him.
The corners of Kai's mouth curled up slightly. "Oh, Max must be going crazy with anger."
During the fierce, bayonet-drawn attack-and-defense duel between Kai and Verstappen, they made contact twice. The FIA immediately launched an investigation and issued a penalty.
Verstappen's defense was illegal, causing a collision.
"Fuck ahhhhhhhhh—" Just as Ansen thought, Verstappen unleashed a long string of expletives over the radio, completely unable to control his anger.
Worse things were to come. In that collision, Verstappen's front wing was slightly damaged. Although not serious enough to force a retirement, his single-lap pace significantly slowed down. Unable to continue chasing Kai, the gap between Ferrari and Red Bull was visibly widening.
Leaving all the chaos and noise behind, Kai began to lead alone at the front, completely turning this race into a solo act.
Then, the commentary box noticed it immediately—
"Fastest lap! Kai!"
"Leading alone at the front, Kai hasn't slowed down to play it safe. He's still sprinting, continuously setting fastest laps!"
The pace improvement on each lap wasn't massive, but it added up.
Kai was trying to establish a lead because he noticed a change in the weather—the rain was gradually getting heavier again. It wasn't severe yet, not like the torrential downpour from earlier, and there was no serious standing water yet. There was no need to worry, but the track conditions were indeed changing.
The advantage was quietly shifting towards full Wets.
Don't forget, Kai was not only using Intermediates, but his set of Intermediates had run about ten laps more than Hamilton's full Wets. Coupled with Kai and Verstappen's fierce, bayonet-drawn duel, no matter how careful he was, the wear on the drainage grooves was inevitable.
Once standing water increased, the disadvantage of Kai's tires would gradually become apparent. It wasn't just him; Verstappen and Leclerc were in the same boat. Overtaking opportunities for Hamilton, and even Bottas and Ricciardo, were coming. They would soon target Kai. Mercedes wouldn't give up.
So, what should Kai do?
One approach was to be conservative and steady, protecting the tires, reducing wear, and waiting to defend with all his might after Hamilton and the others caught up.
Another approach was to be aggressive. Seize the window before the rain intensified fully, seize the window while Leclerc and Verstappen were still blocking Hamilton, and build as large a lead as possible to increase the difficulty of Hamilton's pursuit. The risk, however, was that tire wear could become even more severe, to the point where the final stages of the race might have to be run on what were essentially slicks with completely worn-out treads.
Obviously, Kai chose the latter.
Lap 53. "Kai, Hamilton passed Leclerc."
Kai remained focused on himself, unhurriedly continuing to set fast laps at his own pace—in the commentary box, gasps erupted!
Lap 57. "Kai, Hamilton passed Verstappen. He's currently 10.3 seconds behind."
Step by step, Hamilton was aggressively catching up. Like a relentless falcon, seizing the opportunity to fully utilize the advantage of full Wets, he passed the two young geniuses in the simplest and fastest way, aiming for the third. The pressure was rolling in layer by layer.
However, Kai still found time to joke. "Oh, Max is really disappointing. I thought he could hold Hamilton off for a little longer."
Words aside, his actions on the track didn't waver at all.
The commentary box instantly erupted in gasps. "Unbelievable! Kai! Breaks the fastest lap again! Even with the rain showing signs of increasing, Kai's offense doesn't diminish. This is his eleventh fastest lap of the race. He's in a league of his own, on a completely different level from everyone else!"