Anger erupted instantly like a volcano, raining down amidst smoke and rocks. Vettel's usually smiling face was contorted and fierce, his mouth wide open, a storm of blood and fury rushing forth. His bulging veins visibly pulsed with boiling, burning blood.
"FUCK! FUCK!"
He yelled in German. The harsh, stiff words exploded against their eardrums. The anger hidden in his veins burst every alveolus, releasing energy without reservation.
Anyone who knows Vettel knows that when he starts speaking German, he has truly lost his mind.
"Stupid! Impulsive! Blind!"
"You can't drive like that! You didn't just ruin my race, you ruined everyone's race! You're just another Max Verstappen! No, you're worse than Max! You always put on this innocent, pitiful face, making everyone else in the world look like the bad guy!"
A colorful array of curses mixed in, unbearable to hear. This was a side of Vettel no one had ever seen.
Not only had Kai never seen it, but Arrivabene hadn't either. Red-faced, hair standing on end, his flushed cheeks looked ready to explode at any second.
Arrivabene tried to stop Vettel and control the situation, but Vettel rampaged like an angry bull. The whole scene was out of control.
It was tricky.
The best approach right now was to wait for the anger to fully vent. Once he was exhausted, it would be easy to take control of the situation.
Without warning, another voice appeared in the office—what?
The voice wasn't loud, like a small boat in a stormy sea, swallowed by the tempest and tsunami, barely audible. Yet it pierced right through, like a fishbone stuck in the throat. Arrivabene heard it; Vettel heard it too. Neither expected this. Both looked at Kai.
Candid, calm, neither haughty nor humble. He stood firmly in place. He didn't even need to charge forward like a bull; his unwavering aura met the impact head-on.
The air stagnated slightly.
Even Vettel hadn't expected it. The words caught in his throat.
Then, Kai said calmly, "Coward."
It wasn't a curse or a hex. It was a deep-seated contempt, looking down on Vettel as if observing an insignificant speck.
Just one word, yet it instantly turned the entire situation around. The momentum Vettel had overwhelmingly built up vanished into thin air.
Worse yet, he didn't understand it—
Because it was in Mandarin.
Vettel subconsciously blurted out, "What?"
As soon as the word left his mouth, Vettel regretted it. The moment he asked, the entire dynamic flipped, just as it had when he deliberately used German.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Kai countered using Vettel's method. He narrowed his eyes, switching to a language Vettel understood, and repeated it.
"Coward."
Switching from one language to another—a double humiliation that produced a tenfold effect, instantly gripping Vettel by the throat.
Even Arrivabene was stunned.
Standing outside the office, Mekies and Silvia Frangipane both froze because the voices inside had suddenly vanished. Even straining their ears, they couldn't hear a thing.
Did the storm pass?
But why were their hearts beating even harder? Why was that sense of unease continuing to grow?
Perhaps there was only one exception.
Kai met Vettel's gaze directly, raising his chin slightly, not hiding the contempt and disdain in his eyes.
"Coward."
Repeated for the third time.
"You have the guts to take my slipstream at the start, overtake, and refuse to give the position back. You have the guts to launch an immediate counter-attack after I cleanly passed you. Yet, you don't have the guts to admit that under pressure, you got impatient and made a mistake. Not only did you miss the overtaking opportunity, but you almost ruined both of our races?"
One sentence after another, hitting Vettel hard.
Vettel visibly flew into a rage out of humiliation, his cheeks turning bright red. "Fuck!" he yelled, trying to use profanity to stop Kai from spouting more nonsense.
However, Vettel's blustering voice carried no weight, crumbling easily before Kai's unstoppable posture.
With just a look, Kai tore Vettel's defenses to shreds.
"If you had stood up and said, 'I came here to win. I am fighting for the championship. I don't care if we're teammates, and I don't care about team strategy; I will fight to the end,' then I would respect you as a man. A four-time World Champion bravely admitting his thirst for victory."
"I hate that you almost ruined my race on the track, but I respect your unyielding pursuit of victory and the championship."
"But now?"
"You couldn't wait to strike first, trying to push all the blame onto someone else. Just like at Hockenheim, you lack the courage to face your own mistakes, and you lack the courage to examine your own race. What you're left with is just despicable shamelessness, the dirtiness of doing whatever it takes to win, lacking even the guts to face your own errors."
"You have no right to criticize Max."
"True, Max is hot-blooded and impulsive, charging around the track recklessly. But at least off the track, he has the courage to face the messes he makes."
"You have no guts. You don't even dare to face yourself."
The calm yet resounding words stung Vettel deeply.
Vettel laughed in extreme anger. "Full of bullshit."
"You do whatever it takes! You are dirty and low!"
"You forcefully cut off my attacking line—"
This time, Vettel couldn't finish his sentence. Kai forcefully interrupted, "And you couldn't wait to try and overtake! You prepared to cut the line before the overtaking window even opened, which is why your car hit mine!"
His voice rising, Kai could finally no longer suppress his anger.
"It was you!"
Kai said, "It was you! You ruined this with your own hands!"
"So shut up! Don't think about shifting the blame onto me to cover up your shame and disgrace!"
Vettel simply couldn't believe his ears. He laughed, a ridiculous, angry laugh. "Haha, shut up? Are you telling me to shut up?"
A torrent of curses and profanity was about to erupt. Vettel even started rolling up his sleeves. If necessary, he didn't mind throwing a punch.
Finally, Arrivabene couldn't take it anymore.
"SHUT UP!"
A roar like a lion, slamming the table and standing up, earth-shattering, instantly controlling the situation.
The usually cold and stern Arrivabene was now furious, his breathing heavy.
"What the hell are you two doing?! I'm still here! Arguing right in front of my face, do you treat me like a dead man?!"
"Fuck!"
"Seb, shut up! I didn't call you here to shift blame! Kai, shut up! There's no need for you to be so aggressive!"
So, this was fifty lashes each? Smoothing things over?
Unfortunately, Kai was not an obedient child. He turned to Arrivabene. "Me? Aggressive?"
Absurd!
"Maurizio, I almost had to retire entirely! We almost scored zero points at Interlagos, watching helplessly as Mercedes finished 1-2 and completely pulled away! We almost became the laughingstock of the entire paddock, everyone gloating over our infighting!"
"And now, the culprit is standing right here, turning black into white, accusing me of ruining his race, and you think I'm aggressive?"
"You're trying to whitewash things here. You're trying to make me swallow my anger. You're trying to force me to accept his apology and pretend nothing happened. That's why you called us both here, right? I work my ass off on the track to turn the tide, and off the track, I'm supposed to play the magnanimous good guy?"
"Do you really think I'm that purely stupid, or just a cute, obedient milk cow?"
"Maurizio, do you want me to show you what true aggressiveness looks like? What it means to be unforgiving when you're in the right?"
Sentence after sentence, full firepower, no holding back.
In the face of that monstrous momentum, it was Arrivabene who backed down, looking flustered in a rare sight.
Bathed in Kai's bright gaze, Arrivabene's calculations and thoughts were completely exposed. He kept reminding himself to keep his back straight. He was the Team Principal; he had to think of the big picture. Both Vettel and Kai had to obey team orders. But facing Kai's aggressive aura this time, he couldn't completely hold his ground.
Arrivabene stared straight at Kai, but the moment he met Kai's eyes, his heart uncontrollably shrank.
Then, Kai's voice rang in his ears. "The question I asked you before still applies now. Do you desire Ferrari to win the championship, or Vettel to win the championship, Mr. Arrivabene?"
Word by word, biting cold.
Arrivabene couldn't help but shiver. Regardless of his intentions and original motives, if Elkann believed he was putting Vettel's interests above the team's, it wouldn't be long before he lost this job. Let alone Ferrari, there wouldn't be a place for him in any other team either.
No team wants a Team Principal who makes that kind of mistake.
Vettel couldn't believe his eyes. The usually imposing Arrivabene was actually retreating under Kai's aura!
If Arrivabene was like this, was there any room left for him to speak at Ferrari?
Vettel looked at Kai. A suicidal rage rushed to his head. He was no longer himself. Reason and calmness vanished into thin air. He stared at Kai, his mouth tasting of blood, the surging emotions erupting all at once.
However, this time, Kai beat him to the punch, forcefully blocking Vettel's words, watching the anger explode in Vettel's chest.
"Sebastian, do you still desire the championship?"
Vettel froze, feeling both absurd and speechless. "Heh." He laughed, a ridiculous, loud laugh. "Haha, who are you? Are you preparing to teach me a lesson? Are you Lucifer from hell, ready to make a deal with me to show me the price of victory?"
Laughable! Utterly laughable!
Kai was unmoved, his gaze on Vettel remaining calm. "You didn't answer my question."
Relentless.
"Don't say it's for Maurizio, don't say it's for the Boss, don't even say it's for the Tifosi. No excuses. Just for yourself."
"Do you still desire the championship? Do you still desire to fight alongside the team? Do you still believe we can beat Mercedes and return to the summit?"
"Why did you join Ferrari? Why did you leave Red Bull? Why did you join F1? Do you still remember what kind of sport this is?"
"Your opponent isn't me, isn't Max, isn't Lewis. It's yourself. If you can't face yourself, if you can't conquer yourself, then you will never return to the summit."
"We are still fighting for the championship. Whether you are willing to participate or not, we will fight to the end."
"For the championship. For glory. And for ourselves."
Sentence after sentence!
Like a heavy hammer!
Slamming hard against Vettel's chest!
The noisy, chaotic anger collapsed, crushing his heart.
Vettel raised his eyes and stared blankly at Kai.
Kai still yielded not an inch, striking back openly and honestly.
Indeed, they were opponents, life-and-death rivals. Within a team, there is only one champion; the other person is destined to fall behind. Vettel desired to beat Kai, just as Kai desired to beat Vettel.
But at the same time, they were teammates. While fighting individual battles, they also had to fight side-by-side. That was the only way Ferrari could beat Mercedes.
Kai looked into Vettel's eyes. He didn't speak immediately, letting the silence spread through the air. The invisible pressure crushed down little by little. It wasn't just the two drivers; Arrivabene could barely breathe either.
Then, Kai spoke. "Your apology... I don't accept it."
A breath caught in Vettel's chest. He was dumbfounded.
Having said his piece, Kai turned to Arrivabene. The sharpness and toughness in his eyes slammed over, firmly stating his stance. If Arrivabene wanted to smooth things over, he'd better give up early. It would be better to spend some time making Vettel realize his own mistakes.
Without waiting for Arrivabene's response, Kai turned and left, unhurriedly opening the office door, leaving the two men behind in the Colosseum once again.
As soon as he looked up, Kai felt two concerned gazes, full of worry. The frost wrapping around his heart melted away, and his tense nerves relaxed.
Mekies just opened his mouth. "Kai—"
He saw Kai spread his hands, signaling with his eyes. "Sorry, left a mess in there."
Silvia froze, unable to hold back, and burst out laughing. This guy! He said sorry, but there was absolutely no apology in his eyes or expression. They were worried Kai was being wronged, but one look told them the ones really suffering were probably the two left in the office.
From a professional standpoint, Silvia should have mediated, playing the peacemaker to smooth things over.
But today, Silvia stepped forward, opened her arms, and hugged Kai. For a long, long time. Then she finally spoke, "You've worked hard today."
A simple sentence, yet incredibly meaningful.
The wind was picking up at Ferrari again, but this time the direction seemed to have changed.
Meanwhile, the media mixed zone was a hub of noise. Although everyone was busy, they all seemed distracted, their attention elsewhere.
Obviously, no one had seen the Ferrari duo. Everyone was secretly guessing how Arrivabene was handling this thorny issue.
Leclerc, who had been spacing out, was the first to notice the commotion in the crowd. Following everyone's gaze, he indeed found the main character of the day.
Kai appeared.
On the surface, unharmed. But looking closely, one could notice Mekies wasn't there.
Kai left with Mekies, but returned alone. Did the turbulent undercurrents in the Ferrari hospitality area swallow Mekies whole?
So, what did this mean?
Taking three steps at a time, Leclerc hurried over, patted Kai's shoulder, and asked quietly and concisely, "Is everything okay?"
Looking back, Mekies calling Kai away alone seemed suspicious. It wasn't the usual Silvia. Clearly, Arrivabene had noticed the tension within the team and tried to use Mekies as a pressure release valve. Did this mean Kai had to bear the pressure again?
Unimaginable! Kai single-handedly saved the entire race. What more did Ferrari want from him?!
Kai sensed Leclerc's concern. He spread his hands, looking completely relaxed. That candid, dashing appearance was the best answer.
"Relax. I'm fine. Remember, I just won a Grand Prix," Kai said, deliberately raising his chin slightly, showing a proud face.
Then, he changed the subject. "Oh, right, how could you forget? Sorry, Charles, that overtake was really no challenge at all."
That light, teasing tone made Leclerc unable to hold back, finding his smile again.
He knew it. Any difficulty seemed insignificant in front of Kai. Nothing could stump him.
It was amazing. Even though Kai was younger than him and lacked experience on the track, Leclerc found that in the face of true difficulties, Kai was always more mature than him, responding correctly in a calm and rational manner.
Today was the same.
A problem that gave the entire paddock a headache became easy in Kai's hands. Those storms quietly turned into gentle breezes and mild rain.
Just like Kai.
Leclerc felt slightly reassured. His chaotic thoughts finally found their center again. He took a deep breath. "Sixth. Not bad. Not bad."
Sixth was undoubtedly an excellent result, especially for Sauber, and with his teammate being Raikkonen. Leclerc was indeed enjoying a spectacular season.
But Leclerc, always strict with himself, wasn't satisfied. He had grasped the opportunity today and touched the podium, coming very close to making history.
Unfortunately, he ultimately missed it.
Kai completely understood Leclerc. If it were him, it would probably be the same—always thinking about improving and challenging his limits.
However, Kai didn't comfort Leclerc. Instead, he patted his friend's shoulder. "Today's head-to-head duel isn't over. At most, it's only half done. Continue next time?"
Compared to comfort, motivation is more important. What Leclerc needed least right now was pity.
Sure enough, Leclerc smiled, also joining in the joke. "Today was a fluke. You know that, right?"
The conversation couldn't last long, because Verstappen stood nearby with a dark expression. He didn't speak, just stared burningly at Kai and Leclerc.
If it weren't for Leclerc, Verstappen probably would have interrupted the conversation and charged straight at Kai by now.
Leclerc sensed the subtle shift in atmosphere and proactively stepped aside. Verstappen couldn't wait to step forward, completely ignoring the reporters.
Since earlier, Verstappen had been looking for Kai. But unlike the others, he wasn't worried about Kai, nor did he intend to watch the drama as a bystander. He was fully focused on settling the score with Kai.
"I ALREADY HAD THE POSITION!" Verstappen launched his interrogation right to Kai's face—
No explanation needed. Kai understood immediately. He was talking about the collision and the subsequent penalty.
Kai shook his head. "No. You blocked the line. I had the position." He pushed back without yielding an inch. "Your braking point was wrong. I was already alongside. You either brake later or leave the line open to run side-by-side—"
Verstappen: "No! I can't leave the line open!"
"Then you should have secured the angle on entry!" Kai retorted directly. The two were like bulls, angrily locking horns.
Then, Kai righteously pushed back, launching a counter-attack. "Come on, Max. You were just hoping I'd back down, either brake or go off the track. You didn't think much during the duel; you just tried to solve the problem with brute force. You think everyone is afraid of your crashes, but I won't back down. You can't just push the blame onto others when things don't go your way."
"You should watch the replay."
Rarely seen, Verstappen paused. A breath caught in his chest. He glared fiercely at Kai. "And what if the replay proves I'm right?"
"Then I'll apologize," Kai responded magnanimously.
The tense lines on Verstappen's face relaxed slightly. This was the attitude he needed. He was just preparing to continue his response when the air in the entire mixed zone suddenly stagnated. Even Verstappen, whose eyes only saw racing, noticed the anomaly. He looked around inexplicably, not understanding what had happened. Following the reporters' gazes, he saw... Vettel!
Since his retirement, Vettel had disappeared. Completely vanished from the public eye. At the time, the race was ongoing, so reporters didn't approach him. Vettel stayed in his driver's room, blocking out all the noise, completely hiding away.
Just now, Mekies pulled Kai away and disappeared into the Ferrari hospitality area. Although no one saw Vettel, speculations couldn't stop.
The foxes in the paddock immediately smelled the unusual atmosphere in the air. Especially with two "door gods" standing outside Arrivabene's office, completely blocking all prying eyes. One look and you knew "Uncle Eagle" Arrivabene was preparing to handle internal Ferrari affairs.
However, the matter should be very tricky.
Back then, Wolff hadn't handled the Hamilton and Rosberg problem well. Previously, Arrivabene hadn't handled the relationship between Vettel and Raikkonen well either.
So, what about now?
The onlookers were all restless, eagerly waiting.
Yet, Vettel didn't show his face, completely cutting off all probing gazes. Even the sparrows in the paddock were out of ideas. People could only stay outside, itching with curiosity.
Until now.
Vettel finally appeared. The air instantly stopped flowing. The deciding point for the 2018 Constructors' and Drivers' World Championships actually came from Vettel. Yet, it wasn't the "Vettel chasing Hamilton for the championship" that people had imagined. This was absolutely not something anyone predicted before the season started.
At this moment, how was Vettel feeling? How did Vettel view today's race? How would Vettel explain that collision?
Never mind Verstappen or Hamilton; even the spotlight on Kai paled in comparison to Vettel.
Verstappen understood instantly. He patted Kai's shoulder in sympathy, but didn't stay. He got ready to watch the drama with gloating pleasure, not bothering to hide his goofy smile at all.
He actually just walked away like that.
Kai: ?
However, Kai didn't have time to deal with Verstappen right now. The real problem standing before him was Vettel.
After their brief clash just now, leaving a mess behind, he didn't know how Arrivabene, Silvia, and Mekies had cleaned it up. So Kai's first words upon leaving the office were an apology. No one could predict how this ticking time bomb, Vettel, would behave.
Silvia stayed closely by Vettel's side, looking stern, not even having time to greet Kai. This scene looked quite bizarre—
Throughout the season, Silvia had always accompanied Kai. Ferrari was worried that the young and impulsive Kai might say something shocking. But today at Interlagos, Silvia appeared beside Vettel.
To observant eyes, the subtle tension in the air was instantly noticeable.
What was even more interesting was that outside, the fanatic Brazilian fans were partying, celebrating wildly.
In the breeze, passion and vitality continued to erupt. "KAI! HEY! KAI! HEY!"
Even though Kai wasn't present, the calls for him remained uniform and deafening. Interlagos seemed to have been completely conquered by Kai.
Whether it was Vettel or Hamilton, they had fought so many races at Interlagos, yet had never truly conquered the place.
As a result, Kai appeared out of nowhere and accomplished such a feat in just one race? Was this reasonable? What on earth were the Brazilian fans thinking?
Inside and out, the internal tension within Ferrari and the clamor of Interlagos formed a clever contrast. The bustling gazes in the paddock all gathered to watch the drama. The already complex atmosphere became even more subtle. Every step was terrifying. Anticipation and nervousness were completely intertwined.
Amidst the cheers and shouts, the gunsmoke in the mixed interview zone completely ignited, ready to trigger at any moment.
Secretly exchanging glances, secretly curling the corners of their mouths. The media reporters, who feared nothing more than peace, could hardly restrain themselves. One by one, they were secretly rubbing their hands together. If there was anything that could make the World Championship battle even more exciting, team infighting and teammates turning into enemies undoubtedly topped the list.
The memory was still vivid. After the Singapore Grand Prix, the topic of "Kai vs. Vettel" was boiling over. The conflict could no longer be hidden. In the media's interpretation, the two were in a fight to the death, exactly like Alonso and Hamilton at McLaren back in the day.
Even now, some firmly believed that the main culprit behind Hamilton failing to create the miracle of winning the Drivers' World Championship in his rookie season in 2007 was his own teammate, Alonso. At the time, the two-time World Champion was also chasing his third title and refused to make way for a rookie.
In fact, people clearly remember Raikkonen narrowly beating Hamilton by one point to win the championship that season. But actually, Hamilton and Alonso tied on points as runners-up. In other words, Alonso was also only one point away from his third Drivers' World Championship. How could he possibly yield?
Right now, a familiar scene was playing out again.
The Number 1 driver was trying to defend his glory and continue chasing honors. The Number 2 driver was coming on strong, rising like a comet. The Number 1 and Number 2 drivers had collided on the track more than once, plunging both the team and the drivers into a predicament, watching helplessly as their rivals seized the opportunity to profit.
Same story, different characters, repeating itself.
However, back then, Vettel and Kai had put on a perfect show together. Their harmonious official PR successfully fooled the reporters' sharp eyes. It once made people believe that Ferrari had finally found the tacit understanding to advance together hand-in-hand, condensing a powerful energy in the battle for the World Championship.
Even today.
At the start, the two Ferrari cars displayed unparalleled teamwork. Kai, starting from pole, completed the team coordination. Not only did he provide a slipstream for Vettel, but after Vettel took the lead, Kai sacrificed himself to defend against Hamilton, ensuring Ferrari led 1-2.
Up to that point, everything was perfect. Like a fairy tale. Reporters could imagine a hot-blooded story of youth and growth.
Then, cruel reality tore off the mask. The cold, profit-driven paddock finally revealed its true face. A sharp blade pierced deeply into the heart.
So, what now?
"Seb!"
A wave of shouts overwhelmed Vettel. After two hours of adjustment, Vettel seemed to have regained his composure, but his expression remained grim.
He didn't even glance at Kai.
After all, in the pit lane just now, he had seen enough. The entire team, inside and out, from top to bottom, was cheering for Kai, including his own crew.
Even in the office, Arrivabene seemed to have finally announced his surrender. The whole world had already taken a stand against him.
The current Ferrari already looked like Kai's team.
Those cheers, those smiles... they were like daggers, stabbing fiercely into Vettel's back. He didn't want to see Kai's face again.
"Seb, what happened during the collision?"
"I didn't have much room on the right. Obviously, I had better exit speed at Turn 4 and tried to take the position back at Turn 5. I had the right to do that. But things just happened." Although he didn't say it explicitly, the subtext was: It was Kai's fault. I was just trying to race.
"What do you think of Kai's actions?"
"This is part of racing. We all need to calm down." All the curses, both printable and unprintable, Vettel had already vented. However, the sharpness beneath his calm exterior was more piercing than any accusation.
He refused to accept Kai's one-sided explanation.
"What impact will this have on the team?"
"Undoubtedly, it's a regret for the team. I should have finished the race, even gotten on the podium. That is the only important thing." All the blame lies with Kai. "In the post-race debrief, we need to communicate and find a solution before heading to Abu Dhabi."
Steady, calm, restrained. But yielding not an inch.
Clearly, Vettel believed this was Kai's fault, and he shouldn't bear the blame.
From the tension on the track to the surging undercurrents post-race, even though Vettel didn't reveal any flaws, the reporters present could see it—
The atmosphere within the Ferrari team was probably a disaster. Vettel wasn't prepared to take the blame, nor was he prepared to yield. The conflict between the teammates was irreconcilable.
When the voice recorders and phones all surged toward Kai, the green light in the reporters' eyes was no longer hidden. They smelled blood.
"Kai, so what exactly happened?"
"I don't know." Clear eyes, a smile on his face. Kai's upright, confident demeanor made the reporters choke. "I wasn't the one holding the initiative."
Kai had been the passive party all along. He wasn't the one who used the slipstream to overtake; he wasn't the one who ignored team interests and refused to yield the position after overtaking; and he certainly wasn't the one who, after being overtaken, lost his head and launched a reckless counter-attack resulting in a crash. He refused to carry this blame.
In the meeting room, he had made his stance clear. Now, it was the same.
"But you initiated the attack," a reporter reminded him.
Kai's smile didn't change at all. "Yes. Returning to the position that belongs to me. Fighting for the championship." As for what someone else was fighting for, they'd have to ask that person.
"How do you view Vettel's actions?"
"We are drivers. We are here to chase speed. Even though I completed the overtake in the Senna S, I knew he wouldn't give up. So I was prepared to keep fighting in Turns 4 and 5. Obviously, I left enough space, but turning in too early caused unnecessary contact." Everything was clear as day. Anyone with eyes could see Kai bore no responsibility for the collision.
"Currently, the points gap between Ferrari and Mercedes is very slim. Every point is crucial and could determine the outcome of the season. So, what impact do you think this race will have on Ferrari? Could it affect your hopes of winning the championship?"
This was the crossroads. Kai's answer could bring completely different impacts to Ferrari and the Tifosi. A storm of public opinion was brewing.
Instead, Kai flashed a smile. "We fought. We fought until the very last moment."
So, facing half a glass of water, Kai always sees "there is still half."
"We faced difficulties, we encountered accidents, we experienced setbacks, but we still held our heads high and fought to the end. I think this race exactly proves that we are ready. Next up in Abu Dhabi, no matter what happens, we are ready to fight for the championship."
High-spirited, full of fighting spirit—
Facing the same predicament, the same dilemma, Vettel and Kai presented completely different faces.
Both of them coincidentally restrained their sharpness, not exposing the team's internal conflicts to become a farce in broad daylight, a spectacle for the entire paddock to laugh at.
However, despite the same low profile and restraint, one was negative, the other positive. The emotional colors and temperatures hidden in their words were distinct, leading Ferrari in different directions.
It's just that, for now, no one could predict where Ferrari was heading. This was also the biggest highlight of the 2018 season. The key to this World Championship battle was not in the hands of Mercedes. It seemed... maybe... probably... to be in the hands of Ferrari.
This was a first in ten years.