A burst of static, and then Kai's voice came over the radio.
"Visibility is fine for now. The rain hasn't changed, it's holding steady."
"Being able to handle unexpected situations is part of a driver's skillset. In training, we try to simulate these conditions. Now we don't have to simulate. We have the real thing. We should take this opportunity."
"How about I run a few more laps, play it by ear, and we'll see?"
His voice was steady, calm, and his logic was clear. It was a convincing argument.
This was no small feat.
In normal life, drivers are easily consumed by road rage. The roar of the engine, the rush of speed, the pounding heart, and the surge of adrenaline can easily snap the tethers of reason. A mild-mannered man can transform into the Hulk. It's a physiological and psychological phenomenon that is incredibly difficult to control.
Naturally, in the world of Formula racing, all of this is amplified a hundredfold.
That's why drivers are often completely different people on and off the track. On the radio, it's common for them to lose control, their messages laced with profanity. Staying rational in such a high-stress, high-speed environment is not easy.
And yet, Kai was.
He was displaying an immense psychological strength, his thoughts still clear. His communication was fluid, his judgment and counter-argument all delivered in a split second. His calmness was only more pronounced against the backdrop of speed and chaos.
Monfardini noticed.
He didn't answer immediately. He squinted at the track. The sky was dark, the air heavy with moisture. The Fiorano circuit twisted and turned. Though it was only three kilometers long, it contained almost every type of corner and braking zone found in F1, making it the perfect track for testing fundamentals.
He pursed his lips and finally spoke. "Am I imagining it, or do you sound a little... excited?"
A cheerful laugh crackled over the radio. "Haha, a lot more than a little."
A rare, almost imperceptible smile touched Monfardini's face. "Calm down, young man, calm down. Pay attention to the surface. There's a water film forming on the track. You could lose grip."
"Received," Kai replied crisply.
A wet track is like a sheet of glass smeared with a thin layer of oil. You never know if your tires will grip or if you'll suddenly lose control. The "water film" acts as a third party, getting between the tire and the tarmac and preventing their "handshake."
Normally, a tire's tread pattern channels water away, allowing the rubber to stick to the road. But in the rain, the tire temperature drops, preventing it from reaching its proper working range. The tire's natural grip is reduced. If the rain is too heavy for the treads to clear, the water acts like an invisible cushion, "lifting" the tire off the surface.
This loss of grip isn't gradual. It's instantaneous.
It's like running and suddenly stepping in a puddle of soapy water. If you can plant your foot and find grip, you can steady yourself. But if you can't, you lose your center of gravity, and flailing wildly will only make you fall harder.
That's why, in the rain, sticking to the established racing line is critical. As cars pass over the same line again and again, they displace the water, creating a "relatively dry" path that improves grip.
The problem is, the depth of the water varies all over the track, and the rain is always moving. The line that was just cleared can be soaked again, or a new puddle can form. This means a driver's grip level can change, lap after lap.
A deviation of just a few centimeters can mean the difference between full grip and no grip at all. It's like playing Minesweeper. Even with 100% concentration, you can never be sure when you'll hit a "mine" and slide off the track.
It's precisely this challenge that makes wet-weather races so special. The car's inherent advantages are nullified, the gap between the teams shrinks, and anything is possible. It becomes a true showcase for a driver's skill.
The legendary champion, Ayrton Senna, earned his most famous nickname for his mastery under these exact conditions: "Senna in the Rain."
And right now, Kai was excited.
This was his first time ever driving on a wet track.
In his street racing days, he'd seen a lot, but his career had been short. There were still many conditions he'd never faced, and rain was one of them.
Besides, this was an open-cockpit car. He was essentially flying through the rain in a convertible, an experience unlike any other.
The fine, cold mist hit his face, sharp and biting. Though he was wrapped in a race suit, gloves, and a helmet, he was still getting soaked. He could feel the cold seeping through the fabric, into his muscles and his blood.
And yet, his mind was crystal clear.
The feeling was like being a kid again, staring out the window at a downpour, his entire being focused on the desire to go jump in the puddles. Finally, unable to resist, he'd pull on his rain boots, throw on a coat, and charge into the storm, arms spread wide, joyfully stomping from one puddle to the next.
Splash. Splash.
There was something about that sound, about seeing the water fly, that just made you happy.
That was happiness.
You didn't need a video game, or a smartphone, or anything expensive. Just running in the rain, your chest filled with joy.
It was the same feeling now.
In the light rain, Kai didn't feel the water as a barrier. He felt as if he'd taken off his shoes and was standing barefoot on the track, his toes feeling every granule, every contour, every texture of the tarmac. He felt the wind and the mist on his skin, and he and the natural world became one.
Everything felt perfectly, completely natural.
For Kai, this was a brand new experience.
He was, as he'd say, a bit excited. His time in Maranello had been like this every day—new things to learn, new challenges to face. It was like Alice in Wonderland.
But the more excited he got, the calmer he became. The more intense the situation, the more focused he was. He and the car were now completely in sync, as if he himself were the one sprinting barefoot down the track.
After Fiorano's first left-hander, the track flowed into a short straight and a series of S-curves. In the wet, you avoid any sudden braking or sharp steering.
Kai's control remained instinctually fluid. The red car became a streak of light, flowing through the misty rain like a watercolor painting. The bright, vivid crimson sliced through the dark, muted greens and greys of the landscape. All eyes were locked on that red line, watching in awe as it injected life into the gloomy scene, making the whole world come alive.
It was as if the mist itself was dancing, scattering golden, musical notes across the track.