"And now, the GP3 drivers are lining up at the pit exit, ready to go. The first car out is the Number 2 for ART, driven by... uh, Kai... Zhizhou."
"He's a rookie. And to be precise, we have no official data on him. My apologies, it's not a lack of preparation on my part—he has no recorded history in any karting or formula series. This is, by all accounts, his first-ever official race weekend."
"So, what we have here is a complete blank slate..."
Global broadcasts of GP3 are few and far between, but Sky Sports in the UK is one of them. Their chief commentator, David Croft, hadn't covered the free practice session. This qualifying session was his first look at the new field.
He was still coming down from the F1 practice session, so he turned to his broadcast partner.
"Martin, do you have any inside info on this kid?"
Martin Brundle, a former F1 driver, had become one of the UK's most respected analysts after retiring. He often kept an eye on young drivers, but he knew nothing about this "Kai Zhizhou" beyond a few paddock rumors, which he wasn't about to repeat on air.
"Well," Brundle replied, "we're about to fill in that blank slate with his on-track performance, aren't we?"
"From the looks of it, he's not afraid to be the first one out. It's his first-ever qualifying session, so it's a smart move to get a clean, empty track, find his own rhythm. ART knows what they're doing."
It was clear Brundle believed this was a team strategy, not the driver's own decision. And he had evidence: in the ART garage, only Kai was on track. His three teammates were all waiting.
Inside the car, Kai had no idea he was being broadcast. Even if he had, it wouldn't have broken his concentration.
He'd gone out first to get clean air and an empty track. The grip wasn't optimal yet, but that was fine. He wanted to build his own database, to test the tires, the track temperature, and the wind.
It was just past noon, and the track temp was still climbing.
With no cars in front of him, he could drive at his own pace. In the garage, Borreipaire was completely focused. He had to admit, he was excited. Their strategy session had been brilliant "on paper." Now, could they deliver?
First lap: warm-up.
Second lap: find the rhythm.
On the third lap, Kai entered "push mode." This was his first "flying lap."
Of course, at Barcelona, the track is "slow" at the beginning of qualifying. The times set in the final minutes, after more rubber has been laid down, are often a full second faster.
But Kai wasn't hunting for pole. Not yet. He was validating his rhythm.
Brundle, in the commentary box, immediately noticed something. On Kai's first two laps, he had seen him go full throttle through Turns 3 and 9, pushing the car hard. He'd assumed it was a rookie mistake—just a kid chasing speed, not realizing he was overheating his left-front tire. He'd kept the thought to himself.
But now, on the flying lap, Brundle saw the change.
As Kai approached Turn 3, he didn't floor it. He braked early, using a touch of understeer and precise throttle control to hug the apex. His control over the car's dynamic balance was perfect. It was a smooth, clean, visual treat.
Brundle was stunned. Was that a fluke?
Then, through the high-speed Turn 9 and into the Turn 10 hairpin, it was the same fluid, precise control. He attacked the apex, using a "V-shape" line, a perfect harmony of steering and throttle, catching a slight oversteer and correcting it instantly. It was as elegant as a ballet.
Brundle was holding his breath, completely forgetting to comment. He just watched as the red and black car became a streak of light, flowing through Turns 13, 14, and 15. His driving style in the second half of the lap was completely different from the first, as if he were a fish in water, and he shot out of the final corner, pushing the car to its absolute limit, a red afterimage hurtling down the straight.
Whoosh. He flashed across the line.
1:34.602.
"P1."
"He's gone P1!" Croft's voice exploded.
"Yesterday in free practice, the fastest time was a 1:35.087, set by ART's Jack Aitken. Now, less than five minutes into qualifying, that time has just been beaten by over four-tenths of a second!"
"Wow. Unbelievable."
"His control through that final sector, from Turn 13 to 16, was absolutely perfect, and the straight-line speed of that ART car was on full display. I think we need to learn this name, ladies and gentlemen: Kai. Zhi. Zhou."
"I have a feeling we'll be saying that name a lot."
Croft paused, about to turn to Brundle, but the next car was on its lap. "And here comes Alesi!"
"Alesi's rhythm in the corners is excellent, a very aggressive style..."
"1:34.999!"
"That's P2, 0.397 seconds slower! Wow. Kai Zhizhou has just put in an incredible lap, on a track that hasn't even fully rubbered in!"
In truth, Alesi's lap was the "normal" time. It was on pace with yesterday's practice, a good benchmark. From here, the times would only get faster.
But a new variable had just been thrown into the mix. Kai had completely upended the session. All up and down the pit lane, teams were scrambling.
Should they change their qualifying strategy?
~~----------------------
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