Calm. Focused. Steady.
Kai stared straight ahead. A long, sloping track stretched upwards, seamlessly connecting the earth and the sky, rocketing towards the clouds like the ascent of a roller coaster.
Turn 1 at the Red Bull Ring is an uphill, 90-degree right-hander, looming directly in front of the starting grid. The incline continues through Turns 2 and 3, meaning the suspension and tires face immense load. Traction is the key to performance here.
In fact, Turn 1 is one of the most famous overtaking spots on the circuit. It marks the start of the first DRS zone. After the sharp right-hander, a high-speed kink leads into two short straights where drivers can go flat out. In other words, whoever gets a better exit out of Turn 1 holds the advantage.
And it doesn't stop there. The straight after Turn 2 is the second DRS zone, leading into the heavy braking zone of the Turn 3 hairpin. Then comes another super-long straight connecting Turn 3 and Turn 4, where speeds reach their absolute peak before the track tightens into a series of slow, technical corners.
Simply put, before Turn 5, every meter is an overtaking opportunity.
And of course, even after Turn 5, the chances don't disappear. This is the Red Bull Ring: opportunity everywhere, traps everywhere.
No wonder the drivers churned out by the Red Bull Junior Team, which uses this track as its training ground, are all aggressive, head-down racers forged in intense internal competition.
The GP3 Feature Race at the Red Bull Ring is 24 laps. The rhythm is incredibly fast, often over in about 30 minutes.
On the first lap, tires aren't up to temperature, grip is low, and DRS is disabled, limiting overtaking potential.
But don't forget, everyone is in the same boat. GP3 cars are closely matched, meaning a driver can rely entirely on superior skill to force an overtake.
It was predictable: from the start, this race would be a bloodbath.
Kai was watching Russell. But not just Russell he was also watching Aitken in P3 and Boccolacci in P4. He didn't believe for a second that those two would obediently sit behind eating dust. They would try to create chaos, hoping to snatch the lead.
However, the pole position placement at the Red Bull Ring is unique. It isn't on the inside (the side closest to the first corner). It's on the outside.
The dirty side.
Because of this, the start at the Red Bull Ring has always been one of the most accident-prone moments of the season.
Two reasons.
First, the run to Turn 1 is short only 320 meters. This means the tires barely have time to rotate before drivers are fighting for braking points and track position.
Second, pole is on the left, the low-grip side. This means P2 and P4 have an easier time claiming the inside line for Turn 1. If the pole-sitter isn't careful, they'll lose the position. If they're really not careful, there will be a collision.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Red Bull Ring is one of the easiest tracks on the calendar to lose pole position at the start.
This was why, after qualifying, the paddock buzz had only intensified. The spectators were gathering, waiting for a good show.
Russell had taken pole to prove himself, but Kai was on the inside, with better grip. Who would win the launch?
Now, a difficult problem lay before Kai: what strategy to choose for the start?
The simplest, most direct option: out-brake Russell into Turn 1, force his way to the apex, and squeeze him out.
Or, try something unconventional: deliberately give the inside to Russell, bait him into braking early to hold the apex, and then brake late to sweep around the outside.
But was it really that simple?
Russell was a calm, calculated master of the racing line. He couldn't possibly be unaware of his disadvantage. He would undoubtedly try to seize the inside line immediately.
GP3 cars were already similar in performance, and the ART cars were practically identical. With only 320 meters of straight, it wasn't just a test of skill. After the fierce clashes in Spain, would Russell still be naive enough to not prepare a defense?
Kai didn't think so.
And while the corner was important, one must never forget: a corner is just the connection between two straights. What comes after is just as critical.
Both Turn 1 and Turn 3 lead onto long straights. This means exit speed is paramount. If you focus only on the corner entry and sacrifice your exit, then even if you win the corner, you might easily lose the advantage you fought so hard for on the straight.
You might even fall behind.
So, this was a gamble. A duel.
Kai was ready.
Five red lights. On. And then, out.
Clutch, throttle, focus. A split-second launch, firing like a bullet from a chamber. Even though the tires weren't fully warm, he felt no slip on the clean side of the track. He gripped the layers of rubber laid down over two days of practice and qualifying, and shot forward.
Grip. Instant and powerful.
In sharp contrast, Russell and Aitken, reacting quickly, shot forward like arrows, but their cars were on the dirty line.
Russell was hyper-focused. He immediately cut to the inside, using his pole position advantage to try and claim the racing line and squeeze Kai's space.
If he had just a little more time half a second would be enough he could completely claim the line, forcing Kai to either brake or crash.
Unfortunately, there are no "ifs" in racing. Not even for half a second.
Russell felt his tires spin almost immediately. The dirty side of the track denied him full traction. Even though his cut to the inside was sharp and fluid, he still missed that precious half-second window. He could visibly see the nose of Kai's #2 car surging forward to claim the track.
In an instant, Kai's left-front tire was alongside Russell's right-rear. Wheel-to-wheel. A collision seemed imminent.
But it didn't happen.
Russell didn't force the chop to the inside. Kai didn't recklessly squeeze Russell. Both young men knew they couldn't act on impulse. The 320 meters vanished in a blink, and Turn 1 was right there. Kai and Russell dived into the corner side-by-side.
Lightning fast. Ever-changing.
Behind them, Aitken, Boccolacci, and the rest of the pack surged forward like a flood, threatening to swallow Kai and Russell whole.
Seeing his space squeezed to the limit, Kai didn't recklessly brake late. On the contrary, he braked slightly early. He claimed the apex first, accurately and firmly holding his line, cutting into Turn 1 smoothly and precisely.
Like a gentle breeze and fine rain.
In that instant, the spectators' hearts leaped into their throats, their eyes glued to Russell's #3 car.
Was Russell about to lose pole position in the very first corner?
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