Without warning. Caught off guard. Stunned.
Every eye was locked on the Number 2 car, trying to predict when Kai would floor the throttle, restart the race, and sound the battle horn.
Even Borreipaire wasn't immune, specifically reminding Kai that he couldn't overtake until he crossed the control line.
Normally, Kai should have sped through Turn 10, gotten a great exit, and then pulled away on the straight.
But they forgot one thing: Kai wasn't normal. He didn't play by the rules.
Kai knew he controlled the metronome, and he held the starting gun. Although the Safety Car had disrupted his plan and eaten into his lead, if he used the rules cleverly, he could pull away again. He just needed a new plan.
So, it was all a setup.
First, use the metronome to disrupt his rivals' rhythm, keeping their nerves stretched to the limit.
Then, use the starting gun to issue the command a split second early. He was the only driver who could focus 100% on the Safety Car and the green flag, the only one who could anticipate the start, the only one who controlled his own breathing rhythm without needing adjustment.
If he used these advantages well, Kai believed he could control the initiative.
Sure enough!
Just as predicted, not even Borreipaire saw it coming. When Kai decided to go, he went. He gave his rivals zero time to adjust their breathing.
Instant launch. Leaving them in the dust.
The gap opened up visibly, and Kai solidly consolidated his lead.
Calm. Wise. Sharp.
Once again, Kai showed his mastery on the track. Especially on a circuit like the Red Bull Ring, where opportunities were everywhere and a Safety Car could completely upend the race, Kai's boldness in seizing the initiative was eye-opening.
However, the crisis wasn't fully averted.
Kai was excellent, but Russell and Aitken had their strengths, too.
Aitken reacted quickly, flooring the throttle immediately to follow, and actually entered Turn 10 ahead of Russell, looking like he might turn the tables.
Russell had no time to curse. Although his reaction was a fraction slower, he had already claimed the inside line, sticking to Kai like a shadow.
On entry, Aitken passed.
On exit, Russell was back ahead.
The #2, #3, and #1 cars thundered toward the control line in a triangular formation, a flood surging toward Turn 1.
The entire circuit was silent, holding its breath.
In the commentary box, it was no different. Brundle immediately assessed the situation, once again seeing Russell's brilliance.
Calm and determined.
It was no secret that Russell wanted to use the Safety Car restart to pass Kai. But he wasn't impatient like the other young drivers, trying to do it all at once.
Turn 1. A DRS zone. But the Safety Car had just left, so DRS was disabled. Russell didn't attack rashly. Instead, he held the racing line, squeezing Aitken, cutting off Aitken's attack route. At the same time, he used the slipstream to stick to Kai, relying on precise lines and inputs to match Kai's rhythm and close the gap.
Turn 2. Russell dove into Kai's slipstream, using the tow to gain speed, further eating away at the distance between them.
Looking at the whole track, Brundle accurately predicted that Russell was setting up his overtaking window for the DRS zone before Turn 3. Even though DRS wasn't active yet, the zone was placed there for a reason: the short straight into a hairpin was perfect for passing.
"George Russell pulls out!"
Croft's shout confirmed Brundle's prediction. He held his breath. Thanks to Russell's calm and patience, he had created the perfect opportunity for himself. This was the toughest test Kai had faced all race.
"Throttle pinned!"
"Even without DRS, Russell has unleashed all his speed, ready to turn the tide on the straight."
"Russell is chasing at full speed, and he's passing Kai!"
"Russell leads!"
The sentence cut off. Croft's eyes bulged, his commentary turning into a scream.
"Kai! Cuts back inside!"
"The Switchback!"
"My God! The 'infant' driver has executed an unbelievable, highly skilled switchback overtake!"
It wasn't just Croft.
Even the usually calm, objective Brundle couldn't hold back, the excitement and heat in his chest erupting like a volcano.
"A trap! It was all a trap set by Kai!"
"Russell was setting up the pass into the Turn 3 DRS zone, but Kai sensed it immediately. He was looking for an opportunity to set his own trap. Because they are both in ART cars with similar performance, he knew that with his opponent having the slipstream advantage, he couldn't hold the position just by defending the line. So, Kai quietly sold him the gap."
"Watch the replay. Kai didn't fully close the door. He deliberately left a weakness, baiting Russell into taking the inside line for the pass."
"When Russell pulled out of the slipstream to complete the overtake, to ensure he fully cleared Kai, he had to brake late, delaying his entry into the corner. And Kai used that exact time difference in braking points to cut behind the #3 car, dive to the inside, brake early, and hug the apex."
"Line, grip, traction. Kai has retaken the advantageous position!"
Unbelievable. Incredible.
It was all a trap. He had started laying it out before the Safety Car even left the track. He calculated not just the track, but his opponent's every move. Like a master chess player, thinking ten moves ahead, controlling the whole board. He didn't fight for momentum in the short term; he aimed for the true advantage.
A single, fatal blow!
Brundle sucked in a breath, staring at the live feed.
On entry, Russell was ahead.
On exit, Kai was leading again.
It was déjà vu. Just moments ago in Turn 10, Russell had done this to Aitken. But in Turn 3, the same scene played out, and this time, Russell was the victim.
On the outside, having pulled out of the slipstream and floored it to use the end of the straight to pass, the instability of the dirty side was amplified at high speed. Russell's tires slipped, and his rear end gave a momentary, slight wobble.
On the inside, Kai controlled his car steadily. Even with a hint of understeer, he precisely managed every ounce of weight transfer. His rhythm, throttle, and steering were perfectly coordinated. The car, on the limit, stuck to the racing line, its rear wing gliding lightly through the arc of the corner, and instantly shot out like an arrow from a bow.
Vroooom! VROOOOM!
On the straight, Kai and Russell became a single stream of light, neither giving an inch, unleashing their full speed, thundering toward Turn 4.
At the end of the long straight, speed pushed to the absolute peak, Kai glanced in his rearview mirror to catch Russell's position. He was a full three-quarters of a car length ahead. Decisively, he cut from the inside to the outside, crossing the line, and dove like a dragon straight for the apex of Turn 4.
Russell: ???
There was no warning. He was on the outside, prepared for a fight to the death on the outside line. And Kai had just crossed over to block his line?
Brake, or change line?
But Brundle knew. Whether he braked or changed lines, any reaction from Russell was already too late. Kai had linked every step, moving camp by camp, luring Russell step-by-step into the trap. And Russell, with every move and action, had stepped perfectly into the noose Kai had laid out.
Now, Russell was a turtle in a jar.
~~----------------------
Patreon Advance Chapters:
[email protected] / Dreamer20