Blueprints are blueprints, contracts are contracts.
Sweet words and solemn vows might be romantic and beautiful, but in the end, one must return to reality and discuss the terms of cooperation and the distribution of benefits with feet firmly planted on the ground.
After Lebaque left Maranello, Richard Mille entered negotiations with Nicolas Todt. There were no dreams, no glory, only numbers.
Generally speaking, when brands choose investment targets, the factors are complex and varied: experience, results, market influence, brand image, commercial value, and so on. Faced with a rookie whose market influence is infinitely close to zero, brands are more inclined to sponsor the team rather than the driver.
Of course, there are no absolutes. A beautiful resume from GP3 to F2 can also win future trust for fledglings just breaking into the F1 world, and there are quite a few brands that specifically choose to invest in rookies.
After all, rookies at this stage are good quality and inexpensive; a small investment can exchange for a large amount of paddock exposure.
Under these circumstances, rookies in established midfield teams like McLaren and Renault often attract more favor from brand sponsorships.
Even so, the sponsorship amounts rookies receive are still not high, generally hovering between $500,000 and $1.5 million, with below $1 million being the norm.
However, this time, Richard Mille indeed showed extraordinary sincerity and firm determination, stepping ahead of everyone else to reach a brand-new personal sponsorship contract with Kai.
Sponsoring the driver, not the team.
Three years! Three million dollars per year!
Furthermore, after the contract expires, Richard Mille has the priority right of renewal! If a competing brand makes an offer, Richard Mille has the right to match it!
Among the terms, Richard Mille very clearly stipulated that Kai must wear their watch throughout the race weekend, especially during press conferences and on the podium.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Kai was now hot property. Even in a paddock full of stars, his exposure rate was absolutely top-tier, not to mention taking the championship throne in the season opener. Richard Mille hadn't had these detailed stipulations before and missed an excellent exposure opportunity.
This time, they absolutely wouldn't miss it again, setting it down in black and white detail.
Moreover, Richard Mille stated they were planning to collaborate with Kai to design a watch exclusively for him.
Superstar treatment!
Richard Mille had quite a few spokespersons, but only superstars like Rafael Nadal could have their own exclusive watch.
And now, it was Kai's turn?
Although it was currently just a plan and Richard Mille hadn't set a schedule, the subtext being to see Kai's subsequent performance, one could still feel Richard Mille's stance: fully cooperating with Kai and treating him completely as the future core of the brand to be cultivated.
A heavy bomb, absolutely heavy. Even with Kai wearing the Ferrari colors as a bonus, this sponsorship contract still broke the balance and made people envious.
Not only because this contract was outrageous for a rookie, but also because of the conviction and determination Richard Mille displayed to get it.
Instantly, the entire paddock, inside and out, was in turmoil, with everyone exclaiming, "Has Richard Mille lost its mind?"
If this was "losing one's mind," then Lebaque wasn't the only one who had lost his reason.
"I need a favor." Lorenzo opened differently, with a smile and a rogue expression. After sending Lebaque off, the two friends walked towards the gym, Kai preparing to start his afternoon training.
Kai blinked. "Are you asking for a favor?"
"Yeah." Lorenzo nodded crisply.
Because he was too direct and honest, Kai laughed dumbfoundedly. "Tell me about it first."
"I need you to renew your contract with Brembo." Lorenzo showed a well-behaved smile. "We can't be as flush with cash as Richard Mille; the cooperation method should still be a three-way partnership between Ferrari, you, and us, and the sponsorship amount won't be too much, but I need you to nod and agree."
Kai was stunned. He thought Lorenzo was joking, but looking at his expression, he immediately realized he obviously wasn't, and couldn't help but laugh. "It's my honor that you're willing to sponsor me. You should know my background; I welcome all sponsorships to help me gain a foothold in the paddock. I should be the one thanking you."
Lorenzo shook his head. "No, it's not like that."
"Now brands are getting restless. With Ferrari plus the Chinese market, and the season opener champion, you already have the qualifications to choose."
"You'll see, brands will come knocking one after another until you're dazzled. You have many choices, but you don't have to cooperate with every single one."
Exhaling lightly, Lorenzo revealed a bitter smile.
"At home, I'm just a parasite. No one believes I can achieve anything, and no one expects it. Anyway, keeping me doesn't cost much money."
"But I did the right thing in bridging the connection with you. The family and the company look at me differently now, and the company hopes we can continue the cooperation."
"Just like Richard Mille. We believe in you, and we also need this contract to deepen our relationship with Ferrari, so I need your help."
Noticing Kai was about to speak, Lorenzo raised his hand in a stopping gesture and shook his head gently.
"But we don't have Richard Mille's generosity. The old guys in the company want everything; they want to continue cooperating but are unwilling to spend more money and take risks. They want me to use my personal favor to persuade you to agree, but I can't use sweet words to deceive you, or I won't have the face to see you in the future."
Frank, straightforward, honest. Lorenzo displayed his sincerity without reservation.
A smile flashed in Kai's eyes, but he deliberately hid it, putting on a serious face. "Then if I refuse, we can't be friends anymore?"
Lorenzo waved his hand. "How is that possible? You can refuse, one hundred percent. I can ask for help, and of course, you can refuse to help. We are friends, but you have no responsibility or obligation to solve all my difficulties. I just hope to be honest; there are already too many lies and calculations in this circle."
To be honest, Kai hadn't expected Lorenzo to be so candid, or rather, Lorenzo indeed understood Kai.
Kai didn't continue joking either. "Okay. Let's renew."
Lorenzo almost choked on his own saliva. "Just like that? You gave Lucian such a hard time just now!"
Kai spread his hands and cracked a joke. "How did I not know you have masochistic tendencies?"
Lorenzo directly raised his middle finger.
"Haha." Kai laughed heartily. "Back then, you helped me out of loyalty, persuading Brembo to invest in me. It had nothing to do with the numbers on the check; that trust was more precious. Now that you're willing to believe in my future, I have no reason to refuse an old friend's invitation."
Lorenzo cleared his throat, slightly hesitant. "Only one million euros a year."
Not much, but not little either.
Actually, rising from the initial 200,000 euros to the current one million euros, Brembo had shown enough sincerity. Their conditions weren't as exaggerated as Richard Mille's, but still within the normal industry standard range.
Kai slapped the table readily. "Not just lunch, I'll treat you to afternoon tea too."
Although Lorenzo was dissatisfied in every way with Brembo's caution, in the eyes of the media, it was a different scene,
Following Richard Mille, the always steady and low-key Brembo was actually taking a risk too?
Had all these people lost their minds one by one?
Obviously, this still wasn't everything.
Hustling and bustling, packed tight, three layers inside and three layers outside, with no end in sight.
Qian Jun had rolled around the paddock for many years, witnessing the glory of Verstappen's first win in Spain, and Hamilton's historic moments of ascending to the world championship four times. He couldn't even count the number of press conferences, big and small, but he had never seen such a spectacle,
The rolling heat wave outside the press conference hall seemed to break through the architectural barriers and barge in. The feeble operation of the air conditioner didn't help at all; within a short while, oxygen began to run low.
Qian Jun wasn't tall, but he was bulky, always able to stand firm in the bustling crowd.
However, at this moment, he truly tasted what it was like to "drift with the current", he couldn't stand steady at all!
Thursday, Media Day. F1 would arrange three groups of press conferences each time: one group for team principals, and two groups for drivers. Drivers were randomly selected, four in a team, totaling eight people accepting official questions.
As for other team principals and drivers, there were still opportunities in the mixed zone.
In other words, the official press conference was slightly more formal, but interviews could still be completed at other times. There was no worry about being unable to finish work, giving media ample time to explore every corner of the paddock.
Precisely because of this, the press conference room accommodated sixty to eighty people, but was very rarely completely full.
Today was different. Qian Jun had anticipated the press conference might be slightly lively because the driver list announced by F1 prominently featured Kai,
The residual heat of the Australian championship was still surging in the air. The FIA investigation, the signing of sponsors, the frenzy of intertwined expectations and doubts simply couldn't stop. Kai continued to stand at the eye of the storm, his popularity unmatched.
For this reason, Qian Jun arrived at the scene early, but he still underestimated the energy of the paddock.
A sea of people!
At least two hundred people gathered in the small press conference hall, maybe more, shoulder to shoulder, face to face, sweating profusely. What kind of hellish test was this?
Although the continuous explosion of traffic could already be felt on social networks, those traffic numbers were just digits, ultimately lacking a sense of reality compared to what was before his eyes, a heat wave clinging to the skin and drilling into the pores, making the blood boil. Never had a driver's every move caused such a magnitude of commotion in the paddock.
A pride difficult to describe in language filled his chest. Clearly in a sorry state, the smile on Qian Jun's lips continued to rise.
"Here he comes!"
A voice came, and overwhelming flashes ignited instantly. The whole world turned into a brilliant silver, vision failing instantly.
Qian Jun also pressed the shutter, but immediately heard that familiar voice.
"Haha, as expected of me. I knew it, I'm the number one super handsome guy in the paddock, everyone loves me."
"Calm down, calm down, I treat everyone equally, you all have a chance."
"Come come come, I'll pose for a few shots."
That... wasn't that Ricciardo?
The silver curtain of light cooled slightly, and one could immediately see those big white teeth.
Only a beat later did they realize they were too hasty and had photographed the wrong subject. Just in this short instant, a second figure entered the press conference hall.
Tall and slender, with a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, a gentle temperament appearing low-key and steady. A rough glance might not catch attention, but inadvertently awakening intuition, one would subconsciously look back, and the second look could no longer look away.
The body made a conditioned reflex faster than the brain,
The click-click-click of shutters exploded fully after a short breath, even crazier than Ricciardo's entrance just now. Just from the fervent and frantic shutter sounds, one could feel the inner passion and fanaticism.
The air began to boil.
Where had Kai ever seen such a spectacle? The surging, boiling silver curtain of light pounced menacingly, leaving no reaction time at all. Vision was cut off instantly, darkness before his eyes, leaving only countless light spots flying up and down like insects; immediately after, hearing was also blinded, the roar pushed to the extreme leaving only a buzzing sound drawing a straight echo on the eardrum.
Even more exaggerated, rolling heat waves burned on the skin surface, the slight scorching heat and stinging pain clearly reminding him that the grand occasion before his eyes was on the verge of losing control.
Even when Ferrari announced signing Kai in Monza, there was no such treatment.
Now, Kai finally understood why the paddock was hailed as the peak of the top 1% of the pyramid; every move could generate endless reactions.
This was Kai's first official press conference in the paddock in his career, and the result was encountering such a spectacle, caught off guard,
What to do?
Thoughts turned a hundred times, but on the surface, Kai remained calm and continued forward, preparing to find a central position to stand and welcome the baptism of flashes.
However, at this moment, vision and hearing were completely closed off, a tsunami in his mind. He didn't even have time to carefully examine the structural layout of the press conference hall before falling into crisis.
The next second, he bumped into an object ahead,
"Calm down, calm down, please don't throw yourself into my arms, I'm actually very shy."
That was... Ricciardo?
Kai wasn't sure, but the tone and laughter should be typical of the Honey Badger style. "Seems like you're familiar with the road. You've encountered such situations more than once or twice, right?"
"..." Ricciardo. "Don't be like this, don't set me up, my reputation is already bad. Other girls won't dare to talk to me in the future."
Hahaha, collective laughter.
Then, the flashes finally calmed down, but Kai's eyes were still uncomfortable.
He simply closed his eyes. "I knew I should have worn my Ray-Ban sunglasses."
Ricciardo's eyes widened. "I didn't expect you to be this kind of guy. Speak, how much did Ray-Ban pay you? Bolon will pay double!"
The entire press conference hall was full of laughter and bustle; these two guys could perform a comedy duo.
Seeing this scene, Räikkönen and Sainz standing at the door didn't know whether they should come in. They were the other two drivers in the first group of the press conference.
Räikkönen was okay, arms crossed over his chest, expressionless.
Sainz, however, kept poking his head in, full of curiosity. Seeing this, Kai called out a greeting, breaking the deadlock, only then allowing them to converge.
Sainz spoke in English with a heavy accent, "I thought I walked into the wrong room. What happened here?"
Ricciardo put his hands on his hips and laughed to the sky. "They all came for me. Don't worry, they won't hurt you."
Sainz looked earnest, without meaning to imply anything. "Because you missed the podium in Melbourne?"
Life is hard enough, don't expose it! Okay!
Instantly, Ricciardo was like a popped balloon, collapsing onto the sofa playing dead, while Räikkönen, who had already taken a seat, quietly shifted his position to the side.
Then, the reporters could no longer hold back, baring their fangs and impatiently launching attacks.
"In the past week, both Richard Mille and Brembo signed with you. What happened?"
"Some say Richard Mille made the stupidest decision in paddock history. How do you view this?"
"The FIA is investigating Ferrari's rear wing. Do you know about the car's violation? Some believe Mercedes' complaint is a conspiracy against you. Do you agree?"
Crackling like a violent storm, aiming straight at the most fatal key points.
"Kai, how would you rate your performance in the season opener? Do you think the final victory was a result of luck?"
Sitting aside, Ricciardo grimaced watching the scene before him, teeth chattering constantly.
This storm was completely out of control. Even when Verstappen encountered a group attack from paddock drivers after consecutive crashes, it wasn't this crazy.
Actually, there were quite a few focal points in today's press conference,
Ricciardo regrettably missing the podium at home; Sainz fighting a fierce battle with fellow countryman and idol Alonso in Melbourne but regrettably losing; Räikkönen losing to Leclerc in his Sauber debut.
There are no small matters in the paddock.
Even if it's just a small matter, once reporters add fuel to the fire, it becomes a big deal. Everyone carried a target on their back, but today, the reporters didn't care at all. The dark muzzles were all aimed at Kai, attacking with full firepower.
For a rookie, was this really okay?
However, standing at the center of the storm's eye, Kai appeared calm and composed.
"Luck is also part of strength. Now let's see if luck can lead me to create good results in Bahrain."
Not only did he not defend himself, but he also followed the reporter's words and continued to mock himself.
"Judging from today's lineup, I might need, very, very, very much luck."
Hahaha, Ricciardo clapped and slapped his thigh, laughing so hard he leaned back and forth, cheering for Kai's witty response and fierce self-mockery.
Sainz revealed a bewildered face. "Kai doesn't need luck; he won the race completely relying on strength. In Bahrain, he and Ferrari will also be the most competitive opponents."
Everyone: ...
Only that honest guy Sainz didn't hear Kai's teasing.
But Kai still fist-bumped Sainz, affirming his support.
Sainz was in the fog, not knowing why, and instead started chatting with Kai after putting down the microphone, sighing about Kai's outstanding performance at Albert Park.
Here, Kai and Sainz were whispering; aside, Ricciardo was laughingly cracking jokes. The result was Räikkönen being abandoned aside like a lonely old man, yet he remained calm and unbothered, completely without any sense of blow, staring expressionlessly at the floor tracing the tile patterns the whole time.
What was this situation!
The reporters in the press conference hall were all stuck with a breath they didn't know what to do with. They had been fanning the flames here for a long time, but the parties involved were unhurried and contented, defusing all attacks lightly with a taichi move,
Damn it!
From the initial entrance, experiencing a brief shock education, Kai immediately realized his situation might be worse than Frankie Penny had anticipated.
So, he quickly calmed down and stood firm. He knew those attacks wouldn't disappear easily. No matter how perfect his answers were at the press conference, those doubts and provocations would haunt him for the entire weekend and even for a month or two.
Everything would be revealed on the track; actions always carry more weight than words.
So, after Kai stood firm, any attacks and provocations from reporters revealed their true colors, meaningless and worthless, nothing more than a sprinkle of water.
After the press conference ended, just as Kai expected, the entire paddock was noisy, and social networks turned into a crematorium, with all kinds of monsters taking the stage.
Whether it was skipping grades to enter Ferrari, or topping Hamilton and Vettel to win the championship in his career debut, Kai's existence itself pulled full hatred instantly. The fanatical fans of driver number 44 and driver number 5 regarded him as a thorn in their side, wishing to crush his bones and scatter his ashes; resultantly, Richard Mille and Brembo joining the fun added fuel to the fire, as if the whole world revolved around Kai. This was intolerable,
"Just watch, Bahrain will reveal his true colors."
"After midnight, the magic wears off, the princess will turn into Cinderella, and the steed will turn back into a toad."
"One fan equals ten haters. Can those brainless blowhards please shut up? It's annoying to death."
At such an important moment, the FIA investigation was simply a killer move, hinting in every way that Kai's victory came from cheating.
Those haters jumped even more vigorously, swearing that they believed Kai and Ferrari cheated, pitring Hamilton's championship through improper means.
Some voices even clamored that the FIA should strip Kai of his grand prix win.
Smoke billowing, thousands of arrows firing at once, Kai's situation had never been so difficult, even when thousands pointed fingers at him in Monza last year, it hadn't reached this extent.
Without time to catch a breath, the war of words on social networks had escalated into a crusade, everyone rolling up their sleeves red-faced, ready to teach Kai a lesson in Bahrain,
"Teach that baby driver a good lesson, let him know his weight."
The 2018 Bahrain race kicked off against this backdrop.
Actually, a small portion of fans' attention was still on the contest between "Hamilton VS Vettel," the two four-time world champions. How Vettel would counterattack Hamilton, and how Mercedes would counterattack Ferrari, this was the focus throughout the year. No one would easily believe Kai could disrupt the situation just because of one Australian race.
However, the social network era is like this. Irrational netizens got dizzy and hot-blooded amidst the fanning of flames, exploding regardless of consequences; plus Wolff and Horner putting high hats on Kai one after another added fuel to the fire, and things gradually lost control.
In Bahrain, during the free practice sessions, Red Bull emerged to break the balance, showing excellent competitiveness. Unwilling to let Ferrari and Mercedes steal all the focus, they couldn't wait to return to the ranks of championship contention, which brought some rationality back to the paddock, realizing that the F1 contest still couldn't be separated from the cars.
Originally, people thought the Mercedes car was more suitable for Bahrain, but Red Bull's adjustments and settings seemed to have kept up in two weeks!
Sure enough, Red Bull, together with Mercedes and Ferrari, being called the "Big Three" was not without reason.
And Kai?
Slightly struggling!
Hovering around tenth place in all three free practice sessions. The novice period for a rookie adapting to F1 had to start from zero again after moving from Melbourne to Bahrain.
A small portion of people learned to be smart. After the lesson in Melbourne, they didn't jump to conclusions easily. Who knew if Kai was hiding his strength again, throwing smoke bombs one after another? They grew wiser with each mistake.
But another portion couldn't wait to start laughing holding their bellies. This was F1; every race was completely different. After changing a track, top teams and top drivers also had to start from scratch. Kai, this rookie, thinking he could conquer Bahrain just because he topped Melbourne, was absolutely daydreaming. Lost face, didn't he!
After three free practice sessions, the haters almost determined Kai had no chance. All kinds of nasty words like exhausting his talent, a falling meteor, a toad is just a toad were endless, and they even gave Kai a brand new nickname,
"One-Hit-Wonder-Baby."
Simply understood, a star/work that became famous overnight but disappeared in the blink of an eye, falling and vanishing quickly after enjoying fifteen minutes of fame from a short success.
Abbreviated as "Meteor Baby."
"At most Q3. But very likely he won't even get into Q3. Winning the first stop, eliminated in Q1 at the second stop, that's also a kind of history."
However, under the cover of night, qualifying began. Bahrain's desert temperature was still like an oven, until all competition in Q3 ended,
Kai, second. Starting on the front row for the second consecutive race.
The world suddenly went quiet, only the desert wind blowing the flags to flutter loudly.
Bahrain Qualifying, fierce competition, heavy suspense, lasting until the very last moment. The competition between Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes was exceptionally intense.
In the end, Ferrari driver Vettel defeated teammate Kai by a narrow margin of 0.042 seconds to take pole position. Ferrari, which had been slightly struggling after arriving in Bahrain, perfectly paralyzed their opponents again, only baring their fangs in qualifying, sweeping the front row for the first time in the season.
The entire paddock exclaimed in surprise; no clue was seen in the free practice sessions at all!
Only now did people realize that Ferrari deliberately used Kai as a smoke bomb, the two drivers completing a wonderful cooperation to deceive other team principals.
Mercedes' Bottas fell behind Kai by only 0.104 seconds to rank third, Hamilton fourth, and Red Bull's Ricciardo finally ranked fifth.
The gap between the top five drivers was only 0.496 seconds!
Following Hamilton creating an astonishing pole gap in Melbourne, Bahrain witnessed history again,
This was the smallest gap between the top five in F1 qualifying history!
The tension between Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull was revealed undoubtedly. It was foreseeable that the race would inevitably have a fierce struggle.
Under such pressure, the drivers' performance became increasingly important, and the room for error was narrowing,
Look, Red Bull's Verstappen was standing at the eye of the storm.
In Melbourne, Verstappen's most precious and valued title of "youngest grand prix winner in history" was taken away. His pride and confidence suffered a frontal impact. He tried to launch a counterattack as soon as possible, his urgency to prove himself growing stronger, his hunger for victory unprecedentedly high.
The result, however, was a fatal mistake in qualifying amidst hot blood and impulse.
Eliminated in Q1!
Sighs, everywhere.
This was already Verstappen's fourth season, yet pressure continued to play a key role, repeatedly deviating from his control track at critical moments. This was the focus of criticism and attacks Verstappen had been suffering. Now it seemed the challenge Verstappen faced was continuing to intensify.
This was even more so for teams eager to impact the championship.
The time to test drivers' ability to withstand pressure had arrived, especially for a certain rookie who had just entered the paddock.
Qualifying ended, "Meteor Baby" occupied the front row for the second consecutive race, proving with practical actions that the Melbourne championship was absolutely not accidental. The haters were depressed instantly, humming and hawing muttering "the race decides the winner," "qualifying has no points," unable to hide the sour smell of envy, jealousy, and hate.
But looking from another angle, they weren't wrong. How to turn qualifying advantage into race results required not only courage but also strategy.
It could be one hundred percent certain that Mercedes starting from the second row would not surrender without a fight, especially Hamilton whose qualifying performance was below expectations.
A fierce battle was inevitable.
Facts also proved so,
In the race, just at the start, Kai felt the pressure immediately.
However, the actual situation was slightly different from the expected picture.
He thought it would come from Hamilton behind, but didn't expect it to come from... Vettel beside him.
The starting line of the Bahrain circuit is a straight of over 1,500 meters. After the cars start, they continuously push speed to the extreme to pierce into the Turn 1 low-speed hairpin.
Pole position is on the left side of the track, which is the outside dirty side.
Vettel occupied the position advantage, while Kai occupied the line advantage. Of course, there were also two Mercedes cars eyeing covetously behind.
At the start, Vettel decisively pulled to the right without hesitation, immediately blocking the middle road and obstructing Bottas and Hamilton's overtaking lines.
If it were just this, everything would be normal; but Vettel pulled further right, closing the racing line and squeezing Kai's space, instantly putting Kai in a dilemma.
Kai: ?
Kai's attention was completely on Hamilton and Bottas behind, ready to join hands with Vettel to resist Mercedes' attack. At the pre-race strategy meeting, the two had allocated responsibilities. It wasn't that he didn't pay attention to or guard against Vettel, but distinguishing priorities in a crisis situation.
Resultantly, Vettel didn't follow martial ethics and shot a cold arrow!
Of course, Kai wasn't a pushover either. He just lowered Vettel's threat level, but deep inside always remained vigilant against Vettel,
After all, he had suffered a secret loss in Melbourne once; not learning a lesson would come at a price.
A flash of wit, pushing the boat with the current.
Seeing that Vettel had already taken the initiative, continuing to force a straight line would likely result in a rear-end collision or leaving the track. Kai simply abandoned the standard "out-in-out" racing line of the hairpin, instead tightly guarding his own line, firmly stuck to the inside position, temporarily hiding his edge in the close-quarters combat.
Moreover, observing all directions, listening to all quarters, he couldn't only look at Vettel, otherwise he might fall into a passive position.
Sure enough, chaos.
Bottas started fiercely, biting tight on Vettel, following Vettel's line closely. Using the opportunity of Vettel squeezing Kai, he quickly shortened the vertical distance between third and second place, ready to reap the benefits and complete the overtake on Kai at the very first hairpin.
So, what about Hamilton?
Hamilton, starting fourth, fell into encirclement. His start was slightly slow. On the F1 field where milliseconds are fought for, this was a fatal mistake. Coupled with Vettel's switch and Kai's blocking, Hamilton was sealed in the inner cage, losing the initiative instantly.
Before Kai searched in the rearview mirror, Hamilton had been swallowed by the surging car array,
Later he learned Hamilton fell directly to ninth place.
For Kai, this was a good thing. Although he didn't find Hamilton, at this moment, Ricciardo starting fifth was launching an attack on him and Bottas.
This meant the distance between cars opened up slightly again.
Ricciardo was exceptionally brave, throttle directly to the floor, launching a mighty attack. Unfortunately, the cars ahead didn't leave much space. Bottas and Kai pierced into Turn 1 almost shoulder to shoulder, wheel to wheel. The two cars driving side by side completely blocked the line, forcing Ricciardo to brake.
At this moment, Kai and Bottas were engaged in a bayonet-point slaughter,
Kai blocked the line, Bottas occupied the position.
When entering the corner, Bottas was already half a car length ahead, but Kai firmly hugged the apex. The excellent coordination of steering and braking firmly stuck to the line. With tires not yet fully up to working temperature, he inconceivably used advanced lift-off techniques to control the slightly drifting car body.
The whole audience held their breath.
In the fierce collision of close combat, Kai displayed an exceptionally tough and unusually calm posture. The intense wheel-to-wheel confrontation in the corner decided the winner directly!
Bottas entered the corner first; however, Kai exited the corner first!
In the Turn 1 hairpin, Kai erased the disadvantage and regained the position.
But, this was still not the end,
Turn 1 is a right turn, Turn 2 is a left turn.
After leaving Turn 1 one after another, side by side, the two silver and red light shadows weaving through the S-curves were still entangled endlessly. Kai and Bottas completed an exchange of advantage positions.
Now occupying the inside advantage was Bottas!