He was charismatic, humorous, and effortlessly navigated between self-deprecation and sharp mockery. He could seamlessly switch from lighthearted banter to intense, razor-sharp pressure, completely controlling the rhythm and flow of the room.
This was Kai.
John Elkann believed he was mentally prepared. What kind of storms and tempests hadn't he weathered? Why would he ever worry about a wet-behind-the-ears kid?
But clearly, Elkann was wrong. Not just wrong, but catastrophically wrong.
In an instant, he found himself completely on the defensive.
Honestly, Elkann was starting to get angry. No one dared to speak to him like this. No one! From the moment he learned to talk and read, everyone in his world had treated him with absolute deference and looked at him with profound respect. And that was even before he was anointed as the heir to the entire conglomerate. He was always the center of the universe. But—
Kai was merely a racing driver. How dare he!
That fury burned fiercely in his chest.
However, precisely because of that anger, Elkann clawed onto the remaining shreds of his rationality. He couldn't lose. He couldn't lose his composure. At the very least, he absolutely could not lose his composure in front of Kai.
"Talk, talk, talk. All you do is talk. You spin right and wrong with nothing but your mouth," Elkann sneered.
Unexpectedly, Kai laughed.
Ha!
He laughed with genuine, unadulterated amusement. Kai's eyes and the corners of his mouth were overflowing with mirth.
Even without any extra words, that brilliant smile left Elkann feeling entirely disoriented.
Kai looked at Elkann openly. "My dear Mr. John Elkann, if you permit it, I can shut my mouth right now, turn around, walk down to the garage, and get my hands dirty. The only reason I'm standing here, talking your ear off, is because I'm actively demanding that you give me the opportunity to actually get my hands dirty and build something real. Isn't that right?"
Elkann: ...
One misstep led to another.
This young man standing before him was incredibly slippery and impossible to control. The breath caught painfully in Elkann's chest. "You should know that you are a driver. And only a driver. You are not a mechanic or an engineer. Ferrari has never operated that way."
"Furthermore, as far as I'm aware, you don't even hold an engineering degree, do you?"
Kai raised both hands in a gesture of surrender. "Guilty as charged."
His background in illegal street racing was an open secret throughout Maranello anyway.
"But, Mr. Elkann, I am standing here, speaking up for myself and speaking up for Ferrari, because I genuinely, desperately want us to have a blueprint. A blueprint that will actually lead this team back to the absolute pinnacle and win championships."
"I am confident, perhaps even arrogant to the point of megalomania, but I am not blind. I don't expect to jump into a tractor and magically defeat Mercedes-Benz."
"And you," Kai paused, staring directly into Elkann's eyes, "surely don't want the entire world to look at Ferrari and call us a tractor either."
Elkann: You—!
You could physically see Elkann's gaze sharpen into daggers. Despite his immense self-control yanking him back from the edge, a tidal wave of fury still rushed forward, aggressive and suffocating.
Kai was playing with fire.
However, Kai's brilliance lay in his impeccable sense of boundaries. He knew exactly when to apply suffocating pressure, and exactly when to pull back and secure his gains.
After landing a brutal, stinging blow on Elkann, Kai immediately retreated. He adopted an expression as warm and gentle as a spring breeze, his eyes filled with hopeful vision.
"The reason Ferrari is Ferrari isn't because we cling to a glorious past. It's because Ferrari has always bravely forged ahead, leading the pack."
"Mr. Elkann, it's time to overturn some things."
That was enough. He didn't need to say more.
As for the ugly, rotting politics festering beneath the surface, Kai was certain Elkann was intimately aware of them.
To be precise, Elkann was even more aware of them than Kai. Looking beyond the 2019 season—looking toward 2020, 2021, and the long-term horizon—if Ferrari truly wanted to reclaim their throne, drastic actions were unavoidable.
Perhaps to outsiders, the brilliance and success of 2018 looked like a revelation. Returning to the championship fight seemingly proved they were on the right track, that the current structure was correct, and that they didn't need massive, painful upheavals. Maintaining the status quo seemed perfectly fine.
Kai, however, vehemently disagreed.
The cracks in the foundation had already been exposed. Using the minor successes of the 2018 season to blind themselves—ignoring those deep-rooted issues and pretending everything was perfect—was a cowardly ostrich policy. It would only allow the rot to spread until the entire internal structure of the team collapsed, leaving behind nothing but a hollow shell.
On the contrary, the slight breakthrough of 2018 should serve as a catalyst. They needed to boldly press their advantage, embracing innovation and reform amidst the chaos.
The bitter conflict between the management faction and the technical faction had already boiled to the surface. It was actively becoming a massive roadblock to car development, mid-season upgrades, and troubleshooting. If they continued to ignore it, forget about the 2019 season—the subsequent years would only become increasingly disastrous and terrifying.
On this specific point, Kai and Sergio Marchionne shared the exact same vision—
Do not become complacent because of fleeting success. A minor victory can easily become the catalyst for a catastrophic collapse. Complacency, self-satisfaction, and arrogance are the ultimate sins.
It was true; Kai was willing to stay at Ferrari. He was willing to continue chasing Marchionne's dream and completing the magnificent blueprint Marchionne had outlined. But he absolutely would not do it the way Elkann envisioned.
Right now was the perfect time. Not too early, not too late. Just right.
Then, Kai spoke again. "Third."
Elkann's expression visibly froze. The emotions he had been desperately suppressing and controlling finally broke through after the lengthy argument and his continuous, frustrating retreats. His true expression leaked out. "There's actually a third?"
The dissatisfaction and anger were tightly compressed but intensely potent.
Kai didn't miss it, but he remained entirely unfazed. His face was a picture of seriousness, though the slight upward curve of his lips suggested a half-smile. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the moment.
"Oh. As for the third... nothing comes to mind right now. Let's just put a pin in it, and I'll let you know when I think of something. Sound good?" Kai said.
Elkann: ...
He let out a sharp, incredulous laugh, genuinely unable to control his reaction because the sheer absurdity of the statement was simply too much.
Then, Elkann noticed Kai's expression. "Are you serious?"
"Of course," Kai nodded. "How could I possibly dare to joke around while negotiating with Mr. Elkann?"
Elkann: ...
What Elkann really wanted to ask was: Where the hell are you getting this absolute, unbridled audacity?
Was it the Drivers' World Championship trophy?
Of course, Elkann wouldn't deny the monumental weight of that championship. Ferrari's desperate situation, the crushing expectations of the Tifosi, Kai's undeniable generational talent, the looming threat of rival teams—all of these factors undeniably gave Kai the upper hand. Elkann understood this perfectly well, and he had already prepared himself to concede a massive amount of leverage and financial compensation.
But this level of absolute, suffocating arrogance still completely shattered Elkann's expectations.
He couldn't fathom it. Was Kai genuinely not afraid of pushing too far? Wasn't he afraid the entire deal would collapse and they would walk away with nothing?
When all was said and done, this was Ferrari. The undisputed titan of the paddock. The team that even a united front of Mercedes and Red Bull had to treat with absolute, total caution.
Unfortunately, Elkann would never know the answer. He would never humiliate himself by asking the question out loud, as it would make him look incredibly foolish. And he wouldn't ask anyone else at the Ferrari base, either. He didn't know that Kai had already rejected Ferrari twice before. He didn't know Kai had rejected ART.
The fundamental, underlying truth was simple—
Kai didn't care.
The prestige and history they treated as sacred treasures held very little intrinsic value to Kai. He could easily brush his hands off, turn around, and walk away without a single shred of regret or burden.
That was the source of Kai's absolute audacity.
The negotiation was not progressing smoothly. While it hadn't exactly ended in a bitter, explosive fallout, Kai was relentlessly pushing his advantage. Building upon the foundation of their previous meeting, he presented even more specific, detailed, and demanding conditions. It wasn't just about the number of zeros on his salary anymore. He was demanding tangible, ironclad power and an undeniable voice in the team's operational direction.
Even though Kai continuously danced around the explicit wording, the bitter war between the management and technical factions inevitably surfaced as the core issue.
Pull one hair, and the whole body moves.
Elkann knew that if he agreed to Kai's terms, it wouldn't just be signing a driver contract. The entire Ferrari headquarters would experience a massive earthquake—
And the first to bear the brunt of that seismic shift would be Maurizio Arrivabene and Sebastian Vettel. Their futures within the team would undergo an earth-shattering upheaval.
...
The situation was far from simple.
No, more accurately, it wasn't just "not simple"; it was "incredibly, astronomically complex." It was a tangled, thorny, chaotic mess.
In September, Ferrari had announced their new President and CEO, and everyone had believed the three months of internal turmoil and chaos following Marchionne's death had finally ended. But only the high-level executives knew that it was merely the prologue. The war between the management and technical factions was no longer something that could be suppressed.
Clearly, Kai understood this perfectly well.
So, which little bird had whispered these secrets in Kai's ear? Was it Jean Todt?
If not, how could an outsider—a total rookie who knew absolutely nothing about formula racing or the intricate politics of the paddock—grasp the situation with such terrifying accuracy? How had he instantly identified their vital weakness, carved out his own untouchable position amidst the chaos and disaster, and transformed himself into the decisive force capable of altering the entire balance of power?
After Kai left, the office fell silent once more. Elkann regained his composure, sorting through the boiling chaos in his mind until a clear path emerged.
Everything slowly came into focus.
Elkann had reason to believe that the hidden networks Marchionne had embedded within Ferrari were still active, and they were aggressively moving to protect Marchionne's legacy.
It wasn't just Jean Todt.
It wasn't surprising. Marchionne was a true titan of industry. Not only had he revolutionized Ferrari, but he had achieved unparalleled success across the entire Fiat Chrysler group. Even Elkann's grandfather and uncle—the previous two patriarchs of the empire—had sung his praises. When Marchionne passed, the elders of the Agnelli family had all expressed profound sorrow.
The critical factor was this: if Kai had failed to meet expectations, if the 2018 season had ended in disappointment, these hidden networks might have simply gone dormant, sinking quietly to the bottom of the ocean. Elkann could have then secured the backing of the Italian domestic powerbrokers and smoothly taken total control of Ferrari without expending any extraordinary effort.
But now, Kai's performance had astronomically exceeded expectations. He had shattered all projections, closing out the 2018 season in a blaze of absolute glory. These hidden networks could no longer turn a blind eye. Marchionne's grand blueprint now possessed the very real potential to be fully realized. One by one, these dormant forces were waking up and mobilizing.
Kai was rapidly evolving into their new leader. Stepping up as the "Captain," he was inheriting the resources and networks Marchionne left behind, actively driving Ferrari's renaissance project forward.
For the Tifosi, Ferrari's 2018 season was a triumph worth celebrating wildly. But for Elkann? Truthfully, he would have preferred Hamilton to win the title. If that had happened, Elkann could have smoothly taken the reins of Ferrari, and the team's eventual return to glory would have happened under his leadership, on his timeline.
The 2019 season was supposed to be the perfect moment for Ferrari's return to the summit.
Instead of the current reality, where he was permanently trapped under the crushing shadow of Sergio Marchionne. Kai's Drivers' World Championship was universally viewed as a miracle guided by Marchionne's spirit, the ultimate fulfillment of the late Chairman's vision. Elkann was completely boxed in, his hands tied. He couldn't make a single significant move without facing massive resistance.
However, there were no 'ifs' in reality. It had happened. They were dealing with the current board state. Rather than wallowing in regret and frustration, he needed to seriously consider his next move—
The management faction, or the technical faction?
And more importantly: should he truly partner with Kai?
Elkann stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, arms crossed over his chest, looking down imperiously at the tiny, ant-like figures bustling about below.
Amidst the crowd, Elkann spotted Kai.
In the surging sea of people, the figure was no larger than a palm. You couldn't make out a face or any features, yet Kai effortlessly stood out from the masses.
Elkann recognized him instantly.
For a moment, he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination. Kai was leaving the building, and Elkann had subconsciously been searching for him, so his eyes naturally locked on. Or perhaps Kai truly did exude a unique, undeniable aura that made him blindingly obvious even in a dense crowd.
Wait, who was that—
A figure, neither tall nor particularly athletic, intercepted Kai. The man looked entirely ordinary, possessing absolutely no distinguishing features. He was the kind of person who would vanish instantly into a crowd without anyone taking a second glance. The only reason he caught Elkann's eye was because he had stepped directly in front of Kai, blocking his path as he tried to leave.
Looking closely, Elkann's instincts immediately triggered an alarm.
Logic dictated that the man was just a random pedestrian, an overly eager fan, or an ordinary tourist visiting the Ferrari base. But his razor-sharp intuition screamed that something was wrong.
Thinking quickly, Elkann turned, grabbed his phone, opened the camera app, and zoomed in. He magnified the image as far as it would go, trying to lock onto the figures with the telephoto lens.
"Useless telephoto!"
The phone's camera wasn't nearly as powerful as he'd hoped. Elkann cursed under his breath.
Even so, through the blurry, heavily pixelated image, Elkann could make out a few key details. The thick black-rimmed glasses. The balding, receding hairline. And the nervous, slightly ingratiating smile as the man constantly rubbed his hands together.
James Gay-Rees.
The name and the face clicked perfectly in his brain. Elkann realized instantly: Damn it!
He was the producer from Box to Box Films, the man spearheading the joint documentary project between Netflix and the FIA.
With the season officially over, Netflix's initial trial run filming the paddock had also concluded. No one had seen the final product yet; it was presumably deep in post-production. But rumors within the paddock were already flying thick and fast.
According to the whispers, senior FIA officials had been granted an early screening of the first two episodes—
And they were absolutely blown away.
It wasn't just the FIA. Netflix was equally overflowing with confidence. They believed the documentary series was going to be a massive, explosive hit in North America, serving as the ultimate battering ram to break F1 into the elusive US market. But more than that, because the quality of the production was so high, they believed it would spark massive conversations globally, completely rebranding F1 for a younger demographic worldwide.
Netflix was incredibly invested. The FIA was brimming with confidence. The two sides hit it off immediately. Not only did they seamlessly greenlight a second season, but they reportedly signed a deal for the next five seasons in one fell swoop.
The FIA was preparing to leverage the Netflix platform to aggressively expand F1's influence among younger audiences, aggressively tapping into new demographics and breaking the sport out of its traditional, ultra-wealthy, aristocratic niche.
Because of this, the FIA, the teams, and Netflix were all moving at breakneck speed.
Rumor had it that McLaren was leading the charge. They had already established a dedicated new media marketing team specifically focused on social platforms, designed to perfectly synergize with the release of the Netflix documentary. They were relentlessly promoting and marketing, trying to seize the initiative and establish a massive market foothold ahead of giants like Mercedes and Ferrari.
Against this backdrop, the positions of Mercedes and Ferrari suddenly became incredibly awkward, because both teams had flatly refused to participate in the filming of the first season.
In truth, after watching the 2018 trial run unfold, both Mercedes and Ferrari realized something crucial: the Netflix crew wasn't digging into highly sensitive, classified team strategies, nor were they actively interfering with the championship battle. Red Bull was essentially the main character of the first season, but Mercedes and Ferrari hadn't gained any unfair competitive advantage from Red Bull's exposure.
In other words, participating in the documentary aligned perfectly with the shifting tides of the era and didn't appear to threaten their core competitive interests.
Add to that the fact that the FIA was preparing to promote the project aggressively, turning it into an officially sanctioned, highly integrated pillar of the sport. If Mercedes and Ferrari continued to stubbornly refuse, they risked openly defying the FIA's vision and missing out on a monumental golden opportunity.
Consequently, both Mercedes and Ferrari had begun to soften their stances.
Fortunately, the feeling was mutual. Netflix and the FIA were desperate for Mercedes and Ferrari to join the cast.
After all, the 2018 championship battle was one of the most spectacular, edge-of-your-seat thrillers in a decade, going right down to the wire. Yet, Netflix's inaugural season had entirely missed the opportunity to document this historic clash. The executives at the FIA and Netflix were privately kicking themselves for not pushing harder; if they had, they would be sitting on an absolute goldmine right now.
Therefore, Netflix had been aggressively lobbying, desperately hoping to convince Ferrari and Mercedes to join the production for Season 2.
Netflix was particularly keen on incorporating the winter break and pre-season testing, hoping to start filming before the new season even officially kicked off.
Everything was becoming incredibly busy and urgent.
Today, Gay-Rees had brought his entire Netflix production crew to Maranello. He had scheduled a formal meeting with Elkann to renegotiate the entire scope of the project.
And yet—
With the scheduled meeting time rapidly approaching, Gay-Rees had actually abandoned Elkann, turning around to chase after Kai instead. Was he serious right now?!
The entire scene unfolded clearly before Elkann's eyes.
However, Elkann felt a strange, sour taste in his mouth. His mood was incredibly bizarre—
He suddenly felt a sharp sting of betrayal. It was as if a suitor who had been ardently pursuing him had suddenly turned around right in front of his face to aggressively court someone else. He was the one being dumped.
Was feeling like this normal?
Normal or not, it undeniably set off massive alarm bells in Elkann's head.
The situation was far more complex than it seemed.
A record-breaking, miracle-authoring Drivers' World Championship trophy. Sergio Marchionne's explicit endorsement. The absolute, fanatical backing of the Tifosi. Undeniable, generational talent visible to the naked eye. These weren't Kai's only bargaining chips. The sheer value and explosive potential of the entire Asian market he unlocked was a mouth-watering prize that had everyone in the paddock drooling with envy.
First, LVMH had started making moves. As far as Elkann knew, it wasn't just Frédéric Arnault; Bernard Arnault himself had recognized Kai's terrifying potential. A massive storm of corporate sponsorships was quietly brewing, and the sheer financial weight of that capital could potentially eclipse Ferrari itself, or even the entire Fiat Chrysler Group.
And now, Netflix—another colossally powerful corporate entity—had entered the fray.
What did all of this actually mean?
Upstairs, Elkann's mind was racing, a million thoughts crashing into one another. As a scion born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he might not understand the daily struggles of the working class, but he absolutely knew how to read the tactical playbook of elite, high-stakes corporate warfare. The implications of the scene playing out below were far more devastating than the tense conversation they had just had in his office.
Downstairs, Gay-Rees was completely unaware that their every move was being heavily monitored.
Of course, even if he did know, Gay-Rees wouldn't have cared. Netflix had their own agenda. They wanted Ferrari's cooperation, yes, but Ferrari wasn't entirely indispensable.
Ferrari wasn't unique. But Kai was.
During the 2018 season, amidst the multi-threaded narrative of the Netflix documentary, one of the primary protagonists was Daniel Ricciardo.
Truthfully, Ricciardo hadn't disappointed. His numerous mechanical retirements, his agonizing struggles both on and off the track, and the complex, dramatic saga of his transfer from Red Bull to Renault had injected the documentary with incredible narrative tension. It was a heartbreakingly disappointing season for Ricciardo personally, but for Netflix, it was an absolute ratings goldmine.
The only regret was that Ricciardo hadn't managed to hit rock bottom and then orchestrate a glorious, triumphant comeback, leaving the team bathed in a halo of praise.
But that was the inherent beauty and risk of documentary filmmaking. Everything was uncontrollable. It was drawn directly from life, with reality acting as the sole scriptwriter.
Having followed the entirety of the 2018 season, Gay-Rees couldn't stop thinking: If only Netflix had pushed a little harder back then. If Netflix had met every single demand and successfully secured Kai's participation, we would literally hold the ultimate code to infinite global traffic right now.
Fortunately, Gay-Rees's vision was fully backed by both Netflix and the FIA. When the opportunity presented itself a second time, Gay-Rees had absolutely no intention of letting it slip away.
No, missing it was completely out of the question.
"Kai!" Gay-Rees spotted the figure in the crowd immediately. He called out loudly, closing the distance in three quick strides, entirely failing to hide his excitement.
Kai stopped. He had assumed it was just another eager fan. Turning around, he saw Gay-Rees, and then noticed the entire production crew Gay-Rees had seemingly abandoned a short distance away. "Mr. Gay-Rees."
"James. Please, just call me James," Gay-Rees said, beaming. "So, you're here in Maranello on business today? Gearing up for the new season?"
Kai smiled brightly, offering a playful joke. "Could you give me a little breathing room, please? Don't talk about work during my vacation. I desperately need to be far, far away from anything related to work right now."
"Haha!" Gay-Rees laughed. "My apologies. You've been racing non-stop for nine months; you must be completely sick of it by now. Well, perfect timing. I actually want to talk to you about something completely unrelated to racing. Do you have a minute?"
Kai raised an eyebrow slightly.
Nicholas hadn't mentioned anything about Netflix. So, was Gay-Rees acting on a sudden, spontaneous impulse, or had they planned to bypass Nicholas from the very beginning?
In the F1 paddock, there are no coincidences. It had to be the latter.
Kai smiled, gesturing toward the crew standing behind Gay-Rees. "Are you sure? It looks to me like you're the one who doesn't have a minute to spare."
Gay-Rees followed Kai's gaze, glanced back at his team, and then turned back to Kai. "Don't worry about them. Trust me, when it comes to matters involving Kai, absolutely everything else can wait."
Kai let out a soft chuckle. "I'm flattered. It's incredibly obvious you've pitched a lot of projects in Hollywood." Because you know exactly how to butter someone up.
Gay-Rees didn't mind the jab at all. "A lot. A whole lot," he replied, even emphasizing the words for comedic effect.
Kai's posture relaxed. He offered an inviting gesture. "Then let's take a short walk. Let's try not to drive your colleagues to absolute despair."
The real reason?
John Elkann.
Kai was doing it on purpose. He knew Elkann was likely upstairs, looking down, taking in the entire scene. Some negotiations required ultimate secrecy, conducted in hidden shadows away from prying eyes. But other negotiations needed to be dragged out into the blinding daylight for everyone to see, ultimately transforming into leverage to guide the narrative and shift the balance of power.
Since Gay-Rees had willingly delivered himself right to the doorstep, Kai had no reason to waste the opportunity. He was actively displaying his bargaining chips, seizing the initiative in the overarching negotiation.
"So, how does it feel? Has it actually sunk in yet?" Gay-Rees asked with a warm smile.
Kai tilted his chin up slightly. "It did. In Abu Dhabi. For about... thirty seconds. And then, an official from the FIA came up to me and said I had to pick my car number immediately to prepare for the new season. All the magic vanished in an instant. I was just thinking, Wow, the 2018 season is already over. Just like that. Next up is 2019. Back to square one."
"Haha!" Gay-Rees couldn't control himself, letting out a booming laugh.
Kai continued, "I really hope you aren't here to interview me, because I've probably answered that exact question thirty-seven times already. The audience is definitely sick of hearing about it by now."
Direct, straight to the point, and brutally honest.
Gay-Rees gave Kai an appreciative look. Despite the bluntness of the words, Kai didn't come across as aggressive or confrontational at all. Everything felt incredibly relaxed. That level of candor and straightforwardness was as refreshing as a spring breeze.
He shook his head. "Of course not. If I were a journalist, I would have been fired years ago. I'm standing here strictly as a producer."
"So, I wanted to ask: next season, would you be willing to collaborate with Netflix to shoot a dedicated, personal documentary series?"
It was slightly surprising, but not entirely unexpected.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "You should know that the final decision doesn't rest in my hands."
Gay-Rees countered smoothly, "If you leave Ferrari, the decision rests entirely in your hands."
"Haha!" Kai was genuinely amused. Gay-Rees was truly a fascinating character. "But if I leave Ferrari, I might not be able to defend my title."
Gay-Rees slapped his thigh. "So you realize exactly what we missed out on! Netflix had the chance to witness history and capture every single second of it."
Kai nodded. "Absolutely. And I also know that if I fail to defend my title in 2019, Netflix is going to be extremely annoyed about the tens of millions of dollars they just wasted."
"Oh, no," Gay-Rees waved his hand dismissively. "You don't need to worry about them losing money. They have absolutely nothing left except money. Losing a little bit won't hurt them at all."
Hahaha! Kai laughed out loud again.
"Honestly," Gay-Rees continued, his tone turning serious, "what I want to document isn't your championship defense. It's Kai. A rookie driver, a generational genius who withstood unimaginable pressure, flipped the entire board, and authored a miracle. After experiencing such an impossibly magical season, how do you face your sophomore year? That is the story."
"So, whether you successfully defend the title or not is completely irrelevant."
"Which team you drive for is also irrelevant. Ferrari? Mercedes-Benz? Williams? I don't care. Because the camera only has one focal point, one main character: You."
"Your journey. Your adventure. How you cope, how you adapt, and your mental state. That is what our lenses want to focus on."
"Listen to me. Nobody predicted your 2018 season, but at the very least, Hamilton came incredibly, terrifyingly close to winning it. But your 2019 season? Nobody has ever experienced what you're about to go through. After rewriting the history books and creating a miracle, what happens next? You have no point of reference. No one can predict what is going to happen."
"That is the truly fascinating part. I'm hoping you will allow our cameras to witness it all, up close and personal."
He spoke unhurriedly, methodically laying out a grand, sweeping blueprint right before Kai's eyes.
It wasn't delivered with fiery passion or chest-thumping theatrics, yet Kai could clearly detect the absolute confidence woven into his words and expressions. And beneath that confidence, there was a surge of raw emotion—
An overwhelming surge of creative inspiration. The profound joy of a creator. The pure happiness of an artist.
It was exactly the same feeling Kai experienced when he strapped into a race car, pushed past the absolute limits, shattered his own boundaries, and caught a fleeting glimpse of an entirely new world.
Without a doubt, Gay-Rees had come fully prepared.
He wasn't just chasing the latest trending topic to farm cheap traffic. He had genuinely calmed down, taken a step back, and critically analyzed the 2018 season, deeply pondering the lingering echoes of the miracle and its inevitable chain reactions.
Clearly, Gay-Rees had realized something crucial: the sheer absurdity of Kai's meteoric rise was undoubtedly spectacular, but the truly brilliant narrative was the inevitable domino effect. Kai had brutally and unreasonably upended the entire established order of the paddock. Over the course of the next season, the reactions from the other teams and drivers, and Kai's subsequent counter-moves—that was the real meat of the story.
The 2019 season. The strategic reshuffling of the teams, the tactical adaptations of the drivers, the brutal on-track combat... and on top of it all, the unimaginable pressure and unpredictable variables that would ultimately fall squarely onto Kai's shoulders. He was the protagonist, but he was also a mirror, reflecting the entire spectrum of the paddock's humanity. Just imagining it was enough to guarantee it would be spectacular.
It would undeniably be the most compelling piece of television imaginable. It was infinitely more fascinating than simply whether Kai defended his title, or whether he chose Ferrari or Mercedes.
Of course, those topics were still incredibly exciting. But Gay-Rees wanted to grasp the very pulse of a changing era. Beyond mere documentation and presentation, he wanted to dig deeper.
In other words, Gay-Rees was highly ambitious. He desperately wanted to create a true masterpiece.
Shooting a standard F1 documentary only required turning the cameras on and documenting the events. The inherent cutthroat drama and backstabbing within the paddock automatically generated massive traffic. With a little clever editing and slight dramatization in post-production, it was incredibly easy to manufacture explosive talking points and break into the mainstream.
But shooting a documentary focused on Kai? Gay-Rees wanted to create. To unearth, to explore, to awaken. He truly believed they were standing at the crossroads of history, and that Kai was the lever capable of moving the earth.
The conversation continued for a while. Gay-Rees seemed to genuinely understand Kai. He didn't offer empty platitudes or paint unrealistic, pie-in-the-sky promises. He presented concrete, actionable concepts.
Although the details were still rough, there was no doubt that Gay-Rees had already sketched out a highly compelling framework.
When Gay-Rees finally took his leave and turned back to rejoin his waiting crew, Kai stood in place, watching the back of the incredibly ordinary-looking man slowly recede into the distance.
Kai couldn't help but marvel. So this is what artistic creation felt like. It was exactly like what they did in the race cars, pushing the absolute limits—taking a foundation of hard facts and using imagination to elevate it into something extraordinary.
"...I think it could be incredibly interesting." Returning to his quarters, Kai dialed Nicholas's number and recounted the entire saga involving Elkann and Gay-Rees.
Ultimately, navigating the deep waters of these negotiations and handling the follow-up details was Nicholas's job.
However, regarding Elkann, Kai and Nicholas had already reached a solid consensus. Everything was proceeding exactly according to their pre-determined plan. Gay-Rees, on the other hand, was a minor, unexpected variable.
Nicholas didn't hide his surprise. "I thought you strongly preferred maintaining a low profile. I mean, not just regarding your parents, but your presence on social media as well."
Ever since his explosive debut in GP3, Kai had been fiercely protective of his privacy, especially regarding his parents. He refused to let Lu Cheng and Jiang Mo's daily lives be disrupted, and he absolutely loathed the idea of the toxic negativity breeding on social media shattering the peace of their everyday existence.
Because of this, Kai had taken a massive step back from social media, practically vanishing into thin air.
"It's true. That hasn't changed," Kai shrugged lightly. "Nick, you know as well as I do. The toxic noise on the internet is highly corrosive. It can easily shatter any psychological defense. The arguments surrounding Yas Marina haven't stopped for a second, and I expect the new season will be exactly the same."
Nicholas let out a slow breath. "Kai, you don't need to pay attention to that noise. You should just ignore them entirely."
"I know. And I do. I ignore them completely. They can't hurt me. But... they can hurt my family and my friends," Kai stated rationally. "How do you think I found out about the Ocon situation? Because when they attacked me and realized I was completely ignoring them, they pivoted. They started sending vicious DMs attacking Charles and Anthoine."
"God damn it, Anthoine! How dare they attack someone as innocent as Anthoine? If Pierre hadn't told me, I never would have known that Anthoine's inbox was overflowing with vile death threats and abuse. I literally cannot comprehend how their brains function."
Nicholas's voice grew slightly tight. "Kai..."
Kai laughed. "Nick, don't worry about me. They can't hurt me. That kind of ugliness and sheer malice only serves to further highlight how pathetic and insignificant they truly are."
"But at the same time, I realize that the tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease. I can easily ignore them, but Charles and Anthoine aren't built for that."
"So, I figured I needed to step up. I need to make sure they keep their guns aimed squarely at me, rather than targeting innocent bystanders. Haven't you been constantly nagging me to hire a dedicated team to manage my social media accounts? Fine. You have my blessing. Get to work. Set up a massive target right there in the open, so they always know exactly where to direct their fire."
"You want a war? Fine. I'll give you a war."
Delivered with casual indifference, Nicholas could nevertheless hear the howling winds of a blood-soaked battlefield in Kai's words.
Nicholas shook his head slightly. Did those rabid haters really have no brains at all?
Just look at this past year. After the consecutive, agonizing DNFs in Baku and Barcelona, the tidal wave of negativity and mockery was overwhelming. How had Kai responded to that?
And look at the explosive internal war between Vettel and Kai. How had Kai retaliated on the track?
Anything that failed to kill Kai only served as high-octane fuel, making him exponentially stronger. Don't be fooled by his current silence. Throughout the entire off-season, all that toxic noise was slowly being converted into pure, volatile energy.
However, Nicholas wasn't about to waste a single ounce of sympathy on those losers. "I assume that isn't the whole story, right?"
Having worked closely together for two years, Nicholas was gaining a profound understanding of Kai. He knew Kai wouldn't easily be shaken or provoked into a massive shift in strategy just because of a mob of internet trolls.
"Mm." Kai hummed thoughtfully. "I mentioned the karting track and the youth academy to you before. Well, I ran into Fernando Monfardini at the base today. And it made me realize something. If I truly want to change the status quo—the situation at Ferrari, the state of the youth academies, and the entire landscape of motorsport in China—I need a vastly larger sphere of influence."
Weaponizing social media was one piece of the puzzle. The Netflix documentary was another.
In just one year, Kai was evolving rapidly. Not just in his lethal capabilities on the asphalt, but off the track, he was steadily maturing into a true leader.
"Did the Netflix team not discuss this project with you at all?" Kai needed to confirm his theory.
"No, they didn't." Nicholas shook his head. "Looking at how this played out, they must have zeroed in on you from the very beginning. They were planning to ambush you with sheer sincerity to win you over."
Kai nodded. "Well, at the very least, their opening move was incredibly solid. James said he's pitching an eight to ten-episode documentary series, but for now, they are solely focusing on a single season, exclusively documenting the 2019 campaign."
Nicholas paused. "A project of that scale... that's practically the exact same volume as the official F1 Drive to Survive series. If that happens, and if Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz ultimately agree to participate in Drive to Survive Season 2, won't your screen time in the official series be drastically reduced? Or worse, won't the footage be incredibly repetitive? How do you plan to balance the two?"
"I have absolutely no idea. Handling that kind of logistical nightmare is exactly why I pay you," Kai replied, perfectly happy to act as the absentee boss.
Nicholas laughed. "Alright, message received. Leave it to me."
His blood was pumping. He was already rolling up his sleeves.
The busier he got, the more energized he became. An entirely new world of possibilities was unfolding right before his eyes.
"And what about Toto? Are you fully prepared for that?" Nicholas hadn't forgotten the other massive item on the agenda. Kai's off-season was proving to be a non-stop, high-stakes gauntlet. "Are you absolutely certain you're okay meeting him alone? You don't need me to tag along? At least take Lorenzo with you."
"You know Toto will have everything meticulously prepared. He's laying a trap, just waiting for you to walk in so he can hit you with a devastating surprise attack. Are you really just going to waltz right through his front door like a lamb to the slaughter?"
"Ha!" Kai laughed out loud. "The more meticulously he prepares, the more it proves how sincere his intentions are. For us, that's a very good thing."