Chapter 327: 327: A Chaotic Battle

Since Kai first stepped onto a Formula 1 track, he had set numerous records and rewritten history, his every footprint marking the dawn of a new era.

People had grown accustomed to this, almost losing their capacity for surprise.

But today, his record of reaching Q3 in every qualifying session since his rookie debut officially ended, freezing at the number thirty-one.

When it actually happened, the shock rippled through the paddock, wave after wave.

A power unit failure brought an end to an unparalleled, nearly unapproachable record. More importantly, anyone with eyes could see that without this failure, the streak would have undoubtedly continued. Kai hadn't been aiming to extend a record; he was aiming for pole position.

This made the scene unfolding before them all the more regrettable.

Q1 was still frantically underway, but the spotlight was firmly fixed on Kai.

Taking off his helmet, Kai's expression was grave. He immediately engaged in a discussion with Clear and Mekies. Everyone assumed he was complaining about the power unit failure. At a time when the competition among the top three teams was continually heating up, the timing of the failure couldn't have been worse. It wasn't just Kai and the Tifosi; even neutral fans felt a pang of frustration for him.

In reality... the conversation was indeed about the power unit, but it wasn't about this race. It was about the SF1000.

Maranello had unwavering confidence in the Ferrari power unit. The design philosophy of the SF1000 was entirely based on its strength and stability. If the power unit developed issues, the entire SF1000 project could collapse. They had just been discussing this very topic in Maranello the previous week, and now, a failure had occurred at Hockenheim.

Clearly, the team needed to thoroughly investigate the situation.

Experiencing his first Q1 exit of his career, the Ferrari garage suffered a heavy blow. Their ambitions had crashed into a brick wall. It was a difficult feeling to describe. However, the focus and composure Kai displayed quickly drew their attention back. After a brief moment of wavering, the garage regained its footing.

Meanwhile, the battle on the track continued with intensity.

Kai's unexpected retirement didn't alter Williams' abysmal performance; Russell and Perez remained firmly anchored to the bottom of the timesheets. What was slightly surprising, however, was a conflict between McLaren's Norris and Toro Rosso's Gasly.

During their second flying laps, Norris appeared to 'block' Gasly, ruining the Toro Rosso driver's lap. Norris explained that he was also on a flying lap but made an error in that corner, ruining his own lap as well; he had absolutely no intention of blocking anyone.

Gasly wasn't buying it, unleashing a barrage of curses over the team radio.

As Q1 concluded, Norris, Gasly, Russell, Perez, and Kai were eliminated.

Unexpected results piled up. No one anticipated Racing Point and Alfa Romeo both advancing, while McLaren and Toro Rosso were relegated to joining Williams at the back.

The audience quickly realized this was merely the beginning. This year's Hockenheim was destined to be a classic, delivering one dramatic moment after another.

In Q3, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Hamilton, Verstappen, and Leclerc launched a fierce, uncompromising assault on pole position.

With Kai unexpectedly out, Leclerc immediately stepped up to fill the void. With Bottas's confidence taking a hit and his qualifying form dipping, Hamilton shouldered the pressure. Bouncing back from their struggles, Red Bull rallied, with Verstappen once again proving his talent.

Although it wasn't the expected three-way battle, the intertwined fight among the top three teams still provided endless thrills, drawing gasps from viewers everywhere.

And then—

"Wait..." Crofty paused. "No!"

He cried out, unable to stop himself as the words tumbled out.

"No, no, no, no, no!"

"The Number 16 Ferrari is returning to the pits. Leclerc has climbed out of the cockpit, taken off his helmet, and is retiring."

A wave of shock washed over the circuit.

The surprise was so profound that Hockenheim forgot to react, the crowd unable to believe their eyes.

Ferrari's second car had suffered a power unit failure. Leclerc was eliminated in Q3, bringing a premature end to Ferrari's qualifying campaign at Hockenheim.

In the garage, Kai and Mekies quickly exchanged a glance. After the initial shock, a hint of resignation appeared in their eyes.

From last year to this year, the strength and stability of the Ferrari power unit had been unquestionable, leading the entire grid. While occasional issues occurred, they were limited. No one expected to witness a major disaster where both Ferraris retired from qualifying with mechanical failures in such a crucial and important race.

People finally realized what Kai meant when he said they still faced significant challenges. The victory at Silverstone was just a small step forward. The Hockenheim weekend had barely begun, and Ferrari had already suffered a heavy blow.

Kai had performed exceptionally well on his first flying lap in Q1, topping the timing sheets. However, as other cars completed their second flying laps, Kai's time was pushed down to eleventh. Because Kai had taken a new power unit, incurring a ten-place grid penalty, he would start the race from twentieth.

Dead last.

Leclerc faced a similar fate. Due to a power unit change, he would start the race from tenth.

Trying to mount a comeback from those positions at Hockenheim would be incredibly difficult.

The fierce, deadlocked competition among the top three teams had its balance shattered in a classically unpredictable motorsport fashion.

The entire Ferrari garage was visibly stunned, sinking into frustration and despair. Leclerc, in particular, looked deeply pained.

This was supposed to be his chance to take up Kai's mantle and lead the team forward, much like Kai had done at Hockenheim the previous year. Instead, it had evaporated in such a hollow, powerless way. He knew better than anyone that opportunities like this didn't come around often.

Amidst his annoyance and frustration, Leclerc looked up and saw Kai standing nearby, looking his way. "The race is in your hands now, Ferrari's little prince."

The self-deprecating joke successfully brought a smile to Leclerc's face.

The broadcast, however, didn't have time to dwell on Ferrari's double failure. The fierce battle for pole between Verstappen and Hamilton was entering its final stages.

Hamilton, who had been playing catch-up from free practice through the first two segments of qualifying, finally returned to his familiar spotlight. He was the first of the top three drivers to head out for his second flying lap in Q3.

After struggling throughout the weekend and failing to produce any standout moments, Hamilton delivered a perfect lap, showcasing an unparalleled synergy between man and machine.

1:11.767.

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

Not only did this provisionally secure pole, but he was also the first driver of the entire Grand Prix weekend to break into the 1-minute, 11-second bracket.

Collective shock. Jaws dropped.

"Ah!"

In the Mercedes garage, Wolff clenched his fists and cheered, abruptly leaping to his feet, knocking his chair over in a moment of unrestrained jubilation.

Amidst the roaring crowd, no one found this strange. They simply assumed Mercedes, under immense pressure, had finally broken free. But only a very select few truly understood Wolff's feelings in that moment—an excitement and joy that defied description.

On the radio, Bono repeatedly praised, "Epic! Epic!" Under pressure, battling a high fever, Hamilton had achieved an incredible feat.

However, the celebration couldn't be fully unleashed yet. Hamilton was the first of the top contenders to finish his lap. Even with both Ferraris out, Verstappen was still in hot pursuit.

Albon failed to breach the barrier.

Bottas also failed.

Thousands of eyes converged on the final car crossing the line: the Number 33. Verstappen, too, failed to break the barrier.

1:12.113. This earned Verstappen his first front-row start of the season, but he couldn't surpass the benchmark.

Hamilton on pole!

Hearts hung high in throats, breaths held tight, muscles tense to the extreme, until the moment Verstappen crossed the line and the final order was confirmed. The entire Mercedes garage erupted. All of Hockenheim erupted. The track transformed into a sea of silver.

From free practice to qualifying, from Austria to Britain and now Germany, Mercedes had faced numerous setbacks both on and off the track recently. The heavy, stifling frustration in their chests had found no release. Yet they kept their heads high, striding forward, waiting for this exact moment.

"Ah!"

Under unbelievable pressure, Hamilton secured his toughest pole of the season at Hockenheim, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Full of twists and turns, this qualifying session was full of surprises. No one predicted the beginning, and no one predicted the end. The German Grand Prix was welcoming the 125th anniversary of motorsport in the most thrilling way possible, reducing all rationality to ashes.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

The venue boiled over.

Amidst the noise and madness, Wolff managed to calm down. He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression stern as he watched the aerial shots of the silver sea on the broadcast. A resolute, determined gleam shone in his eyes.

No one understood the weight of this pole better than Wolff. Just as Hamilton had said, this was a must-win race with no room for retreat. They were ready. No matter how many tests or obstacles fate and reality threw their way, Mercedes would secure the victory.

He straightened his back, lifting his chin and pushing his chest out, a fire burning in his eyes.

Undeniably, the 2019 German Grand Prix had delivered surprises from the start, proving once again the endless potential of this circuit.

Hamilton breaking through the siege to take pole was just the first layer of excitement.

Verstappen second, Bottas third, Albon fourth.

With both Ferraris out of contention due to power unit failures, Mercedes and Red Bull were locked in a tight battle. Verstappen edged Bottas by a mere 0.016 seconds to claim his first front-row start of the season, while Albon also secured his first top-two-row start.

It was foreseeable that the upcoming race would feature a very, very special start.

The real highlights were yet to come.

Räikkönen, fifth!

This was not only Alfa Romeo's best qualifying performance of the season, but it was also the first time since the 1985 South African Grand Prix that they had out-qualified both Ferraris. While the mechanical failures of the Ferraris were a factor, Räikkönen's 'God lap' couldn't be ignored.

And it wasn't just Räikkönen. His teammate, Giovinazzi, also set a season-best, ultimately qualifying eleventh.

No wonder the Alfa Romeo garage was jubilant after qualifying, hugging and high-fiving. Their celebratory atmosphere rivaled that of Mercedes.

Industry insiders quickly grasped the key point: Ferrari might have missed out on qualifying due to power unit failures, but no one should underestimate their current competitiveness. Their dominance in free practice wasn't an illusion. A quick look at the excellent performance of Ferrari's customer team offered a glimpse of the bigger picture.

Alfa Romeo's stellar performance was one thing; Haas's showing was equally impressive.

Grosjean qualified sixth, just behind Räikkönen, while Magnussen took twelfth, trailing Giovinazzi.

All signs indicated that Ferrari remained a force to be reckoned with this weekend, especially Kai. He wouldn't quietly stay at the back of the pack.

Looking at it from another angle, the starting positions of the two Ferraris were indeed terrible. It had been a long, long time since they found themselves in such a compromised situation. For Kai, starting dead last was a career first. The difficulty of the challenge was unimaginable, and everything was unknown.

During the post-qualifying interview, Kai stated, "It's a new experience. I'm trying to view the race from all the different positions on the grid, and then we'll see where we end up at the finish. I'm looking forward to it. It's a different experience and a fun challenge."

There was no trace of frustration. His eager, ready-to-fight posture sent shivers down the spines of the midfield teams, reawakening the fear of being dominated by Kai, reminiscent of Singapore the previous year.

Clearly, the midfield teams did not want to see this scenario. If they had a choice, they would prefer Kai to be at the front, competing with the top three teams.

Please pick on someone your own size, alright?

However, the situation wasn't an utter disaster. Due to the dogfight within the midfield, Ferrari wasn't guaranteed to emerge unscathed. Behind Räikkönen and Grosjean were McLaren's Sainz, Racing Point's Stroll, and Renault's Hülkenberg, qualifying seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively.

In other words, the six positions behind Mercedes and Red Bull belonged to six different teams. It was a chaotic mix.

It was foreseeable that the race would feature a chaotic battle. When a dragon swims in shallow water, it gets teased by shrimp; when a tiger descends to the plains, it gets bullied by dogs. The lofty Ferrari was drawn into the chaotic midfield battle. The full-scale collision of different strategies, different drivers, and different circumstances left a large question mark over what would happen next.

The facts soon proved this to be true.

On Sunday, it rained.

Hockenheim, surrounded by forests, might not be as difficult to predict as Silverstone or Interlagos, but rain interference was always a persistent nuisance.

Just like in 2018, it rained again at Hockenheim in 2019. This time it was slightly different. The rain started early Sunday morning. It was as if the sky had torn open, a torrential downpour cascading down. Even indoors, the roar of the rain sounded like a waterfall.

As time passed, the rain gradually subsided. The noisy downpour faded into a quiet drizzle. By early afternoon, the thick cumulonimbus clouds on the horizon began to part slightly, revealing a hazy white light, like the belly of a fish. The weather was finally improving.

However, this wasn't necessarily good news, as the track conditions became even more complex.

It was raining only on parts of the track. Sector 2 was mostly dry, while the latter half of Sector 3 and the first half of Sector 1 were still wet. Some areas had severe standing water, while in others, the track surface was visible. The uneven track temperatures were further amplified. Add in the classic Hockenheim forest crosswinds, and the track conditions were constantly changing—uncontrollable and unpredictable.

For every driver, this would be a severe test. Similar to Silverstone, yet entirely different, no one could accurately grasp the overall situation. They had to rely entirely on on-the-spot reactions, placing incredible demands on both mind and body.

As expected, it did not disappoint.

The race began with chaos right from the start.

The pit straight and the first half of Sector 1 were situated precisely in the rain zone. While the rain wasn't currently falling hard enough to severely limit visibility, the damp surface and uneven standing water posed a stern challenge. More critical than reaction time, the grip of the car on cold tires would dictate the start.

Mercedes once again showcased the W10's excellent performance. While other cars struggled for grip on cold tires during the start, Hamilton and Bottas launched steadily, firmly controlling the situation. They took the lead going into Turn 1, with Bottas even utilizing Hamilton's slipstream and a great launch to execute a clean overtake on Verstappen.

It was perfect.

Compared to the Silver Arrows' beautiful start, the Red Bull cars had absolutely no grip. It wasn't just a lack of grip; the Number 33 car even spun its wheels off the line.

An ambitious and confident Verstappen tried to make waves early on. His reaction time was excellent, but the tires spun, and the car wobbled in place like a spider on roller skates. Forget attacking; he couldn't even manage a normal start.

A disaster! A complete and utter disaster!

A slight move affects the whole.

The situation unfolded like a row of dominoes. Verstappen was the first to fall, triggering a chain reaction behind him. Albon, starting fourth, Grosjean, starting sixth, and others were all caught in the fallout, suffering a poor start and falling into a terrible position right off the line.

Not only did Bottas, starting third, smoothly overtake, but Räikkönen, starting fifth, also moved up. The qualifying order was instantly scrambled.

Splash—

The standing water in Turn 1 and Turn 2 was severe. The Intermediate tires kicked up a wall of water. All that could be seen was the leading Number 44 car. The dense white mist continuously stacked up, completely obscuring the cars behind. Sitting in the broadcast booth, Crofty struggled to immediately identify the unfolding battle.

"Hamilton—Bottas—"

He paused.

Crofty squinted. "Is that an... Alfa Romeo?"

"Räikkönen!"

After just Turn 1, Räikkönen had moved up to third, while Verstappen had plummeted to fourth.

Worse still, the Red Bull had zero grip. It continued to wobble and slide in the standing water. Verstappen had no energy to mount a counterattack; instead, he found himself tangled with Albon, Sainz, and other pursuing cars. Turn 1 was exceptionally crowded amidst the water spray.

In Turn 2, navigating a floating layer of water, Bottas lost control, ran wide off the track, and took a long detour before thrillingly rejoining the circuit.

Yet, despite this, Verstappen still couldn't catch up, and even Räikkönen following closely behind failed to seize the opportunity.

The cold tire conditions in the rain were truly abysmal. The Mercedes W10 instantly stood out, its forgiveness for errors fully displayed.

At this point, poor visibility made it impossible to observe the big picture. They were flying blind, their fate entirely in the hands of Lady Luck.

Based on past experience, a slight lack of attention could trigger an epic, multi-car pile-up. The broadcast booth watched intently, holding their breath.

Miraculously, disaster did not strike. Despite the chaos, the crowding, the frequent contact, and the numerous cars sliding off track, there were no severe collisions. All the cars managed to navigate the heavily flooded first half of Sector 1 without major incident, entering the relatively drier sections with a mix of lingering fear and relief, finding order amidst the chaos and bumps.

Crofty unleashed an impassioned, rapid-fire commentary, trying to sort through the chaos, reorganize the running order, and understand the track situation.

But everything was happening too fast. There was no time to think; the words bypassed his brain, driven entirely by instinct.

"Grosjean and Hülkenberg make contact!"

"Sainz goes off track!"

"Kai seizes the opportunity and continues to climb the order!"

The words had barely left his mouth when Crofty paused: Wait, Kai? Why is Kai here? Isn't this the midfield pack?

During this brief pause, Brundle's steady voice smoothly cut in, filling the audio gap. "An unparalleled start from Kai!"

"It's only been five corners. He hasn't even left Sector 1, and he's already climbed six positions. Uh, currently running fourteenth."

Five corners, six positions.

Starting from twentieth, with just one launch, he instantly rocketed up to fourteenth. Who knew how Kai had managed it?

Although everyone knew Kai wouldn't quietly stay at the back and had been anticipating his performance from the start, the scene unfolding before them was still shocking.

The immediate thought in everyone's mind was: Where's the replay?

However, the broadcast cameras couldn't keep up. The volume of information was immense. Whether it was Kai continuously overtaking six cars or Verstappen's disastrous start costing him two positions and drawing him into a melee, there simply wasn't time for immediate replays. The real-time events on track were overwhelming.

"Not just Kai, Leclerc is also climbing through the field. He's now up to seventh."

"Wow. Ferrari is like a pride of lions hunting on the African savanna. No mercy. The race has barely started, and they are already making waves."

"Unbelievable! Albon has absolutely no grip. The Number 23 car is struggling immensely in the spray, looking like it's in slow motion."

"The Red Bull cars lost all their advantage at the start. Now Albon and Sainz are going wheel-to-wheel! Sainz is trying to overtake, and Albon is using every trick in the book to defend his position, refusing to slide further down. The Red Bull drivers are experiencing a nightmare start to the race."

But... when did Albon and Sainz get tangled up?

Who am I? Where am I? Who is in front, and who is behind? How did the positions change?

There was no discernible pattern.

Everything was chaotic, a muddled mess. Like a hurricane sweeping through, the rankings and positions continuously shifted and swapped. Things were happening in every corner of the track.

Across the entire field, only Hamilton, leading securely on his own, was clear, definitive, and obvious to everyone. Behind him lay endless chaos.

The rain fell like drumbeats, akin to electronic music, chaotic and loud, unreasonably disrupting the order of the entire paddock.

If it was this chaotic for Crofty in the broadcast booth overlooking the track, it was even worse for the drivers on the circuit. No one knew their exact position. In the pervasive water spray, visibility was terrible. In that moment, the only thing they could focus on was the car directly in front of them.

Honestly, Kai didn't know his position either.

More accurately, he didn't have the time or energy to ask Borreipaire right now. He had to take it one step at a time.

For now, Kai was behind Giovinazzi. Whether Giovinazzi was falling back or moving forward didn't matter.

Entering the second lap, track conditions remained awful. Puddles appeared and disappeared, as did the rain. Grip on cold tires remained unstable. What was most urgently needed right now was patience and focus. He couldn't rush; any slight deviation could turn into a mistake.

It was like walking a tightrope.

Just as he thought this, in the hazy spray ahead, a flash of yellow slipped off the track, wobbling and nearly out of control. Kai, fully focused, reacted swiftly. Seeing the car attempting to rejoin the track, he promptly yielded the racing line, successfully passing it and climbing another position.

Kai glanced in the rearview mirror. The figure struggling to return to the track was likely... Ricciardo.

Before he could process the thought, another cloud of spray erupted ahead. A silhouette spun 360 degrees, completely losing control on the track. The tires churned up water like a tsunami, crashing down. Kai gripped the steering wheel tightly, steering in the opposite direction to yield space, avoiding the extending spray. His body was tense to the extreme, carefully dancing on the knife's edge.

If he ran over debris or collided with a wrecked car, he needed to be able to react instantly.

Eyes peeled, ears sharp. In just a brief moment, he successfully navigated past the Racing Point car, continuing forward steadily.

A quick glance revealed the car had hit the barrier. Although it was impossible to tell immediately if it was Vettel or Stroll, the front wing and tires were damaged. Barring any miracles, they likely couldn't continue the race. More importantly, there was no gravel trap there; the car was stopped just outside the white track line.

Safety Car!

Kai immediately grasped the key point. "Pierre! Watch for signals, Safety Car might be deployed. Box! Box!"

Borreipaire tensed up, closely monitoring the track dynamics.

The car that had hit the wall was indeed Vettel.

Giovinazzi and Kai were the first witnesses to the accident. Sector 3 immediately deployed yellow flags, but the cars in the points positions ahead hadn't noticed the commotion yet and didn't have time to react. Hamilton had already passed the pit entry, leading the pack.

The memory of Leclerc missing his pit stop window during the Safety Car at Silverstone rushed back. The still-fresh memory gripped his heart. Borreipaire couldn't help but hold his breath, fully focused, instantly entering the highest state of combat readiness, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Boom, boom, boom—boom, boom, boom—

A frantic drumbeat seemed to pour down. The entire Ferrari garage was primed and ready, like a fully drawn bow. The nightmare of Silverstone absolutely could not be repeated.

This was a gamble. Everything was about timing. If the Safety Car wasn't deployed, the pit wall couldn't act rashly. Their tense nerves were stretched, stretched further, stretched to the absolute limit, ready to snap. Watching car after car pass the pit entry safely—and this was only the second lap of the race—the continuously escalating chaos and instability had broken the limit, leaving everyone at Ferrari forgetting to breathe.

Leclerc, passed. But Race Control still hadn't deployed the Safety Car. The Ferrari pit wall could only hold their ground.

The world froze; utter silence.

It wasn't until Albon and Sainz passed that the Safety Car lights illuminated. Race Control finally deployed the Safety Car. Borreipaire immediately waved his arm toward the back.

"Box! Box! Box!"

Giovinazzi... missed the pit entry.

In fact, Alfa Romeo, situated at the far end of the pit lane, watched Ferrari's frantic activity with a confused expression, completely failing to understand what was happening.

The next second, Vasseur finally saw the Number 22 car appear at the pit entry, shattering the calm. He smacked his forehead in frustration.

Damn it!

By the time the Alfa Romeo garage realized what was going on, it was far too late for the pit wall to contact their driver. They watched the opportunity slip away.

On the second lap of the race, Ferrari's Number 22 driver, Kai, broke the deadlock and was the first to pit. Hockenheim was instantly drowned in a sea of question marks.

What was going on?

Kai had started from twentieth with a new power unit and fresh tires. Now he was pitting on lap two? Had he suffered another mechanical failure?

The Tifosi's hearts leapt into their throats, ready to burst. But in just a short moment, the tension and anxiety transformed into a collective burst of fireworks.

Tires!

This was the key. For today's start, almost all cars had chosen the Intermediate tires. The championship contenders and podium hopefuls were all in sync.

The rain had stopped, the track was drying, and the clouds were slowly parting. The weather forecast had also reduced the chance of rain for the afternoon from 90% to 30%.

All signs pointed to a race transitioning from a wet to a dry track. Switching from Intermediates to soft slicks was the mainstream tactical choice for all teams.

However, the actual track conditions defied expectations. There was more standing water and lower temperatures. It was under these conditions that Red Bull had absolutely no grip at the start. The advantage they had painstakingly built during qualifying vanished entirely, and Albon had been steadily losing positions on track.

Even more bizarrely, before the first lap was even complete, it started raining again in Sector 3. The sparse drizzle was intensifying at a visible rate. By the start of the second lap, the parts of the track that had begun to dry were wet again, and a layer of water was forming.

Everything was changing too fast. Now they were at a crossroads again.

Continue using Intermediates, switch to fresh Intermediates, or even switch to full Wets?

In the previous race at Silverstone, when all other drivers switched to Intermediates, only Kai and Hamilton persisted on slicks.

That gamble paid off handsomely, as the rain didn't last long, and the temperatures even soared later on, leaving the Intermediate runners struggling in the second half of the race.

So, what about now?

How long would this rain last? How heavy would it be? What would their competitors choose? Following Silverstone, Hockenheim was staging another massive brawl!

In a short span of thirty to sixty seconds, the strategy teams' minds raced, utilizing data models and computers to calculate different options and probabilities, assessing risks, and formulating strategies.

However, competitive sports are ever-changing. While the strategy teams were still calculating, the track situation shifted drastically, presenting a brand new scenario.

Vettel hit the wall; the Safety Car was deployed.

Because of this, Kai displayed his decisive side, making the snap decision to pit.

Swapping Intermediates for fresh Intermediates.

When Kai left the pit lane on fresh green-walled Intermediates, the entire pit lane sprang into action. The Tifosi finally realized what was happening.

Originally, the decision to change wet tires required further consideration, as the weather was unpredictable. But the deployment of the Safety Car broke the balance.

Seize the opportunity; pit while you can.

While actively hunting and continuously climbing positions, Kai didn't hesitate or get bogged down in the immediate fight. Instead, he took a macroscopic view and acted decisively. He refused to abandon long-term strategic planning for a short-term advantage. This level of calmness and decisiveness was truly impressive.

Especially considering the Ferrari pit wall had just suffered a painful lesson at Silverstone.

Brundle couldn't help but marvel again. "Kai's judgment and control over the shifting dynamics of a race are incredibly sharp. He might be unique in the paddock today in that regard."

Crofty turned to look at him. The name 'Lewis' had reached the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back. Hamilton was indeed slightly inferior in this specific area; Bono's importance was far greater than outsiders imagined. At the same time, the trust the Ferrari pit wall placed in Kai was the best proof. Although Borreipaire had long proven his capabilities, there was no doubt that in this partnership, Kai was the protagonist.

Pausing, Crofty looked back at the track, holding his breath. Kai wasn't a prophet; he couldn't be right every time. But his sharpness and keen insight were undeniably formidable weapons.

So, what about this time? Were Kai's judgment and choice correct?

Crofty had a premonition that Brundle's commentary had already revealed the answer.

Everything unfolded exactly as expected.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter. The rain started falling again. A fine mist created a cyan haze, blending the lush green forest with the pale gray sky. The first and third sectors of the track grew wet again, and the second sector followed suit.

On the second lap, the only drivers to act preemptively were Kai and... Toro Rosso's Gasly.

By the third lap, the entire pit lane was bustling. Led by Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Räikkönen, Hülkenberg, Leclerc, and the rest all pitted for fresh Intermediates. Seeing the rain intensify, some teams even switched to full Wets, attempting a bold gamble.

Amidst the noise and frantic activity, there was too much happening to notice a single detail:

The Mercedes garage made a rare mistake. Bottas's tire change took 4.4 seconds, far below the pit lane average.

However, it didn't matter. Due to the rain, the track was in chaos. When Bottas returned to the circuit, he hadn't lost any positions. Furthermore, with the Safety Car leading the pack, the small amount of time lost in the pits was inconsequential and wouldn't affect the rest of the race, so no one paid it any mind.

More importantly, there were more noteworthy events happening on track.

Amidst the wave of pit stops, Haas's Magnussen and Racing Point's Stroll chose to gamble, staying out on track. They refused to follow the crowd and change tires. Relying on this strategy, their rankings shot up.

Magnussen surged to fourth, and Stroll climbed to seventh.

Gasps of surprise and admiration filled the air. There was no energy left to focus on a trivial Mercedes pit stop error.

And the surprises didn't end there.

"Under our close watch, Kai has still—somehow—managed to avoid radar detection like a submarine, quietly moving up to tenth and entering the points!"

"But where's Giovinazzi?"

"Fifteenth?"

"Wow!"

"This—for God's sake, the race is only three laps old, and Kai, who started twentieth, has legitimately fought his way into the points. Can someone tell me exactly how Kai managed this?"

Too busy to keep up!

At the same time, too many things were happening simultaneously. The situation was changing rapidly, leaving no time to catch a breath.

The only certainty was that Kai had seized the opportunity, carved a path, and blazed through the meat grinder of the fierce midfield competition. He had entered the points and was temporarily acting as the gatekeeper.

Clearly, Kai wouldn't be satisfied with this; he would continue his charge forward.

This wasn't the first time, and it undoubtedly wouldn't be the last, that Kai used concrete actions to prove he was the best driver in the paddock at navigating chaotic battles. His wild, unrestrained street-racing roots made him feel right at home in messy situations, always finding a breakthrough and turning the tide.

However, today seemed slightly special.

To welcome the 125th anniversary of motorsport, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Silver Arrows making their name in F1, and also to prove that it deserved a spot on the F1 calendar, Hockenheim pulled out all the stops, ready to compete with Interlagos and Silverstone.

Chaos came in waves. The paddock drivers deeply experienced what it meant to feel small in the face of nature.