Chapter 328: 328: Unprecedented

"Kai! Around the outside!"

"Lando Norris tries to defend the position! But wait! A dummy move!"

"The Number 22 Ferrari cuts back to the inside! The McLaren Number 4 is caught off guard. Heavy standing water, the tires slip, and Norris runs completely off the track!"

"Wow!"

"Kai completes the overtake easily, moving up to ninth!"

"It's hard to believe. Norris is a rookie, and Kai is only in his second year. A gap of just one year, but Kai's racecraft makes Norris look incredibly clumsy."

...

"Pressure!"

"Räikkönen is feeling the pressure from Kai. Kai is trying to continue his climb up the order, but obviously, Räikkönen refuses to slide any further back."

"During the opening laps, Räikkönen was running as high as third. Alfa Romeo saw a glimmer of hope for a podium. But in the ensuing chaos, their pit wall reacted too slowly, and Räikkönen has already dropped to eighth. The 2007 World Champion doesn't want to lose any more positions."

"Beautiful!"

"Räikkönen's racing line in the wet is very clever. He forces Kai to take the outside. The Ferrari looks slightly unstable and can't launch an attack as planned. Räikkönen successfully defends the position!"

"But—"

"Hülkenberg!"

"A spin! The Number 27 Renault makes a mistake on the corner exit, blocking the racing line of the Number 7 Alfa Romeo."

"Number 22!"

"Kai!"

"He moves up! Side-by-side! Three cars are running three-wide down the straight! Goodness me!"

"Threading the needle! Adapting on the fly! Calm, but incredibly bold! Right after a failed attack, he immediately seizes the opportunity to launch a second one just one corner later!"

"Late on the brakes!"

The air seemed to freeze. All three cars displayed courage and audacity amidst the crisis, attempting to hold their ground. This was a true test of on-the-spot reactions.

Breaths caught in throats, eyes glued to the track.

The next second, passion erupted.

"Kai!"

"Absolutely spectacular! Unbelievable!"

"Kai seizes a fleeting window of opportunity, overtaking Hülkenberg and Räikkönen in one fell swoop! He's now up to seventh!"

"Jesus Christ!"

Climax after climax, highlight after highlight. It came in overlapping waves, drawing continuous gasps and cheers. The excitement caused involuntary tremors.

"We just witnessed an unparalleled performance from Kai at Silverstone, but here at Hockenheim, he is once again proving his mastery in the wet. An undeniable talent!"

However, as the saying goes, while the priest climbs a foot, the devil climbs ten. Hockenheim was showing another side of nature's wrath—

Fickle and ruthless.

Rain. Then the rain stops.

Rain again. Then it stops again.

The track conditions fluctuated constantly, drying out then getting wet again. If it were just that, it wouldn't be a major issue; they could just keep running on Intermediates. The real problem was the crosswinds. The constantly shifting wind direction pushed the cumulonimbus clouds around the circuit, meaning the location of the rain was always changing.

Consequently, track temperatures and moisture levels varied wildly. The wear on the Intermediate tires far exceeded expectations. Within a short time, the tread patterns were nearly worn flat. If it rained again, the worn Inters would be useless. So, should they switch to softs? But softs offered zero grip in areas with heavy standing water, making it feel like driving through a swamp.

Because of this, conventional pit strategies were thrown out the window. All teams were adjusting their tire choices in real-time based on track and weather conditions. Choosing the right tire was the key to gaining an advantage on track. As a result, the pit lane saw a constant stream of cars coming in for tire changes.

It wasn't just the tires; the cars themselves were in a state of instability. Any semblance of rhythm or control was swept away in the hurricane.

Drivers had to be cautious, extremely cautious. The cars were unstable, fragile, and overly sensitive. Pushing slightly too hard could break the balance—

Mechanical failure.

That was the scenario every driver feared most: being rendered completely powerless.

The changing weather and unpredictable track conditions were difficult to grasp. Let alone the pit wall, even the drivers on the track couldn't keep up with the rhythm. Strategy and planning were useless now; it all came down to improvisation and the ability to seize opportunities amidst the chaos.

Of course, that wasn't all.

A slight move affects the whole. The entire track descended into chaos due to these constant changes.

Although Kai excelled in wet conditions and chaotic races, where his abilities shone brightest, F1 wasn't street racing. He couldn't just do whatever he pleased. When the track was engulfed in a hurricane, the FIA's interventions became an additional disruptive factor.

Ricciardo suffered a power unit failure. His engine blew, trailing a thick plume of smoke as he pulled off the track and retired. The Safety Car was deployed, disrupting the race rhythm.

Sainz spun off the track, missing the wall by a mere tire's width. He struggled out of the gravel trap and limped back onto the circuit. Yellow flags in Sector 3. Speed restricted. The race rhythm was disrupted.

Giovinazzi spun and nearly hit the wall. Yellow flags in Sector 1. Speed restricted. The race rhythm was disrupted.

Leclerc spun at Turn 1 and nearly went off track. He fought the car and regained control, but dragged gravel onto the racing line, which needed to be cleared. Yellow flags in Sector 1. Speed restricted. The race rhythm was disrupted.

Wave after wave. The appearance of yellow flags acted as an emergency brake in the chaotic situation, shredding the race rhythm into pieces.

Even Kai was struggling to find his footing. Just when an opportunity arose, a yellow flag would appear, breaking his rhythm. Once he set up an attack, the rain would return, the tires would give up, and the rhythm was broken again. The use of DRS was enabled, then disabled, seemingly changing every lap.

The SF90 was undergoing an unprecedented test. Although the two in-season upgrades had widened its operating window, allowing them to push at the limit for longer, the erratic track conditions at Hockenheim rendered all simulator data meaningless. No one knew how much longer the SF90 could hold on.

The current situation was entirely uncharted territory for Kai. His nerves remained tense; he couldn't afford to miss the slightest change in the track or his opponents. On full alert and highly focused, he was no longer planning the race lap by lap, but tackling it corner by corner.

The smell of gunpowder filled the air. No one in the paddock was spared.

The track and pit lane at Hockenheim had never been busier. Cars seemed to be scrambling in every corner of the circuit, creating an absurd feeling that fires were breaking out everywhere. The running order was a complete mess. Even keeping a close eye on the race and watching every detail, if you looked away from the live timing for a second, the situation became incomprehensible, leaving you full of questions.

At some point, Leclerc had quietly moved up to second place, overtaking Bottas and Verstappen, and was now hot on Hamilton's heels.

However, Hamilton currently held a fifteen-second lead over Leclerc, so there was no immediate crisis. But in such a dizzyingly chaotic race, anything was possible. A fifteen-second lead in wet conditions offered no guarantees.

And then, it happened.

Norris suffered a power unit failure and was forced to retire at Turn 10.

Stroll, following closely behind Norris, failed to capitalize on the situation. Shockingly, he lost grip, spun 720 degrees, drifted past Norris, and also slid off the track. It was temporarily unclear if his car had sustained damage.

Safety Car, deployed again!

This was the third time in the race. The FIA reacted much faster this time, immediately deploying the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) and restricting speed across the entire track.

"Box! Box! Box!"

The first to react was—Ferrari.

Having lived through the nightmare of pit lane errors at Silverstone, Leclerc didn't repeat the mistake. He seized the opportunity and pitted without hesitation.

Green-walled Intermediates replaced by red-walled Softs!

Crofty gasped, crying out, "Ferrari has made a decisive call!"

In most cases, when the Safety Car is deployed, the race leader should pit. Otherwise, if the cars behind pit, the leader is left in an awkward position:

Pit on the next lap and lose track position.

Don't pit and suffer a tire disadvantage.

Analyzing the situation, seizing the Safety Car opportunity to take the initiative and pit first is usually the most logical choice for the leader.

However, today was a bit unique. This was already the third Virtual Safety Car, and the race was only on lap 27. The race was fractured. Different teams and drivers had pitted during the previous two Safety Car periods. Was there a need to pit again now?

It all happened too fast. Within the short span of ten to fifteen seconds, Mercedes and Ferrari made different choices.

Hamilton: stayed out.

Leclerc: pitted.

Based solely on this moment, Mercedes' composure seemed to hold the upper hand. Leclerc had closed the gap to Hamilton to fifteen seconds; by pitting under the VSC, he risked dropping behind Bottas, losing the chance to attack Hamilton.

But that was just the initial thought.

When people saw the Ferrari pit crew fitting red Soft tires onto Leclerc's car, the situation changed entirely. The first instinct was to look up at the sky.

The rain had stopped again.

Crofty didn't even need to check the weather forecast to understand Ferrari's choice.

Ferrari judged that the rain was stopping and the track would dry quickly. Leclerc was using the Safety Car opportunity to switch to soft tires and launch a pursuit.

In the rapidly changing, chaotic situation, the observation, judgment, and commands from the Ferrari pit wall today were exceptionally decisive. The double power unit failure in qualifying had backed them into a corner; they had no choice but to gamble.

Undoubtedly, it was a gamble. But if it paid off, Ferrari could turn the entire race on its head.

As Leclerc left the pit lane, Bottas and Verstappen were just entering the pit straight, having fully utilized the VSC to pit for fresh tires while maintaining their positions. They remained in second place, continuing to pressure Hamilton. Ferrari had executed a flawless pit stop operation.

The pressure was now on Mercedes.

Crofty couldn't help but hold his breath, staring intently at the track.

Lap 28. Hamilton still hadn't pitted.

Mercedes' decision was clear. They believed the break in the rain was just an illusion and that rain would continue to interfere with the race. Hamilton stayed out, continuing to lead and defend his track position.

At this moment, all of Hockenheim held its breath, silently praying. They had never desired rain so strongly, hoping it would come to Mercedes' aid.

Unfortunately, Hockenheim today was unpredictable. The sun came out.

Mercedes couldn't believe their eyes. The sun was actually peeking through in Sector 2, its golden halo chasing away the gloom.

Helpless, frustrated, and annoyed, Wolff controlled his emotions and decisively ordered a pit stop.

Lap 29. Hamilton finally pitted, preparing to switch to red Soft tires.

The Ferrari pit wall was on high alert. The information was relayed to Leclerc, and the Number 16 car immediately picked up the pace, attempting an undercut.

Although the plan had deviated slightly from its course—Mercedes hadn't stepped into the trap immediately—Mercedes had ultimately pitted. This was good news for Leclerc. His soft tires had already run for two laps, so they weren't as cold. Coupled with the track drying slightly, as long as he stuck to the dry racing line between the damp patches, he could push hard and make a real attempt at the undercut.

If successful, he would be leading the German Grand Prix.

Since Austria, the chance to fight for the win had arrived again. A warm feeling surged in Leclerc's chest, his fighting spirit burning bright.

Push—

News came through: a critical error in the Mercedes garage. Hamilton's pit stop took a staggering 5.6 seconds.

The crowd was in an uproar.

"This isn't the first time. During Bottas's first pit stop, the Mercedes crew faltered, taking 4.4 seconds. Clearly, the pressure is getting to everyone at Mercedes. The more they want to speed up, the deeper they sink. Their rivals must smell blood."

Brundle, ever the professional, accurately and sharply grasped the detail, dropping a bombshell that made the air at Hockenheim instantly tense.

Hamilton lost nearly three seconds in the pits. For Leclerc, this was a godsend.

Pushing to the limit—

Leclerc's focus was dialed up to the maximum, trying to firmly grasp the opportunity before him and leave his mark on the track.

"Charles, Hamilton has left the pits. Keep the rhythm. Keep the rhythm," Adami instructed, watching the screens.

Leclerc had just reached Turn 14. Despite the error in the Mercedes pits, expecting Leclerc to complete the undercut based on just one push lap was unrealistic. They needed to maintain their rhythm and fully utilize the advantage of having tires that were two laps older and warmer to close the gap to Hamilton.

Then, wait for an opportunity to overtake.

The words had barely fallen.

"What's happening—what's going on—"

"Oh my God, a Ferrari has gone off track and hit the barrier, stuck in the gravel trap—"

The air froze.

"Leclerc!"

Crofty clutched his head in disbelief.

"Last year at Hockenheim, Vettel crashed out of the race. Today at Hockenheim, misfortune strikes Ferrari again. Another car is out of the race, and this time it's Leclerc!"

On the live broadcast, Leclerc could be seen trying to drive out of the gravel trap and return to the track, refusing to surrender.

But the gravel trap was like quicksand. The car needed to be driven very carefully, very delicately; the slightest misstep would sink it deeper.

At this moment, Leclerc... seemed a bit too anxious. He watched helplessly as the Number 16 car sank deeper and deeper, the last ray of hope extinguished.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no—" Leclerc lost control. He grabbed his helmet with both hands, roaring in despair, slamming his hands against the steering wheel. Once, twice, again.

Brundle finally saw the slow-motion replay. From Turn 14, the Number 16 car had been unstable. "Absolutely zero grip."

"The track is still damp and cold here, with a floating layer of water. The car was very unstable."

And then, it happened.

"Leclerc wasn't even pushing flat out. It was just a slight bit of understeer, but a car with no grip is still going to lose control."

"Very unfortunate, very, very unfortunate."

"Since retiring due to a power unit failure in Monaco, Leclerc has been on an upward trajectory, getting closer and closer to his first career Grand Prix victory. Hockenheim presented an even better opportunity than the Red Bull Ring. Clearly, a win for this young driver is bound to come sooner or later, but it won't be at Hockenheim. He'll have to wait a little longer."

Brundle was about to point out that the VSC hadn't ended yet, and Leclerc's retirement had left debris and gravel scattered across the track, meaning Race Control would have to deploy the physical Safety Car. The chaotic race was escalating further. But the words caught in his throat took a sharp turn.

"It's raining."

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter. The sun, which had only been out for two minutes, hid away again. Unbelievably, it had started raining again near the main grandstand.

Wolff couldn't believe his eyes. They had been fooled by Hockenheim's weather once more. In reality, Hamilton hadn't needed to pit at all.

However, fortunately, Ferrari was the one suffering heavy losses. Even though Mercedes had been tricked, they hadn't suffered a real loss, unlike Ferrari—

"Ah!"

"Hamilton's in the wall too!"

Wolff abruptly stopped breathing, shooting up from his chair.

Chaos! Absolute chaos! The world had turned upside down!

Just as the entire paddock was reeling from the shock of Leclerc's unexpected crash, before Race Control could even dispatch marshals to rescue him, another wave hit.

Hamilton lost control at the exact same Turn 16, sliding off the track in the exact same manner and at the exact same angle, hurtling toward the barrier.

Then, stopping just a car length and a half behind Leclerc's position, he hit the tire wall.

Fortunately, the track marshals hadn't arrived yet, otherwise, who knows what might have happened.

Even more fortunately, because the Safety Car was deployed, Hamilton was driving under speed restrictions. The speed and impact of his collision with the barrier were effectively mitigated. This allowed Hamilton to maintain control of the car. Before his wheels could sink into the gravel, he slowly, carefully managed to free himself from the mud.

Lightning fast, constantly changing.

The broadcast was in the middle of reviewing the moment Leclerc hit the wall. Before it even finished, the director cut the feed and sharply switched back to the live broadcast. Without a moment's pause, Crofty saw the battered Number 44 Mercedes staggering out of the gravel trap.

"Goodness me."

The exclamation slipped out.

"Hamilton goes off at the exact same spot, but he manages to control the situation and return to the track."

Beside him, Brundle immediately grasped the key point amidst the chaos, cutting off his partner and instantly gripping the hearts of all Mercedes fans.

"The front wing! Hamilton has lost half his front wing!"

"Hamilton didn't just spin; he clearly made contact. His front wing is severely damaged. He cannot continue pushing on the track like this."

Just past Turn 16 was the pit entry.

As expected!

Without hesitation, Hamilton drove straight into the pit lane.

In a flash, the race leader became Bottas, with Verstappen hot on his heels. What was truly unbelievable was that Renault's Hülkenberg had somehow, stealthily, moved up to third.

However, the broadcast cameras had no time for the on-track action. They focused directly on the Mercedes garage. The hearts of Mercedes and Hamilton fans around the world clenched.

Brundle was no exception. He stared intently at the Mercedes garage, a sense of foreboding washing over him. The Silver Arrows pit crew had already made two mistakes today—

"They are not ready."

"The Mercedes pit crew is completely unprepared."

Like headless flies, they scrambled chaotically.

The front wing wasn't ready. The tires weren't ready. Finally, when the tires were mounted, Bono realized they had made a mistake.

Intermediate tires!

Because the rain had started again, they should have fitted Hamilton with Intermediates. Instead, the crew had just mounted Softs.

A mechanic frantically ran to grab the correct tires, only to be pushed back as soon as he emerged because he was holding Bottas's tires.

A disaster! An epic disaster!

In the paddock, the Mercedes pit crew was known for its stability and efficiency. They rarely made mistakes and consistently led the field.

The problem was that because they rarely made mistakes, when they did, it was often a fatal one—one that could cost them the entire race.

And that was exactly what was happening now.

50.3 seconds.

Generally, a tire change takes between 2.0 and 2.5 seconds. This time, the Mercedes pit crew took over fifty seconds before the Number 44 car finally departed.

Perhaps the only silver lining in this complete disaster was that the Safety Car was leading the pack, forcing all cars to drive at restricted speeds. When Hamilton rejoined the track, he had only dropped to fifth position, temporarily behind Toro Rosso's Gasly.

It wasn't a total catastrophe.

After Mercedes survived the scare, Wolff regained his composure. His trackside commands remained calm. Because of Hamilton's unexpected situation, they had missed Bottas's pit stop window. But Wolff still chose to make amends, calling Bottas in while the Safety Car was out.

After Bottas exited the pits, he found himself between Hülkenberg and Gasly, temporarily in third place.

At this point, the leader of the 2019 German Grand Prix changed again. Verstappen proudly occupied the top spot. Considering Red Bull's disastrous start, looking at the current scene made it hard to imagine what had transpired in the less than thirty laps since the race began.

However, the show was far from over. The climax hadn't even passed yet, let alone the ending.

When it rains, it pours—

The chain reaction from Hamilton repeating Leclerc's mistake at Turn 16 showed no signs of stopping. First, he was hit with a five-second time penalty for entering the pit lane incorrectly and creating a safety hazard. Then, he fell under investigation again for driving dangerously slowly behind the Safety Car.

Mercedes knew the FIA was kicking them while they were down. To quell the uproar from Silverstone, the FIA was adopting a strict posture, deliberately making things difficult for Mercedes. But amidst the chaos and panic, Wolff had no time to play games with the FIA. They needed to stabilize their footing as quickly as possible.

Bottas in third, Hamilton in fifth. They still had a chance to fight for the win and secure a double podium. They needed to seize the opportunity presented by Leclerc's retirement to widen the gap with Ferrari again. Wolff was calm and rational enough to prioritize. He quickly settled down.

However, Hockenheim today was truly... turning the world upside down. It wasn't targeting anyone specific; Hockenheim simply didn't intend to let anyone off easy.

Everyone present was treated equally. If the FIA wasn't going to renew its contract with Hockenheim, the circuit would leave behind a stunning lesson, ensuring everyone remembered its glory.

Rain. Wind. Rain stops. Sun comes out. Freak winds. Rain again.

Upending everything, turning day into night, Hockenheim seemed determined to give every driver an unforgettable experience, tossing them about with all its might.

On the track, almost every driver, without exception, was... struggling. They could only parry; they couldn't fight back.

Sliding, spinning, drifting, locking up—they tried every trick in the book.

Verstappen slid. Kai ran wide. Bottas spun. Räikkönen went off track and nearly hit the wall. Hamilton slid again and again.

It was too much to process!

Then, Hülkenberg, running in second, spun, hit the wall, and retired. This was probably the closest he had ever been to his first career podium, but he bowed out in a tragic manner—at the cursed Turn 16, following in Leclerc's footsteps. The Safety Car made its fourth appearance.

Then, the rain gradually stopped. The racing lines in Sector 2 and Sector 3 dried up. The pack, led by Verstappen, all returned to the pits for Soft tires. Unbelievably, Hamilton resumed the lead of the German Grand Prix. But no one expected that on the very next lap, the pack led by Hamilton would also pit for Soft tires. In a blur, the new race leader was Racing Point's Lance Stroll!

Six laps prior, Racing Point had chosen to gamble, bringing Stroll in early for red Soft tires.

At the time, no one paid attention to Racing Point, assuming they had lost their minds. But after everything cycled through, Stroll was incredibly leading the race!

Following closely behind was Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat, who had also taken the risk of switching to Soft tires early!

A Racing Point and a Toro Rosso. If this wasn't crazy enough, it was hard to imagine what could be more unbelievable in the current paddock.

Even the spectators at Hockenheim fell into a frenzy, cheering and whistling, finding joy in the absurdity and enjoying the spectacle before them.

If Mercedes was in trouble, then seeing Racing Point at the top wasn't so bad. As long as it wasn't Ferrari or Red Bull, it was fine. Besides, Racing Point was a Mercedes customer team; a win for Racing Point was, to some extent, a win for Mercedes.

What could be a more perfect, more astonishing way to conclude the 2019 German Grand Prix, pushing this insane race to an unmatchable peak?

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