F1: The Speed Legend

Just one look, and Kai instantly understood.

If Binotto genuinely believed that this was the absolute optimal moment to transition to the next critical phase, it heavily implied that Resta’s overarching role within the technical department was significantly more vital than Kai had initially assessed. Perhaps even more critical than he had dared to hope.

The time was now.

Kai looked directly into Resta’s eyes. He didn’t avoid the issue, and he didn’t waste time with diplomatic fluff. He answered directly. ”When I explicitly state that we need to actively manage the pace, it absolutely is not because the chassis is physically incapable of pushing harder. It is entirely because I am meticulously attempting to ensure the rhythm remains flawlessly fluid and unbroken for the subsequent five laps.”

Resta paused for a microsecond. But this time, his eyes didn’t dart away in panic.

”We are actively learning to adapt to this specific dynamic.” The core concept that the ultimate race rhythm was dictated by Kai’s intuition, rather than rigid telemetry models. ”However, the fundamental issue is this: the ’rhythm’ we observe in the data, and the ’rhythm’ you physically experience in the cockpit, frequently appear to be misaligned. To be brutally honest, I frequently find it impossible to decode your underlying thought process. It is an entirely unfamiliar, alien territory for us.”

Direct. Honest. And utterly sincere.

Kai finally understood exactly why Resta was so unbelievably crucial to this operation. Resta entirely lacked the toxic, ingrained arrogance and blinding prejudice of the traditional Ferrari engineers, who typically fiercely defended their ’expert’ domains and aggressively repelled any external ’interference.’ On the contrary, Resta was transparent and honest. In certain moments, he was even profoundly humble, bordering on deferential.

Therefore, Resta was willing to open the door to new possibilities. He was willing to act as the conduit, explicitly articulating the unspoken, embarrassing truth on behalf of the arrogant engineering department—

The reality was, they had absolutely never truly understood how Kai operated.

It was a profoundly humiliating admission. The traditional, prideful engineers would absolutely never confess to it.

A bright smile crept onto Kai’s face. ”I finally understand exactly why you were forced to leave Maranello.”

Resta: ??? Was he seriously violently poking him directly in the spine right now?!

The severe, suffocating tension inside the conference room instantly evaporated. The other engineers frantically averted their gazes, utilizing every ounce of their willpower to suppress their laughter.

Kai stood up. His tall, athletic silhouette effortlessly commanded the absolute attention of the entire room. Every single pair of eyes eagerly tracked his movements.

He stopped directly in front of the whiteboard and grabbed a marker. However, he didn’t immediately begin drawing. He casually spun the marker between his fingers, projecting an aura of absolute, unbothered relaxation.

It was glaringly obvious. Kai had already perfectly, flawlessly adapted to these intense technical debriefs—

Not only had he adapted, but he was fully capable of utilizing their own highly specialized engineering dialect to deliver a devastatingly effective response.

”You guys constantly demand a mathematical model. Fine. We will communicate exclusively using a model.”

”In your highly specific dialect, a Grand Prix is defined entirely by raw numbers. It is merely a sequential series of isolated data sets. But my reality is fundamentally different. I’m not entirely certain how Charles processes it; he likely inhabits an entirely different cognitive universe than either of us.”

Leclerc immediately felt the collective, burning gaze of the entire room snap toward him. He quickly raised both hands in a gesture of absolute surrender, offering a light shrug and a bright, innocent smile to assert his total neutrality.

Seizing the brief distraction, Kai turned back to the whiteboard and drew a single, continuous curve. It wasn’t perfectly smooth, nor was it symmetrically uniform. It featured aggressive peaks, extended plateaus, and several highly distinct, sharp inflection points.

Tap. Tap.

Kai lightly tapped the whiteboard with the marker, instantly dragging every single eye back to the diagram. ”For me, a Grand Prix is a single, continuous line. It must remain absolutely unbroken and perfectly fluid from start to finish. However, the internal structure of that line is defined by distinct phases: the setup, the development, the climax, and the conclusion.”

”My definition of ’rhythm’ has absolutely nothing to do with isolated, ultimate single-lap pace. It is entirely about the overarching ’Energy Curve.’ It is absolutely not critical to push flat-out on every single lap. The true mastery lies in flawlessly calculating the exact microsecond to violently shatter the equilibrium.”

”It perfectly mirrors the fundamental law of conservation of energy. We absolutely require moments of massive, explosive output. But to achieve that explosion, we must meticulously accumulate and preserve energy beforehand to maintain the overall dynamic balance of the chassis. Therefore, certain phases of aggressive pushing absolutely necessitate a subsequent, highly calculated deceleration to allow the systems to recover.”

Corrado Iotti, the Head of the Power Unit department, frowned heavily. ”If you intentionally decelerate, the inevitable consequence is a rapid, catastrophic drop in operating temperatures.”

”Correct.” Kai nodded firmly. ”But the temperature drop absolutely does not occur instantaneously.”

Kai tapped a specific point near the middle of the curve he had drawn.

”Right here. If I stubbornly continue to push flat-out, I might successfully gain a third of a second on this specific lap. But the inevitable, catastrophic consequence is that I will bleed a massive, full second over the course of the subsequent five laps.”

Kai shifted his gaze back to Iotti, his expression profoundly calm and resolute. ”You are obsessively focused on the immediate, mathematical average. I am entirely focused on the ultimate, final outcome.”

The room fell into a brief, contemplative silence.

Diego Ioverno, the Head of Vehicle Operation, straightened his posture, leaning slightly forward in his chair. ”Are you referring to delayed degradation?”

The corners of Kai’s mouth twitched. ”You can certainly label it that. But the phenomenon absolutely isn’t restricted exclusively to tire degradation.”

Kai was actively, meticulously searching for the precise terminology. He was desperately attempting to translate his highly abstract, visceral, sensory feedback into a concrete, quantifiable framework that the engineers could actually comprehend and utilize.

”If you analyze the raw telemetry in a vacuum, you will confidently assert that the temperature decay remains perfectly within acceptable parameters. You will also confidently assert that the fuel load depletion curve perfectly aligns with your projected degradation slope.”

In other words, the raw data reveals absolutely zero anomalies. Everything appears perfectly normal and entirely under control.

”However, in the brutal reality of the cockpit, the chassis and the asphalt absolutely do not care about your theoretical projections. The car will... lie to you. It will betray you. It will actively deceive you.”

The exact second the words left his mouth, Clear lowered his head and muttered under his breath, ”Sounds exactly like my ex-girlfriend.”

BOOM!

The entire room instantly erupted into loud, uncontrollable laughter. The heavy, suffocating atmosphere was completely, violently shattered.

Kai turned back to the whiteboard, his marker flying rapidly across the surface, but he didn’t stop talking. ”Jock, it sounds like you have some truly fascinating, tragic stories you need to share with the group.”

Hahaha—

Amidst the roaring laughter, Kai rapidly sketched several secondary, intersecting curves on the whiteboard.

Fuel depletion rate, brake core temperatures, front-axle load distribution, aerodynamic wake turbulence... The various, wildly fluctuating curves ultimately converged at a single, highly specific intersection point.

”When every single one of these catastrophic variables simultaneously trends in a negative direction, the chassis enters a terrifying ’Zone of Silence.’ It doesn’t violently shudder. It doesn’t massively lose traction and slide. But it completely, utterly stops providing me with any functional tactile feedback.”

”You engineers label this ’delayed degradation.’” Because everything appears perfectly normal on the telemetry until the absolute final microsecond, and by the time the catastrophic failure is finally visible on the monitors, it’s already far too late to salvage the situation. ”But from my perspective inside the cockpit, it feels exactly like a brutal, calculated betrayal.”

”It absolutely refuses to provide any immediate, early warning signs regarding the underlying failures. Instead, it waits until the exact, critical microsecond when I desperately need it to perform... and then it violently stabs me in the back.”

Leclerc nodded vigorously in absolute agreement—

This was the exact, agonizing nightmare he had experienced during the closing stages in Austria. Adami, his race engineer, had been analyzing the telemetry and saw absolutely zero anomalies. Yet, when Verstappen launched his massive, bayonets-drawn assault, Leclerc was fundamentally incapable of matching the Red Bull’s rhythm. The catastrophic, underlying flaws finally violently surfaced. By that point, both the driver and the race engineer were completely, hopelessly powerless to respond. Forget about launching a counter-attack; Leclerc had been reduced to desperately, pathetically trying to survive.

A heavy, contemplative silence settled over the conference room. Every single engineer was lost in their own profound thoughts.

Borreipaire was the sole exception. He implicitly, absolutely trusted Kai’s tactical judgments. From their GP3 days all the way to F1, they had encountered this exact, highly specific scenario countless times. And every single time, the ultimate outcome was identical: Kai was proven to be absolutely correct. Over the years, Borreipaire had meticulously developed his own highly specialized, intuitive operational rhythm for collaborating with Kai.

Borreipaire immediately spoke up, offering a crucial clarifying statement. ”Therefore, when you state over the radio, ’I need two laps,’ it absolutely isn’t because you have physically or mentally hit your absolute limit and desperately require a break to catch your breath—”

Kai nodded firmly. ”Exactly. It is a highly calculated tactical pause explicitly designed to force the chassis to start telling the truth again. ’Confess and be granted leniency; resist and face severe punishment.’ We absolutely must grant the mechanical systems a brief, critical window to ’think’ and stabilize.”

The lighthearted, teasing analogy once again successfully eased the heavy, suffocating tension in the room.

However, this time, there was no laughter. Resta immediately seized upon Kai’s explanation, aggressively pushing the inquiry further. ”The fundamental problem remains: we absolutely require a reproducible, quantifiable mathematical model.”

Exactly as anticipated, the other engineers universally nodded in agreement. Their collective gaze snapped instantly back to Kai—

They were fundamentally incapable of operating based on vague ’feelings’ or ’intuition.’ They absolutely required a rigid, defined framework. They absolutely could not abandon the safety of their data-driven models. It was completely antithetical to their entire operational philosophy.

”I am fully aware of that.” Kai wasn’t surprised in the slightest. ”Therefore, I am absolutely not demanding that you completely abandon your methodology and blindly follow my intuition.”

He paused for a beat. His eyes were blindingly bright as he slowly scanned the room, deliberately establishing direct, intense eye contact with every single engineer.

”We are a team. Do you remember?”

”You desperately need me, just as I desperately need you. The visceral, physical feedback I provide from the cockpit is explicitly designed to assist you in developing a vastly more profound, accurate understanding of the chassis’s actual behavior. The massive volumes of telemetry data you provide are explicitly designed to assist me in optimizing my driving inputs. We are absolutely, fundamentally indispensable to each other.”

”I am fully aware that I am an arrogant, wildly unhinged lunatic. But I am absolutely not delusional enough to genuinely believe I can build a World Championship-winning Formula 1 car entirely by myself using only my bare hands.”

Heh—Pfft—

Soft, suppressed laughter rustled through the room.

Binotto chimed in. ”I am profoundly relieved to hear you haven’t completely descended into madness and morphed into Dr. Frankenstein.”

Haha!

The atmosphere instantly became incredibly warm and collaborative.

Kai smiled brightly, seamlessly riding the positive momentum to deliver his ultimate point. ”I am asking for one thing, and one thing only.”

”Absolute trust.”

A single, powerful word. Exactly like a heavy stone dropped into a tranquil lake, it sent massive, violent ripples across the surface. The air in the room instantly, perceptibly thickened. It felt as though every single heart had momentarily stopped beating.

The instinct to aggressively argue, the urge to flare up in righteous indignation, the desire to launch sarcastic counter-attacks... a massive, primal wave of defensive resistance violently surged upward—

Trust? What exactly did he mean by ’trust’? Was Kai heavily implying that they didn’t already trust him? Or was he aggressively demanding that they blindly, unconditionally surrender to his absolute authority and obediently follow his every command?

What was the true, underlying meaning behind that specific demand?

However, this time... the room remained completely, utterly silent. The massive, concentrated effort required to suppress their aggressive impulses was palpable.

Binotto observed the scene with profound fascination. In less than six months, the deeply toxic, combative atmosphere of Maranello had genuinely undergone a massive, fundamental transformation. Even a mere month ago, a statement like that would have acted exactly like a drop of freezing water hitting a pan of boiling oil. Regardless of the ultimate outcome, it would have undoubtedly triggered a massive, violent screaming match.

Yet, today, there was absolute silence.

This was undeniably a massive leap forward. It was arguably a fundamental, systemic evolution. In the span of a few brief months, witnessing this level of restraint was genuinely unbelievable.

It wasn’t just Binotto; Kai was equally surprised. He had already mentally rolled up his sleeves, shifting fully into ’combat mode.’ He was fully prepared to verbally eviscerate the entire engineering department and once again put his phenomenal debating skills on full display.

And the result... was this?

Kai paused for a moment, waiting patiently. When absolutely no aggressive counter-attacks materialized, he simply continued.

”When I explicitly inform Pierre that I am ’managing the pace,’ I absolutely need all of you to stop constantly, aggressively harassing him, demanding that he order me to ’push harder and recover the lost time.’”

Ioverno clearly wanted to violently object. His mouth opened instinctively, but he miraculously managed to bite his tongue and suppress the urge.

Exactly as anticipated, Kai wasn’t finished.

”Because if I genuinely determine that I need to ’recover time,’ I will absolutely initiate a push phase on my own initiative. I hear every single piece of telemetry data Pierre feeds me.”

”But if I explicitly state that I am not going to push... it is entirely because I have already clearly identified the edge of the cliff.”

This... was the exact definition of the ’trust’ Kai was demanding—

Absolute trust in Kai’s tactical judgment. Absolute trust in his visceral perception. Absolute trust in his elite capabilities.

The air grew slightly heavier. The violently suppressed, churning emotions were glaringly obvious.

However, the reality of the situation had fundamentally altered. It wasn’t just the miraculous victories in Shanghai and Monaco. The agonizingly brutal, undeniable reality of what had just transpired in Austria was fresh in their minds. It provided evidence vastly more compelling than any verbal argument.

Enrico Cardile, the Head of Aerodynamics, had remained completely silent for the entire meeting. Now, he abruptly, yet perfectly, shattered the silence. ”Exactly which specific areas do you require our assistance with?”

It was a brilliant, razor-sharp question that struck directly at the absolute core of the issue.

By speaking up, Cardile became the very first elite, senior figure within the technical department—aside from Resta—to publicly, explicitly offer his direct support to Kai during a core technical debrief. Furthermore, the question itself perfectly aligned with the fundamental needs of the engineering team. It represented a massive, highly significant step toward establishing a genuine, collaborative partnership with Kai.

The timing was absolutely flawless.

It was glaringly obvious. The eyes of everyone in the room briefly flicked toward Cardile, but absolutely no one voiced a single objection. They universally turned their attention back to Kai.

Kai didn’t hesitate for a microsecond. He acted exactly as though he hadn’t even registered the intense, highly sensitive political dynamics at play. ”I will assume absolute control over the entry point of the rhythm phase. I require you to maintain absolute control over the exit point.”

He turned sideways and drew a highly specific, defined interval on the curve he had sketched on the whiteboard.

”Whether it’s an aggressive push phase, or a highly conservative management phase. I will unilaterally dictate exactly when to initiate the rhythm change. Your sole, critical responsibility is to flawlessly calculate exactly how long I can safely sustain that specific rhythm before suffering a catastrophic failure.”

Resta stared silently at the curve for a very, very long time.

Finally, he let out a long, slow exhale. A bitter, highly ironic smile touched his lips. ”I see. So, this is your definition of trust.”

”Heh.” A low, deep chuckle rumbled from Kai’s throat. ”Well, it’s certainly not the first time we’ve operated like this.”

Ioverno interjected, ”Interlagos was an incredibly unique, highly extreme anomaly. We possessed absolutely zero viable alternatives.”

Kai nodded in agreement. ”Correct. That is an undeniable fact.”

”However, I sincerely hope we absolutely never find ourselves forced into that desperate situation again this season. I absolutely do not want to be forced into a massive, do-or-die gamble solely because we have exhausted all logical options, betting our entire championship campaign on a pathetic 1% probability of success.”

”Currently, we still possess a 50%—okay, let’s be brutally realistic, at least a 49%—probability of success. I have consistently placed my absolute trust in your engineering. Now it is your turn to grant me that exact same level of trust. Allow us to proactively manufacture vastly more strategic possibilities without being forced to rely on desperate, high-risk gambles.”

”I have already conclusively proven my capabilities on the asphalt. Now, it is your turn to prove yourselves. Perhaps you haven’t successfully engineered an ’alien-tier’ chassis capable of directly matching the W10... but you are clearly still entirely willing to accept massive challenges and confront agonizing setbacks. You are willing to aggressively pursue an unknown, highly volatile possibility, rather than stubbornly, idiotically sitting here in Maranello living in a pathetic fantasy world.”

His tone was perfectly calm, yet the words were razor-sharp.

However, this time, the conference room remained completely silent. There were absolutely no furious counter-attacks. No loud protests. No bitter, sarcastic mockery.

The profound silence was actually making Kai feel slightly uncomfortable.

But this time, Kai didn’t rush to fill the void. He allowed the heavy silence to linger, granting them the necessary time to fully process his words.

Finally, Cardile looked up. ”If we officially commit to operating under this specific paradigm... we will be forced to completely rewrite at least fifty percent of the parameter boundaries within the simulator models.”

”Are you genuinely concerned that this massive workload might slightly delay your lunch hour?” The corners of Kai’s mouth curved upward. Faint, suppressed chuckles rippled through the room. ”The simulator is absolutely never the actual Grand Prix. It is merely a dress rehearsal.”

”If we are forced to execute a hundred grueling dress rehearsals to finally deliver a truly spectacular, flawless performance on Sunday... would you honestly prefer to execute ninety-nine rehearsals and agonizingly lose the Constructors’ World Championship by a fraction of a point, exactly like last season? Or would you prefer to execute one hundred and one rehearsals, violently crush Mercedes-Benz, and successfully reclaim our rightful place at the absolute summit of the world?”

The hot-blooded passion instantly ignited.

Leclerc couldn’t suppress a massive grin. He enthusiastically joined the banter, tossing in his own joke from the sidelines. ”But what about our required sleep schedules?!”

”Don’t worry. Right before the national anthem officially begins, you are fully authorized to sneak in a highly efficient, twenty-minute power nap. I will personally guarantee you are violently awakened in time. I absolutely refuse to let you suffer a massive FIA fine for being late to the grid.” Kai fired back without a microsecond of hesitation, instantly causing the entire room to erupt into uproarious laughter.

Perhaps Resta was the sole, solitary exception.

”But what happens if our exit calculations are catastrophically flawed?” Resta remained fiercely professional and hyper-focused.

Kai looked directly at him. ”Please, do not worry about that. I will aggressively, viciously curse you out over the radio until you are thoroughly drenched in my fury. I will meticulously ensure that every single member of this organization viscerally feels the absolute, terrifying magnitude of my wrath.”

Haha—Clap, clap—

The room exploded with roaring laughter and enthusiastic applause. It was incredibly lively. Especially when they looked at Resta’s expression of profound, utter innocence. The whistling and cheering escalated. They were thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

During the chaos of Interlagos last year, and again during the catastrophic nightmare in Monaco this year, the Ferrari pit wall had genuinely, viscerally experienced Kai’s unhinged, absolute fury. Absolutely no one wanted to trigger that terrifying monster. Usually, he was incredibly relaxed, constantly smiling, and effortlessly delivering brilliant, sarcastic jokes. He generally maintained an aura of absolute, icy composure. But the exact second he genuinely lost his temper... the resulting explosive shockwave was likely far beyond the capacity of an ordinary human being to endure—

Coincidentally, Resta had been completely absent during both of those massive, legendary blowups.

Therefore, every single person in the room was eagerly, excitedly rubbing their hands together, fully prepared to enjoy the inevitable show.

Resta was the only person completely, utterly lost. He was entirely excluded from the inside joke. He had absolutely no idea why everyone found the threat of Kai’s rage so incredibly hilarious. Instinctively, he turned toward Binotto, shooting him a desperate look for assistance.

Completely unexpectedly, Binotto simply turned his head and looked at Kai.

Resta felt a profound sense of utter doom. Bracing himself for the worst, he slowly turned his head back to Kai. He took a deep, shuddering breath. ”We honestly, genuinely believed that you operated the chassis entirely based on ’feeling’.”

Kai raised an eyebrow, projecting an aura of mild curiosity. ”And what exactly do you believe now?”

Resta replied, ”You operate the chassis entirely based on ’time’.”

The smile deep within Kai’s eyes slowly bloomed, spreading to the corners of his mouth. ”No. I actually do operate entirely based on ’feeling’.”

Resta froze.

Kai continued, ”I was simply attempting to locate a highly specific, functional intersection point. I was desperately trying to communicate with you utilizing a dialect you actually comprehend. I absolutely must understand your perspective, but simultaneously, you absolutely must understand mine. However—”

Since these stubborn, dogmatic engineers had rigidly refused to adapt... Kai had been forced to take the initiative and bridge the massive chasm himself.

Thinking about it objectively... throughout the entire meeting, Kai had exclusively utilized highly technical engineering dialect to communicate. He had utilized their own specific language to forcefully drag them directly into the driver’s visceral, sensory world.

That specific capability was genuinely, profoundly awe-inspiring.

Resta stared at Kai, his eyes wide with absolute, profound shock. Following the conclusion of the Melbourne Grand Prix, the massive rumors regarding Kai’s brutal, face-to-face confrontation with the engineering department had spread like wildfire. He had firmly believed the rumors that Kai was a fiercely arrogant, utterly lawless tyrant who utilized his ”veto power” to completely disregard the expertise of the engineers.

But looking at the objective reality playing out in front of him... the people who were truly arrogant and completely oblivious to reality... were the engineers. It had been true from the very beginning.

...

By the time the massive technical debrief finally concluded, it was well past midnight. The entire town of Maranello was completely, deathly silent. Even within the massive Ferrari complex, this was the absolute only light still burning.

The crowd slowly dispersed. The conference room was littered with scattered, crumpled notes and monitors that hadn’t yet been powered down. The air still carried the heavy, residual energy of the intense, passionate debates.

Kai turned to look at Leclerc. ”Is everything alright?”

Throughout today’s massive, overarching strategy session, the core rhythm had undeniably been entirely dictated by Kai. In other words, the fundamental direction of the team’s developmental path was heavily, explicitly anchored to Kai’s specific requirements.

Leclerc and Kai possessed fundamentally different driving styles. The highly specific tactile feedback they required, and the ultimate developmental directions they prioritized, were absolutely not perfectly aligned.

Therefore, Kai felt it was absolutely necessary to ask.

Leclerc nodded firmly. ”Of course.” Meeting Kai’s gaze, he flashed a genuine, bright smile. ”I am being completely honest. Although our requirements regarding specific micro-details differ significantly, our overarching, fundamental goals are perfectly aligned. This is exactly what I desperately wanted to see. I desperately need them to actually listen to my feedback. I absolutely require my specific opinions and technical suggestions to generate tangible, functional responses.”

”And now, we are finally, undeniably moving in that exact direction.”

”Regarding the highly specific micro-details... I need to sit down with Riccardo and meticulously organize the data. Then we’ll need to schedule a separate, highly intensive deep-dive session. But I honestly believe that following the massive breakthrough today, those subsequent conversations will be vastly smoother and significantly more productive.”

It was entirely, 100% genuine.

Ferrari occupied a massively, profoundly elevated position in Leclerc’s heart. It possessed an almost sacred, completely untouchable aura. Therefore, he was always terrified of openly criticizing the team. More often than not, he internalized all the blame, violently hoarding the responsibility onto his own shoulders. He constantly punished himself, repeatedly plunging into toxic, agonizing spirals of severe self-doubt and brutal self-torture.

But today, Kai had successfully opened the door to an entirely different, vastly healthier paradigm—

The absolute primary focus was no longer obsessively hunting for a scapegoat to blame. The focus was now entirely on mutual collaboration and absolute trust, working together to actively solve the catastrophic problems staring them in the face.

This massive shift undeniably brought Leclerc a profound sense of relief.

Not only was the tension in his smile significantly lighter, but his entire demeanor became vastly more energetic. Leclerc vigorously shook his head. ”I had been desperately, frantically searching for the accurate terminology to describe exactly what happened during the final laps at the Red Bull Ring. The physical sensation was glaringly obvious. It was undeniably present. But despite expending a massive amount of energy, I completely failed to make them comprehend the reality.”

”I absolutely never anticipated that you would manage to flawlessly articulate it today using only a handful of sentences!”

As he spoke, Leclerc’s voice involuntarily rose in pitch. His expression was completely, totally relaxed.

And then, Leclerc noticed Kai’s gaze shift. He followed the line of sight and spotted Binotto entering his peripheral vision. Leclerc hastily attempted to reign in his enthusiasm. ”Mattia.”

A warm, genuine smile touched Binotto’s eyes. He patted Leclerc affectionately on the shoulder. ”It appears the agonizing disappointment of Austria is officially in the rearview mirror. Your recovery is highly impressive.”

”Please, do not worry. Your first Grand Prix victory is absolutely inevitable. It is merely a matter of time.”

From the shadows behind them, a highly exaggerated, deliberate cough echoed.

Binotto’s smile widened significantly. ”Of course, there is also the massive, terrifying issue known as Kai. Missing out on the ultimate victory this time was undeniably, profoundly frustrating.”

Leclerc aggressively pretended he couldn’t see Kai. Adopting an expression of supreme, unshakeable confidence, he declared, ”As far as I’m concerned, none of that is a problem.” But the exact second the words left his mouth, Leclerc hastily offered a quick goodbye. He didn’t linger for a single microsecond, rapidly accelerating his pace and practically sprinting out of the conference room, looking exactly as though a terrifying monster were aggressively hunting him down—

It was completely unclear whether he was more terrified of Binotto or Kai.

Watching Leclerc make his hasty escape, Binotto finally turned his full attention back to Kai. He studied him closely for a long moment.

”So. Is this the actual, underlying reason you aggressively lobbied to delay the massive aerodynamic overhaul until after the summer break?”

Kai raised an eyebrow, completely failing to mask his genuine surprise and profound bewilderment. ”I honestly assumed you had already deduced that. Our absolute, most critical, most urgent priority is forcing the chassis to behave more predictably and become vastly easier to control under the constraints of our current aerodynamic package. You explicitly agreed with that assessment, which is exactly why you officially approved this highly specific upgrade path.”

”I genuinely thought we had established a flawless, unbreakable consensus on this issue.”

Since Melbourne, the Ferrari technical department had acutely recognized the massive crisis. The performance gap between the SF90 and the W10 was astronomically large. If they continued to rely exclusively on the current iteration of the chassis, not even Kai could manufacture enough miracles to magically alter their ultimate destiny. They absolutely had to implement massive upgrades, and those upgrades required a fundamental shift in direction.

The absolute most critical target was the aerodynamics.

Within the massive array of upgrade proposals drafted by the technical team, one specific option advocated for a massive, radical aerodynamic overhaul. They planned to introduce entirely new floorboards, heavily revised sidepods, and a radically altered diffuser package at the French Grand Prix. The explicit goal was to fundamentally, violently alter the baseline competitiveness of the SF90 before the championship battle became too hopelessly entrenched, desperately attempting to rapidly close the gap to Mercedes-Benz.

However, after meticulously reviewing the proposal, Kai didn’t just run the standard simulator tests. He personally visited the wind tunnel to profoundly, intimately analyze the underlying aerodynamic philosophy and the core engineering principles driving the massive update. Following extensive debates and highly complex technical discussions, he reached a definitive conclusion.

From Kai’s highly analytical perspective, this specific, massive aerodynamic overhaul was merely violently swinging the pendulum from one extreme absolute to another. It might successfully resolve a few existing problems, but it was mathematically guaranteed to spawn a massive swarm of entirely new, terrifyingly unpredictable issues. The drivers, the engineering team, and the strategy department would all be forced to completely restart the agonizing process of finding a functional equilibrium. It wouldn’t resolve the immediate, localized symptoms, and it certainly wouldn’t cure the fundamental, underlying disease.

But Kai couldn’t explicitly state those facts. If he voiced those specific concerns, he would be instantly sucked into a massive, overwhelmingly complex, and highly ambiguous debate regarding the fundamental principles of ’Aerodynamics.’ It possessed the terrifying potential to escalate into a massive, philosophical war regarding core chassis design. Not only would it completely fail to resolve the immediate crisis, but it would undeniably generate a massive mountain of highly complex, incredibly frustrating new problems.

Therefore, Kai didn’t aggressively veto the proposal. Instead, he presented a highly calculated alternative. The massive aerodynamic overhaul could wait. The absolute, overriding priority should be highly targeted, localized upgrades. Building upon the existing, known foundation, they needed to grant the drivers vastly more operational control and stability. After all, the SF90 had already conclusively proven it possessed genuine competitive pace on highly specific circuits. It simply wasn’t consistent enough.

It was a brilliant, subtle tactical pivot, and it had successfully secured Binotto’s full endorsement.

Kai genuinely believed that, given Binotto’s elite professional background and massive intellect, he had immediately recognized the profound, underlying strategic depth of the proposal. He thought they were in perfect sync.

But now?

Binotto slowly shook his head, a soft, knowing smile playing on his lips. ”No. What I mean is... before dragging the organization into a massive, fundamentally disruptive, and highly traumatic aerodynamic overhaul... you explicitly chose to prioritize establishing a rock-solid foundation of absolute trust.”

Those highly targeted micro-adjustments, those meticulous refinements... they were essentially a massive, highly calculated psychological exercise designed to violently shatter the entrenched barriers and forge genuine connections. It was entirely about flawlessly integrating the drivers directly into the absolute core of the technical department.

In the future, when Kai inevitably raised massive, fundamentally critical objections regarding core design philosophies, the two sides would be fully capable of engaging in vastly more efficient, highly direct, and genuinely productive communication.

Ultimately, Ferrari had officially abandoned the massive, highly disruptive aerodynamic upgrade originally planned for France. Instead, they had introduced a package of four highly targeted, localized micro-upgrades in Austria. And the results had been undeniably, spectacularly successful.

One calculated step at a time. Flawlessly balancing advanced technical development with highly complex human collaboration. It had to be said, Kai’s overarching master plan was terrifyingly brilliant. Even Binotto had only just fully comprehended the true, massive scope of Kai’s ultimate intention today.

Basking in Binotto’s highly appreciative gaze, Kai didn’t offer a direct confirmation. ”So, entering Silverstone, we aren’t planning to introduce any further massive upgrades, correct?”

Binotto instantly understood the pivot. The smile in his eyes deepened significantly—

From France to Austria, every single move on the board had been meticulously calculated to prepare for the subsequent phase. As expected from an absolute master tactician. Kai’s crosshairs were already firmly, aggressively locked onto the British Grand Prix.

”Correct. We will not,” Binotto nodded firmly. The absolute, critical priority for the upcoming race at Silverstone was officially formally transferring absolute control over the race rhythm directly into Kai’s hands.

This massive operational shift required extensive testing and flawless synchronization.

Kai tilted his chin up slightly and began enthusiastically rubbing his hands together. ”It appears this year’s trip to Silverstone is going to be incredibly, spectacularly entertaining.”

Last year at Silverstone, Kai had secured a massive podium finish, crossing the line in P3 behind Vettel and Hamilton. Clearly, Kai was aggressively targeting a significantly higher step on the podium this year.

Binotto easily decoded the implication. ”Oh? I honestly had no idea you harbored such a profound, deep-seated emotional attachment to Silverstone.”

A teasing, highly amused light flashed in Binotto’s eyes. ”I understand why the other drivers on the grid feel that way. They’ve been violently brainwashed since childhood, constantly bombarded with endless narratives about ’Silverstone, Silverstone, Silverstone.’ They all universally worship it as the absolute, undisputed holy grail of Formula 1. But why on Earth do you share that sentiment? We are Ferrari. Our absolute, undeniable home is Maranello. Silverstone holds absolutely zero historical or emotional significance for us.”

Kai waved his hand dismissively. ”No, I absolutely do not possess a romantic attachment to the circuit. Silverstone... is merely Silverstone. However, if Silverstone possesses massive, profound, near-mythical significance for certain other individuals... then conquering Silverstone holds massive, undeniable significance for me. Just try to visualize it: violently crushing their absolute greatest superhero, directly in front of their fanatical home crowd, and brutally seizing the ultimate victory.”

He paused for a beat. The smile on his lips was practically overflowing with pure, unadulterated, highly cunning mischief. ”Wow. Honestly, how could anyone possibly resist getting completely, wildly hyped for that?”