From Ferrari to Mercedes to Red Bull, the "Big Three" took turns making their moves. On-track duels and strategic gambits collided in a cloud of smoke!
Who would have thought that the battle for the lead of the race would be between Daniel Ricciardo and Kai Zhizhou?
Amidst continuous gasps of disbelief, goosebumps erupted from head to toe. Adrenaline pumped relentlessly, setting the Singapore night on fire.
However, the world inside the cockpit felt slightly different.
It felt familiar, yet fundamentally distinct. This was Singapore, not Monaco.
Right now, Kai couldn't even see Ricciardo's car. On the broadcast, he was indeed chasing Ricciardo, sitting temporarily in P2. But in reality, Ricciardo was over five seconds ahead. Through the endless twists and turns of the street circuit, Kai couldn't even catch a glimpse of the leader's shadow. Naturally, he felt no direct pressure from ahead.
Not only that, but behind him, Hamilton (who had just pitted) was 14 seconds back. After Perez pitted, Verstappen, Vettel, and Bottas were all queued up behind Hamilton. They were bunched together, fighting tooth and nail, but their battle had absolutely nothing to do with Kai right now.
Kai was running alone in a vacuum, entirely isolated. It was a stark contrast to the perceived image of a tense, bayonet-to-bayonet dogfight.
However, it was precisely this kind of situation that tested a driver the most.
On the surface, Kai was just turning laps. But he needed imagination. He had to visualize his position on the track relative to his unseen opponents. The visual cues he normally relied on were gone; he had to construct a 3D mental map of the race to maintain his rhythm.
The importance of the race engineer on the pit wall suddenly skyrocketed.
True, Vettel's early pit stop had broken the stalemate, forcing rivals to pit prematurely to avoid the undercut. But even without that, the Intermediate tires wouldn't have lasted much longer on the rapidly drying track. Everyone pitting was just a matter of time. The top three teams were simply fighting over the timing.
But looking at it another way: if Vettel hadn't broken the stalemate, could the Intermediates have lasted a few more laps?
The answer was yes.
Just look at Ricciardo. Running in clean air at the front, he was completely in the zone, dictating the pace.
It was easy to guess Christian Horner's strategy. No one knew Kai's plan—one stop? Two stops? But Hamilton was undoubtedly on a one-stop. So, Ricciardo's target right now wasn't Kai; it was Hamilton. Ricciardo was using Hamilton's lap times as his benchmark to push his own pace.
The goal: Overcut Hamilton.
Even if that failed, overcutting Verstappen, Vettel, or Bottas would still significantly improve his final position.
At the same time, Horner hadn't forgotten about Kai. Even if Red Bull couldn't predict Ferrari's strategy, they could disrupt Kai's rhythm.
If Ricciardo pushed, Kai would have to push to chase him. That would accelerate the wear on Kai's Soft tires. Whether it ruined Kai's pace at the end of the race or forced him into an extra pit stop, Red Bull would create opportunities for both of their drivers.
Of course, this entire strategy hinged on the tires. It depended on how long Ricciardo's Intermediates could last, and where their absolute limit lay.
Otherwise, all the scheming would be for nothing.
So, while Kai seemed to be driving a lonely race, his communication with Pierre Borreipaire was busier than ever.
The tension mounted. Pierre was sweating profusely, his shirt drenched. Yet, he still found the mood to joke.
"Oh, Kai, you're so naughty. Are you sure this is a good idea?" Despite the words, a wide smile spread across his face.
Kai's voice came through the radio. "Sorry, teacher. They started it."
"Haha!" Pierre lost it. "Then hit them back hard. Like Mike Tyson."
Red Bull had dug a hole, hoping to bury Kai in it. But Kai and Pierre weren't going to take it lying down. They decided to play along, pretending to fall into the trap, with the ultimate goal of making Horner drop a rock on his own foot. In this game of chess, everyone was making their moves. Who would have the last laugh would depend on track execution.
Then, the broadcast showed Kai going into full push mode.
"Kai goes purple!"
"Fastest lap updated again, and it's Kai!"
"Wow, Kai continues to smash the fastest lap of the race!"
Fans at home could barely contain their excitement as the purple sector alerts popped up continuously on the screen.
Kai. Kai. Still Kai.
After Lap 20, with the Soft tires up to temperature and the track fully dry, Kai was violently extracting every ounce of potential from the rubber. He put on a solo masterclass, delivering a spectacle that kept adrenaline levels peaking.
A tidal wave of pressure surged toward Ricciardo.
Initially, the Red Bull pit wall smirked. The rookie took the bait. Hot-headed and impatient, pushing blindly to catch up.
Right into our hands!
But that smugness didn't last long. Horner soon realized the danger. Ricciardo was feeling immense pressure, and his Intermediates were dying.
The plan was perfect: Ricciardo uses Hamilton's pace as a benchmark. But now, Kai was violently asserting his presence, forcing Ricciardo to react. Red Bull's overcut strategy was under severe threat.
In just seven laps, Kai was like the little boy on the tricycle in The Shining—blink once, he's closer; blink again, he's right behind you.
Seven laps, four seconds closed. Kai was now in Ricciardo's DRS zone.
The heatwave exploded. The tension instantly maxed out. No one could ignore Kai's overtaking prowess.
"Daniel, stay calm," Horner's voice was steady. "You can do this. I have faith in you. Keep pushing to your rhythm and defend."
Easy for Horner to say from his chair. Ricciardo's reality was different. The steering wheel vibrated; the understeer on corner exits was worsening. "Christian, the tires are blistering. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold on."
Horner calmly reassured him. "You can do it, because you are Daniel Ricciardo. In Monaco, with a broken engine, you held off Sebastian Vettel for the entire race. If it's you, you can do this. Just hold on a little longer."
On one hand, Horner truly hoped Ricciardo could pull off the overcut on Hamilton. On any other track, Red Bull would have abandoned it, but in Singapore, it was worth the gamble.
On the other hand, Horner was gambling on a second Safety Car.
Because of this calculation, even with Kai in DRS range, Red Bull kept Ricciardo out.
Horner knew Daniel well. Ricciardo needed encouragement. With the right motivation, the Honey Badger could unlock 200% of his energy.
It worked. "Roar! Superman Ricciardo is here!" Daniel shouted over the radio, his competitive fire reignited.
"Ricciardo vs. Kai!" Close-quarters combat was about to commence!
However, just at that moment, someone next to Horner warned him, "Ferrari in the pit lane."
Horner: ??? Damn it! We've been played!
The air froze.
Buzz. Shock and bewilderment hung in the air. People forgot to breathe.
From the pit wall to the grandstands to the commentary box, everyone was rubbing their hands together, expecting a spectacular dogfight between Kai and Ricciardo.
Earlier, Kai had carved through the midfield, but those cars couldn't match Ferrari's pace. Red Bull was different. They were fully capable of challenging Ferrari. Even though Kai's Soft tires were far superior, the layout of Singapore heavily favored Ricciardo's defense.
When Kai entered DRS range, an epic battle seemed inevitable—a sequel to Shanghai and Monaco.
But then, the Ferrari pit crew suddenly sprang into action.
The shock hit everyone like a lightning bolt. The entire Singapore circuit fell into stunned silence.
What was happening?
Was Kai pitting? That didn't make sense. Ricciardo's Intermediates were surviving on a dry track; how could Kai's Softs be dead after only 23 laps?
Then... Vettel?
Was he giving up because his Ultrasofts weren't working?
But pitting meant losing track position. Vettel wouldn't be stupid enough to ruin his own race by giving up track position in Singapore just because he was stuck!
Baku, Monaco, Singapore—all street circuits are the same. Tires are important, but track position is king.
Look at Ricciardo: 26 laps on Intermediates and refusing to pit, holding the lead.
So, what was Ferrari doing? Kai finally gets into DRS range, and they shoot themselves in the foot?
Mechanical failure? Wrong call? A dummy pit stop?
Wait—
A realization hit Horner. Mercedes at Monza!
Was Ferrari trying to replicate Mercedes' fake pit stop from Monza? Trying to trick Ricciardo into pitting so Kai could inherit the lead, use his tires to block everyone, and seize control of the strategy?
If a Safety Car came out later, Kai could pull off a massive overcut miracle like in Melbourne and beat Hamilton again.
If that was the plan, Ferrari's strategy team was truly shining today. From Monza to Singapore, they had evolved. Was this Arrivabene's doing, or Pierre Borreipaire's?
Horner had no time to ponder. His mind raced, and he showed the decisive ruthlessness of a top team boss.
"Stay calm. Everyone stay calm."
He wasn't talking to Ricciardo; he was talking to the Red Bull pit crew.
They refused to react!
Red Bull wouldn't fall for the trick. They stuck to their plan and watched.
Horner turned slightly, looking at the Ferrari garage next door, waiting for their next move.
Then, at the end of the pit lane, a flash of red appeared. It was Number 22!
It wasn't a dummy. Kai actually pitted. The Ferrari crew was calm and orderly, clearly prepared.
Instantly, everything became clear. Another, far more terrifying possibility gripped Horner's heart, turning his blood to ice.
A chain of traps!
It was premeditated.
For the past seven laps, Kai had been setting fastest laps, applying relentless pressure, forcing Ricciardo to burn through his dying Intermediates to stay ahead.
Kai had used a kamikaze strategy—hurting his own tires just to destroy Ricciardo's.
Then, the Ferrari pit wall waited until Ricciardo and Kai were in Sector 3 to suddenly posture for a pit stop.
If Red Bull fell for it and pitted Ricciardo, Kai would stay out and lead. His Soft tires probably still had some life left.
If Red Bull didn't fall for it and left Ricciardo out... Kai pitted immediately to execute an undercut.
Not an undercut on Hamilton, Verstappen, Vettel, or Bottas. An undercut on Ricciardo!
Ferrari wasn't greedy. They weren't trying to eat the whole pie in one bite. They dug a specific hole just for Ricciardo, aiming to climb the ladder one step at a time. Obviously, Kai knew his aggressive charge had ruined his Soft tires; he needed a chance to change them anyway.
From the moment Kai pitted on Lap 3, he never intended to one-stop. He was planning a two-stop all along.
And now, armed with fresh tires, Kai would launch an all-out assault on the cars ahead!
Flawless calculation! Interlocking rings!
From the setup to the execution, they had completely outplayed Horner. They had even predicted his thought process.
Horner's back was covered in cold sweat.
Red Bull thought they were digging a grave for Kai, but they were the prey all along, walking blindly into Ferrari's trap.
Who the hell came up with this strategy?!
But Horner had no time for regret. In F1, variables are infinite. No calculation is absolute.
This seemingly flawless strategy had one vulnerability. If Ricciardo pitted immediately on the next lap and emerged ahead of Kai, Kai's undercut would fail. Then, Kai would be stuck behind Ricciardo on tires of similar age. The roles would be reversed.
Ricciardo would have the tire advantage to attack the leaders, while Kai would be stuck eating his dirty air.
This was Red Bull's lifeline! They could hijack Ferrari's strategy and turn the tables!
"Box, box, box!" Horner ordered, finding his footing amidst the shock and chaos.
On the Ferrari pit wall, Pierre saw the movement. "Kai, they are boxing next lap. Full push required."
Kai didn't reply verbally, but Pierre saw the telemetry spike. Kai was in qualifying mode.
The race ignited again.
Lap 27. Kai pits. He exits behind Bottas, the gap less than two seconds.
Lap 28. Ricciardo pits to cover him.
Ferrari gave it everything; Red Bull adapted instantly. Horner gave Kai exactly one lap to make the undercut work. Earlier, Vettel had failed to undercut Hamilton. Could Kai rewrite the script?
The spotlight turned to the pit exit.
On the right, Ricciardo was exiting the pit lane.
On the left, Kai was tearing down the main straight.
On the broadcast, it felt like slow motion. You couldn't tell their exact relative speeds. You just saw them converging toward Turn 1.
"Here they come! Here they come!"
"Kai is pushing to the absolute limit! Flat out!"
"Ricciardo exits the pits! They are going to meet at Turn 1!"
"Ricciardo has the inside line! He's closer to the apex! Kai sees him and knows he has the positional disadvantage!"
"Late braking!"
"Kai squeezes every drop out of the car and the track!"
"Ricciardo brakes late too!"
"Wow! Ricciardo locks up!"
A puff of white smoke.
"Kai passes! Kai enters Turn 2 first! The undercut is successful! Kai passes Ricciardo and moves up to P5!"
"Ladies and Gentlemen! KAI IS HERE!"
Close quarters! Bayonets drawn!
A brief duel, but it stretched nerves to the breaking point. It was down to millimeters. Both pushed to the limit.
But Kai had calculated one step further.
He knew Ricciardo's style: late braking. Even though Kai took the outside line and didn't need to brake that late, he did it anyway to bait Ricciardo.
As expected, Ricciardo's instinct took over. He braked as late as possible. But his brand new Ultrasofts weren't up to temperature. They had zero grip. He locked up instantly.
In that fraction of a second, the battle was decided.
BOOM! AHHHHHHHHH!
The heatwave exploded. The entire Singapore circuit caught fire. The crowd clutched their heads and jumped around, unable to believe what they just saw. They became mindless screaming machines, logic incinerated.
The grandstands were in a frenzy.
It was inconceivable!
Even seeing it with their own eyes, they couldn't believe it. How did Kai do it?!
From P15 to P5?!
AND THIS WAS SINGAPORE!
The commentary box was scorched earth. The excitement couldn't be contained.
Undercutting Ricciardo was brilliant, but the experts saw the bigger picture: the real show was yet to come.
Both Kai and Ricciardo were now on the purple Ultrasoft tires (pitting on Laps 27 and 28). Unlike Vettel's early gamble, these tires could easily make it to the end of the race.
Crucially, the cars ahead—Hamilton, Verstappen, and Bottas—were all on yellow Soft tires that were already over 10 laps old.
Softs take longer to warm up; Ultrasofts are faster. Right now, both compounds were in their optimal operating window. But when both are optimal, the Ultrasoft has significantly more grip. Kai and Ricciardo could eat the Soft runners alive.
However, Ultrasofts degrade much faster.
In other words, a massive gamble was unfolding. For the next 10-15 laps, the Soft runners were sitting ducks. Kai and Ricciardo could pick them off. But in the final 10-15 laps, the roles would reverse. The Ultrasofts would die, and Kai and Ricciardo would be roasted alive.
Moreover, this was Singapore. The narrow, claustrophobic track meant that even with a massive tire advantage, overtaking required extreme caution.
Attack and Defense. A grand battle was beginning. If you thought the first half was good, the second half would make your blood pressure explode.
The air boiled. The night brought no relief. The oppressive humidity pressed down like a pressure cooker, waiting for the volcano to erupt.
On track, Kai remained focused. After passing Ricciardo, there was no celebration. His target shifted immediately to Valtteri Bottas.
The Mercedes pit wall felt the heat instantly.
Theoretically, even if Kai passed Bottas, he still had Vettel and Verstappen to deal with before reaching Hamilton. Toto Wolff would love nothing more than to watch a Ferrari civil war. He was intensely curious to see if Arrivabene would issue team orders.
So, Hamilton was safe for now.
But Wolff sounded the alarm anyway.
James Vowles's voice crackled in Bottas's ear. "Valtteri, it's James. We need you to keep Kai behind."
Better safe than sorry. Mercedes refused to take risks.
It was a familiar scene. Just last week at Monza.
There, Bottas only managed to hold Kai up for two laps—a failure that cost Hamilton the win.
But Singapore was different. Bottas had track position on a circuit where defending is king. With his experience and composure, things might be different.
Kai knew this too. He didn't rush. He closed the gap steadily. Even though his Ultrasofts gave him a massive pace advantage, he didn't burn them up. He lurked like a submarine, slowly reeling Bottas in.
When chasing Ricciardo, he closed 5 seconds in 7 laps. Now, it took him 3 laps just to close 1 second and enter Bottas's DRS range.
Lap 31. Everyone expected Kai to attack on the main straight.
But he didn't.
Memories of Kai stalking Alonso resurfaced. Was he trying to mess with Bottas's rhythm?
The problem was, Singapore has 23 corners. If Kai stayed in DRS range without passing, the dirty air would destroy his tires.
That's why on street circuits, if you can't pass, you drop back 2-3 seconds to save rubber.
Bottas, defending, was relaxed. His tires were in the window, and Singapore was a natural fortress. If Kai wanted to eat his dirty air and ruin his tires, Bottas was happy to oblige. Keeping an opponent in the DRS zone to cook their tires is a valid defensive strategy. Bottas was using Kai's eagerness against him.
Who said the "nice guy" couldn't play dirty?
The straight after Turn 4. No attack.
The long straight after Turn 5. No attack.
The straight out of Turn 9. Still no attack.
Calm. Deadlocked. Bottas couldn't figure out Kai's plan.
There are only a few realistic overtaking spots in Singapore. Kai hadn't even attempted a move at any of them.
So, was Kai waiting for the second DRS zone heading into Turn 14?
Bottas concentrated intensely. He had to maintain his own pace while constantly monitoring Kai. The pressure was immense.
Even Bottas didn't realize how mentally exhausting it was to have a shadow glued to his gearbox, a constant, suffocating threat. Is Kai really willing to destroy his tires just to sit there?
What kind of kamikaze strategy is this?
Exiting Turn 12, the red blur in his mirrors suddenly darted to the inside without warning.
Wait. What?
Bottas: ...
He couldn't react. He was confused. He was anticipating Turn 14. But Kai attacked before the DRS zone.
Broken rhythm!
But... Turn 13 Hairpin?
Is he crazy?!
No time to think. Bottas's heart contracted. Instinct and years of experience took over. He accurately deduced Kai's plan: an extreme late-braking divebomb to claim the apex. Bottas held his ground and squeezed the inside.
He couldn't yield. Any gap given now would lead to a rout.
Then—
Wheel-to-wheel! The red and silver blurs tangled together, charging toward the Turn 13 hairpin side-by-side!
Tense! Locked! Sparks flying!
Literally. The underbodies scraped the asphalt, sending showers of sparks into the night. Bottas showed rare aggression. In this wheel-to-wheel fight, he absorbed Kai's pressure without giving an inch. They entered the hairpin together. Bayonets drawn!
Clearly, the ghost of Monza haunted Bottas. The usually polite, rules-abiding Finn was defending with unbelievable ferocity.
Kai on the inside, Bottas on the outside. The narrow hairpin was instantly choked. The boiling air compressed, pushing limits, ready to explode. The crushing G-forces and the smell of burning carbon fiber made it hard to breathe.
No wonder Turn 13 isn't a passing spot. Even after being widened by a meter in 2015, it's still a tightrope.
A space meant for one car, now occupied by two.
In their cockpits, Kai and Bottas held their breath. Hands gripping the wheels in a death grip, feeling every vibration through the suspension. Scalding sweat dripped down; visors fogged up. But neither yielded.
Then—
"Oh shit!"
Bottas's heart clenched. His pupils dilated. The grip vanished. He was braking violently, trying to haul the car down, but the front tires couldn't bite. His trajectory shifted. The right-side wall rushed at him at double speed. The world blurred.
On his left, the hyper-focused Kai caught the slight wobble. Now!
After holding off and staying patient, keeping his steering and braking steady, Kai finally broke the deadlock at the absolute limit. He stomped the brakes. Amidst the panic and chaos, his sweaty palms made microscopic corrections, tracing the perfect outline of the hairpin.
This was the slowest corner on the track. Millions of eyes watched as if in slow motion. The tangled red and silver finally separated. Car 22 unpicked the knot, squeezing Car 77 behind it.
Inch by inch!
Who could have imagined that Ferrari, struggling in low-speed corners all season, would overpower Mercedes at the Turn 13 hairpin in Singapore?!
Seeing is believing, yet it still felt impossible.
In the nick of time, Bottas had no time to think. Pure instinct. Extreme steering input while braking, trying to save the car.
One second. A brief flash.
The expected crash didn't happen. Bottas kissed the right-side wall by a millimeter, surviving the scare and avoiding disaster.
But there was no time to celebrate. The main straight stretched ahead, leading out to the sea, as if reaching the end of the world.
And that red flash, the vibrant Ferrari red, tore through the air, taking the lead. The magnificent flame chased away the darkness.
Freed from the silver car's drag, the Ferrari felt light as a feather. It roared past, unleashing all the pent-up energy in its engine.
Positions swapped! Kai had executed yet another overtake!
Gasp!
Shock and fanaticism erupted!
Bottas didn't have time to be shaken. He pinned the throttle, decisively chasing after Kai. He wanted to use the upcoming DRS zone to counter-attack immediately.
The standard overtaking spot was Turn 14, not Turn 13. He could use DRS here to pass at the right-hander.
Bottas still had a chance.
But that illusion lasted less than a second. Bottas's near-miss with the wall ruined his exit speed. He wobbled out of Turn 13. Kai offered no chance. The Ferrari's straight-line speed advantage was fully deployed, and the gap widened instantly.
Pulling further and further away.
Bottas felt like he had been pushed into an abyss.
Only now did he understand. When he kept Kai in DRS range to cook Kai's tires, Kai was applying constant pressure to force Bottas to defend aggressively. In that stalemate, the damage was mutual. Kai's new tires were stressed, but Bottas's tires—already in the operating window—overheated rapidly.
Kai didn't choose Turn 13 just to be unpredictable or because he thought Ferrari was better in slow corners. He chose it to exploit the weakness of Bottas's overheated, grip-less tires.
Turn 13 was the first attack. If Bottas defended it, Kai would immediately use DRS to attack again at Turn 14.
Kai had been waiting for this "overheating" window all along.
Calculation and counter-attack. Kai won again. And he didn't just beat Bottas; he beat the Mercedes pit wall, who saw the data but failed to warn their driver.
Amidst the roaring cheers from the grandstands, Toto Wolff had had enough. He cursed loudly. He couldn't believe Kai was toying with their pride and dignity like a cat playing with a mouse.
Being overtaken was frustrating enough. The way they lost the position was humiliating.
"Fuck!"
Wolff glared at the screen, panting. Next up for Kai was Sebastian Vettel. Let's see if the current King of Ferrari was willing to step aside for the Prince.
Usually, Kings think like this: "Maybe this throne will be yours eventually. But if I don't give it to you, you can't take it. You have to sit quietly and wait. I'm not dead yet."
Moreover, did Vettel even truly believe the throne belonged to Kai in the future? That was highly questionable.
A good show was about to begin!
In track strategy, Wolff had been outsmarted by Kai more than once. But in paddock politics, Wolff was still lightyears ahead.
This time, Wolff's judgment was spot on: Vettel refused to yield!
After passing Bottas, Kai spent three laps steadily closing the gap to Vettel. Although outsiders couldn't hear it, the Ferrari pit wall must have been chaotic, trying to formulate a plan and convince Vettel.
By all accounts, Vettel's Lap 15 pit stop was a mistake. Switching to Ultrasofts was an even bigger blunder.
If Vettel didn't want to face a barrage of attacks from Bottas and Ricciardo at the end of the race, he should abandon his defense now. Let Kai through, save his tires for his own race—that was the smart choice, for both the team and himself.
Furthermore, Kai was on much fresher tires. He had a clear pace advantage over Verstappen and Hamilton. If Ferrari let Kai waste his tires eating Vettel's dirty air, the strategy team might as well collectively bang their heads against a wall.
However, on track, Vettel stuck to his own rhythm, unmoved. He showed no signs of yielding.
The radio was silent.
At that moment, the Tifosi watching worldwide were collectively horrified.
"What the hell is Seb doing?! Is he trying to ruin our race?"
"God, Seb, this is not the time for an ego trip!"
"Come on, Seb. You want us to win, right? You're one of us. Please!"
Anxiety, begging, anger. A complex eruption of emotions.