In an apartment somewhere in downtown London, a bald, middle-aged man with a massive beer belly sprawled on the sofa, his eyes gleaming as he watched the pitch-black race car on TV overtake a Red Bull Racing team car.
The moment the black car completed the pass, the bald man excitedly struggled upright from the sofa. Clutching a half-finished bottle of ice-cold beer, he waved it about and turned to shout at another tall, middle-aged man who had also sat up from the long couch.
"He passed him! That's amazing! He actually passed Gasly! Rossi, are you sure he's really a rookie?"
The tall man on the couch was much calmer. Though excitement was equally apparent on his face, he did not yell like the other man.
Faced with his old friend's astonishment, the tall man snapped irritably.
"So what if he's a rookie? Have you ever heard of something called talent?"
The bald man paid no attention to his friend's words. Instead, he stared at the screen and said worriedly.
"But he wasted too much time just now. There are only three corners left. I'm afraid there isn't enough time to overtake Russell!"
For once, the tall man did not snap back. He nodded in agreement and said solemnly.
"That's right. And Russell is even stronger than Gasly. It looks like the rookie has little chance of winning!"
At the track, many spectators were thinking the same thing.
Young Carlos Sainz had needed nearly ten corners to successfully overtake Gasly of the Red Bull Racing team. With only three corners left before the final sprint, overtaking Russell—the previous champion and widely acknowledged as the strongest driver—in those three corners was practically impossible!
If there had been another lap, it might have been possible. But now, never mind overtaking