So Su Chen and Hao Dong could only focus their commentary on the riders behind, after all, no matter how popular Lin Shen was, if no one could catch up to him, there wouldn't be much to say.
Lorenzo's start was fierce. With Reissna's injury this time, it was his best chance to get on the podium.
After Lorenzo successfully overtook in turn two, Reissna didn't rush to reclaim the position but followed steadily behind. What he needed now wasn't a fierce fight, but to conserve energy. With his injury, his chances of winning a close battle with Lorenzo on the GP22 were uncertain, not worth the risk.
He had already formulated his strategy before the race: to keep up with his current physical condition and deliver a fatal blow at the end was the safest approach.
"Notice that Ren Fei's position has also changed. It seems that in this final race of the year, Lin Shen has given Ducati's two riders a major task."
Lorenzo making a move was normal, but Ren Fei was always steady and rarely made moves in crowded situations in the early corners. Today, however, he was acting uncharacteristically.
Ren Fei was currently in sixth place. As a Ducati rider on the latest factory bike, his strength had also improved.
In the same turn two, he overtook the fifth-placed rider ahead. Similarly, with late braking and the GP22's extremely high exit speed, he completed the overtake and came up behind Reissna, forming a pincer with Lorenzo.
"The two Ducatis have Reissna sandwiched. This is probably dangerous. We know Reissna is still injured."
The roar of engines filled the air as the bikes swept across the track. Reissna navigated turn three nimbly, completely unaware that he was being sandwiched by two Ducatis. He was focused on observing Lorenzo's line ahead, preventing himself from being dropped.
Meanwhile, the chief technician from Ben Tian in the stands appeared very nervous. While they couldn't fight for the world championship, securing a podium finish would still be good.
As it turned out, the GP22, with the backing of money, was indeed very fast. On this track, Reissna had to give his all just to keep up with Lorenzo.
Of course, Lorenzo ahead was also giving his all and couldn't afford any mistakes.
Braking and decelerating, thirty factory bikes navigated two corners and arrived at turn five. The pack had loosened slightly. Reissna still hadn't noticed Ren Fei behind him. The two bikes were close, but it was difficult for the front rider to detect who was behind them due to the limited helmet visibility. In fact, without looking back, they could barely see.
Exiting turn six led into a short straight. The GP22's horsepower was pushed to its limit. On the straight, the situation on the track changed again.
Reissna, who had been following Lorenzo, was slightly pulled away. At this moment, Reissna himself faintly sensed a hint of red appearing at his side.
Ducati?
"Ren Fei is here! Ren Fei is going for Reissna. This is exciting drama."
At the end of the long straight, Ren Fei braked late and cut to the inside. The horsepower king was still the horsepower king; he had never been defeated on a straight.
Reissna, having anticipated this, braked early and easily crossed over to defend against Ren Fei.
"What a shame. I thought Ren Fei could overtake Reissna."
"What are you thinking? No matter how injured Reissna is, he's a two-time champion. He won't be so easily handled." The young men in the stands were discussing.
Ren Fei's presence put pressure on Reissna. Being caught between two Ducatis was not a good situation.
After suppressing Ren Fei, he quickly opened up a small gap and closed in on Lorenzo ahead. In the subsequent continuous corners, Reissna launched a fierce attack on Lorenzo.
In the corners, the orange RC213V rapidly closed in on the GP22 ahead.
"Reissna, who had been unresponsive, suddenly closed in behind Lorenzo. Is he preparing to make a move?"
Hao Dong shifted the commentary perspective to the front row. Based on his prediction, Reissna's sudden approach clearly indicated he was about to make a move. The presence of Ren Fei behind him made him feel a sense of crisis.
As expected, before even two corners passed, Reissna made his move decisively as he closed in on Lorenzo.
Downshifted, leg out, brake into the corner.
In Lorenzo's sight, an orange figure flashed past his side and then surged ahead of him. Without an outer line, Reissna positioned himself directly in front of him, controlling the maneuver perfectly.
Reissna's skill was still there, and overtaking Lorenzo was nothing. Upon being overtaken, Lorenzo also began to push, and the two bikes became locked in a battle.
In the Ducati pit, Vinares, Zhang Mingzhi, and Su Mojin, along with others, watched the race on the large screen at the entrance.
Compared to previous races, Vinares and Zhang Mingzhi appeared much calmer in this one. Zhang Mingzhi, in particular, wore a rare smile, which was unusual for him as he usually looked worried.
"Ben Tian's other rider is currently in seventh place and can't help. If Reissna can't suppress Lorenzo soon, he might not have an easy time."
Taking a sip from his water cup, Vinares analyzed the situation on the track. Battling would reduce lap times, but if Reissna didn't make a move, his situation would be worse under the pincer attack.
"That's right. If he doesn't shake off Lorenzo quickly, Ren Fei will close in, and a two-on-one situation will be very disadvantageous for him."
The chief technician of the Ben Tian team had the same thought.
If he stayed, and Ren Fei closed in completely, Reissna would lose the advantage of battling with Lorenzo. His plan to follow and wait for an opportunity to overtake would be shattered.
If he overtook, with one bike in front and one behind, the pincer attack would definitely be difficult for him. Ducati would not give up this opportunity for a podium finish, so the most important thing was to make a move while Ren Fei had just closed in and Lorenzo ahead was still unaware.
The GP22 and RC213V continuously clashed in the corners. Lorenzo relied on the bike, while Reissna relied on his own skill.
Over several consecutive corners, the two riders exchanged positions, and subtly, Reissna seemed to have the upper hand.
In the final corner, Reissna successfully overtook and returned to third place.
However, he did not relax at all. He took a late-entry, early-exit line, entering the long straight before the finish line.
"The two are approaching the long straight before the finish line. It remains to be seen if Reissna can defend against Lorenzo behind him on this straight of over a kilometer. Let's wait and see."
Hao Dong spoke enthusiastically from the audience. Whether he could defend or not, naturally, he couldn't.
As expected, as they entered the long straight, Lorenzo surged forward as if he had taken stimulants, his speed increasing rapidly.
Midway through the straight, Lorenzo's bike was side-by-side with Reissna's. Then, with a heavy brake into turn one, he successfully overtook. At the same time, Ren Fei behind him also closed in.
"This is probably not looking good now."
Seeing this, the people from the Ben Tian team became slightly nervous. It was clear that Lorenzo had realized that the person behind Reissna was Ren Fei.
Through the team's pit board, Lorenzo did indeed receive this information. In the next lap, Lorenzo began to deliberately reduce Reissna's speed.