Elliot wanted to speak to Leila before going down for his race. He planned to foster closeness by asking her to cheer for him. That way, he would have an excuse to talk to her more when he won.
He did not doubt he would win.
After all, he was an international racer with a lot of accolades to show for his success. Racing with amateurs insulted his skills, but the owner of The Circuit was a close friend. He wanted Elliot to humble his team.
In simple words, he wanted Elliot to bully people and make them realise that someone out there was better than them. Elliot did not mind. He missed racing as Tokyo, but he could satisfy his need for speed a little with this race.
Meeting Leila was the cherry on top. Even though she turned him down for dinner, he still managed to see her a few hours later. He felt like fate was on his side. That was until he entered the room and found people slandering her.
