Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 114 Are You Worthy of Stopping Me? (Two in One)

"SHIT, this Chinese guy is so arrogant. He only raced one race for Renault and he dared to say that he can become a regular F1 driver in the future."

"China has never produced a top driver. I'm afraid this kid can't understand the value of F1."

"Don't even think about becoming a regular F1 driver. Wait until you get a super license."

The spectators on the track were naturally dissatisfied with Chen Xiangbei's bold words. Each team has many reserve, test and youth training drivers, but only two seats for official drivers. The importance of the two sides is completely incomparable.

And becoming an official F1 driver means you are not only one of the top people in the Formula One paddock, but also one of the top kings in the racing field!
Are you worthy of being a Renault junior formula driver?
If some people are dissatisfied, there will naturally be some people celebrating.

The Chinese audiences in the stands who came specially to support Chen Xiangbei now felt their emotions being aroused.

In the past, most of the interviews with domestic athletes we have seen were either full of official rhetoric or very modest and introverted. In many cases, they could even be described as "submissive".

Chen Xiangbei gives people a completely different feeling. He is full of confidence and assertiveness.

No matter what media you are from or what the outside world’s reaction is, he will never be afraid to back down.

Why can't I think of myself as a future F1 driver? European rookie drivers can say that, but Chen Xiangbei can't. Do dreams have different levels of status?
"Come on, Chen Xiangbei, your talent and strength are not inferior to anyone!"

"Chen Xiangbei, I believe you will become an F1 driver, just like the miracle you are creating now!"

"This world is not just about Europe that has talented drivers. Chinese drivers like Bei He can also make F1 history!"

"Chen Xiangbei, use your strength and speed to silence all doubters!"

There were countless voices of encouragement and cheers, and the once one-sided public opinion situation has now become a battlefield for confrontation between the two sides.

Which side will ultimately gain the upper hand depends on Chen Xiangbei's performance.

In the field of competitive sports, strength is what matters most!

Looking at the "outraged" scene in the audience, commentator James had a wonderful expression on his face.

He hadn't seen such a lively atmosphere at a low-level Formula One race in a long time. It seemed that whether he wanted to admit it or not, the Chinese driver Beidu had become the center of attention on the track, his every word and action attracting countless people's attention!
"Mr. Starler, the news you announced is indeed very explosive. Even the audience was engaged in a heated debate."

"To be honest, I'm also a little curious. Is it true that Bei's test driver seat wasn't sponsored at all?"

James has no prejudice against Chen Xiangbei. On the contrary, after witnessing his outstanding performance at the Silverstone Circuit, he even felt a little sorry for this Chinese boy.

If he were a European driver a few years younger, or had started karting a few years earlier, he might have become a shining star in the Formula One field.

However, despite his regrets, James still believed that Chen Xiangbei's strength was not enough to get a seat as a test driver, which was a reward for the top talents in the paddock!

Besides, James was impressed by one thing about Chen Xiangbei, that is, there were several advertisements on the chest of this Chinese driver's racing suit.

Compared with the blank space on the chests of other drivers, it is a stark contrast!

There is no doubt that it is impossible for a newcomer at Renault's level to receive so much sponsorship and favor from advertisers, especially a new driver from China.

Then there is only one possibility left, Chen Xiangbei has a strong capital background and has received a lot of private investment and friendly sponsorship!

Fortunately, Chen Xiangbei didn't know what James was thinking, otherwise he would probably be in a dilemma.

My buddy is so poor that he can't even afford a Renault racing car. Where would he get the money to buy a test seat for the Brawn GP team?
As for the sponsorship advertisements for racing suits, all I can say is that foreigners don’t understand Chinese.

Once they understand which beauty salon or hot pot restaurant is sponsoring them, they will probably have completely different ideas.

Of course, it has to be said that Chen Xiangbei's racing suit is covered with sponsorships, which is quite impressive. If you don't understand, you might think he is some kind of "superstar" in the paddock...

In response to James' question, a hint of mockery appeared on Staler's face.

"If Bei had the funds to sponsor a racing team, his achievements would have far exceeded this with his talent, and you wouldn't be so surprised and skeptical right now."

Compared with other foreigners, Starer has first-hand information from Huasai Sports, and he is very clear about Chen Xiangbei's family background and career experience.

This is a racing genius who was almost buried because of lack of money!

On the other side, in the Super Dream Team's P room, Odetto had already asked the crew members to "drive away" the reporters. The qualifying session would officially begin in less than ten minutes, and the drivers were about to enter the cockpit to prepare for the race.

Liang Chi was helping Chen Xiangbei check his seat belts at the time, so he took the opportunity to ask, "Xiangbei, was the seat issue what you were discussing with Stahler that day?"

“No, I just suggested that he get to know the Honda team. I never thought that he could become a test driver directly.”

Chen Xiangbei shook his head. He was telling the truth.

With his historical perspective, he naturally knew that the Formula One paddock was not as glamorous as it seemed from the outside, and that there was a lot of political correctness and hidden discrimination.

Take the 09 winter test for example. Vettel drove the Red Bull RB6 and set the fastest lap time in the test, attracting everyone's attention. The outside world believed that he would become the next WDC-level driver.

After all, this German kid has shown explosive talent as early as the junior formula stage. In the BMW Formula event of the same level as Renault, Vettel won 18 out of a total of 20 races.

Even more terrifying is that he won all twenty pole positions.

German drivers of the entire era are far behind Vettel.

The award presenter for his victory that year was also very famous, his name was Michael Schumacher.

At that time, some people predicted that this would be Germany's first F1 world champion and that the award would be presented to Germany's second world champion. Unexpectedly, the prophecy came true!
However, in the 09 F1 winter test of the new car, there was another driver who performed very well. That was Takuma Sato, who withdrew from the Super Aguri team and served as the test driver for the Toro Rosso team, also known as the Red Bull Racing team.

Takuma Sato drove the Toro Rosso car and set the second fastest lap time of the race.

At that time, there was a vacant seat in the Toro Rosso team, and theoretically, Sato Takuma's test performance was enough to get a chance to become a regular driver.

After all, he finished second in a small Red Bull and even defeated a large Red Bull. How else does Sato have to figure out how to prove himself?
The fact is that implicit discrimination is very serious in the paddock. Without the support of the Honda camp, Takuma Sato has completely become an abandoned child. The seat of the Red Bull team was given to a Swiss driver Buemi.

This Swiss driver only finished sixth in the GP2 race. In later generations, many F2 champions could not enter the F1 paddock. The fact that he could get a seat despite failing in the test race only shows that European household registration is very useful.

Coincidentally, history is always in a cycle.

More than a decade later, another Japanese driver named Yuki Tsunoda was caught up in the battle for a Red Bull seat after Honda was about to withdraw. His situation was almost exactly the same as that of his predecessor Takuma Sato.

No matter how he performs, in the eyes of Red Bull team leader Marko, he still needs to prove his strength.

They would rather promote their rookie teammate who was beaten by Yuki Tsunoda to Red Bull than give the Japanese driver a chance. He even faces the crisis of losing his seat at the end of the year.

This is the case for all Japanese drivers who have factory teams as their backers. Chen Xiangbei can be said to be "penniless". Even if Starer has no objection to Chinese drivers, it is not easy to convince the crew and the board of directors.

Chen Xiangbei was very clear in his mind. How could he discuss the issue of the test driver seat with Starler when the acquisition had not yet been completed?
The reason why he provided the information about Honda's "black technology" racing car was just to give it a try, as a favor to Starler.

Anyway, in history, Ross Brawn would also pick up the spoils alone, so it would be better to let Starer have a share. At least the two sides have a familiar relationship and have a connection with Hua Sai, and maybe they will get rewards in the future.

But Chen Xiangbei didn't expect that the reward would come so soon!

"It seems that old man Starler really does have a deep affection for China."

Liang Chi sighed. When Starler invested in Huasai, he felt a little confused.

After all, for a British person to travel thousands of miles to spend money to support Chinese motorsport, even if he sees the future potential, the investment risk is really too great.

Now that Starler supports Chen Xiangbei again, Liang Chi can't think of any other reason except the word "sentiment".

"Bei, prepare to depart. Let's test the new training plan first."

Odeto's instructions interrupted the conversation between Chen Xiangbei and Liang Chi.

The chassis and suspension were changed before the qualifying round, and Chen Xiangbei needs time to adapt.

If it is really not suitable, there is still time left to return to the maintenance station for adjustment.

Renault Junior Formula is different from F1 in this respect. You must know that after the F1 event determines the tuning plan in the practice session, it must be reported to the FIA ​​for record keeping, and no changes are allowed in the subsequent qualifying and races.

If a change is necessary, a penalty of withdrawal or starting from the pit lane will be imposed.

"clear."

Chen Xiangbei nodded, released the clutch and drove towards the maintenance lane.

It was still a regular half-hour qualifying session. Due to the ample time, the drivers were not in a hurry to leave the pit unless they needed testing and adjustment like Chen Xiangbei.

They wait until enough rubber has fallen from the lane and grip has peaked before setting off.

Donington Park is a short track, so there is no need to rush if the time is just over a minute. You can always find the best time to push hard for two laps.

As the first car to leave the track, and Chen Xiangbei being a popular driver on the track today, the broadcast camera was naturally focused on him.

"Following our camera, we can see that the No. 13 driver Bei from the Super Dream Racing team chose to leave the pit first in qualifying to warm up his tires."

"He was the pole position winner and defending champion at the last race at Silverstone, and he was officially announced as the Brawn GP team test driver at this race. I wonder if he can win the championship again to prove his ability!"

James introduced Chen Xiangbei in the usual way. Just as he finished speaking, an unexpected situation occurred in the maintenance passage.

Mansell, the No. 9 driver from the DAMS team, rushed out of the P room with a very "rude" step on the accelerator, completely ignoring Chen Xiangbei who was driving normally in the maintenance lane. The two cars were about to collide head-on.

"Grass!"

Seeing the other party's way of leaving the station, which was worthy of being called an interception, Chen Xiangbei blurted out a curse, then stepped on the brakes to slow down and then turned the steering wheel sharply to avoid it.

Mansell also noticed Chen Xiangbei's No. 13 car at this moment. As a professional Formula One driver, his reaction was naturally not slow. He turned the steering wheel in the opposite direction almost at the same time, and the two cars avoided each other by a hair's breadth!
"FUCK!"

Mansell, still frightened, roared angrily. He had never thought that in the initial stage of qualifying where there was plenty of time, someone would choose to start at a delayed point, leaving him completely unprepared.

Perhaps not feeling satisfied after cursing, Mansell stretched his hand out of the cockpit and raised it high, making an international "friendly" gesture towards Chen Xiangbei in the car behind him - the middle finger!

Chen Xiangbei was already very unhappy. If he hadn't reacted quickly enough, the two cars would have definitely collided.

In order to avoid the collision, Chen Xiangbei suddenly turned the steering wheel, which caused a muscle strain in his shoulder that had not yet fully recovered. A tingling sensation instantly came over him, igniting the anger in his heart.

He immediately pressed the call button and announced: "Odetto, inform the FIA ​​that the release of driver No. 9, Mansell, is unsafe!"

An unsafe release occurs when a car collides or nearly collides with another car when leaving the pit area. The event organizer or the FIA ​​will investigate this dangerous behavior.

If it is determined that the team has misjudged the timing of safely releasing the car, the driver will be penalized with a 5-second race start penalty.

"I got it, but I have to tell you that this kind of notification is useless."

Odeto's tone was calm. He had witnessed the scene of the car almost crashing just now and could understand Chen Xiangbei's mood at the moment.

But he also had to make Chen Xiangbei understand that just like encountering traffic jams and overtaking on the road, in this era when the FIA's penalties were very lenient, if the pit lane in the junior formula race was unsafe and no actual collision occurred, the FIA ​​would often pretend nothing happened.

Chen Xiangbei was stunned for a moment after hearing Odette's reply. He remembered that it didn't seem to have any effect. In that era, many Formula One rules were still incomplete. For example, Magnussen's famous "dragon drawing" on the track would have resulted in his Super License being completely deducted a dozen years later.

However, the FIA ​​did not actually formulate regulations that did not allow drivers to change lanes a second time in the braking zone, and it was not until 11 that the detailed rules were officially promulgated.

This is the case with all F1 events. Unsafe releases in lower-level formulas are naturally just trivial matters in the eyes of the FIA.

"clear."

Chen Xiangbei responded, then took a deep breath and adjusted his mood.

A driver must have temper and personality, but it must not develop into "road rage".

Feeling the changes in car tuning and providing feedback to the team is Chen Xiangbei’s most important task at the moment!
However, Chen Xiangbei was able to control his emotions well, but the track studio captured the scene of Mansell raising his middle finger. James discovered the hot spot and immediately "fanned the flames".

"OH MY GOD, there was a near collision between two cars in the pit lane just now. Judging from the broadcast footage, the blame lies more with the unsafe release of driver No. 9, Mansell."

"But Mansell inherited the hot temper of 'The Lion', and clearly put the blame on driver No. 13, North, and gave him the middle finger."

"I don't know how the Chinese driver will respond. Will he choose to respond strongly on the track, or stay rational and focus on qualifying."

"What do you think about this, Starler?"

James asked Starler beside him. This old F1 investor happened to have experienced the paddock events in the s and was quite familiar with the former Williams driver "Lion King" Mansell.

The full name of "Lion King" Mansell is Nicky Mansell. He is a British formula driver. In 1992, he drove the Williams FW14B racing car and was crowned as the F1 world champion of that year!
Mansell was known for his fiery and aggressive personality, earning him the nickname "Workaholic." He even suffered a spinal fracture while racing, but he hid the injury and continued racing by taking large amounts of painkillers.

His tough and reckless running style won him the respect of countless British fans. In addition, his blond hair was in line with the characteristics and spirit of a lion, thus earning him the title of "Lion King".

Even Senna, who is known for his risk-taking, described Mansell as "a man who will never be defeated"!
However, Mansell's two sons did not inherit his talent and driving skills after entering the professional racing field, but only retained his hot-tempered and impulsive personality.

A person with strong character and hot-tempered and impulsive personality is called high-spirited.

If you don't have the ability but still have this kind of personality, you are called a reckless man and an idiot.

It is obvious that driver No. 9 Mansell belongs to the latter.

However, the British fans at the scene, with their support for their local drivers and their fondness for the "Lion King" old Mansell, cheered instead.

They enjoy watching the fun and Mansell's toughness suits their taste very well. If Chen Xiangbei is not convinced, he can fight back!

Staler, who was in the studio, vaguely heard the cheers of the audience in the stands. Faced with the host's question full of "traps", he just smiled and replied.

"James, a mature driver will be able to control his emotions well. Bei has always been known for his calmness and stability. Your question is simply underestimating him."

Although Starer had never met Chen Xiangbei in real life, he learned a lot from Zhang Zhicong.

According to this old friend, Chen Xiangbei is a ruthless racing machine. His emotions are often so stable that they are frightening, and he is hardly affected by any external influences.

As if to confirm Starler's words, Chen Xiangbei didn't make any moves on the track. He continued to warm up his tires according to the established plan, while also experiencing the different sensations of running on the track after changing the car's setup.

James showed a look of regret on his face. He thought that at his frivolous age, Mansell's behavior would lead to a good show.

Soon after two laps of tire warm-up, the temperature of Chen Xiangbei's slick tires had exceeded 100°C, reaching the optimal working condition.

"North, you can do the galloping laps now."

Odell gave team instructions to Chen Xiangbei based on the racing data and the track traffic conditions.

“COPY.”

After a simple reply, Chen Xiangbei stepped on the accelerator and made a dynamic start across the starting line.

After half a day of practice, Chen Xiangbei was no longer unfamiliar with the Donington Park track.

From a technical point of view, his lap was very smooth and fluid. The lower chassis and stiffer suspension did help reduce the impact of G-force and increase the upper limit of cornering speed.

But Chen Xiangbei soon discovered a new problem. That was this old track with ups and downs. After lowering the chassis height and using a hard suspension, the car body was shaking so severely that a phenomenon similar to "dolphin jump" occurred.

The Renault racing car bounces up and down on many sections of the road, especially when it is driving on the curb at the limit. The height difference sometimes gives Chen Xiangbei the illusion that the car is flying into the air.

In addition, due to the continuous high-frequency bumps, Chen Xiangbei had to hold the steering wheel tightly with both arms, which was equivalent to reducing the pressure of lateral G-force, but then adding it back in disguise, and the shoulder muscle pain was not relieved much.

"Zenye, how long does this lap take me?"

"Very good, 1 minute 08 seconds."

There was a hint of excitement in Hiroki Sawano's tone. You have to know that this was an adaptation lap run under heavy oil conditions. Chen Xiangbei had already broken through the 1 minute and 09 seconds range, close to last year's pole position result on the track.

If this trend continues, Chen Xiangbei has a good chance of getting close again, or even surpassing Ricardo's pole position record!

It seems that Odette's new training plan has indeed brought significant improvements.

After getting this answer, Chen Xiangbei didn't say much. He planned to wait until this buffer lap was finished, and then push a full-speed lap to see where the limit of this tuning plan was.

The time Chen Xiangbei took for this lap is not only known to Hiroki Sawano. With the track monitoring equipment fully turned on, any team in the maintenance station can see the exact lap time.

At this time, many team engineers subconsciously took a breath.

As expected, there were no rumors in the paddock. It was true that the Chinese kid broke the track pole position record during practice. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to run into the 1 minute and 08 seconds range on heavy fuel and in the first lap.

Once the car is running low on fuel and the lanes are covered with fallen rubber, Chen Xiangbei's lap time can be improved by at least 0.5 seconds.

But the problem is that Ricciardo's pole position record is only 1 minute 08 seconds!
"How did this Chinese guy do such a fast first lap?"

"WOW, a test lap under 1:09. If I remember correctly, last year's Renault EuroCup pole position was less than 0.2 seconds faster than this."

"Driver Bei is really strong. Could he really win the pole position?"

Hearing the exclamations of the surrounding European audiences, the Chinese audience who came to Donington Park to cheer for Chen Xiangbei were more confused at this time.

To be honest, most of the Chinese audience present today are not Formula One fans.

The reason is very simple. The foundation of Formula One racing in China is too weak, and it has not yet cultivated a sufficient base of fans, let alone the number of overseas fans.

They came more out of a sense of brotherhood and to support Chen Xiangbei.

Less than ten minutes ago, all that could be heard were the British fans shouting and cheering for Mansell, who was causing trouble on the track.

As a result, just a few minutes later, they were amazed at Chen Xiangbei's strength again.

"Is Chen Xiangbei really that good that he's already challenging for the pole position?"

A Chinese spectator expressed his doubts. Even though Chen Xiangbei won the pole position and the championship in the first race, they did not have much confidence that this was a lead based on hard power.

"That should be it, otherwise these foreigners wouldn't be so surprised."

"Holy crap, is becoming an F1 driver really a joke? Does Chen Xiangbei really have the ability to do it?"

"Nonsense, how can you win the first race without the ability?"

The various discussions and exclamations in the stands had no effect on Chen Xiangbei, who was planning to race for the second lap.

As he crossed the starting line again, Chen Xiangbei really pushed forward at full throttle this time. His goal was to increase his lap speed by at least 0.3 seconds, and then pit to change to a new set of tires to complete the final fight for pole position.

After turning a few corners, Chen Xiangbei saw a slow car ahead.

Donington Park is different from Silverstone. This old track has not been rebuilt and many sections are less than half the width of a regular F1 track.

This means that if the slow car in front occupies the lane and does not give way, Chen Xiangbei will lose a lot of speed if he wants to change lanes and overtake.

But there is no way out in many cases. After all, the track is not driven by Chen Xiangbei. As long as he is not blocking the car in the curve, the car behind him can only choose to overtake at the fastest speed.

This is why qualifying places great emphasis on starting timing and traffic conditions.

But as the two cars gradually approached, just when Chen Xiangbei was about to change lanes to overtake, the car in front suddenly began to speed up, as if it was about to start its own speeding circle.

Realizing that something was amiss, Chen Xiangbei asked through the team's voice chat: "Odeto, what's going on with the car in front?"

"The car in front is the number 9 driver, Mansell, of the DAMS team."

"Bei, what are you going to do?"

All Renault cars have the same livery and can only be distinguished by the numbers on the front of the car.

Chen Xiangbei was at the back, so naturally he couldn't see the number of the car in front.

On the contrary, Mansell, the car in front, could vaguely see the front number of Chen Xiangbei's car approaching through the rearview mirror.

Odetto informed Chen Xiangbei of the identity of the car in front through the track monitoring system. He was very curious about how the Chinese kid would respond this time.

"Kill him."

After Chen Xiangbei uttered these three words, the expression on his face changed completely.

He just doesn't want to bother, that doesn't mean he's afraid of trouble.

To become a professional driver, you do need to control your impulses and not get into trouble easily like people with road rage.

But this does not mean that Chen Xiangbei has no temper.

On the track, top drivers including Senna and Schumacher are often full of blood and there have been scenes of them driving "tricycles" and turning around to beat people up.

Chen Xiangbei's personality is either to not take things seriously, or when he decides to respond, he has to defeat the other party in one go.

Do you like to provoke and block the car?

How dare you!
"GOOD, let me see how you kill him."

Odeto's tone was very excited. He did not object to Chen Xiangbei's calmness, nor did he care about the Chinese boy's temper.

Especially when someone is already on your face!
The F1 paddock in the s and s was a powder keg, and no driver was a pushover.

If Chen Xiangbei had backed down, he would not have blamed him for anything. After all, as the team leader, he could not encourage drivers to retaliate or confront others.

But emotionally Odette would be very disappointed.

Odeto would rather see Chen Xiangbei full of blood, just like the reply of the three words "Kill him"!
(End of this chapter)