Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 124 The Hat Trick in Racing (Part 2)

Is this another route?

Looking at the taillights of Chen Xiangbei's car in front of him, Magnussen had only one thought in his mind at that moment.

He had previously trained in go-karting at Donington Park Circuit and, with the help of the powerful resources provided by the Carlin team, had watched countless videos of Renault, F3, and F2 class champion drivers.

No one has ever run a cornering route like Chen Xiangbei's!

After recovering from the shock, Magnussen's first reaction was not to pursue relentlessly and make a desperate comeback before the finish line in the last half lap.

Instead, he pressed the call button on the steering wheel, believing that this was not a normal cornering route at all, and that Chen Xiangbei was improperly profiting by "taking a shortcut"!

"The team, driver Bei, seems to have four wheels off the line, and has filed a complaint with the race organizers."

Due to the blind spots in the Formula One car cockpit, Magnussen was unable to clearly see Chen Xiangbei's lane when he attempted to overtake from the side.

However, he believed that he had blocked the edge of the driving lane, and the narrow space created by the lane change delay was definitely not enough for a race car to pass. Chen Xiangbei must have cut the corner like a "watermelon" and used the gravel buffer zone to cut the corner and straighten to overtake.

"copy"

The Kalin team responded that they couldn't immediately determine whether all four wheels were out of bounds. Their only recourse was to report the incident to the race organizers as quickly as possible and then await the FIA's ruling.

If Chen Xiangbei gains an unfair advantage again, the punishment he faces will not be just a simple change of position; he may also be penalized with an additional 5 seconds of time, at which point he may not even be able to keep second place.

Not only did Magnussen notify the team to report the incident, but even the spectators in the stands began to raise various questions.

"Can you cut the corner like this on the T9 Schwarz corner?"

"FUCK, did they just drive straight through the buffer zone?"

"It felt like all four wheels were off the track; the result absolutely had to be disqualified!"

"This is cheating! Chinese drivers don't deserve to win the championship!"

Faced with a cacophony of shouts and attacks, the Chinese supporters in the paddock looked at each other in bewilderment, not daring to open champagne to celebrate prematurely.

Indeed, in the low-resolution broadcast footage on the large screen, Chen Xiangbei's No. 13 race car appeared to have gone off track. Furthermore, the dust kicked up by the tires obscured the camera, making the subsequent racing line unclear.

Furthermore, Chen Xiangbei went off the track once during the race, making supporters even more uncertain!

Even the two commentators in the studio debated this scene.

"James, the North has once again improperly profited from the buffer zone. I believe the FIA ​​will definitely impose a severe penalty this time!"

Upon hearing Mike's words, James shook his head and said, "We can't even be sure if North United has violated any rules, so how can we be sure that the FIA ​​will impose a heavy penalty?"

"All four wheels are already past the white line, isn't that enough to confirm?"

"I don't think they went all the way across the white line. Magnussen failed to change lanes in time to block the car, leaving some space for the North to overtake!"

James stuck to his point of view, but at the same time he had a vague feeling that Chen Xiangbei's route just now looked familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

This is not surprising, as Senna's "Circle of God" at Donington Park in 94 has become an eternal classic in the hearts of many car enthusiasts, not to mention commentators like James.

However, compared to Chen Xiangbei's meticulous analysis of Senna's racing style, which took several days and involved almost frame-by-frame comparison of the changes in the track layout, James's approach was clearly just a regular viewing method.

He judged that Chen Xiangbei had not gone out of bounds on all fours based on Magnussen's defensive mistakes, and that he won fair and square!

The last half lap of the race passed quickly. After Chen Xiangbei sped across the starting line, there was no cheering from the crowd in the paddock. Most of the spectators were waiting for the FIA's decision on whether the champion's result would be recognized.

Only inside the Super Dream team's pit garage, a wild celebration had already begun.

And this time, the leader is none other than Odetto, who has always been quite unremarkable!
Only he truly understood and had absolute trust in the precision and value of Chen Xiangbei's trading strategy.

The Chinese boy truly kept his initial teachings in mind.

That is, the track may change, but the essence of racing technology will not change.

Chen Xiangbei saw through the essence of things, which is why he came up with this unique path.

Odette used to hold Chen Xiangbei to the standards of an F1 driver, but now he vaguely senses that this kid's comprehension has truly reached the threshold of the F1 racing hall of fame!
Just as Odette predicted, the FIA ​​stewards analyzed the video in a very short time and confirmed that during Chen Xiangbei's overtaking of Magnussen, part of his left tire was still within the white line of the track boundary.

He pushed the shoulder to its limit, causing the right wheel to enter the gravel buffer zone, but without violating the rules.

In other words, Chen Xiangbei became the consecutive champion at Donington Park Circuit!
When the FIA ​​relayed the news to the studio, James looked at the investigation report with an indescribable excitement.

He took a few deep breaths before speaking into the microphone: "Ladies and gentlemen, the investigation into the North Games has yielded results."

James paused for a moment after saying this.

Instantly, the paddock fell silent except for the roar of the race cars. Everyone, including the P-car team members, turned their attention to the broadcast screen, waiting for James to announce the investigation results.

"Bei's overtaking maneuver at T9 Schwartz corner did not result in all four wheels going out of bounds, meaning he became the champion of the Formula Renault Donington Park Grand Prix!"

"Let's give a big round of applause and cheers to congratulate the Chinese driver Bei on his second consecutive championship!"

As James announced the result, a thunderous applause erupted in the paddock.

Putting aside personal preferences, Chen Xiangbei displayed almost undisputed perfect driving skills in this race.

Whether it was taking a strong start over driver Wilhelm (number 17), overtaking three cars in four laps, exploiting Costa's line error, or never giving up on overtaking Magnussen in the final stages, he consistently put his sights on the task.

This is the spirit of a driver who never gives up!

And before the applause from the audience had even subsided, James's voice rang out again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have another announcement to make. The race control center has just confirmed that driver North's time on the last lap was 1 minute 08.983 seconds, which means he has broken the Formula Renault track record at Donington Park!"

"That's right, pole position, championship, track record, all were in Bei's hands. He completed a miraculous hat trick."

"If you add his pole position record, he becomes a milestone driver at Donington Park!"

By the end of his commentary, James was spitting everywhere, completely unable to contain his surging emotions.

It's important to know that for a track, only the fastest lap in the main race can be called the track record.

Chen Xiangbei's previous record of 1 minute 08.131 seconds for the "Starry Night Lap" can only be called a pole position record!

For the same driver to not only secure pole position and win the championship, but also break both pole position and track records is an extremely rare feat, even for a European prodigy.

Not to mention that Chen Xiangbei is a Chinese driver, which would have been unimaginable before today.

"Is this true? He did a hat trick?"

The audience murmured to themselves, feeling as if they were dreaming.

"Seriously, North broke all the records at Donington Park Circuit, he's the absolute king!"

"Chen Xiangbei, champion!"

"Chen Xiangbei, you are the best driver in Donington Park!"

"Driver Bei, GOOD!"

A cacophony of screams erupted, and now not only the Chinese spectators in the paddock but also the international audience rose to their feet in praise, giving Chen Xiangbei a thumbs-up as he returned to the paddock.

It's important to understand that in any opposing camp, the silent ones always make up the majority.

When it comes to recording arguments, many people may become indecisive and waver between the two sides.

But when Chen Xiangbei demonstrates his dominance and his achievements are impeccable, most of the silent people will speak up for him.

"Xiang Beijun, the results are confirmed, you are the champion!"

Hiroki Sawano immediately informed Chen Xiangbei of the victory.

Although the team had celebrated in advance under Odette's leadership, Hiroki Sawano was still thrilled to receive confirmation from the race organizers and achieve a hat trick.

He once thought that the best outcome for Chen Xiangbei's career would be to become the next Takuma Sato.

Now it seems I really underestimated this kid.

He doesn't want to become the second Takuma Sato, but the first Chen Xiangbei!

"received, thank you."

Chen Xiangbei remained calm, because if Mansell hadn't caused trouble in the qualifying round, this match wouldn't have been so eventful.

Another important point is that Chen Xiangbei is clear that his preparations are superior to those of any of his opponents present.

Winning the championship was not a coincidence, but an inevitable result!
The race car stopped in the awards area. Compared to the pre-race interviews where Magnus and Mansell were the main characters, this time the reporters rushed to Chen Xiangbei.

He proved with his achievements that he was the absolute protagonist, and no one could overshadow his brilliance.

"Bei, what are your thoughts on winning the championship again?"

A reporter asked the question first.

"I don't have many thoughts about it; it's just a matter of course."

This time, Chen Xiangbei is no longer trying to hide his true colors; a champion should be high-profile!

"After the last race, you announced that you would win the championship. Was that just empty talk, or did you anticipate today's result?"

"No, I just have absolute confidence in myself."

What is the source of this confidence?

"Talent cannot be quantified, but hard work can. I have made all the preparations for this competition."

This time, Chen Xiangbei didn't use emotional language; instead, he gave a truthful answer.

Phone records show that Chen Xiangbei watched the video of Senna's "Circle of God" more than 200 times before he finally observed the small changes of a few tens of centimeters in the corners of the track from 15 years ago.

It's important to understand that no matter how great a video is, it will become boring after being watched hundreds of times.

This is similar to a professional career. When a hobby becomes a profession, very few people can still find enjoyment in the repetitive, mechanical training. Improvement depends more on perseverance and persistence. Many people in later generations know Verstappen's terrifying talent, but in fact, there was a Finnish driver in this era who was no less talented than him, named Kimi Raikkonen.

It also has a history of being granted special permission by the FIA ​​to enter Formula One, and its three-stage leap is, in some ways, even more legendary.

In addition, compared to Verstappen's F1 racing family background, Raikkonen's father was just a road construction worker, so his starting point and resources were much lower.

The two men, who possess almost equal talent, have achieved the feat of winning four titles, and it is foreseeable that he has a very high probability of challenging the record of seven titles.

Raikkonen only won one world title, his peak period in his career was not long, and he had a bumpy and unremarkable end.

The fundamental difference lies in "effort" and "self-discipline".

Let alone maintaining the same training intensity as a racing machine, Raikkonen couldn't even quit the most basic thing: alcoholism. No matter how great the talent, it needs to be built on the foundation of hard work; otherwise, it will only be a castle in the air.

However, this does not prevent Raikkonen from being arguably the purest driver in F1 history. He did not get involved in any paddock scandals or political struggles and won the 07 world championship in the cleanest way, without any controversy from the outside world.

That's why Raikkonen has gained so many fans!

However, Chen Xiangbei's answer was not accepted by the reporters present.

The reason is simple: they can't see the hard work behind Chen Xiangbei's success.

Just then, Hank from Sky Sports finally squeezed into a spot and loudly asked Chen Xiangbei a question.

"North, having won the Renault race again, what are your goals for the future?"

Are you referring to the short term or the long term?

Chen Xiangbei countered with a question.

Although this guy named Hank wrote some nonsense news, he suffered a lot of ridicule and mockery on the track.

But then again, without this guy's help, I wouldn't have achieved the level of attention I have today.

The media uses drivers as topics of discussion, and drivers should also learn to use the media as tools!

"It will be all right."

"Winning the championship in the short term is the same as winning the championship in the long term."

"What do you mean?"

Hank didn't react at first.

This time, however, Chen Xiangbei didn't reply. Instead, he gave him a knowing look.

Hank instantly understood Chen Xiangbei's meaning, and a half-smile appeared on his face.

Before I even thought about creating a news hotspot, the Chinese kid offered himself up. He wants to win the Renault championship in the short term and the F1 World Championship in the long term.

Driver Bei, you really dare to dream!
After saying this, Chen Xiangbei turned and walked towards the podium, leaving the remaining interview time to Magnussen, who came in second place, and Costa, who came in third.

Neither of them possessed Chen Xiangbei's nonchalant ease, especially Magnussen, whose face was unmistakably dark when facing the media cameras.

Although he improved his position by one place, from third to second, it's worth noting that Magnussen was the top seed and the biggest favorite in the Renault series before the race, but he failed to win a single race in the two races.

Odeto was right, second place is the biggest loser!

As for Costa, he still doesn't understand why Chen Xiangbei easily overtook and broke through his defense after he had circled around the defense for more than ten times.

He had also vaguely realized that Chen Xiangbei was following behind his car with the intention of absorbing the tailflow to save the tire.

But it was precisely this realization that made Costa shudder!
Doesn't that mean that Chen Xiangbei's attack was planned all along, and that he believed he could surpass him at any time?
There is a fundamental difference between overtaking when you find an opportunity and overtaking that you plan ahead.

The former involves a degree of chance, while the latter is an inevitable result of overwhelming strength.

Costa didn't believe there was such a large gap in strength between him and Chen Xiangbei, and he really wanted to find out the answer.

The interview concluded with the awards ceremony, where the top three drivers took turns ascending the podium.

Magnussen, with his extensive racing experience, was able to manage his emotions to some extent. He managed to force a smile and wave to his crew members and fans on the podium.

As for Costa, he couldn't even muster a smile, accepting the trophy from the organizers with a blank expression.

As Chen Xiangbei stood on the highest podium, unlike the previous indifferent scene, the audience below erupted in thunderous cheers and applause.

Strength is often the best catalyst, and Chen Xiangbei has proven his boastful words with the championship.

Can that still be called "outrageous talk"?

As the familiar melody of the national anthem played, a bright red national flag appeared on the LED screen behind Chen Xiangbei.

Among the silent crowd was a journalist on vacation from China, whose heart was pounding with excitement at the scene on the podium at the European racetrack.

His name is Ye Kai, and he comes from the well-known domestic sports media outlet, Titan Sports.

Since domestic media outlets do not have the rights to cover Renault races, he is currently just an ordinary spectator. However, after watching this race, Ye Kai could no longer suppress his inner impulse; he urgently hoped to spread Chen Xiangbei's story to the domestic audience.

Let the Chinese people know that there is a Chinese driver competing in overseas races and achieving outstanding results.

Most Chinese people in this era may not know much about Formula One racing, but that doesn't stop them from cheering for Chen Xiangbei.

Ye Kai had a premonition that Chen Xiangbei's achievements would not stop there. This 19-year-old Chinese boy might become a milestone figure in Chinese motorsports, just like Yao Ming in basketball and Liu Xiang in track and field.

At this moment, Ye Kai even had the headline for the news article in mind.

A historic breakthrough for Chinese motorsport comes from young Chinese driver Chen Xiangbei, who wins his second consecutive Renault championship and earns a contract with an F1 team!

Chen Xiangbei was unaware that among the audience was a sports reporter from China.

After the award ceremony, he went straight off the podium, hugged and celebrated with the members of the Super Dream team, and then they returned together to the pit lane.

This time, the mechanics did not perform post-race maintenance on the race car; instead, they began packing up the professional equipment in the pit garage in preparation for the upcoming transfer.

The reason for the swift action is that this relocation is not simply a matter of changing the track; the remaining six races of the Renault Euro Cup will all be held in France.

On the one hand, Renault is a French car manufacturer, so it naturally has to return to its home turf.

On the other hand, lower-level formula teams, which lack the financial resources of F1 teams, naturally have lower transportation costs due to fewer transfers, especially for cross-border transport.

Renault officials, considering the fleet's financial situation, will organize the overall relocation of the container fleet to reduce costs. This requires the fleet to complete the equipment packing within a specified time, otherwise they will have to find containers on their own.

The Super Dream team is currently strong on the outside but weak on the inside. Despite its former F1 team title, it is actually supported by Suzuki Akuri's private resources after Honda completely withdrew its investment.

His operational focus still needs to be on the ARTA team in Japan, so he can offer even less support to the Super Dream team.

If they miss the container truck fleet, they might not even be able to afford the relocation costs...

After changing out of his racing suit, Chen Xiangbei intended to join in and help, but Lu Xiaoman strictly forbade him from doing so.

The reason is simple: Chen Xiangbei has just experienced a high-intensity main competition, and his body needs more rest.

Furthermore, as the effects of the nerve block injection wore off, Chen Xiangbei's left shoulder became noticeably red and swollen, and the pain intensified.

Knowing that muscle strains have a high risk of recurrence, Lu Xiaoman didn't want this to become a chronic injury for Chen Xiangbei, affecting his future F1 prospects and development.

Chen Xiangbei didn't insist on this, but instead put an ice pack on his shoulder and stood aside leisurely "watching the show".

It was at this moment that Staller appeared at the door of the P room.

"Bei, congratulations on winning the championship!"

Staller's face was filled with joy. Even though he had never underestimated Chen Xiangbei, the Chinese boy's performance still far exceeded his expectations.

Not only did Bei win the championship, but he also broke the track record, completing a hat trick in the world of motorsports!

"Thank you, Mr. Staller."

Chen Xiangbei replied with a smile.

"It's a pity that I only arrived after the competition ended and couldn't witness your performance in person."

"But North, you probably can't guess why I'm late."

As he said this, a mysterious smile appeared on Staller's face.

"I really couldn't have guessed."

Chen Xiangbei shook his head. He and Staller had a very close relationship, but they had only known each other for a short time, and their understanding of each other was far from sufficient.

“I contacted David on Hong Kong Island and asked him to register for a race on behalf of the Brawn GP team before the deadline.”

"I believe you will definitely participate."

When he said this, Staller had a confident expression on his face, just as he had when he answered Ross Brown.

What competition?

On the contrary, Chen Xiangbei was somewhat puzzled. He hadn't even finished Formula Renault yet, so how could he have time to participate in other competitions?

"Australia Grand Prix!"

As Stahler uttered the name, everyone in the P room turned to look at him.

After all, the vast majority of the crew members are Asian, so how could they not know about this most famous F3 racing series?

"Bei, your championship victory today has confirmed one thing for me."

"That means your strength and talent are enough to support you skipping levels to compete in higher-level Formula racing."

"Takuma Sato shouldn't be your racing role model. In the future, you should aim to be Kimi Räikkönen and become the next global-level super talent!"

(End of this chapter)