Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 136 A Breakthrough Like "Enlightenment at Longchang" (Part 2)

Traffic conditions during practice sessions are often worse than during qualifying.

The reason is simple: when drivers are performing their flying laps in qualifying, slower cars in front of them must give way to the lane markings. If they maliciously obstruct the lanes, they will be subject to post-race penalties from the FIA.

Although the FIA's regulations on blocking cars at that time were far less detailed and strict than they would be a decade or so later.

But there is a fundamental difference between having it and not having it!

Chen Xiangbei's lap time of 2 minutes and 9.926 seconds in practice means that if everything goes smoothly in qualifying, he has a high probability of breaking the Grand Prix F3 pole position record.

The last driver to achieve this was Lewis Hamilton.

He is now considered a historic rookie, entering F1 in 07 and immediately becoming a championship contender, and in 08 he became the new world champion. The shock he brought to the outside world was no less than that of Kimi Räikkönen's meteoric rise, and it could even be said that he surpassed him in terms of results!
That's why when Chen Xiangbei's lap time during practice was so close to the record set by the newly crowned world champion, the supporters and audience were completely dumbfounded.

Could it be that China's rising F3 drivers can really challenge the track records of Europe's historical geniuses?

"Holy crap, is this the true skill level of an F1 test driver?"

"Who said Chen Xiangbei signed the contract because of his money? Step forward and speak now!"

"He truly deserves the title of 'God of Speed,' even though everyone thought he had no chance, he still managed to come back and surpass everyone else."

"It feels like it's only a matter of time before the Grand Prix F3 record is set by a Chinese driver!"

The crowds on both sides of the street and in the stands cheered, and the engineers from the various teams in the pit were even more overwhelmed.

They actually suspected that Chen Xiangbei was faking his lap times. Under normal circumstances, even if you have special "money power" to sign a contract with an F1 team, you will still be rejected if you are not good enough.

Chen Xiangbei couldn't even get into the top 15 in F3 practice sessions. Either the Brawn GP team is blind, or there's a huge weakness in street racing.

Just like many F1 drivers, he has the title of "landlubber" because he can't adapt to racing in the rain.

However, Chen Xiangbei had been working on the car's tuning, and his previous racing line had indeed been a bit problematic. As the practice session drew to a close, the engineers from the other teams reached a vague consensus.

This Chinese driver likely falls into the latter category. His lack of experience in street racing presents a significant technical disadvantage, and even if he has some hidden skills, they won't be substantial.

Who would have thought that Chen Xiangbei would run such an exaggerated lap after entering the station? Was it really necessary to be so slow before?

Instantly, the strategy engineers of each team had the same idea pop into their minds again.

Was Chen Xiangbei's performance in this round due to his strength or an extraordinary performance?
No one knows the answer yet. After completing this test, Chen Xiangbei did not continue practicing and instead drove directly into the maintenance lane to enter the station.

"Sawano, what's your speed for this lap?"

During the speed limit process at the station, Chen Xiangbei asked a question via TR.

"2 minutes, 09 seconds, 926."

Hiroki Sawano suppressed his excitement and reported his current lap time.

"good."

[Just okay?]

The people in the pit room looked at each other in bewilderment. Chen Xiangbei had looked at so much information about the Guia Circuit, but he hadn't bothered to memorize the track records.

"Xiang Beijun, do you know?"

"That last lap was just 0.05 seconds away from Hamilton's pole position record!"

Mizutani Sho couldn't help but offer a reminder.

Even disregarding Hamilton's status as a newly crowned F1 World Champion, his Grand Prix pole position record alone is enough to place him at the top of the world's F3 racing series.

"Ok, I know."

Chen Xiangbei remained calm in his tone.

Hamilton's pole position record is beyond question; even if it cannot be surpassed, anyone who comes close would be considered a top-tier racing genius.

However, it is ultimately a record set during the F3 era, while drivers are constantly improving.

Compared to driving Renault cars, if we disregard the differences between electronic and mechanical systems, Chen Xiangbei is actually more familiar with and adapted to F3. Only from this level can it be considered an official FIA tiered racing series, as many driving and handling experiences are shared.

If it weren't for the unexpected mechanical transmission and control system incident, Chen Xiangbei's goal for himself would have been to break Hamilton's record from the F3 era!
"Xiang Beijun, since you know, then why..."

In TR, Sho Mizutani muttered something, but didn't finish his sentence.

He had been in contact with Chen Xiangbei for more than half a year and was already very familiar with the other's personality to some extent.

Chen Xiangbei's emotional stability is the biggest characteristic that sets him apart from other young drivers.

However, upon hearing this, Chen Xiangbei still gave an answer.

"Mizutani, because low-level equation records are meant to be broken."

Upon hearing these familiar words, Odeto smiled knowingly.

This kid has really mastered the essence!

The F3 car stopped at the pit stop entrance. Chen Xiangbei unbuckled his seatbelt and gave feedback on several details of the car's tuning.

Liang Chi and the others didn't say much, and hurriedly made changes before the practice match ended to avoid exceeding the time limit and being investigated by the FIA.

After the F3 practice session, the GT prototype practice session will follow, and finally the motorcycle practice session will take place. The audience will be able to enjoy three completely different types of racing cars without interruption.

As for Chen Xiangbei, he had no leisure to stay in the pit room to enjoy the show. After changing out of his racing suit, he quietly returned to the hotel, went to the conference room, opened the cornering video of Nakajima Kazuki, and compared it with the track characteristics in his mind.

On Monday night, Chen Xiangbei "walked" the track. Due to the limited lighting at night, his judgment of the curves relied more on his feel for the car.

The reason why Chen Xiangbei was so slow in today's practice race was that he was observing the details of the track and reference points with his eyes, and then reinforcing his memory by repeatedly running laps!
There are two ways for F1 drivers to memorize a track.

The first method is to practice hundreds or thousands of times through simulators or real-world test runs until the entire track is imprinted in your mind, achieving an astonishing level of proficiency where you can run the entire course even with your eyes closed.

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez once demonstrated during a promotional event that he was blindfolded and running on the track with his back to the screen.

That's something they really did—they navigated every curve flawlessly, truly turning that boast of "I can drive an F1 car with my eyes closed" into reality!
If there's no way to get hundreds or thousands of practice sessions, and you're expected to memorize a track in a very short time, like Chen Xiangbei did with only 45 minutes of practice time, then the second method has to be adopted.

That's what it means to find a reference point!
Indeed, F1 drivers often use a distinctive object as a reference point for braking or steering, much like driving school students do when practicing.

The famous three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet was once invited by BMW to drive the Nürburgring Nordschleife, which is commonly known as the "Nürburgring Nordschleife" in China.

Piquet is a Brazilian driver who has never been to Germany except to participate in races, let alone to race on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, which is a completely unknown track.

Furthermore, compared to the standard F1 circuits which are generally around five kilometers long, the Nürburgring Nordschleife is 24 kilometers long, and its various complex and varied curves and terrain have earned it the nickname "Green Hell".

As an invited guest, Piquet is fine running around for fun, but winning the race is virtually impossible.

But as a three-time F1 world champion, Piquet naturally had his own honors and pride. He spent three days and at the cost of ruining a BMW M1 supercar to memorize the 24-kilometer Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit, defeating a group of professional drivers and local bullies to win the championship.

Piquet did this by memorizing every detail of the track.

For example, gaps in roadside signs, guardrails, lampposts, and wire mesh.

However, this level of performance might be sufficient for touring car racing, but it's far from enough for Formula street racing, which is known for its precision.

Chen Xiangbei wouldn't dare say he pursues millimeter-level precision, but at least the maximum error cannot exceed three centimeters, which requires more precise reference points on the track.

For example, small potholes in the road surface, cracks in the asphalt, or stains on the white lines of the road shoulder!

How to brake and cut the lane one meter before a small pothole, at which point should you drive and hit a gap in the asphalt, and at what speed should you maintain a certain speed when the white line on the shoulder is stained, so that you can reach the limit of the shoulder without going out of bounds.

Only by using these subtle reference points on the track and constantly fine-tuning and challenging loss of control can Chen Xiangbei achieve his ultimate control standards.

Of course, it's not easy to do this, not to mention all the detailed features that need to be memorized.

With race cars speeding past at speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour, it's not easy to keep track of these reference points with your eyes alone; it puts an extreme test of a driver's concentration!

That's why Chen Xiangbei rushed back to the hotel as soon as the practice match ended.

He needed a quiet environment to recall dozens of track reference points before comparing them with Kazuki Nakajima's video to see if there were any mistakes.

As the old saying goes, there's no room for error in streetball; Chen Xiangbei has to get everything right!
Odeto was very experienced with Chen Xiangbei's state of "enlightenment," recalling how Schumacher had quietly reviewed his performance in his mind back in the day. He specifically instructed the crew members returning to the hotel to leave him alone and give him space.

……

After a night, Chen Xiangbei walked out of the room looking refreshed, his entire demeanor completely different from before.

Even though Chen Xiangbei didn't show it during the practice matches, he was still under tremendous psychological pressure.

The unfamiliarity with the track, the need to adapt to the car's handling, the prospects of his career, and even the expectations of the supporters on site all put invisible pressure on Chen Xiangbei, telling him that he couldn't afford to lose this race.

But now, he believes he has taken control of the Guia Circuit, and his strength gives him confidence and assurance!
Saturday's Guia Circuit will be even more exciting, with official predictions suggesting that the number of spectators will exceed 30,000.

Chen Xiangbei's explosive performance in the final practice lap became a media sensation, with Hong Kong and Macau reporters eager to create a big story, using headlines to publicize that a Chinese pole position driver would appear in the Grand Prix!
Whether Chen Xiangbei can get pole position or not is not important; the news has already generated the buzz and exposure it needed.

The crew didn't head to the pits early like they would on Friday. The car's final setup was already complete, and according to the rules, neither qualifying nor the race allowed any changes to the settings, so going early would be pointless.

When Chen Xiangbei and his group arrived at the Guia Circuit, the scene was already described as "bustling with noise," with a dense crowd of spectators everywhere.

"Wow, Brother Bei, how many people are there...?"

Ah Yong asked in utter astonishment.

"Calm down, it's a small matter."

Chen Xiangbei appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, he was also deeply shocked.

He had seen far more magnificent and spectacular scenes when he was racing in F2 support races in his previous life.

But those spectators came for the F1 teams.

Many of the people here are here for their own benefit!

"Chen Xiangbei, keep it up!"

"Keep up yesterday's momentum, take pole position, and create a record for Chinese drivers!"

"The Australian Grand Prix should not be dominated by foreign drivers!"

"Car God Bei, you will always be my No.1!"

Hearing these shouts, even Chen Xiangbei, who was usually very calm, was moved to tears.

This is the support and strength that comes from being at home. Many things have nothing to do with results or ease; it's simply because Chen Xiangbei is a Chinese driver who carries the hopes of Chinese motorsport.

Without anyone reminding him, Chen Xiangbei will give it his all in this race!

After changing into racing gear at the pit lane, the qualifying session at the Grand Prix is ​​still the standard half hour.

However, due to its street circuit nature, it places greater emphasis on track traffic conditions and tests the timing of team releases. Compared to traditional tracks, the Guia Asphalt surface has very poor grip, and the presence or absence of rubber residue can significantly impact lap times.

The reason why Chen Xiangbei was able to burst out with a lap at the end of the practice session was because the track grip was at its best at that point!
During the break before qualifying began, the two commentators in the studio introduced the background of the race, the well-known drivers, and made predictions about the pole position in the upcoming qualifying session, as is their usual practice.

"Mr. Li, who do you think will be the pole position winner this time?" Hong Kong commentator Luo Feng asked with a playful smile on his face.

"Chen Xiangbei!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Bing gave his answer.

Out of sentiment, he had to support the Chinese driver.

Logically, Chen Xiangbei had the fastest lap in yesterday's practice session, making him the most likely candidate for pole position.

"But I received a rumor that the driver's lap yesterday provoked many rival teams, and they adopted a qualifying-oriented setup at the last moment in order to seize pole position at the Grand Prix."

Street racing is characterized by the difficulty of overtaking, which makes qualifying rankings particularly important.

Normally, top local players like Kyosuke Kunimoto and Mattarella have similar lap times in practice, so it comes down to who performs better in qualifying to secure pole position.

As a result, Chen Xiangbei intervened and pushed the practice lap time to near the pole position record, so the only option was to adopt an extreme setup to try and catch up.

Regardless of Chen Xiangbei's actual ability, he does hold the title of F1 test driver.

No matter how high the standard of F3 racing is, it is still F3 after all, and it is vastly different from F1.

Taking pole position while riding an F1 test car is nothing more than something to brag about!
"Then let's wait and see."

Li Bing did not argue, but simply replied with a single sentence.

Pole position is bound to be highly competitive, and he believes Chen Xiangbei can defeat all his rivals.

At 9:35, only three minutes remained until the Grand Prix F3 qualifying session.

Chen Xiangbei's No. 13 race car was started and began to preheat the oil.

"North, the traffic conditions on the track are expected to be very bad, you need to seize the opportunity to run the flying lap."

Odeto offered a reminder that the biggest challenge now might not be Chen Xiangbei's speed, but rather the timing of his run out of the flying lap.

"Ah."

Chen Xiangbei nodded, took the energy drink Lu Xiaoman handed him, and took a big gulp.

Today, the air temperature on the island of Macau is close to 30 degrees Celsius. Chen Xiangbei is wearing a thick racing suit and does not have the cooling system that F1 drivers have, so he must ensure that he drinks plenty of water before the race.

"Odeto, how about we start first?"

After swallowing the saliva, Chen Xiangbei offered a suggestion.

He knew that the later the race started, the better the track grip would be, but at the same time, there would be more race cars speeding by.

It's better to leave the station early and take advantage of the empty spaces to squeeze in a ride.

"Are you confident?"

Odeto asked a question in return, and then handed the decision over to Chen Xiangbei.

"Have."

"OK, get ready to depart."

Without much preamble, Odeto gave the order to depart.

As Chen Xiangbei sat in the driver's seat, the team members came forward to offer encouragement.

"Brother Bei, keep it up!"

"Pole position secured, Head North!"

"Head north, run free!"

Hearing the cheers and encouragement around him, Chen Xiangbei made an OK sign, then stepped on the gas and drove out of the parking lot.

But when he came out, he was dumbfounded. There were at least five cars ahead of him with the same idea, cutting off the pit lane and preparing to race on the clean track.

With 26 race cars, there's no way to avoid it!

Seeing this scene on the broadcast, Hiroki Sawano frowned and said, "Team Leader Odette, the timing doesn't seem very good."

"There is no absolutely perfect opportunity; it is up to the North to discover and seize it."

Odette spoke calmly; he had long expected this to happen.

However, there was one more thing Odette hadn't anticipated: the frequent track accidents!

The extreme tuning, which is geared towards qualifying, means that it is all about speed, and the reduced downforce will greatly increase the difficulty of handling.

Chen Xiangbei completed his regular warm-up lap, and just as he was about to begin his flying lap, a yellow flag appeared on the track prohibiting overtaking, indicating a collision between drivers.

After the safety car took a lap and restored the green flag, Chen Xiangbei thought it was just an isolated incident. As he was about to cross the finish line on his second lap, a yellow flag appeared on the track again, indicating that two cars had collided in a corner.

"I'm speechless. If you don't have the ability, don't try to start right on time!"

"What's going on? The accident rate seems a bit high."

"That's normal; that's how the Guia Circuit is."

"The racing god Bei was just about to cross the finish line, and now his flying lap is ruined again!"

Various complaints and regrets arose from the audience. A third of the qualifying round had already passed, and Chen Xiangbei hadn't even managed a single effective flying lap.

"Teacher Luo, it seems that many drivers' preference for extreme setups in qualifying is not a wise choice."

Commentator Li Bing said something, expressing his own anxiety for Chen Xiangbei.

The Guia Circuit already has relatively weak grip, and the extreme setup, coupled with insufficient rubber granules falling off the racing line, greatly increases the difficulty for drivers to control their cars.

Not every driver is a local powerhouse like Motana. Most of them, like Chen Xiangbei, are experiencing the Guia Circuit for the first time and overestimate their abilities.

"Sawano, how much wear and tear is on the tires now?"

Chen Xiangbei asked TR, "Two laps of flying were ruined, plus the warm-up lap and being led by the safety car for two laps, the soft tires have almost passed their peak grip."

"42 percent for the front wheels and 55 percent for the rear wheels."

"Xiang Beijun, the tires' grip is starting to decline. Should we stop for a tire change?"

"I'm planning to give it my all."

Chen Xiangbei rejected Hiroki Sawano's suggestion. Changing tires would require a warm-up lap, and with the qualifying time decreasing, more and more cars would be speeding out of the pits. He didn't want to waste time.

"receive."

Hiroki Sawano didn't insist. Although Chen Xiangbei's tire performance had declined compared to its peak, the wear and tear was enough to push the car for another lap.

But at that moment, Oddo's voice came through Chen Xiangbei's earphones.

"North, pull into the station to change the tire."

Normally, the team leader and the competition engineer wouldn't give completely contradictory instructions, so Odtor's statement puzzled Chen Xiangbei.

"Odette, I feel like the tires can still run."

"North, execute the order!"

Without explanation, Odeto simply emphasized that this was an instruction.

“COPY.”

Chen Xiangbei responded and drove into the maintenance lane as he passed the starting line.

"Chen Xiangbei has entered the station; it seems the tires are quite worn out."

"However, given the current track traffic conditions, even if there are no accidents, he probably won't be able to achieve his best lap time after changing tires and warming up. Was this pit stop the right choice?"

Commentator Luo Feng then raised a question.

Although he prefers Hong Kong Island local driver Fong Chun-yu, he sometimes still has to adhere to the professional ethics of commentary.

When Chen Xiangbei's next flying lap begins, there will probably only be ten minutes left in qualifying, and the track will be packed with drivers running flying laps.

It's important to know that Chen Xiangbei wasn't the only one affected by the accident; those drivers who left the pits earlier also failed to achieve any decent results.

The tighter the timeline, the more crowded the track will become. Luo Feng thinks Chen Xiangbei might as well not come in at all and just use this soft tire setup to try and win the last lap!
Just as commentator Luo Feng predicted, due to a severe shortage of crew members, Chen Xiangbei took nearly a minute to change the tire.

Meanwhile, during this period, both Motara and Kunimoto Kyosuke seized the opportunity and achieved their own speed lap times.

其中莫他拿更是跑进了2分09秒范畴，最终圈速为2分09秒955。

Although this is a bit slower than Chen Xiangbei's fastest lap in practice, given the current traffic conditions, it will most likely be pole position this year!

Odeto stared at the lap time leaderboard that was refreshing on the screen, his face showing no emotion whatsoever. Just as Chen Xiangbei was about to leave the station, he suddenly gave Liang Chi some instructions.

"Drain the remaining fuel from the race car, leaving just enough for one lap."

One lap?
Upon hearing Odetto's instructions, Liang Chi was stunned.

"Liang, execute the order!"

After offering a reminder, Odeto looked at Chen Xiangbei and asked.

"Bei, is there a problem?"

"no problem!"

Chen Xiangbei immediately understood Odette's intention: since the traffic conditions on the track were not good, there was no need to wait for the best opportunity.

With its superior light-load fuel and tire advantages, it surpasses them all!

As Chen Xiangbei stepped on the gas and left the pits, car number 13 reappeared on the main track.

Once the warm-up lap was complete, Chen Xiangbei began to accelerate wildly, launching an attack on all the race cars blocking his way with the ferocity of a lion hunting a rabbit.

In just half a lap, he overtook three slower cars blocking his way. His speed and efficiency left the track commentators speechless. What was Chen Xiangbei doing?
Time always passes faster than expected on the track.

When the lap time leaderboard on the big screen was updated, commentator Li Bing finally recovered from Chen Xiangbei's speed and said in an extremely excited tone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's turn our attention to the track's big screen! Just now, driver Chen Xiangbei set a lap time of 2 minutes and 9.168 seconds, which is 0.7 seconds faster than the pole position record at the Guia Circuit!"

"I simply can't believe Chen Xiangbei could run at such a speed on this lap. If there were no car in front blocking his way, how fast could he run?"

"But now is not the time for speculation. I want to announce what is happening on the track right now with the most official statement."

"Chinese driver Chen Xiangbei has broken F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton's track record!"

(End of this chapter)