Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 137 The Emergence of Strategic Gameplay

"Great job! Chen Xiangbei should be in pole position!"

"That's amazing! No wonder he was chosen by an F1 team!"

"This is the record of last year's newly crowned world champion Hamilton. Chen Xiangbei has managed to surpass it."

"0.7 seconds is really impressive. Has there been a major overhaul of the F3 cars this year?"

"There have been improvements, but not many; at least not to the level of 0.7 seconds."

The cheers of the track spectators were accompanied by a sense of disbelief.

After all, this is a bit too exaggerated. Even the Chinese fans who were most optimistic about Chen Xiangbei at the scene did not dare to hope that he could really surpass Hamilton's pole position and become a new record on the Guia Circuit!

Is the Australian Grand Prix about to usher in an era for Chinese riders?
"Kyōyō, pull over to the station to change the tire!"

"Motana, pull over for a tire change!"

"Fang Junyu, pull into the station to change the tire!"

One team command after another was issued from the pit lane. There was still a little over a minute left in qualifying. Theoretically, if they gave up the warm-up lap, they could still pit for a tire change and push for the last lap.

Because the qualifying lap times are determined by the car crossing the starting line before the countdown ends.

This means that even if the flying lap only begins at the very last second after the tachometer stops, the result is still valid.

The engineers at the race were well aware that Chen Xiangbei's lap time was achieved with an extremely light fuel load and brand-new soft tires. If he wanted to reclaim pole position, he would have to fight just as hard!
Although there wasn't time for a warm-up lap, and the tires didn't reach operating temperature after leaving the pits, the situation at the Guia Circuit is different from that in the UK. Here, the road surface temperature increases as noon approaches, and the characteristics of street racing also cause the tires to warm up quickly.

Not every track requires consideration of tire warming; on some hot tracks, teams are more concerned with how to cool the tires.

For example, the Malaysian and Bahrain Grand Prix in Formula 1 are both known for their high-temperature tracks.

In fact, similar latitudes include Singapore, but in order to avoid the hot daytime temperatures, the FIA ​​chose the night game mode.

The car can reach operating temperature in a short time. In addition, the race of more than 20 cars for half an hour has accumulated enough rubber on the track to improve grip. This is the basis for the team's willingness to "gamble".

Whether a track can achieve the fastest lap time often depends on the combination of favorable timing, location, and human factors.

The timing goes without saying; they definitely can't escape on a rainy day.

The concept of "human factors" is quite simple to understand: the fastest lap time relies on a skilled driver.

The most complex situation is the terrain, which involves not only the locals' familiarity with the track but also the condition of the asphalt surface.

The best grip of a racetrack is between the second and fourth year after new asphalt is laid. The entire process of change is like a peak-valley line, after which it shows a continuous downward trend.

Take the Donghai International Circuit in China as an example. For a long period of time, many of the track records were set and held by Schumacher in 04, and no one has been able to break them even after the performance of cars improved.

The track's asphalt surface had been in operation for twenty years, gradually aging, until the F1 Chinese Grand Prix was restarted in 24, when a new asphalt with a higher technical level was laid.

The F1 Chinese Grand Prix was held again a year later, and from the sprint race onwards, various lap records were constantly being broken. This is the effect of the new asphalt being at its peak grip.

Street racing surfaces are much harsher than traditional tracks, making the use of rubber granules from the racing line even more crucial for improving grip. With the "advantageous" conditions in place for the last minute, it all comes down to whether the drivers from each team can complete their own "star lap."

"Sawano, I'm going to the station."

A request came through the TR: he had only used the lightest fuel possible, and if he missed the base station window, he would fail the post-match inspection.

"Received, preparing to enter the station."

Hiroki Sawano responded.

But then he looked at Odette and said with a hint of worry, "Team leader, I wonder if any of these drivers who are exiting the pits will threaten Xiang Beijun's pole position."

“If they could pose a threat, they wouldn’t have waited until now.”

"North is the winner of this qualifying round!"

Odeto gave an affirmative answer in advance. Did he really think Hamilton's pole position record was some kind of dud?
Moreover, with a 0.7-second lead, Chen Xiangbei's impact on this lap went far beyond a simple victory.

He has already proven with his results that he is adaptable enough to handle skipping grades!

Odette even had some fantasies and expectations: what would happen if Chen Xiangbei directly drove an F1 car?
As car number 13 drove off the main track and into the pit lane, Liang Chi and his team of technicians were already waiting in the pit area.

As soon as Chen Xiangbei brought the race car to a stop, everyone excitedly surrounded him, patting his helmet and shouting, "Brother Bei, you got pole position!"

"Heading north, you've set a new pole position record, a full 0.7 seconds faster than Hamilton!"

"Brother Bei is awesome!"

To become a mechanic on a racing team, physical strength is a basic requirement.

After being filmed so haphazardly, Chen Xiangbei's head was spinning. He quickly pushed off his mask to stop them, saying, "Thank you, thank you, I understand!"

Just then, Oddo walked out of the pit room and casually added a comment.

"Don't get too excited yet, we haven't even secured a pole position."

Indeed, there are still several race cars performing flying laps on the track, so theoretically the dust hasn't settled yet!

"The spirit of a driver is to never give up. Even though Chen Xiangbei broke the track record, several drivers still pitted to change tires and chose to take on the challenge, including our Hong Kong driver Fang Junyu!"

"Based on the current real-time speed tests, Fang Junyu's lap time is very fast, improving by as much as 0.5 seconds compared to his fastest lap. Can he surpass Chen Xiangbei?"

Hong Kong commentator Luo Feng stared intently at the big screen, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists to cheer on Fang Junyu.

The race broadcast also understood the popularity and viewership of local drivers, with the camera basically focused on Fang Junyu the entire time. The audience cheered and encouraged him, no less than they had for Chen Xiangbei before.

But the world of racing isn't a fairy tale; often, just because you give it your all doesn't guarantee a good result.

Fang Junyu was going too fast at the famous hairpin bend in Guia Bay, causing a spin and the entire race car to spin like a top.

Fortunately, the hairpin bend is a very low-speed bend, and the new tires had excellent grip. After one lap, Fang Junyu regained control of the car and avoided a serious track accident. However, his final lap time was ruined.

"Sigh, Fang Junyu made a mistake!"

"The Guia Circuit is still difficult to drive; it's too hard to try to complete a lap on the Starry Night Circuit without warming up the tires."

"Chen Xiangbei is really something; even local driver Fang Junyu can't beat him."

"Fang Junyu is also participating for the first time. Give him two more years to grow, and he may not be weaker than Chen Xiangbei!"

The stands were filled with sighs and regrets from the audience. Before the race, they had high hopes for local driver Fong Chun-yu, believing that he could make history in Hong Kong racing and become the first local driver to take pole position.

As a result of the spin in this lap, Fang Junyu dropped to thirteenth place in qualifying.

Given the difficulty of overtaking on the Guia Circuit, unless a miracle occurs, they are basically out of contention for the championship!

"Kyosuke Kunimoto had a very good lap time, setting a lap time of 2 minutes and 10.026 seconds."

"The defending champion still has the ability. If he can improve his speed in the first half of the race during the normal warm-up, it doesn't seem impossible for him to break 2 minutes and 09 seconds and challenge Hamilton's record."

Just as commentator Li Bing finished speaking, the last driver, Motana, crossed the starting line.

Instantly, the second-ranked lap time of Kyosuke Kunimoto on the big screen was refreshed, displaying a time of 2 minutes and 9.522 seconds.

"Last year's runner-up, Motara, unleashed his star lap, becoming the second driver to break the 2:09 mark and the pole position record."

"Motara demonstrated his strength and potential, fulfilling his pre-race boast of defeating defending champion Kyoto Kunimoto. It's just a pity that his opponent is no longer Kyoto Kunimoto, as Xiangbei Chen's lap time remains at the top."

"Let's give a big round of applause and cheers to congratulate the pole position driver of the 56th Grand Prix F3."

"Chen Xiangbei!"

With Motana crossing the finish line, qualifying was over, and Chen Xiangbei secured pole position, becoming the new record holder.

"No doubt about it, Chen Xiangbei is in pole position!"

"Chen Xiangbei has made history again, becoming the first Chinese pole position driver at the Grand Prix!"

"Go Chen Xiangbei! We look forward to your championship in the main competition!"

The crowd on both sides of the street and in the stands was in a frenzy. Even though the racing building blocked the sound and view, Chen Xiangbei could still hear the thunderous cheers.

This is recognition and praise for myself!
Compared to the excitement of the audience, the crew members were much calmer at this moment.

After all, they are professionals and know what it means to surpass the pole position record by 0.7 seconds.

Without sufficient tire warm-up, even with the best "location" conditions, the speed in the first half of the race will definitely be slower, and it's impossible to surpass Chen Xiangbei's miraculous lap time unless the driver possesses the lap time of Senna or Schumacher.

Without a doubt, only one driver of this caliber typically appears in an era. With Schumacher's retirement, it remains to be seen who will take his place in the next generation.

But at least it won't be Kunimoto Kyosuke or Modana.

Having already celebrated pole position, there's no need for a second celebration.

Chen Xiangbei had already come out of the car cockpit and was standing in front of the data computer with the team's strategy group, discussing the tuning issues exposed during the push-to-the-limit lap.

"Xiang Beijun, for this lap with light throttle from pole position, according to the data transmitted by the tire wear sensor, the front tire has 47% of its life remaining and the rear tire has 56% of its life remaining."

"The wear ratio of the front and rear wheels is now quite close compared to before the adjustment. However, the front wheels bear the steering pressure, so their wear is still greater than that of the rear wheels."

"As for the precise tire wear data, the technical team will need to conduct post-race inspections to determine that."

Mizutani Sho explained to Chen Xiangbei, focusing on tire wear.

The remaining lifespan percentage of tire sensors in that era was estimated using a formula to arrive at a rough range, far less precise than the individual wheel-by-egg accuracy of later F1 racing cars.

However, even the tire wear data of F1 in later years cannot be completely equated with the current state of the tires, just like the remaining range displayed on the dashboard of an electric vehicle.

Some vehicles show zero remaining range but can still travel a distance.

Some vehicles may have a remaining range of tens of kilometers, but suddenly lose power and become unusable.

Why does the tire wear so badly even after a full throttle rotation with light grease?

Chen Xiangbei frowned subconsciously; the wear and tear on the Guia Circuit was far greater than expected.

Due to traffic conditions, Chen Xiangbei was unable to push off the speed lap at full speed during qualifying, often having to be interrupted halfway through, resulting in unclear tire damage data.

It now seems that under heavy oil conditions, the soft tires might not be able to withstand 15 laps.

"Mizutani, what will the track temperature be tomorrow?"

Chen Xiangbei asked.

"Tomorrow's F3 race will be the final race, and its timing will be different from the practice and qualifying races. It will be held at 3:30 pm."

"According to the data provided by the meteorological bureau, the air temperature is estimated to be around 32°C. After being exposed to the high temperature at noon, the road surface temperature will most likely exceed 40°C."

[Above 40℃?]

Upon hearing Mizutani Sho's answer, Chen Xiangbei turned to Sawano Hiroki and asked.

"Sawano, based on your experience at Guia, is it possible to complete a race without pit stops on a slick tire?"

"Unless we slow down to the extreme to preserve the pregnancy, we cannot."

Hiroki Sawano gave an affirmative answer.

Compared to Formula Renault cars, F3 cars differ in more than just aerodynamic components and performance. The extra fuel capacity and increased weight due to the larger chassis make them nearly 100 kilograms heavier than Renault cars.

Undoubtedly, the heavier the car, the greater the pressure on the tires. In addition, the rough surface of street racing roads amplifies the wear and tear.

"If Xiang Beijun gets pole position, can he take advantage of the track's difficulty in overtaking to maintain his tires and finish the race?"

Sho Mizutani suggested that since the track was difficult to overtake, Chen Xiangbei, who was in pole position, should block the way ahead as the locomotive, and that it wouldn't be a big problem to maintain his position by driving slowly.

"No, many drivers clearly prefer the extreme setup for qualifying, and they are definitely prepared to pit for a tire change."

“In this situation, they will not obediently follow behind. Instead, they will launch a fierce attack on the pole position driver after starting, which will greatly increase tire wear during the battle.”

"If any track incident occurs, allowing them to reduce the time lost during pit stops for tire changes, Xiang Beijun's old tires will definitely not be able to withstand the attack of the new tires, and he will most likely be overtaken in the later stages of the race!"

Listening to Hiroki Sawano's analysis, the strategy team members remained silent, deep in thought.

Chen Xiangbei has one major problem that he can't solve: he can't go to the station to change a tire.

Due to insufficient crew members, two pit stops for tire changing have been tested, and even with the team leader Odeto joining in, the time would not be less than 30 seconds.

This is an almost impossible gap to close in a low-speed street race.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, as many F3 races don't involve pit stops for tire changes; the same set of tires is used for the entire race. However, this year, Australia experienced unusually high temperatures in April, significantly increasing tire wear, and competitors changed their setups and pit stop strategies.

The disadvantage of insufficient crew members became apparent, putting Chen Xiangbei in a strategically passive position.

"Since the soft tires won't last the whole race, let's switch to medium tires."

Odette crossed his arms and calmly offered a solution.

"Team leader, but this way the grip is too weak in the early game, and Xiang Beijun won't be able to hold his position."

Hiroki Sawano had considered this point. Medium tires are indeed more durable, but their grip is not as good as soft tires, and they heat up very slowly.

Even with a road surface temperature of 40°C, it would take at least one or two laps to reach the operating temperature. During this process, Chen Xiangbei, who was cold-tire, simply couldn't hold onto his pole position.

"If you can't hold on, give up and follow behind to maintain the tire's condition. You don't actually think those extreme setups in qualifying will result in low tire wear, do you?"

The tuning scheme geared towards qualifying is essentially a high downforce scheme, which increases handling and grip in corners to achieve top speeds.

Excessive downforce combined with heavy fuel will cause extremely high tire wear, which is why competitors have to pit immediately; they simply cannot sustain the effort to complete the race.

"If the opponent bets on the safety car being deployed, it will offset the time loss from the pit stop. Overtaking is extremely difficult at Guia Circuit, and Xiang Beijun will be in an extremely passive position!"

Strategic competition has existed since the beginning of Formula 3 racing, and Hiroki Sawano's discussion focuses on typical pit stop strategies.

Under normal circumstances, when changing tires in the pit lane, including the wear and tear caused by the speed limit in the pit lane, the entire window in F1 takes about 20 seconds.

In other words, as long as Chen Xiangbei is behind the car and doesn't fall behind by more than 20 seconds, he can easily get ahead once the other car goes to the pits to change tires, without even needing to overtake.

However, if a track accident occurs and the safety car is deployed, FIA regulations will impose speed limits and prohibit overtaking. If an opponent seizes this opportunity to pit for tires, they essentially gain a free pit stop window, and their position will still be ahead of Chen Xiangbei's car after exiting the pits.

At this point, the rankings remained unchanged, Chen Xiangbei was still using his old tires, while his opponent had switched to a brand new set. Even with his superior skill, catching up with and overtaking his opponent on the Guia Circuit was practically impossible.

This is why Hiroki Sawano doesn't consider using medium tires; the chances of a safety car being deployed in street racing are too high, and opponents can almost always gamble on it!
"Even if they get a free window, the grip of the high-downforce tires will still decrease quickly. As long as they do a good job of tire maintenance, they can still overtake in the later stages of the race."

"Team leader, but..."

Hiroki Sawano wanted to argue further, but Odeto shook his head and looked at Xiangbei Chen.

"North, can you overtake your opponent?"

"can."

Odette is right, even if the opponent is lucky enough to get a free entry window.

As long as he does his best to maintain the pregnancy, Chen Xiangbei is confident that he can outmaneuver his opponent's two sets of soft tires with his own set of neutral tires.

Conversely, if the opponent is not lucky, the match will be over sooner!
"OK, no problem, let's do it this way."

Odette spread his hands and looked at Hiroki Sawano with an "innocent" expression.

All this fancy stuff and complicated thinking, as long as Chen Xiangbei can handle it, that's fine...

As is customary after the competition, the technician team remained in the pit room for post-competition maintenance.

After changing out of his racing suit, Chen Xiangbei returned to the hotel with the strategy team ahead of time to get away from the noise of the track and prepare for tomorrow's race.

Today, however, is destined to be unlike yesterday.

After returning to the hotel and taking a shower, Chen Xiangbei went to the conference room, intending to watch the game video again to strengthen his memory of the reference points in his mind. However, Lu Xiaoman pushed open the door and walked in.

"Hey, get ready, you'll be getting a media interview soon."

"Sister Man, please decline. I don't want to do interviews during the competition."

Chen Xiangbei shook his head. Yesterday's experience of "enlightenment" had greatly enhanced him.

He hopes to get back into that state and doesn't want to be disturbed by reporters at this time.

"I'm afraid it will be difficult to push."

"why?"

"The CCTV team wants to interview you."

(End of this chapter)