Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 155: Planning to replicate the miracle of skipping grades?

"North, congratulations on securing pole position!"

Ross Brown walked over and gave Chen Xiangbei a warm hug.

To be honest, besides joy, he also felt a strange sense of complexity at that moment.

Normally, when a test driver demonstrates amazing talent and potential, it's definitely good news for the team.

Both Button and Barrichello are over thirty, which is considered "old" in the F1 paddock, and they could face retirement at any time due to poor performance or form.

At this point, a third driver or test driver is needed to be promoted to the permanent position to ensure the team's sustainable development!
In recent years, F1 teams have established driver academies or launched youth training programs in order to expand their driver pool and avoid a situation where there are no drivers available.

But then a problem arises: super-talented rookies are often unwilling to be second best. What if their "little brother" wants to take their place?
Even gangsters know that to rise to power, they must first take down the boss. How much more so for Formula One drivers at the top, who would naturally ask the team's official drivers, the "big brothers," to step down and make way for them!
Unfortunately, these two are among the championship contenders, and their team contract renewals are usually finalized by mid-year. It's impossible to tell Button or Barrichello at this crucial moment that they'll be leaving next year to make way for newcomers.

Even the most mentally strong driver will be affected if they learn of this situation.

With other teams upgrading their lineups, especially Ferrari's strong mid-season rise, BGP001 has lost its early-season momentum, and Vettel has also joined the championship race.

Brawn GP team cannot afford to lose the championship, and Chen Xiangbei, as a newcomer, does not have that much influence to make the team board take a gamble!
A similar situation is to the Renault team in 22. Everyone knows that Piastri achieved a "one jump per year" record, which destined him to be a super rookie.

With two official drivers for the Renault team, Alonso has a strong track record and seniority, so it's unlikely they'll fire him to make way for him.

Although Ocon was a bit lacking, his performance and speed steadily improved. He not only went toe-to-toe with Alonso, but even overtook him in the points standings.

In addition to his youth, if you fire him, who knows how many more years Alonso can keep running? When he retires, there will be a vacancy that needs to be filled by a talented player.

Renault's strategy is to keep Piastri occupied, promising him seats while threatening to give him all of them!
The result was a complete disaster. Piastlin fought head-on and ran away, and Alonso couldn't stand his teammate's "lion-like defense" and ran away as well.

After a series of blunders, the Renault team became a laughing stock, handing over their own top-tier youth academy talent to McLaren to compete for the championship...

To some extent, ever since the "crash scandal" broke out in 09, Renault team principal "Bouveret" was punished and removed from the paddock, and the management underwent a major reshuffle, this French team has been on a downward spiral.

From a top factory team that can supply racing engines and helped create the three dynasties of Benetton, Williams and Renault.

After struggling for more than a decade, all the engine customers left, their own youth training system collapsed, and in 26 they even had to close the engine factory and transform into a customer team for Mercedes.

The former "Big Three" have completely collapsed and are destined to linger in the middle of the F1 paddock.

Compared to Ferrari, which is often criticized as the "Italian clown," Renault is the real top-tier French clown in the paddock, squandering its decades of accumulated experience with one outrageous move after another.

Of course, Ross Brown couldn't express his inner turmoil and "bitterness" to Chen Xiangbei; on the surface, he was mostly celebrating enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Mr. Ross."

Chen Xiangbei responded politely, then put on his listening headphones like the crew members and stood quietly to the side watching the preparations in the P room.

Compared to the simple aerodynamic kit tuning of the F3 race car and the team coordination Chen Xiangbei had when testing at the Catalan circuit, it is clear that the Brawn GP team is more professional and meticulous.

To put it bluntly, the members of the Super Dream team are a group of people who were eliminated from the Super Aguri team.

The real technical and elite personnel were transferred by the Honda Group to the Blackley plant headquarters and the then-operating Honda F1 team as early as last year.

To give a simple example, Chen Xiangbei's Chaomeng team chose the more common unit "bar" for the adjectives describing tire pressure.

The tire pressure displayed on ordinary passenger vehicles is around 2.x, which is also the unit used to express the air pressure value inside the tire.

However, the tire pressure unit for Brown GP uses the British and American system, psi.

Imperial units are often impractical, such as pounds for weight or feet for length, which are far less convenient than the internationally used kilograms, centimeters, and decimeters.

However, the psi unit for tire pressure represents more than just a simple air pressure value; it represents the force per square inch that the tire can withstand!
Compared to "bar", "psi" more accurately reflects the pressure value that a tire is subjected to, and its unit is smaller and more precise.

Of course, this is only one aspect. Aerodynamic tuning, power unit allocation and deployment, data verification and adjustment, etc., are all ahead of Chen Xiangbei's Chaomeng team.

It's fair to say that there were reasons why the Super Aguri team was at the bottom of the rankings back then. The lack of skilled drivers was only part of the reason, the difference in team quality was another part, and the difference in R&D capabilities was another factor.

In his previous life, Chen Xiangbei was unable to join the F1 youth training program or driver academy, let alone sign a contract to become a test driver or test driver. Today was also the first time he had seen the pit garage of a real championship-contending professional F1 team.

No wonder every driver aspires to join a top-tier racing team or factory team; indeed, compared to smaller teams, the two are not on the same level.

Even Brawn GP is like this, so Chen Xiangbei doesn't know what the pit garages of giants like Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull look like.

However, as Chen Xiangbei watched, he noticed something was off about the atmosphere: Barton and Barrichello seemed to have no interaction whatsoever...

Chen Xiangbei knew that for championship contenders, their biggest enemy was often their own teammate. But he hadn't expected that the competition within the Brawn GP team was already so open.

I recalled something in my mind, and it seemed that the news reports from back then had already foreshadowed it.

Brawn GP displayed an overwhelming and domineering presence in the first seven races of 2009, with the intensity of a super "Martian rover" crushing all others.

Button won five races, and Barrichello was later penalized and stripped of one title. In fact, Button won six out of seven races!
With this result, Button overtook Barrichello against the odds, confirming his status as the team's number one driver.

Unexpectedly, starting from the eighth race, Barrichello staged a remarkable comeback, leading Button in almost every race and winning three races, bringing their points closer together again.

Back then, Barrichello was Schumacher's number two driver, and there was nothing that could be done about it.

The peak performance of Ferrari's reigning champions represents an insurmountable height.

Even so, Barrichello still complained from time to time, saying that it was unthinkable for him to accept being Barton's "youngster" brother and give up the fight for the championship!

Under these circumstances, Barrichello's team canceled data sharing among teammates.

Just like in 24 when Zhou Guanyu and Bottas of Sauber were about to face off in a seat competition, they also refused to share their car setup data with the team.

Of course, whether or not they fight has little to do with Chen Xiangbei; he is merely an observer.

Compared to the applause and cheers in F3, the roar of the crowd when an F1 driver leaves the pits is like an earthquake; the two are not even in the same league.

Even standing inside the P room, wearing listening earmuffs, Chen Xiangbei could still feel the impact of the sound waves and the resonance that connected to his heartbeat.

To be honest, for a moment, Chen Xiangbei understood the meaning of the phrase "A true man should be like this" in the history books.

Indeed, as a Formula One driver, no one would not want to experience the glory of being cheered for by 70,000 people in the stadium!

The practice session proceeded as usual, with the only unexpected element being that Heidfeld of the BMW Sauber team achieved the fastest lap.

Toyota's Trulli finished second, and Force India's Sutil finished third.

However, this also reflects the chaotic state of the 09 season. After the only team with a commanding lead, Brawn GP, ​​failed to take over the mantle of dominance, the giants such as Ferrari, McLaren, and Renault were also unable to do so.

Instead, the smaller teams seized the opportunity to upset the stronger ones, plunging into a frenzy of celebration.

In many subsequent races, smaller teams often emerged as dark horses, achieving the fastest lap or pole position, and even reaching the podium.

With the conclusion of F1 practice sessions, Friday's race schedule has come to a complete halt.

"Bei, how are you feeling?"

After removing his monitoring headphones, Ross Brown asked Chen Xiangbei a question.

"It's awesome."

Chen Xiangbei replied with admiration, saying that the collaboration and cooperation of a real active F1 team was truly astonishing.

"North, if, I mean if, you'd be interested in being the third driver?"

Ross Brown hesitated for a long time before saying this during practice.

The Chinese boy's "skipping grades" plan can be said to have been driven by Ross Brown, but now he is being asked to slow down his pace, which is quite contradictory.

However, as a former member of Ferrari's "iron triangle," Ross Brawn realized that Chen Xiangbei was no ordinary person, and he really didn't want to miss this opportunity.

Moreover, Chen Xiangbei has not yet received any offers from any teams, and there are still issues with his super license approval process, so it is uncertain whether he will be able to enter F1 next season.

"Mr. Ross, I'm sorry, I won't consider it."

Chen Xiangbei has worked hard for two lifetimes to cross this F1 threshold.

Even though things are still uncertain, he will not leave himself a way out and will do everything in his power to fight for it!

"I understand. Let's go back and rest first, and conserve our energy for the first round of the main competition tomorrow."

Ross Brown didn't say anything more. He knew that the "I want it all" mentality was wrong, and that some things could only be left to fate.

After leaving Brawn GP's pit garage, Chen Xiangbei didn't linger at Spa-Francorchamps. After changing out of his racing suit, he went straight to his hotel to watch a copy of the qualifying video.

Identify your own weaknesses, and at the same time study your opponent's weaknesses.

Seeing Chen Xiangbei's serious demeanor, the strategy team members, including Odeto, standing outside the door, did not disturb him, as it would be better for the driver to learn from the experience and digest it on his own.

“Sawano-senpai, I feel that Mukai-kun’s performance in this competition is quite different.”

After gently closing the door to the small conference room, Mizutani Sho muttered something under his breath.

"You've become more serious and earnest, haven't you?"

"Ah."

Sho Mizutani nodded. Indeed, Chen Xiangbei no longer had the "joking and laughing" attitude he used to have at Renault races.

"Because Xiang Beijun may be just one step away from entering the F1 paddock."

Hiroki Sawano uttered these words with an extremely emotional tone.

He won the Japanese Formula One championship, the fastest formula racing series on Earth after Formula 1, with an average speed of over 90% of that of Formula One.

Having experienced the speeds of Formula One racing, if you want an even faster experience, there's no doubt that only Formula 1 remains. Hiroki Sawano, however, couldn't cross that threshold, a regret that will forever remain in his heart.

He could understand Chen Xiangbei's feelings at this moment very well. The opportunity to enter F1 was right in front of him, so naturally he had to do his best to seize it!

Although Chen Xiangbei appeared to remain emotionally stable, he was undoubtedly under pressure, which manifested in his outward demeanor, a departure from his usual carefree and jovial self.

……

While Chen Xiangbei was preparing for the competition with all his might, his other F3 competitors, feeling the pressure from him, dared not relax in the slightest.

And the anticipated low-level arms race has officially begun. Both Bottas and Ricciardo have the idea of ​​skipping GP2 and jumping directly to F1.

Therefore, it's destined that the limelight cannot be stolen by Chen Xiangbei.

If a substitute driver suddenly appears, he could easily defeat a professional driver who has participated in several races.

Even if Ricardo or Bottas ultimately win the championship, they will still inevitably be compared to Chen Xiangbei by outsiders, who will question the value of their achievements.

To be honest, Chen Xiangbei's practice of using a substitute player is a real headache for both them and the team.

If a Chinese kid loses a race, he doesn't even have a chance to get revenge. He's like a mute eating bitter herbs, unable to express his suffering!

To avoid this situation, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Williams all sent engineering teams to their F3 teams to assist with testing and car tuning.

Besides helping their rookie drivers, another reason for this was to test Chen Xiangbei's strength.

China's rising star: Is it the person who's faster, or the car?
The night passed quickly, and Saturday will be the start of the first F3 race, which will also be the time for F1 qualifying.

Compared to the 70,000 spectators who arrived at the track yesterday, the organizers opened a temporary grandstand area today, bringing the total number of spectators to 80,000!
Even so, tickets and seats still couldn't meet the demand, and a large number of fans who couldn't get tickets gathered outside the track. They hoped that by waiting outside the paddock, they could catch a glimpse of the F1 drivers entering the track, and if they could take a photo or get an autograph, they would be even more satisfied.

The idea was nice, but reality was harsh.

F1 drivers all have their own dedicated lanes for entry, and the same applies to F3 drivers like Chen Xiangbei.

Chen Xiangbei's qualifying lap time yesterday has already generated considerable public discussion through media coverage and online dissemination.

Those who support him believe that this is a clear case of overwhelming strength. Chen Xiangbei's previous dominance of the Australian Grand Prix foreshadowed his becoming the next F3 ruler.

Opponents argue that Chen Xiangbei is simply "cheating," with a brand-new engine and a near-F1 team tuning the car, which should naturally give him a 0.5 to 1 second advantage over his competitors. He's only less than 0.3 seconds faster, so how dare he claim to have won?
The outside noise and discussion have caused the F3 race to become incredibly popular.

Even many viewers who didn't pay much attention before are now curious to see if the Chinese kid can win the main event!
Inside the Campos team's pit garage, while Liang Chi led the mechanics team to adjust the car, Odette circled around the maintenance driveway and came back.

With a playful smile on his face, he leaned close to Chen Xiangbei and teased, "This is interesting. I just saw an F1 team engineer in the pit room of the ART and Prius teams."

"It seems that today's main race will be a battle of 'specially tuned cars'!"

"So, do you still have the confidence to beat them?"

Odette didn’t care at all that Chen Xiangbei’s opponents had become stronger. In his eyes, if he couldn’t even beat F3 level opponents, how could he be worthy of running F1?

"I shouldn't ask you if I have confidence, I should ask you if you have confidence."

In response to Odette's teasing, Chen Xiangbei also smiled knowingly.

He should prove through the qualifying rounds that he is faster than his opponents.

Now that they've brought in F1 engineers to tune the car, it's like a battle between two racing teams.

As Mewtwo's leader, Odd is the one primarily responsible!
"Kid, I've been through the craziest era of F1, this kind of challenge is still a bit lacking."

Odette's smile vanished, replaced by an air of absolute dominance and confidence.

During his nearly forty-year career, he experienced the twin rivalry between Nicky Lauda and James Hunter in the 1970s.

He experienced the fateful showdown between Prost and Senna in the 1980s.

Schumacher experienced the 1990s when he defeated countless opponents and gradually ascended to the throne of racing king.

Even with the arrival of the 21st century, Odette witnessed firsthand the "red vs. blue battle" between Ferrari and Renault.

Chen Xiangbei really underestimated himself.

Just as the two were getting into a bit of a confrontation, Hiroki Sawano walked over and said something.

"The track control center has issued an instruction that the first round of the race is about to begin. Cars are to leave the pits and proceed to the starting grid."

Upon hearing Hiroki Sawano's voice, Chen Xiangbei turned around and sat in the No. 13 racing car cockpit, while A Yong aligned the external motor's connecting rod with the rear of the racing car.

Seeing Chen Xiangbei preparing to depart, Hiroki Sawano whispered to Odette, "Team leader, Xiangbei's style is getting closer and closer to what you expected."

"That's normal; geniuses are all unruly."

Odeto never imagined that Chen Xiangbei would become a timid and submissive driver.

Conversely, if Chen Xiangbei were that kind of person, he might choose to give up.

Of the top F1 drivers who have been remembered in recent decades, apart from Kimi Räikkönen, who is indeed relatively low-key and reserved, none of the others have been anything but unruly.

Senna, Schumacher, Alonso, Hamilton, Verstappen...

The people listed above were all once notorious bullies in the hunting grounds.

As the race car started its engine, Chen Xiangbei drove away from the pit lane and headed towards the main track.

The crew members were also busy. A group of about ten technicians, carrying equipment such as spare jump starters, tire racks, temporary toolboxes, and quick jacks, crossed the maintenance passage and entered the main track through an opening in the guardrail.

Compared to the past when Chen Xiangbei only had a few scattered people, now he really has the feel of an F1 team.

However, Chen Xiangbei was not the only one in the large team on the track today.

Bottas, Ricciardo, Bianchi, and others mobilized F1 team resources, directly creating a level playing field with the F3 teams behind them, giving off a feeling of a war between "whales" (high-spending players).

Chen Xiangbei once looked on with envy when he saw other drivers with large crews.

Now, he has become the envy of others.

It is truly rare for an F3 driver to have technical and resource support from a near-F1 team.

When Chen Xiangbei parked car number 13 on the front row pole position, thunderous cheers immediately erupted from the crowd.

"Chen Xiangbei will once again create a miracle at the Australian Grand Prix and win this main event!"

"Go Chen Xiangbei, you will prove yourself to be the ruler of F3!"

"Genius is not the exclusive domain of European drivers. Today you will see a true genius from China!"

The Chinese supporters at the scene were extremely enthusiastic, giving Chen Xiangbei enough capital to be arrogant and confident.

Now we can hold our heads high and compare ourselves with any European prodigy; Chinese driver Bei is second to none!
Such arrogant cheers and shouts naturally provoked resentment from supporters of other drivers.

They haven't even won the main tournament yet, and they're already clamoring for the title of a true Chinese genius. It's a bit too early to pop the champagne.

"With several F1 teams assisting in the tuning today, and without the advantage of specially tuned cars, the Chinese lads will soon be exposed for what they really are."

"Just wait and see, the European genius will leave driver North far behind."

"Remember this: Chinese drivers can never dominate F3!"

Fans from both sides were exchanging insults in the stands, and the track was just as lively.

Because it's an F1 support race, the number and level of media coverage are several times higher compared to Renault or the Grand Prix.

Many media outlets had little interest in covering F3 racing, but this time a Chinese substitute driver inexplicably appeared and even took pole position with a track record-breaking performance.

As the saying goes, scarcity makes things valuable. With a topic of interest and news buzz, reporters will naturally flock to the scene!

"Mr. Chen Xiangbei, do you think you can win the first round of the main race, or even the Spa Grand Prix?"

"North, several of our competitors received special F1 resources today. Are you feeling the pressure?"

"Driver Bei, the audience is very curious, why did you suddenly participate in this F3 race?"

Just as Chen Xiangbei was about to be surrounded by reporters' microphones, a slightly familiar voice came over.

"North, I've received word that you're planning to replicate Kimi Räikkönen's miracle by skipping directly to F1. Is that true?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiangbei looked toward the source of the voice, which was Hank, a reporter from Sky Sports.

When old acquaintances who were both "enemies and friends" met again, a tacit understanding arose the moment their eyes met.

"That's right, I plan to skip levels and become a full-fledged F1 driver."

When this answer was given, the entire room erupted in uproar.

The arrogance that everyone thought of the Chinese kid was nothing more than "small-time stuff" in the F3 class.

So this kid is planning to skip directly to F1?

His Formula One career consists of only four races.

Although it didn't have a triple jump like Kimi Räikkönen's, it was in some ways even more exaggerated than a triple jump.

Has this Chinese kid gone mad? What makes him think he can skip directly to F1?!

(End of this chapter)