Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 156 This is a game for the brave.
Upon hearing Chen Xiangbei's frank and unvarnished answer, Hank's face revealed a "just as I thought" smile.

I haven't seen the Chinese kid for half a year, and he's still as arrogant as ever!
"North, as we all know, the competition for F1 driver seats is extremely fierce. Do you think your performance and ability are sufficient to achieve a leapfrog development?"

"Of course, there's no suspense at all!"

The media wants sensationalism, and Chen Xiangbei wants attention. He hopes that the management of all ten F1 teams present will hear his thoughts and goals and extend an olive branch.

If a team doesn't even have absolute confidence in itself, which team would make an exception and recruit such a weak "rookie"?
With Hank bringing up the topic, the group of reporters at the scene immediately became excited.

Some of them had also heard rumors that Chen Xiangbei was testing a car at the Catalan circuit and preparing to join an F1 team.

However, the vast majority of people did not take it seriously, believing it to be nothing more than exaggerated rumors.

After all, he's just a Chinese newcomer who's only raced a few times. Who gave him the courage to jump to F1? Does he really think he deserves to be the next Kimi Räikkönen?

It's important to know that Raikkonen didn't "appear out of nowhere." On the contrary, he started professional karting training at the age of 8 and swept through the series in Finland and Northern Europe, which is how he gained the help of racing veteran Häkkinen.

To be fair, Chen Xiangbei's performance in the few races he has been recorded for is indeed very good, showing signs of being a potential genius driver.

However, his professional experience is far from sufficient, and he lacks a leader who can have enough influence within the team!

"North, have you made any contact with any interested car teams yet?"

"Bei, what advantages do you think you have from skipping a grade?"

"Driver North, Kimi's miracle is unrepeatable; you will never become the next Raikkonen!"

The revelation of his skipping a grade would inevitably spark questions and controversies from reporters, all of which were within Chen Xiangbei's expectations.

Now that he's already quite popular, the F1 management in the paddock must have noticed. There's no need to engage in any more verbal battles; Formula racing should let the results speak for themselves.

But the reporter's slightly "contemptuous" words at the end aroused Chen Xiangbei's pride and competitiveness.

So what about Raikkonen?

He truly deserves to be called a super genius in the paddock, creating a "triple jump" miracle that has never been repeated.

But he is not the highest peak in the F1 paddock!

To be honest, Chen Xiangbei has never had the mindset of comparing himself to Raikkonen.

It's not that he feels inferior to him; on the contrary, Chen Xiangbei's goal has always been to become a GOAT in the racing world like Senna and Schumacher, or a potential future GOAT like Verstappen.

If you're going to do something, do it the strongest. That's the goal Chen Xiangbei believes in!

Let alone Chen Xiangbei's experience of cheating in two lifetimes, even among Verstappen's ever-changing teammates in later generations, has any of them ever publicly admitted in an interview that they could never outrun the "turret"?

From Sainz, Ricardo, Gasly, and later Perez, Lawson, and Hiroki Tsunoda.

Even though his teammates knew they couldn't outrun Verstappen, they would always say in interviews that they had a chance to defeat this "big boss."

The reason is simple: as a top professional driver, if you don't even have the confidence to beat your teammates or opponents, then you really can't win.

Fear is the key to a lifetime of defeat!

"You're right, I certainly won't become the next Raikkonen."

Faced with the reporter's provocation and contempt, Chen Xiangbei simply replied with a very calm statement.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of those present varied.

Most of the reporters interviewing him seemed to take it all for granted, which suggests that this Chinese kid has some self-awareness and knows he can't compare to Finland's historically great genius.

On the contrary, Chen Xiangbei's team members, including Odeto, Liang Chi, and Lu Xiaoman, immediately became serious.

Even the more conservative Japanese members, Hiroki Sawano and Sho Mizutani, suddenly looked somewhat serious.

Many times, the team members did hope that Chen Xiangbei could restrain his flamboyant personality, purely to avoid external pressure.

But restraint is not the same as fear.

They absolutely do not want Chen Xiangbei to publicly admit that he is inferior in skill!
A driver must have an arrogant attitude, otherwise it means going downhill.

Chen Xiangbei gave people a very different feeling in this game, but he should not become "cowardly"!
"North, are you admitting you're inferior to Raikkonen?"

Sky Sports reporter Hank confirmed it with some disbelief.

Of all the reporters, only he understood the nature of the Chinese boy.

As the saying goes, "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature," it's impossible for Chen Xiangbei to have become so cowardly in just half a year.

Where did Chen Xiangbei, who was once so arrogant and domineering, go?
"Of course not, I was just saying that I won't become the next Raikkonen, I'll only become the first Chen Xiangbei!"

This is what Chen Xiangbei really wanted to express: he will never be labeled as someone else's second, nor become a copy or substitute for someone else.

Just as Chen Xiangbei once denied that he would become the next Sato Takuma.

Only being number one is Chen Xiangbei's goal!
Upon hearing this reply, Hank revealed a playful smile.

"If you could make it into the F1 paddock, do you think you would be better than Raikkonen?"

While they may be old acquaintances, journalists must not neglect their primary duty of generating buzz.

Once Hank confirmed that Chen Xiangbei was still the same arrogant teenager, he didn't hesitate to start creating topics of conversation.

"Of course, I would say I'm better than any other driver."

This affirmative answer instantly ignited the excitement of the 80,000-strong crowd at Spa-Francorchamps circuit. It turned out that this was exactly what the young Chinese man wanted to express.

"Keep a low profile, you Chinese guy. You think you're worthy of being compared to Kimi?"

"Just because he got pole position in F3, he dares to say he's better than any other driver. These Chinese guys really don't know their own limitations."

"Driver Bei, if you want to brag, wait until you get into F1 first."

"Indeed, making such arrogant remarks without even securing an F1 seat makes him look like a clown."

The cold stares and mockery that had been silent for so long finally erupted again from the racetrack.

After all, Chinese supporters who come to Spa are only a tiny minority, and the vast majority of them are fans of F1 drivers.

Chen Xiangbei's arrogant words were undoubtedly a provocation!
"James, the Chinese kid is a bit too confident, and it seems to have provoked public outrage."

Klass, a guest sitting in the studio, could vaguely hear the shouting and cursing coming from outside.

Putting everything else aside, Chinese drivers are indeed quite "brave," daring to make such outrageous remarks in front of the camera.

"This is just what driver Bei always does."

"Some people have insulted and mocked him before, but they were ultimately proven wrong and their words were retaliated against."

James, however, remained calm. This young Chinese man had always displayed the same fearless attitude when he first started out, overcoming countless doubts and public pressure step by step.

However, the target of the "declaration of war" has changed from the initial Renault-level rookies to the top F1 drivers.

In a sense, Chen Xiangbei wants to compete for a regular driver's seat, and the twenty F1 drivers in the paddock are indeed his "enemies"!
Just as Hank and the reporters present were trying to get Chen Xiangbei to say something surprising, the whistle to clear the track sounded, and non-car crew members were required to leave.

After the reporters left, Odeto spoke up: "North, keep your composure and don't be afraid of anyone."

"I will."

"very good."

Odeto nodded, expressing his agreement with Chen Xiangbei's confidence.

In competitive sports, there is no room for arrogance, only winning and losing.

If you win, you can be arrogant as you please, but if you lose, you have to bear the consequences yourself.

In comparison, Odeto would rather Chen Xiangbei be arrogant and domineering, at least he's infinitely better than a cowardly timid man!
Soon the second whistle blew, and all the racing teams withdrew from the main track.

The team members were all relaxed this time. Chen Xiangbei's answers to the reporters' questions earlier reassured them in a way.

As long as this kid dares to be arrogant, then nothing else matters!
The countdown started with a "ding-ding-ding" sound, and the five starting indicator lights went out one by one. The first lap was still the usual warm-up lap.

The drivers behind Chen Xiangbei were filled with a sense of challenge and eagerness to try their luck. They subconsciously attributed their qualifying losses to the fact that their opponents were using "specially tuned cars".

However, both Ricardo and Bottas are relatively mild-mannered and friendly in the paddock, and they don't make any aggressive or provocative moves during the warm-up phase. Overall, everyone gets along peacefully.

After a warm-up lap, the twenty-six F3 cars returned to the starting grid.

At that moment, the 80,000 spectators in the paddock fell silent, with only the roar of engines remaining in the space.

Chen Xiangbei lightly pressed the accelerator to raise the starting speed, his eyes fixed on the starting indicator light.

At Spa, the start and the cut at Turn 1 are crucial; if you get blocked by your opponents, your speed will be slowed down and you'll get caught in the chaos of the traffic.

While F3 drivers are generally much better than Formula Renault drivers, who are of varying skill levels, there are still some rookies and reckless torpedo drivers.

Chen Xiangbei can guarantee that he won't get into a car accident, but he can't guarantee that others won't hit him.

To avoid such a situation, you need to take a commanding lead from the very beginning and leave your pursuing opponents feeling hopeless!
The moment the five indicator lights above the track went out, the roar of engines simultaneously filled the sky.

Chen Xiangbei maintained his excellent reaction speed, quickly upshifting with a press of the accelerator to maintain his pole position lead.

But this time, he finally felt the strength of the future top F1 drivers. Whether it was Ricciardo, Bottas, or Bianchi, who was in fourth place, their starting acceleration was almost on par with his own!
But that's where it ends.

Chen Xiangbei's strengths are not limited to starting; he also has extremely precise control over the throttle and engine speed.

Second gear, third gear, fourth gear...

With each gear shift, Chen Xiangbei's speed seemed to increase, as if he were slightly faster than his opponent.

When the gear was shifted to the highest setting, Chen Xiangbei had unknowingly widened the gap between himself and his opponents in the back seat by a car length.

Watching Chen Xiangbei gradually disappear into the distance, Ricciardo could hardly believe his eyes. He believed that his starting maneuvers had been flawless, and that the car, after being tuned by the Red Bull F1 team, had better gear ratios and other aspects than in previous qualifying sessions.

As a result, not only did he fail to overtake Chen Xiangbei at the start, but he was also left further and further behind.
Although Red Bull Racing is not a factory team, it is gaining momentum and has challenged the position of the "Big Three" of Renault and McLaren.

Ricciardo absolutely refused to believe that the car the Red Bull F1 team had put together would lose to the former Super Aguri team!

How did Chinese driver Bei manage to be so fast?

Unable to overtake at the start, Ricciardo's only option was to quickly change lanes, sucking in the slipstream while securing the T1 entry line, thus denying Bottas any chance to catch up.

Soon the front row of cars formed a long line, and no driver wanted to be a "torpedo" and force their way into the T1 corner.

For true rookies, reaching the front row of a well-known F3 driver position is equivalent to having the opportunity to knock on the door of F1 in this era. They are all drivers who wear shoes and are unwilling to do this barefoot thing.

Spa-Francorchamps is a relatively easy track to overtake, with plenty of opportunities to do so, so there's no need to rush.

Many drivers present did not realize that if they did not choose to forcefully overtake at the T1 corner, they would have little chance.

Chen Xiangbei floored the accelerator, and the car quickly climbed to over 200 km/h, a speed that rivaled his practice and qualifying lap times. But it's important to understand that the car wasn't lightly fueled; it was fully loaded with fuel!

At the same speed, I could brake through turn one before, but I can't now.

And there were more than twenty F3 race cars following behind, making it impossible to change lanes properly in the congested traffic.

At Chen Xiangbei's speed, many people might not be able to stop and would go off course at the first bend!

"The Chinese kid held pole position at the start and even created distance between himself and the cars behind him. Was it necessary for him to be so aggressive?"

Renault's sporting manager, Nelson, asked team leader Burrier beside him, somewhat puzzled.

"He is proving his ability."

Brill replied casually, sensing the Chinese driver's inner thoughts.

Without the ability to overwhelm other drivers in the same class, how can one be recruited by an F1 team?
"Too much of a good thing is bad; at this speed, you might not even be able to get past the first bend."

Nelson shook his head; he could understand the young man wanting to show off.

However, Chen Xiangbei was clearly a bit too hasty; being too impulsive is not a good thing for a driver.

"A promotion without any background is a gamble in itself; this race is Driver North going all in."

Normally, when a lower-level driver jumps to a higher level, the process should involve first contacting an F1 team, reaching a preliminary agreement, and even signing a driver contract before announcing their withdrawal from racing to fully prepare for F1.

Just like Verstappen in later years, he demonstrated his strength and was actively recruited by teams, not caring whether he had finished Formula Renault and F3 or whether he could win the annual championship.

According to Brill, Chen Xiangbei has not reached an agreement with any F1 team.

Even the Brawn GP team, which gave him a test driver contract, did not commit to a permanent driver's seat for next year.

The Chinese player left himself no way out, so he had to go all out in the game.

150m, 120m, 100m!

As they got closer to Turn 1, most drivers had already applied their brakes, knowing full well that they couldn't stop under heavy throttle.

However, Chen Xiangbei's racing car sensor showed no change in the braking force curve!

"What is Xiang Beijun trying to do?"

Sho Mizutani, inside the P room, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

If Chen Xiangbei had only applied the brakes at the 70-meter mark of qualifying, he would have definitely gone off the track. Would he have made such a basic mistake as not being able to distinguish between light and heavy fuel loads?

Before Mizutani Sho could finish speaking, Chen Xiangbei stepped on the brakes eighty meters from the T1 bend.

Furthermore, the force with which he slammed on the brakes was much greater than before, to the point that all four wheels showed signs of slightly locking up, leaving a faint tire mark on the ground.

A slight tire lock-up did not produce the white smoke seen during a burnout, and the racetrack broadcasts of that era were not as clear as later high-speed cameras, so the image of the tire stopping could not be seen.

If Chen Xiangbei hadn't taken the lead and run ahead, and if several more skid marks hadn't suddenly appeared on the ground, it's unlikely anyone would have noticed that the tires of race car number 13 had locked up.

Despite the lockout, Chen Xiangbei's car did not go out of control and understeer. He continued to use intermittent braking to enter the corner, and even during the cornering process, his speed was always on the verge of going out of control, requiring him to brake through the corner.

However, Chen Xiangbei's extreme entry speed into the corner resulted in extreme exit acceleration.

As the front of the car passed the apex of the bend, Chen Xiangbei stepped on the gas and accelerated, leaving his opponents far behind as he exited the bend, creating a gap of nearly 10 meters.

"Too fast! Driver Bei's cornering speed is too fast. He has replicated the amazing performance he gave in practice!"

"In the F3 series race, no driver has ever used such extreme late braking speed to corner while heavily loaded with fuel on the first lap. Chinese driver Bei is once again challenging the limits of the Spa circuit!"

"To be honest, I don't know whether the slight tire lock-up before entering the corner was a mistake by driver Bei or something he did on purpose."

James sounded excited, and his control screen displayed Chen Xiangbei's lap times and braking distances.

Compared to Dorington Park, which is a relatively "niche" track, Spa's T1 and Red River Bend combination is so classic that over the years, the cornering speed limits have been thoroughly figured out by various talented drivers.

James would bet that, at least in his entire commentary career, he has never seen a driver drive at Chen Xiangbei's speed.

Even the most talented drivers of the last decade, such as Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton, and Vettel, have not achieved this!

"Holy crap, Chen Xiangbei pulled away from his opponent at the T1 corner. Is he really that good?"

"This is the result of his extreme late braking, truly leaving his opponents with absolutely no hope of catching up."

"Even with the F1 team's car adjustments, Ricciardo and his team still can't catch up with driver North?"

"I can't accept this result. How could a Chinese kid who used a substitute player be so fast?"

A murmur arose from the grandstands, some praising, some marveling, some questioning, and some angry.

Not to mention the spectators in the stands, even the competitors who were following behind Chen Xiangbei and watching him take the corners all had a dumbfounded expression behind their masks.

They never expected that Chen Xiangbei didn't care about his pole position at all, and that he was even more aggressive in cornering with his shoes on than with his bare feet!
It's important to know that pole position drivers often tend to be conservative; they won't engage in intense wheel-to-wheel battles with their opponents.

This applies not only to F3, but also to F1 racing.

Just like Verstappen once had the nickname "Turret" because he attacked like a cannonball, without regard for anything else.

Anyway, he's a rookie, ranked low, and barefoot, so I'm betting that you, wearing shoes, will back down and give way.

Pole-sitters and front-row drivers are usually hesitant to risk a mutually destructive battle against his aggressive style. Only Hamilton at his peak, with his solid "golden front left," managed to suppress the turret's arrogance.

As a result, before Ricardo and the others have even launched their attack, Chen Xiangbei has already started "risking his life".

Do Chinese drivers really need to push themselves this hard?

There weren't many moments on the track for Ricciardo to be shocked or think. He could only do something similar to Chen Xiangbei, forcefully flooring the accelerator and risking a spin to accelerate out of the T1 corner.

Otherwise, given the current distance between the cars, he would soon lose track of Chen Xiangbei's tailflow and be trapped in the rear of the car formation, where he would be attacked by Bottas or Bianchi.

If this happens, it will be difficult for Ricardo to catch up with Chen Xiangbei.

"Ricciardo demonstrated his British Renault champion prowess, accelerating through the corners to catch up with driver North's slipstream, preventing the gap between them from widening further."

"I believe this match will not be one-sided; the suspense will remain until the very end!"

When guest Claes saw Ricardo stabilize the situation, he became emotional on the spot.

He had long admired Ricciardo, the Australian rookie whose lap times were incredibly fast. During his testing with Toro Rosso, he reportedly set lap times comparable to Vettel of Red Bull.

Furthermore, it defeated Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas to win the annual championship in last year's British Formula Renault.

It's important to know that for Formula One racing, lap time determines a driver's potential.

Many drivers, despite driving lousy cars and seemingly scoring no points all year, still manage to secure driver contracts and even be promoted to top teams, all thanks to their astonishing speed in qualifying, achieving a "one-lap" on the lap line.

A prime example of this is Charles Leclerc, the "Extreme Guy" who used to drive a beat-up Sauber.

And Russell, who spent three years in prison with Williams.

Although they drive bad cars for small teams, their lap times have already caught the eye of the management of big teams, and they just need an opportunity to prove themselves.

For example, Russell proved his speed by taking a chance to fill in for Hamilton in a Mercedes car, and the following year he took the seat from the elderly Bottas to become a full driver for the team.

"Come on, Ricciardo! You can't lose to the Chinese drivers!"

"Ricardo, don't forget that you are the real genius!"

"European Formula racing tracks absolutely cannot be dominated by the Chinese."

"Ricciardo caught up and overtook them, taking the championship at Spa!"

Claes's remarks instantly ignited the passion of European audiences, giving them hope of surpassing Chen Xiangbei.

However, this excited atmosphere did not last long. Chen Xiangbei accelerated at full throttle on the long straight before the Red River Bend, his crazy speed was no less than that of his qualifying race, and with the support of heavy fuel load, he was simply reckless.

Even with Ricardo sucking in the taillights, he couldn't close the speed gap with Chen Xiangbei!
Are Chinese drivers planning to take the Red River Bend at this speed?

Tens of thousands of people on the track felt Chen Xiangbei's speed, and this thought popped into their minds at the same time.

With F3 cars exceeding the speed limit of 280 km/h, they really won't be able to stop this time!

Chen Xiangbei did not slow down, but this time his route across the Red River Bend was slightly different from before.

Chen Xiangbei hit the right shoulder, then rushed downhill to cut to the left, and hit the left shoulder again at a crucial point. He didn't brake or slow down at all, and once again managed to take the corner at full throttle!

"Team leader, this is Michael's running line!"

In the Ferrari team's pit garage, Operations Director Armando saw this scene and exclaimed in surprise.

As a truly "evergreen" team in the paddock, F3 racing rarely causes any emotional fluctuations in Ferrari's management.

After all, the Prairie Dynasty has seen all sorts of storms over the years.

Let alone F3, there aren't many F1 teams that they would even look at with respect.

However, Chen Xiangbei's racing line at the Red River Bend was extremely familiar to Armando. It was the same unique racing line that Schumacher created during the "Red vs. Blue" battle between Schumacher and Alonso in 06, which allowed him to overtake his opponent at the Red River Bend and shocked the drivers in the paddock at the time.

To be able to take the Honghe Bend at full throttle is already a top-level driver's performance.

Schumacher not only passed, but also dared to overtake here, and his opponent was also a top driver, Alonso!

The overtaking scene was impressive at the time, but considering safety, the FIA ​​raised the two shoulder sections the following year, and this route became a thing of the past.

Who could have imagined that three years later, an F3 driver would replicate Schumacher's feat!
Chen Xiangbei couldn't actually experience Ferrari's pit garage, but he could anticipate the shock of Ferrari's engineers.

This curve is not mysterious at all; on the contrary, it is well-known to everyone.

However, with the changes in track conditions, the chassis height of F1 cars no longer allows them to take corners by using the curb at extremely high speeds.

However, the speed and chassis height of F3 cars could potentially be replicated.

The reason why Chen Xiangbei is able to drive faster in this life than in his previous life is not only due to his talent for car handling and the accumulation of technical experience.

Another point is that, having experienced death once, he has become accustomed to the feeling of dancing on the edge of a knife.

At the same time, the regrets of two lifetimes filled him with a resolute determination that he would rather be shattered to pieces than slow down.

Racing is ultimately a sport for the brave.

Only by truly disregarding one's own life can one completely crush one's opponent and make them feel despair.

Just like Ricardo now, watching Chen Xiangbei's No. 13 race car get further and further away, a concept is sprouting in his mind.

This match may have ended prematurely, even though it had just begun.

(End of this chapter)