Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 168 A Boastful Declaration to the World
Top three in the Nations Cup?
Upon hearing this target, Chen Xiangbei's mind raced.

Under normal circumstances, comparing yourself to Schumacher on the track or Loeb in rally is like trying to show off your skills in front of Guan Yu (a legendary Chinese martial arts master).

However, if we change our mindset and compare our rally to Schumacher's, or our track to Loeb's, focusing on a mismatch, our chances of winning will increase significantly.

Of course, this is just an ideal arrangement, and it is still very difficult in reality.

However, it's too early to consider these things now. There's always a way out, and things will work themselves out.

Chen Xiangbei hopes that Carabant and Briatore can work faster so that the TF110's development can catch up with this year's winter testing. Only on-track testing can the vehicle's performance and defects be known.

Computer-simulated data is nothing more than theoretical speculation.

Let alone the computer performance of this era, even if companies like Ferrari and Red Bull had all sorts of wind tunnel hype in later generations, the race cars they built would still veer off course.

Just as Chen Xiangbei hung up the phone, a familiar face appeared in his line of sight; it was Dong Hebin.

With the 09 F1 season nearing its end, Ho-Pin Tung officially announced his status as Renault's third driver and arrived at Renault's headquarters in the UK to conduct simulator testing.

The team engineer had just informed him of Chen Xiangbei's arrival, and Dong Hebin immediately rushed over.

"Xiang Bei, what are you doing at Renault headquarters?"

Tung Ho-Pin sounded somewhat surprised. Under normal circumstances, if Chen Xiangbei had declined team leader Brill's invitation, he would most likely have had no further dealings with the Renault team.

“Briatoli is here today; I’ve come to invite him to join the HRT team.”

"HRT fleet?"

"Yes, I am now a full-fledged driver for the HRT team."

Upon hearing Chen Xiangbei's words, Dong Hebin was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously opened his mouth wide.

[Formula 1 official driver!]

Only those involved in the racing industry can truly appreciate how rare and precious this identity is.

Chen Xiangbei becoming a formal driver not only means that he has made history in China, but also created a miracle in the world of motorsports.

With just four single-seater Formula racing records, he skipped a level to become a full-fledged F1 driver. Even Kimi Räikkönen, who is hailed as a historical genius, would probably be slightly inferior to Chen Xiangbei!
"Xiang Bei, I don't know what to say, I can only congratulate you!"

No words can adequately describe the shock and awe that Dong Hebin felt at that moment. Chen Xiangbei was indeed a racing genius.

"Thank you."

Chen Xiangbei replied with a smile, only he knew that the path he had taken was not a shortcut at all.

"By the way, I just heard you say you're going to participate in the ROC National Cup?"

"Yes, news has come from China that the list of participating drivers has been announced."

"It seems I still failed to win the competition."

When Tung Ho-Pin said this, he looked somewhat forlorn.

Without Chen Xiangbei's participation, the two Chinese drivers for the 09 ROC Nations Cup would have been Tung Ho-Pin and Han Han.

Back then, due to the overall weakness of domestic drivers and the high requirements for drivers' comprehensive driving skills in the ROC National Cup, Han Han, who was good at both rally and track racing, was the first to be selected.

But a second driver simply couldn't be found.

Cheng Congfu and Ma Qingye are both track drivers, and their ability to control rally off-road is almost zero.

At this time, the State General Administration of Sport turned its attention to Chinese cyclists around the world. American Chinese Cheng Fei and Dutch Chinese Tung Ho-Pin were called up and selected by the national team. In the end, Tung Ho-Pin was more skilled and won the competition spot.

But history has changed now, even though Ho-Pin Tung is of Chinese descent and has chosen China as his nationality in motor racing.

He was, after all, a Dutchman.

Furthermore, Chen Xiangbei's official announcement as an F1 test driver predates Dong Hebin's title as Renault's third driver.

Not to mention that Chen Xiangbei has now become an official F1 driver!

The moment an F1 driver's official status is established, any selection process becomes meaningless.

Chen Xiangbei became the only option.

This is the prestige of being one of the top 20 drivers—standing at the pinnacle of racing, looking down on all others!
Chen Xiangbei couldn't even bring himself to offer words of comfort to Tung Ho-pin's disappointment.

That's how competitive sports are; too much consolation seems hypocritical, even like the victor's pity for the loser.

So Chen Xiangbei changed the subject, talking about the recent situations of the two of them, as well as the situation of several Chinese drivers "traveling in Europe".

Compared to Chen Xiangbei and Dong Hebin, who officially joined the F1 team, Ma Qingye and Cheng Congfu's career prospects are not optimistic, as neither of them has been able to achieve good results in Formula racing.

Cheng Congfu had long planned to switch to endurance racing, but he still wasn't very competitive in the lower classes. His plan for next year was to participate in the top touring car series, namely the German DTM.

As for Ma Qingye, he had similar thoughts to Cheng Congfu. Unable to continue in Formula racing, he planned to return to China and enter the touring car racing industry.

On the one hand, it's about making money; on the other hand, it's about finding other ways out.

In a sense, Ma Qingye's career transition was the most correct choice she made in her professional career.

If his Formula One talent is only at the C level, then his Touring Car talent is at least at the B level, and with practice he can enter the A level.

At the beginning of 09, there were still three Chinese drivers competing in European Formula racing, but less than a year later, only Chen Xiangbei remained, which is quite regrettable.

While the two were catching up, Carabant had already signed a contract with Floral Cloth.

Carabant was very excited when he came out of the room and gave Chen Xiangbei a warm hug on the spot.

To be honest, the Spanish businessman's initial intention in recruiting Chen Xiangbei was very simple: he wanted to get sponsorship fees from the Chinese kid. As for his strength and other factors, they were secondary; money was the primary factor.

Now, it's not just the money that's in place; Chen Xiangbei has brought the technology from Toyota and Honda, as well as the talent from Renault, all to the HRT team.

Carabant, who had previously only thought about "surviving" in the F1 paddock, began to dream of the podium and even the team winning the championship the moment he signed with Briatore.

It's true what they say, "Never underestimate a young person's potential!"

"Boss, is everything done?"

Chen Xiangbei was not used to Karabant's enthusiasm.

I quietly pushed him away to keep my distance, and then asked him a question.

“Of course, once Briatore has finished dealing with Renault matters, he will head to the Lifield Technical Center as soon as possible.”

"North, I can already foresee the glory of the HRT fleet!"

Seeing Karabant descend into a state of "madness," Chen Xiangbei had no time to stay with him.

Now that the recruitment was done, he said goodbye to Ho-Pin Tung and returned to the HRT fleet headquarters.

……

The training days for driving racing simulators always seem a bit uneventful, but as November 1st approached and the final F1 race in Abu Dhabi came to an end, public opinion once again stirred up a storm.

The 2009 F1 season was filled with chaos and surprises, but it also created a carnival for small and medium-sized teams!

Brawn GP held onto their position with a narrow escape, and British driver Jenson Button ultimately claimed the world championship title, becoming the new king of the F1 paddock.

However, the Brawn GP team, which had just created a miracle, fell into disintegration in an instant.

New champion Jenson Button announced after the race that he will be transferring to McLaren, proving that the allure of the established "Big Three" teams ultimately outweighed that of the newcomer Mercedes.
As for driver number two, Barrichello, he followed suit and announced that he had joined the Williams team.

Barrichello has no intention of reaching the next level; at nearly 38 years old, he is already at the end of his career.

Even if Mercedes' entry into the league is not as good as the "Big Three" for the time being, it is still much better than a fallen powerhouse like Williams. It is clear that his transfer is a "lowering of his value".

Barrichello made this decision not to pursue better results, but to distance himself from Schumacher.

That's right, Barrichello, who has been Schumacher's wingman for so many years, doesn't want to be relegated to a subordinate position again at the end of his career!

It can only be said that many things are beyond human control. If Ross Brawn had known in advance that both of the team's official drivers would leave, he would have offered up his official driver seat to sign Chen Xiangbei much earlier, forming a new and old pairing with Schumacher.

However, if that's the case, Chen Xiangbei will probably refuse to sign the contract.

The reason is simple: any rookie driver is destined to be nothing more than a wingman in front of Schumacher.

Chen Xiangbei was equally unwilling to be inferior to anyone, even if the other party was a legend in the racing world!

Red Bull secured second place in both the drivers' and constructors' championships. This future "Big Three" powerhouse had already demonstrated its strength in 09, and the title of the strongest team in the paddock was about to change hands. McLaren, on the other hand, finished third in the constructors' championship, preserving some dignity for the old "Big Three."

As for the fourth-place team, it was the Toyota team, which announced its withdrawal from the paddock at the end of the season.

Toyota's points gap with McLaren was actually very small, and they didn't lose because of the car itself, but because of the driver.

How can a second-rate combination like Trulli and Glock compete with Hamilton and Kovalainen?
If the Toyota driver had been just a little stronger, they might have defeated McLaren.

In a sense, Toyota, like Honda, fell in the darkness before dawn.

They knew the strength of the TF109 race car, but dared not gamble on the speed of the TF110.

This time, however, the TF110 race car did not completely fail; it still has a chance to prove itself!
In addition, in order to implement the FIA's expansion plan, at the press conference of the final race of 09, the current FIA President Jean Todt publicly announced that the number of teams in the paddock would increase to twelve in the 10 season.

Although the Toyota team has left the paddock, three new teams—Lotus, HRT, and Virgin—have filled the void left by the departure.

However, this lotus flower is not the "Divine Lotus" that Lotus collaborated on with Renault, but rather the "Green Lotus" from Malaysia.

The ownership of the Lotus trademark has changed hands several times over its decades-long history, which is very confusing. When Geely Group later acquired Lotus, it suffered from this problem and unexpectedly found that it could not use the Lotus trademark and could only use the transliteration of "Lotus".

After a five-year legal battle, Geely Group finally regained the "Lotus" trademark, and from then on, Lotus and Lotus officially became one company.

This phenomenon of Lotus and Lotus coexisting is not unique to China; the unusual sight of two "Lotus" teams already appeared in the F1 paddock in 2011.

A battle for legitimacy also broke out between the "Divine Lotus" and the "Green Lotus"!
Of course, none of this had much to do with Chen Xiangbei; he was attending a grand press conference!
Carabant originally wanted to use the press conference and the title of China's first F1 driver to attract more capital to Chen Xiangbei, thereby obtaining more advertising sponsorship funds.

His idea coincided directly with Briatore's!

Hua Bu is an flamboyant person. Now that he is infamous for the "crash incident" and has been banned for life by the FIA, how can he possibly swallow this insult?

The press conference can not only promote Chen Xiangbei, but also his Briatore.

He wanted to announce to the world, "I, Huabu, have returned to the paddock!"

The lawn at HRT's headquarters factory was already packed with European journalists.

They accepted the interview invitation from the HRT team almost without hesitation.

One reason is Chen Xiangbei's unique status as a Chinese driver.

On the other hand, Chen Xiangbei jumped to the F1 team after only four races, which is truly "astounding".

Back then at Spa, since the main focus wasn't on the F3 series, most reporters treated Chen Xiangbei's bold statement about becoming a full-fledged driver as a joke.

No one will treat this as a joke now, because the Chinese kid really did it!

As Chen Xiangbei and the HRT team management entered the press conference area, the sound of camera shutter buttons and flashes never stopped.

The reporters, who could no longer contain themselves, grabbed the microphone and began asking questions.

"Hello, North, I'm a reporter from the BBC."

"According to the data, you have only raced four races in your professional career in Europe. Do you think you entered the F1 paddock based on your ability or as a paid driver relying on sponsorship money?"

While paid drivers were common around the year 2000, they still became a label used to question a driver's ability.

"strength."

Chen Xiangbei gave a very simple answer.

"You haven't even won a lower-level formula championship title, so what makes you think you're good enough to be an F1 driver?"

European media interviews are often less tactful than those conducted by domestic media.

In addition, most of the media outlets participating in today's press conference are not limited to sports media, and they are not familiar with Chen Xiangbei's personality and interview style.

In their eyes, the Chinese newcomer's blunt and straightforward answer was not confidence, but rather arrogance!
Since that's the case, then there's no need to be polite. Let's see just how arrogant Chen Xiangbei really is!

"Because I won all four races, and because there were no opponents in the paddock who could challenge me."

This time, Chen Xiangbei's image is more sharp and assertive compared to the "flamboyant" image that Odette created in the past.

At the age of nineteen, Chen Xiangbei, a certified F1 driver, has reached the pinnacle of the motorsport world and has the right to be arrogant.

If young people aren't spirited, what kind of young people are they?

Upon hearing Chen Xiangbei's answer, Huabu, who was sitting next to him, was initially surprised, but then an excited smile appeared on her face.

Whether it was my first impression of Chen Xiangbei or my interactions with him over the past few days at the Leedsfield Technology Center, this young Chinese man was not arrogant; on the contrary, he was quite low-key and reserved.

The media interview revealed a completely different side of her, something Hua Bu hadn't expected at all.

But it doesn't matter, the more arrogant Chen Xiangbei is, the more he likes it.

F1 doesn't need low-key drivers; the best drivers all have their own unique personalities!
"Mr. Chen Xiangbei, I am a reporter from Le Monde. You have only won one F3 race in Europe. Does that mean you have no rivals who can challenge you?"

The reporter from Le Monde asked the question with a mocking smile on his lips.

Has this Chinese kid never won? Putting aside the fact that winning and losing are common in war, it's just one leg of a race. How dare he say he has no rivals?

"To be precise, I won three games in one tournament."

"If you think anyone in your class can challenge me, I welcome them to give it a try."

Throughout the qualifying rounds and two main draws at Spa, Chen Xiangbei gave his opponents no hope whatsoever.

Whether it was Ricardo, Bottas, or Bianchi, they could only watch their taillights disappear into the distance!
Chen Xiangbei understood a principle long ago: if you want to become a top driver, you must be "arrogant and disdainful of others".

Even though Raikkonen is known for his good manners and etiquette within the paddock, he remains proud at heart.

"Bei, it seems you are very confident in your abilities. I wonder if you can still perform like this after entering the F1 paddock?"

"of course."

"So what are your expectations for your rookie season?"

When asked this question by a reporter from Le Monde, Chen Xiangbei did not give an immediate answer.

Every driver's ultimate goal is undoubtedly to win the F1 World Championship title.

However, some things cannot be achieved just because you want them to.

F1 is ultimately a team game.

Just as Chen Xiangbei was hesitating about whether to continue being arrogant, Briatore took the microphone.

He replied to the reporter who asked the question: "Champion!"

He then arrogantly added, "Remember this: from the moment I became the HRT team manager, it was destined that the next champion driver would emerge!"

After saying that, "Huabu" pouted at Chen Xiangbei. The Chinese kid was still a bit green after all, and he even hesitated when answering the reporter's question.

For the media, it's not that they're afraid of you making outrageous statements, it's that they're afraid you can't create any interesting stories.

Today, the team spent a lot of money to invite so many mainstream European media outlets. Did they come to listen to Chen Xiangbei's theoretical discussions about his chances of winning the championship?
The answer is naturally no.

Regardless of Chen Xiangbei's answer, as a paid driver who bought the team with his own money, he's just "talking big" until he has proven his worth with results.

Today, Briatore will show Chen Xiangbei how to create genuine public opinion within the paddock.

Sure enough, the moment the floral print appeared, the media reporters on site instantly became excited; this old Italian rogue was definitely generating a lot of buzz.

"Briatoli, do you think you can successfully appeal and have the FIA's ban lifted?"

"Briatoli, why did you become the team principal of HRT? Is it related to the rookie driver, North?"

"It's said that Bei hasn't obtained his super license yet, and you're under a driving ban. HRT is practically an illegal racing team. Will you even be able to participate smoothly?"

"Briatoli, you discovered Schumacher and Alonso, do you think North will become the next them?"

Faced with a barrage of questions from reporters, Briatore only looked at the last person, shook his head at him, and said, "I don't think North will become the next Schumacher or Alonso."

Upon hearing Hua Bu's reply, Chen Xiangbei subconsciously assumed that this guy might be trying to express a similar idea, which was to become the first "Chen Xiangbei".

To his utter surprise, Briatore stood up and declared with extreme arrogance, "I believe the North will surpass them!"

Damn it...

This statement left Chen Xiangbei, who was sitting next to him, completely dumbfounded. He had seen people who could boast before, but he had never seen anyone boast like this!
(End of this chapter)