Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 170 underestimated the strength of F1 drivers.

The sky over Yanjing in November was somewhat overcast, with light snowflakes falling intermittently.

Qin Lianjie drove Chen Xiangbei to the officially designated hotel, where the scene was just like that at the airport arrival gate, with reporters and fans crowding around the entrance.

Fortunately, the hotel had a special driver's lane. After showing his credentials, Han Han drove directly through the crowd into the underground parking lot.

"I can't go up to the north now. You should rest well and prepare for tomorrow's match."

After Qin Lianjie parked the car, he said something.

The ROC Nations Cup organizers booked the entire hotel for the event, making it difficult for outsiders to enter or stay, except for the drivers and event staff.

Anyway, Han Han can handle anything, so there's no need for Qin Lianjie to stay.

"Well, thank you."

"Damn, why are we being so polite?"

"Go for it! I'm waiting to see you stand on the highest podium!"

After saying that, Qin Lianjie started his Civic Type-R and drove off.

Friendship between men doesn't need excessive sentimentality.

"Head north, let's go up."

Han Han came over and greeted him, then led Chen Xiangbei to the designated floor for the Chinese team via elevator.

The staff of the China Automobile Federation, who had received advance notice, were already waiting for Chen Xiangbei at the elevator entrance to provide him with his driver's license and some necessary competition materials.

Normally, these things should be handled by the driver's team.

However, the timing of this ROC National Cup conflicted with Chen Xiangbei's team, who had to race against time to complete the ignition test of the TF110 prototype before the winter test.

That's why Chen Xiangbei chose to return alone.

However, the ROC National Cup is also a standard racing series, which does not have such high professional requirements for the racing team. Chen Xiangbei can share his team members with Han Han.

As the only domestic champion in both circuit racing and rally racing, Han Han's team is composed of former Volkswagen and Subaru technicians, and their overall level is basically on par with Chen Xiangbei's "Super Dream" stage.

Of course, the former Super Dream has now evolved into the HRT team, and the strength of the top F1 professional team has crushed any racing team in China.

After completing the registration for the race, Chen Xiangbei went to his assigned driver's room. He ate something, took a shower, and was just about to lie down and rest when there was a knock on the door in the hallway.

When the door opened, Han Han was standing outside.

Han Han, holding a stack of documents, said, "Xiang Bei, this is detailed data on the track and cars compiled by my team members. Would you like to take a look?"

Chinese drivers have a habit of never fighting a battle unprepared.

Even though the official track layout map and specifications of the standard car are provided, Han Han still led his team to drive the track several times to create more detailed data that is more suitable for the drivers.

"Okay, let me take a look."

Chen Xiangbei readily agreed and then invited Han Han into the room.

Sitting across from him at the coffee table, Chen Xiangbei opened the document.

Unlike regular motorsport events, the ROC Nations Cup is held at the Bird's Nest National Stadium, which can be considered a semi-indoor venue.

The central area of ​​the Bird's Nest Stadium has been transformed into two parallel tracks, one inside and one outside, which will accommodate two drivers competing at the same time.

Furthermore, after completing one lap, the track's unique layout allows the two drivers to switch positions. That is, the driver who was originally on the outer track moves to the inner track, and the driver who was originally on the inner track moves to the outer track, ensuring absolute fairness in terms of driving layout and distance for both sides.

The special track has a total length of 2.76 kilometers, with twelve curves, meaning that you will encounter a curve on average every two hundred meters or so.

Due to the limitations of the indoor track layout, most of the Bird's Nest's curves are sharp C-shaped or U-shaped curves, making it almost impossible to accelerate through them at full throttle, which places extremely high demands on the driver's racing line!

Theoretically speaking, track layouts that favor racing lines are a strength of Formula One drivers.

However, Han Han reminded him at this moment: "Heading north, in addition to the track layout, you also need to pay attention to the road surface material."

[Material?]

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiangbei noticed in the notes that the Bird's Nest track surface material was wooden planks.

Why a wooden plank?

Chen Xiangbei asked in surprise.

When the ROC National Cup was held at the Bird's Nest in his past life, he was just a little kid. He watched the games on TV for fun and didn't really pay attention to many of the special details.

Normally, the road surface material of a race track is either standard asphalt for circuit racing, or gravel and mud for rally racing, or at the very least, a section of concrete.

He had never seen a race track with a wooden plank road before.

"There are two reasons. First, the wooden planks are convenient and quick to lay, and they are also easy to remove without damaging the original ground of the bird's nest."

"On the other hand, compared to regular asphalt surfaces, wooden boards have much less grip, allowing drivers to showcase drifting maneuvers as much as possible during the race."

"After all, most ordinary viewers in China find it difficult to discern the technical sophistication of high-end wiring, while flashy drifting is more eye-catching in comparison."

Upon hearing Han Han's explanation, Chen Xiangbei nodded thoughtfully.

Just like street racing, drifting is more adrenaline-pumping than racing.

"Heading north, although F1 drivers are very adaptable, the grip on the wooden board track is more geared towards pull, so you need to pay attention to changes in tire grip at all times."

Han Han subtly reminded him again that tension and equations belong to completely different technical fields.

He believes that with the talent and ability of an F1 driver, he can master the technical characteristics of rally cars after only a short period of training.

The problem is that the competition starts tomorrow, and there's no time for Chen Xiangbei to adapt!

Han Han was genuinely worried that Chen Xiangbei might lose control and climb onto the wall.

Despite Han Han's reminder, Chen Xiangbei still didn't explain, his face still bearing that faint smile.

To be honest, it's not Han Han's fault; he simply couldn't comprehend the power of F1 drivers.

Before Chen Xiangbei, the best domestic Formula One drivers were Cheng Congfu and Ma Qingye, who had at most touched the edge of F3, but were still a long way from the threshold of F1.

The reason why F1 drivers are called the most powerful drivers on Earth is because their value lies in their comprehensive understanding and control of the "car".

This term doesn't just refer to Formula One cars; it also includes motorhomes, rally cars, grocery-getters, and more.

Even if it's just a tractor, an F1 driver can still make it look amazing.

The famous British car show "Top Gear" has conducted countless tests, having ordinary people or celebrity drivers challenge F1 drivers, in order to verify how big the gap is between the two.

It turns out that even if an F1 driver sets lap times in a van, they can still be faster than an average expert driving a supercar.

As for legendary F1 drivers leaving the track, needless to say, all the experts have been boasting about the Nürburgring Nordschleife, where Verstappen, under the pseudonym "Franz Hermann," was driving his own team's GT3 car.

During the practice phase, I did some casual testing to familiarize myself with the track, and then I broke the Nürburgring Nordschleife record.

If he really pushed at full speed according to the competition standards, I can't imagine how much Verstappen could improve the Nürburgring record...

Of course, just like the word "handsome," you can't say it yourself.

Being awesome is something that can't be proven by words alone.

Han Han will experience the terror of the "Battle of the Gods" tomorrow.

After memorizing some track corner data, Chen Xiangbei then looked up the racing car information.

The ROC Nations Cup offers five different car templates to cater to professional drivers from different racing disciplines, ensuring they compete in a level playing field as much as possible.

Otherwise, if you ask a rally driver to drive a Formula One car, it's obviously incomparable, and vice versa.

The first one is a ROC-specific racing car, which can be simply understood as a super go-kart equipped with a roll cage.

The second one is the Volkswagen Scirocco, which is the rally version.

The reason it was able to appear at the Bird's Nest is that Donghai Volkswagen is the main sponsor of the ROC National Cup, which can be understood as a promotional fee from a major sponsor.

The third model is a race car modified by Solution F, featuring an exterior kit based on an Opel Astra. However, its body structure and power unit are completely unrelated, making it a thoroughly modified prototype. The fourth model is a two-seater sports car called the KTM X-BOW, a non-mainstream model built by an Austrian motorcycle company. The civilian version costs tens of millions, and it was also a promotional vehicle for a sponsor.

The last model is called the RX-150, a single-seat retro off-road motorcycle, designed for rally off-road riders.

Although there are as many as five different racing cars, in reality, the two drivers have to choose their own cars for the actual race.

The cars that can actually compete on the track are usually the first three normal racing cars.

"OK, I've got it."

After turning the last page, Chen Xiangbei returned the documents directly to Han Han.

"You've already memorized it?"

Han Han looked somewhat surprised; it had only been less than half an hour since he entered the room.

Chen Xiangbei is a race car driver, not a memory master. How could he memorize nearly 10,000 words of information so quickly!

"Ah."

Chen Xiangbei nodded in confirmation.

To be honest, the truly valuable part of this document is the track data at the beginning. As for the racing cars, Chen Xiangbei's understanding of rally racing completely exceeded Han Han's expectations.

In the past, he noted that the F1 track was two to three times longer than the Bird's Nest track, with twice as many corners, and the road surface and terrain were far more complex. In addition, he also had to take into account various road shoulders.

The two-kilometer-long, flat track was a breeze for Chen Xiangbei.

Hearing Chen Xiangbei's calm yet firm tone, Han Han knew that the other party was not joking.

At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind.

Are F1 drivers really that amazing?

Honestly, this moment was just as impactful for Han Han as it was when he ran a race with Chen Xiangbei at the Haizhu International Circuit.

Back then, I lost to a seemingly inexperienced high school student.

"Okay, get some rest. We'll go to the Bird's Nest together tomorrow."

Swallowing hard, Han Han could only leave behind this one sentence.

Chen Xiangbei's transformation in less than two years has overturned his worldview.

……

November 14th marked the official start of the ROC National Cup.

Chen Xiangbei, Han Han, and his team members boarded the event organizer's support vehicle and headed to the Bird's Nest Stadium.

This morning there will be a pre-match press conference and a draw, where teams will be drawn and opponents will be determined!
Chen Xiangbei remained calm, simply gazing out the window at the familiar yet unfamiliar scenes of Yanjing, comparing them with related memories from his previous life.

As for the members of Han Han's team, regardless of age, almost all of them had an undisguised excitement and enthusiasm.

On one hand, they had personally met Chen Xiangbei, China's first official F1 driver, who has now become an idol and legend in the racing world!

Who could have imagined that nineteen-year-old Chen Xiangbei would emerge from nowhere and step into the pinnacle of racing, becoming one of the "gods"?

On the other hand, they will also see another group of racing legends!
After driving for about an hour, the event support vehicle stopped in front of the Bird's Nest.

As Chen Xiangbei got out of the car, he stared at the iconic building, momentarily stunned, feeling as if he had returned to a different world. However, he quickly regained his senses and, together with Han Han, followed the staff into the backstage passage, heading towards the Bird's Nest press conference hall.

As Chen Xiangbei got closer to the brightly lit doorway, his heart pounded harder, and he realized he wasn't as emotionally stable and calm as he had imagined.

Han Han, standing next to him, clenched his fists unconsciously. This match was crucial for him.

This might be the only chance in your lifetime to fight against the gods!
As I walked out of the backstage passage and arrived at the press conference area, the flashbulbs of the reporters below went off like crazy, and the entire press conference hall was bathed in white light.

"Chen Xiangbei, China's racing legend!"

"Go Chen Xiangbei, stand at the top of the Bird's Nest track!"

"Car God Bei, you absolutely must win the championship!"

"Chen Xiangbei, show us the speed of China!"

Compared to the airport fans' "blind guesses," the reporters and car enthusiasts who came to the scene today...

They finally got to see Chen Xiangbei, the first official F1 driver in Chinese history.

Facing the frenzy of reporters and fans below the stage, Chen Xiangbei smiled and waved to them, but his gaze was fixed on the group of participating drivers who had already arrived at the press conference area.

Chen Xiangbei had seen Hamilton, Coulthard, Vettel, and others at Spa-Francorchamps, so they weren't particularly mysterious to him.

Only three people truly caught Chen Xiangbei's attention, the first of whom was Sébastien Loeb from the French team!
While there may still be controversy surrounding F1's GOTA (God of the Titans), Senna, Schumacher, Hamilton, Verstappen, and many others represent the strongest idols in the hearts of fans from every era.

In the realm of WRC rally racing, it can be said that there is almost no controversy.

This French driver became the most dazzling superstar in the rally racing world, even the undisputed king, achieving an unprecedented nine-time champion and dominating an entire era!
With 79 stage wins and 924 stage victories in his career, his achievements have elevated rally records to a level that is unprecedented and likely to remain unmatched.

Besides Loeb, there was another nine-time champion present, Tom Christensen, the greatest driver in WEC Le Mans history from the Nordic team!

The WEC Endurance Race is a very unique event; its Le Mans leg is even more popular and prestigious than the main race.

Whoever is the king of Le Mans is the king of endurance.

Furthermore, Christensen is not only the King of Le Mans, but also the most dominant driver in the ROC Nations Cup. He has defeated his opponents several times to win the title of "King of Kings". Even strong drivers of the level of Schumacher and Hamilton cannot outrun him.

Even in the main tournament of the Nations Cup, Christensen still managed to win the championship in 05 single-handedly.

If it weren't for the sheer strength of the peak German duo of Schumacher and Velt, he would probably still be able to dominate the ROC Nations Cup.

However, Chen Xiangbei's gaze did not linger on them for long before it locked onto the man.

ROC Nations Cup active drivers usually wear their team's racing suits. This driver, however, is not currently an active driver and is not wearing the iconic red Ferrari suit, but rather a plain white ROC team suit.

But whenever this man appears, no one in the entire racing world can help but take notice; he is none other than the King of Cars, Michael Schumacher!
Schumacher's historical achievements speak for themselves. If F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport, then he has already ascended to the throne of that pinnacle.

Whether you are a nine-time WRC champion or a nine-time WEC Le Mans champion.

As long as Schumacher exists, his legendary status in the world of motorsports is undisputed.

Chen Xiangbei had heard this name countless times in both his lives. Unfortunately, when he went to Europe to participate in the F2 race in his previous life, Schumacher had already suffered a skiing accident and was lying on his sickbed, unable to meet the legendary racing king face to face.

Chen Xiangbei had imagined many times what it would be like to meet Schumacher in this lifetime, but he never thought that their first meeting would be as rivals.

Han Han was in a similar state to Chen Xiangbei at this moment. He was overwhelmed by the "gods" on the press conference platform and stood there dumbfounded.

Fortunately, Chen Xiangbei had seen a lot in his life. He reacted quickly, gently tapped Han Han's shoulder, and whispered, "Let's go on stage."

Chen Xiangbei's reminder finally brought Han Han back to "reality." He took a deep breath and followed Chen Xiangbei to the center of the press conference area.

In terms of achievements and status, let alone Han Han, even Chen Xiangbei is not qualified to sit at this table, let alone stand in the center position.

But as the home team drivers, Chen Xiangbei and Han Han represent China in the competition, so they have to become the center of attention!

Once all the drivers had arrived, the subsequent press conference became much more formal and uninteresting.

The reason is simple: there are not only drivers present, but also leaders from the China Automobile Federation and the General Administration of Sport. It is impossible to let loose and make all sorts of flamboyant remarks to gain publicity like in foreign countries.

After the leaders' speeches and the pre-recorded interviews were completed, the next step was the lottery ceremony.

The eight teams will be divided into two groups and will compete in a single-elimination tournament until the final champion is determined.

As the host country, and with Chen Xiangbei being the team's top driver, the Chinese team should naturally be the first to go on stage for the draw.

The lottery box contains round balls printed with the national flags of the participating countries; whichever one you draw means which national team you will face.

Chen Xiangbei reached into the box and took out a round ball with a Union Jack flag on it and the letter "ONE" on it.

Without a doubt, Chen Xiangbei was drawn against the British team.

His opponent is none other than this year's newly crowned world champion, Jason Button!
(End of this chapter)