Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 180 Standards for Championship-Contending Teams

"NICE, this is the performance I wanted!"

Briatore stood in the P room, clapping and celebrating for Chen Xiangbei with exaggerated tone and gestures.

He then boasted to Odette, "See? Potential needs to be squeezed out."

"No pressure, no speed!"

Seeing Hua Bu's smug expression, Odeto really wanted to refute him.

However, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

This has nothing to do with pressure. It's just that Chen Xiangbei had test-driven the car at the Catalan circuit some time ago, so he's relatively familiar with it.

In addition, this kid is a prodigy, and he quickly got the hang of the TF110 prototype.

If another rookie had done this, they would have crashed long ago!
"Briatoli, what's your lap time in the north?"

Trulli asked via team voice chat, and he, too, did not choose to push for two consecutive laps, but instead began his cool-down lap.

The TF110's exhaust diffuser does indeed increase downforce in corners.

However, the high-temperature exhaust gas from the engine blows onto the rear wing, putting enormous pressure on the tires and brakes, necessitating the use of cooling coils to lower the temperature.

Otherwise, given the temperature at the Catalan circuit in December, and since the F1 cars at this time don't have the hybrid kinetic energy recovery system and lack the necessary charger, they could theoretically push for two consecutive laps.

"It's a pity Trulli only managed a lap time of 1 minute 19.378 seconds in the north."

"Remember what I said, he will be the next Alonso!"

Briatore's words were utterly merciless, akin to rubbing salt into a wound.

Back when they were both in the Renault team, they had already fallen out, so there's no need to maintain a fake "friendship" now.

In any case, Trulli's sponsors have finalized the transfer of Ferrari's wind tunnel, and the HRT team has fulfilled its promise to give Trulli a full driver's seat.

If he couldn't withstand the pressure and withdrew, then it wouldn't be considered a breach of contract by HRT.

During Briatore's suspension, he had already selected a high-value driver, Bruno Senna, the nephew of racing legend Ayrton Senna.

The entire South America has an extraordinary passion and dedication to Formula 1 motorsports.

They spare no effort in helping their own drivers secure seats.

Take Mexican driver Sergio Perez, for example. His sponsorship amount is a staggering 70 million US dollars, making him the most powerful driver in the paddock!

At the same time, South American countries have an amazing sense of unity. Even if the drivers are not from their own country, as long as they are from South America or of Latin descent, they will receive support and sponsorship from the entire South American capital.

The reason why Renault driver Corapi Pinto, despite being in such a terrible state, was able to make a comeback and regain his seat lies precisely in this.

The influence of Ayrton Senna, the racing legend, in Brazil and throughout South America is self-evident.

If we can tap into the residual value of his business, it will be an astonishing fortune.

Without a doubt, his nephew Bruno Senna is the most suitable candidate.

While Hua Bu's actions may seem like a way to "settle personal scores" for past grievances, he actually has ulterior motives.

[1 minute 19.378 seconds?]

Trulli's face showed disbelief when he heard the number.

He felt he hadn't made any mistakes during the previous push and had a good impression of the new Toyota TF110 prototype, which still maintained the handling style of the TF09.

Theoretically speaking, Chen Xiangbei, as a rookie, couldn't possibly be faster than him.

How exactly do Chinese newcomers manage to do this?
"Soter, is the lap time accurate?"

Trulli checked with his race engineer, feeling that Briatore wasn't telling the truth.

"That's true, the North team performed perfectly in this round."

Soter used the word "perfect," indicating his approval of Chen Xiangbei.

Based on the monitoring data, Chen Xiangbei's braking points and cornering line selection were almost identical to those of a racing simulator.

Apart from a slight flaw in his handling of the "window of opportunity," Sott believes that everything else is impeccable by the standards of a newcomer.

Trulli has indeed encountered a formidable opponent in this transfer!
Trulli may not believe what the fabric says, but his own race engineer replied that there is no possibility of deception.

For a moment, Trulli felt a sense of existential unease.

Is God blind?
How can they continue to favor an unscrupulous manager like Briatore?

Discovering Spanish driver Fernando Alonso back then allowed him to silence all the ridicule and doubts from the outside world.

Now, the ban has once again drawn widespread criticism, and they've signed Chen Xiangbei, a Chinese driver.

And this speed performance is truly comparable to Alonso's rookie days!

"I plan to push it one more lap."

After a brief hesitation, Trulli made his decision.

It's only a 0.3-second difference; it's not an insurmountable barrier.

Chen Xiangbei ran two laps in the test, and according to the principle of fair competition, he should also run two laps.

Although it is inherently unfair for a veteran to play against a novice, Trulli couldn't care less about that at this point.

Given the precedent of being "suppressed" in the past, if Briatore cannot suppress Chen Xiangbei, he will definitely resort to the same old tricks and use various means to force him to leave the team.

Trulli is now in the later stages of his career, and he is well aware that his competitiveness has declined and he doesn't have many opportunities left.

"Trully, can't you accept defeat?"

Hearing Briatore's timely taunts, Trulli didn't hesitate to cut off the team's voice chat and then floored the accelerator, speeding off.

He had to push the TF110 to its limits and set a lap time that surpassed Chen Xiangbei's, just to shut Briatore up!
“Briatoli, that’s all in the past, you don’t need to be like this.”

Bob Bell, standing nearby, shook his head and offered a word of advice.

Even if they had a falling out in the past, they are now on the same team, and this situation will greatly affect the internal atmosphere.

"I know."

When answering Bell, Huabu's expression became serious.

"Then why did you do it?"

"Turulli has a very strong personality, and if we can't control him, it will definitely cause competition within the team."

"I must address this potential problem beforehand!"

No one understood Trulli better than Briatore, just as to achieve "mutual destruction," one must first "love" each other.

Despite his resemblance to Leonardo DiCaprio, Trulli initially had a pretty boy look.

In reality, he has a very fiery temper and once almost had a real-life fight on the track.

If you don't completely win him over, he'll always face competition within the team.

Rather than competing with Chen Xiangbei for position on the track later, it's better to get it done during the winter testing period.

The same applies to Chen Xiangbei.

In a sense, Chen Xiangbei and Trulli have similar personalities; both are unwilling to be subordinate to others!
After saying this, Hua Bu immediately gave Chen Xiangbei instructions.

"North, this round of trains will proceed to the station."

After five laps, especially the two laps of full-speed pushing, Chen Xiangbei's soft tires were almost completely worn out.

Briatore would go to extreme lengths to provoke the driver, even resorting to deceptive tactics.

But he won't put the drivers in unnecessary danger.

For example, even with worn-out tires, it still motivates you to push yourself to run the fastest lap.

"receive."

A brief reply came through the earpiece from Chen Xiangbei: he was about to enter the station through the maintenance lane to change a tire.

At the same time, Huabu turned around and clapped his hands vigorously, shouting to the crew members in the pit: "MAN, get moving, move faster, it's your turn to shine now."

"Whether it's the driver or the crew, my standard is the same: there can be no weaknesses!"

After saying this, Briatore deliberately focused his gaze on Liang Chi and several other Chinese technicians, the implication and targeting of which was self-evident.

"Roger that!"

The crew members responded collectively, and Ah Yong and Lei Ge, feeling slighted, shouted at the top of their lungs to express their dissatisfaction.

At that moment, they finally understood what it felt like for Chen Xiangbei to have endured cold stares and ridicule on the track. The Italian old rogue's skepticism was utterly undisguised!
To be honest, Briatore really didn't trust Liang Chi and the others.

When he was integrating the team's resources, he looked at the files of the Chinese team members and found that there were not enough years of "service" in lower-level formula teams.

It's important to know that F1 technicians have strict selection criteria, requiring technical qualifications in relevant fields and at least three to five years of racing-related experience.

It's obvious that, apart from Liang Chi, A Yong and Lei Ge are both unqualified.

Since the standards were not met, Briatore had reason to suspect that the Chinese technicians were people who had been placed there through connections with Chen Xiangbei and through capital investment.

Such people with connections might be usable in lower-level Formula One teams, but in the high-stakes world of F1 racing, they cannot tolerate any mistakes in teamwork.

When Briatore was managing the Lifield Technical Center, he ruthlessly dismissed a group of R&D personnel, and he will treat the technical staff the same way.

Soon, more than twenty crew members stood on both sides of the pit area, holding tires and various tools, waiting for the race car to enter the pits.

They had practiced this maneuver many times before, both with the former Super Aguri team and during testing a few months ago.

Through training, the tire change time, which used to be over four seconds, has been improved to around 3.5 seconds, reaching the average level of mid-to-lower tier teams in this era.

This time, however, Briatore brought an inexplicable pressure to the crew.

If the Italian authorities are so ruthless towards drivers and R&D engineers, how could they possibly show mercy to the lowest-level mechanics?
Unaware of the situation, Chen Xiangbei entered the station at the normal pace, accurately located the HRT fleet's maintenance area from the row of pit garages, and then brought the car to a precise stop in its parking space.

As soon as the race car came to a stop, Chen Xiangbei felt the car being lifted up. All the technicians, as precise as clockwork, began to perform tasks such as changing tires, simple maintenance checks and repairs, and wiping the rearview mirrors and helmets.

Just a few seconds later, the replacement of all four tires was completed, and the jack technicians left simultaneously.

At this moment, Chen Xiangbei's attention was entirely focused on the indicator light above his head.

When the LED light turned green, he floored the accelerator, and the race car sped out of the pit lane.

The entire pit stop process was executed flawlessly, with dozens of people working together in perfect unison. Compared to their first visit to the Catalan circuit, where they took a staggering 7.3 seconds to pit, the difference is like night and day.

This is why the teamwork in F1 racing is considered a model of teamwork.

It truly brings a unique aesthetic to teamwork!

As Chen Xiangbei's race car successfully left the station, the mechanics couldn't help but cheer.

Although this was just an ordinary station entry operation in his professional career.

But this was the first time under the HRT team name, and the fact that there were no mistakes or oversights against Briatore is certainly something to be happy about.

However, Huabu, who was watching from the sidelines, did not show any joy on his face.

"Odette, what's the average time you usually take to change a tire in the pits?"

“A few months ago during testing in Catalonia, it had already reached 3.5 seconds.”

Upon hearing Odette's reply, Briatore sneered, "This time the station entry took 3.3 seconds. Are you quite satisfied?"

As soon as those words were spoken, the technicians, who had been all smiles, immediately sensed that something was amiss.

"Odette, you came from the Ferrari team, don't you know the average time of the big teams?"

"Their average time is under 3 seconds, especially Ferrari and Red Bull, whose average time has now reached 2.8 seconds."

"Do you know how long a driver has to chase a 0.5-second difference on the track?"

"If we fall behind after leaving the station, we might never be able to overtake them!"

Briatore's words came like a machine gun, raining down on Odette.

He may not be a very good person, and he's a scoundrel with a lot of baffling behavior, but when it comes to managing the team, Briatore never gives up.

Or rather, this is the source of his income; a team without results has no value!
Since the team is being built with the goal of winning the championship, it's not just the drivers who need to be required, but all members of the team must meet the standards of a championship team!
Briatore cannot accept a difference of 0.5 seconds.

“Super Aguri disbanded early last year, and the crew members stopped practicing for more than a year. They only resumed pit stop tire changing practice a few months ago during test runs. They need some time to improve.”

Odeto explained that he wasn't making excuses; these were objectively existing factors.

"Does it take time to improve?"

Briatore showed absolutely no mercy in response to Odette's explanation.

"Even if your practice time is short, can it be shorter than that of the Chinese newcomers in the technician team?"

"I thought they would be a hindrance, but I didn't expect the veteran members to be even worse!"

"If that's all you're capable of, quit early and don't waste your time!"

Briatore has realized that this is not a technical issue, but an attitude issue.

The people he distrusted the least were A Yong and a few other Chinese "connections," whom he believed would definitely be a hindrance when Chen Xiangbei came to the station to change the tire.

If this happens, Briatore will find a way to get rid of Liang Chi and the others, a power he promised in advance as team manager.

But that's not how it turned out!

Liang Chi, A Yong, and Lei Ge formed a tire-changing team, and their task was to change the right rear tire.

One person is in charge of using a pneumatic wrench; loosening and tightening screws are all done by the pneumatic wrench.

The second person removed the old tire, and the third person took the new tire and installed it.

Actually, there is a fourth person, who is a backup technician and will fill in if there are any unexpected situations.

Of the four tire teams, the Chinese member was the first to change the right rear tire. Briatore didn't time it precisely with a stopwatch, but based on experience, he estimated that it was at least 0.5 seconds faster.

The slowest left front tire dragged on for almost a second!

Having been in the F1 paddock for so many years, Briatore knows all too well the reasons behind this phenomenon.

In Chinese terms, it would be described as "oily".

The Super Aguri team has been at the bottom for years, and it's the kind of team with no hope of improvement. Both the car and the driver are underperforming, and over time the entire team loses its fighting spirit.

The fractions of a second saved by racing against the clock are meaningless to the Super Aguri team. Even if they are a second or two faster in pit stops than other teams, they will still end up at the bottom of the standings.

If trying is useless, then why bother trying at all?
When this inertia becomes a habit, the current situation will occur.

An experienced veteran is not as good as a newcomer who has practiced for a few months.

Changing a tire at a repair shop isn't a high-skill operation; it's simply a matter of practice and attitude.

If you can't even do this much, you might as well get out of here!

Looking at the furious Briatore before him, Odette's face turned ashen, and he felt an indescribable shame in his heart.

He wasn't unaware of this phenomenon; otherwise, he wouldn't have forced the mechanics to stay and practice changing tires every day while Chen Xiangbei was test driving.

Odeto believes there is still time, and with eight days of winter testing, the team's pit stop time will surely improve further.

However, Huabu's words could be considered a wake-up call for him.

Indeed, this is not a matter of proficiency, but rather an attitude problem stemming from inertia.

To make up for their lack of experience and proficiency, Liang Chi and several other Chinese technicians practiced changing tires on a racing car model even at the Lifield Technical Centre.

You could say that Odette saw them tightening screws and assembling things every single day!

It is precisely because of this kind of hard work and attitude that we have the fastest tire changing speed today.

“Manager Briatore, you’re right. If a crew member can’t improve, it means he’s no longer fit to stay on the highest stage of racing.”

After saying that, Odeto turned to the mechanics team and said seriously, "Starting today, the team's target time for pit stops and tire changes is set at less than three seconds, and every member will be subject to a test."

"Employees who make multiple mistakes or fail to meet standards for an extended period will have their team contracts terminated."

As the saying goes, a kind heart cannot command an army. Now, Oddoto understands why Briatore is "cold-blooded and ruthless."

Teams aiming for the championship can no longer afford to rely on "personal connections."

"Within three seconds?"

"Even your training goals are set so low, Odeto, you're really getting old!"

The floral fabric was still the same floral fabric; Odeto's concessions couldn't bring him to compromise, and his sharp tongue remained unchanged.

"Thank goodness that refueling at stations was canceled this year, otherwise, given your skill level, wouldn't you have stopped at the station for at least half a minute?"

"Listen carefully, the standard for pit stop time for championship contenders is not only that they cannot be slow, but they must also be faster than other teams."

"Only in this way can we help the drivers gain a lead of one or even several positions in the race."

"An average of 2.5 seconds is my requirement!"

(End of this chapter)