Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 187 The Next Superstar Driver (10K)

"Go Chen Xiangbei! You are the pride of Chinese motorsports!"

"Bei, I'm your biggest fan, let's try to score in the first game!"

"First place among the rookies in the winter test, Bei, you will definitely become the next racing superstar!"

"Go Bei, former driver, now China's racing god!"

The cheers and shouts of encouragement echoed throughout the arrival hall, and various posters and HRT vehicle merchandise were thrown at Chen Xiangbei, hoping he would sign them.

During the entire winter break of more than two months, HRT, compared to other teams, did not actually take a complete break and come to a standstill.

After discussing with the Chinese shareholders, the boss, Carabant, used almost all the revenue from sponsorships from Nike and Intel to retain most of the R&D staff at the headquarters to assemble the wind tunnel.

Meanwhile, Briatore, that old Italian rogue, may have his fun and his antics, he's still a playboy.

With a share of the profits from Chen Xiangbei and the team, he actively secured licensing and production rights for HRT team merchandise during the winter break, including but not limited to apparel, helmets, racing car models, and more.

Furthermore, Briatore was open to all advertising sponsors, and Chen Xiangbei thought that becoming an F1 driver would elevate the prestige of his racing car and racing suit advertisements by at least three to five levels.

The hot pot restaurants and beauty salons that Lu Xiaoman used to bring in probably won't be back at the racing suits now that their one-year contracts are up.

To everyone's surprise, Briatore went even further!
They target fertilizer plants and agricultural companies, but they also prey on adult product and online gambling websites.

It was just like Sober in later generations, who was so poor and desperate that he would eat anything without Aro's support.

The HRT race car, originally featuring a black and orange color scheme that exuded a strong sense of color aesthetics, is now covered with various colorful brand logos, making it look like a small advertisement on a street lamppost.

The floral fabric company has its own philosophy: "A fool wouldn't make money if he didn't."

The race car and racing suit are just sitting there empty anyway, so why not maximize their value and make money first? After all, they're all short-term contracts signed on a yearly basis.

If the HRT team can achieve good results this year, the prestige of the team's sponsors will be greatly enhanced next year.

Of course, you can continue advertising, but you'll have to pay more!
Although Briatore's eating habits were unseemly, comparisons can be deceiving.

In contrast, Lotus and Virgin, both "newcomers" to F1 last year, have not only failed to launch commercial operations and wind tunnel construction, but have also failed to fully resolve even the most basic issue of finding suppliers for racing car parts.

Lotus is in talks with Red Bull to use Red Bull's gearboxes and hydraulic systems next season to improve the car's competitiveness.

Virgin is also partnering with McLaren, planning to use the wind tunnel at McLaren's headquarters in Woking for the 11 season, and also to hire a group of McLaren engineers to help them build their team.

In other words, even if the research and development of these two teams gets on track, it will be at least next year, and they may not be able to fully achieve their goals.

On the contrary, Briatore's profit-driven nature, coupled with his iron-fisted management, allowed the HRT team to catch up with the mainstream groups at the fastest speed and to become profitable and competitive!
To be honest, seeing the sweeping changes made to the HRT fleet, Chen Xiangbei felt that giving up 20% of his earnings as a broker was well worth the money.

After all, a driver's value is often based on the team's performance.

A team without results will render its drivers worthless.

Even though only a decade or so has passed, few people can remember which drivers were on the Lotus and Virgin teams in the 10 season.

……

"Thank you, everyone, for your support."

Faced with the throng of fans, Chen Xiangbei could only nod repeatedly, while his hand continued to sign autographs.

He was only "rescued" from the crowd when the crew felt there wasn't enough time to board the train.

As they boarded the bus to the racetrack, Hua Bu, beaming, asked, "Bei, how does it feel to be a star?"

"I'm not quite used to it yet."

Chen Xiangbei replied quite frankly.

Upon hearing this answer, Briatore pursed his lips and said, "North, you still have the traditional Chinese reserve in your bones. You need to try to open up a bit."

"Remember, get used to being a star and an idol!"

We have now entered the internet age, and the days when good wine needs no bush are long gone.

Popularity equates to commercial value, and Huabu hopes Chen Xiangbei will always be at the center of attention!
Chen Xiangbei merely smiled and said nothing more. Having the experience of his later life, he wasn't easily fooled. Hua Bu, that old rogue, had tasted the sweetness of being a manager and began devising ways to exploit the fan economy for profit.

After about half an hour of driving, the group arrived at the Sakir Circuit in Bahrain.

The Bahrain Grand Prix was first held in 04, the same year the Chinese Grand Prix was added to the F1 calendar. It is a relatively "young" track with no long history or classic races.

Normally, he would be an unknown nobody.

However, Bahrain is rich!

In its second year on the F1 calendar, the Sakhir circuit snatched the title of opening race from the Albert Park circuit in Australia.

It's important to understand that for a year-round Grand Prix like Formula 1, aside from special tracks like Monaco with historical prestige, the opening and closing races have the highest influence and viewership.

Bahrain thus snatched the opening match, but why didn't they snatch the closing match?

The reason is that the final F1 race was won by another, even wealthier, Middle Eastern tycoon...

The Abu Dhabi circuit in the UAE was only added to the F1 calendar in 09, and that year it snatched the final race that had previously been held in Brazil and Japan.

It blatantly demonstrates what it means to be rich—that means you can do whatever you want!

Bahrain couldn't compete with the UAE for the final race, and wasn't satisfied with just the opening race title, so it spent a lot of money to turn itself into an F1 test track. From then on, F1 winter testing was basically conducted alternately at Sakhir and Catalunya every year.

Since the Sakhir circuit is located in the Middle East, Chen Xiangbei's highest level of racing in his previous life was F2, so this circuit was completely unfamiliar to him. He had never even been to Bahrain before.

Facing this F1 track built out of thin air in the desert, Chen Xiangbei looked around with curious eyes. His first impression was that it was vast and empty!

That's right. Apart from the maintenance access road and the grandstand, there are almost no buildings in the surrounding area, not even many trees, and in the distance you can see patches of sand dunes.

Another important point is that at this time of year, Europe in the Northern Hemisphere is in winter, and even the Catalan circuit, which is known for its year-round spring-like climate, actually has temperatures hovering around the teens.

As soon as I got off the car at the Bahrain circuit, I felt a wave of intense heat.

This is definitely not good news for Formula One racing, as drivers need to pay close attention to tire management and window times.

Because of the opening race, each F1 team has ample time for equipment transfer and preparation.

HRT's main crew members arrived at the Bahrain Sakhir circuit before the drivers and strategy team to complete the pit setup.

When Chen Xiangbei and his team arrived, all the racing equipment had already been assembled and tested. The technicians were affixing official license plate numbers and the logos of the sponsors to the two race cars.

In this era, F1 drivers do not have the right to choose their own car number. The FIA ​​will rank them according to the previous year's results. The world champion driver is entitled to use the No. 1 car, while his teammate uses the No. 2 car.

This rule continued into the era of free number selection. For example, Verstappen actually had two numbers: number 33, which he chose himself, and number 1, which was given to him by the world champion driver.

Since the "new team" has no historical results, it is naturally impossible to follow the previous year's team race rankings. As is customary, the rankings will be carried over to the last number.

Just like how many buildings in China use special numbers like 3A or skip the 4th floor, the number 13 is not used in Europe. Instead, drivers jump directly from 12 to 14.

Historically, the number 12 driver in the 10 seasons was Petrov of Renault, and the number 14 driver was Sutil of Force India. There was no number 13 driver.

Now that Chen Xiangbei has arrived, the FIA ​​has been spared the trouble of changing numbers. Anyway, China doesn't care about these things, and he's already used to his car number 13.

In some ways, Chen Xiangbei also gained an advantage.

The reason is that the paddock defaults to the driver with the car number earlier being the team's number one driver.

Chen Xiangbei getting car number 13 means Trulli only has car number 14 left.

Although their duel at the Catalan circuit was forced to stop due to an unexpected engine failure, no driver was officially designated as number one or number two.

However, when this car number appears, the outside world will assume that Chen Xiangbei is the number one driver.

Trulli himself remained silent, it's unclear whether he chose to remain silent or felt that the order of the car numbers was unimportant.

In fact, there have been many similar situations in F1 history. Especially with the advent of the era of drivers choosing their own car numbers, it has become even more difficult to distinguish the number one and number two drivers of a team by numbers. In such cases, the color of the T-frame in the HALO system is often used to distinguish them.

Driver #1 uses red, and driver #2 uses yellow.

However, Hamilton didn't like using red, feeling it didn't match his fashion style, and mostly used the second driver's yellow.

"North, shall we go to the racetrack?"

Odette asked a question, and there were already many drivers walking on the track.

"Ah."

Seeing that Chen Xiangbei agreed, Lu Xiaoman quickly called out, "Wait for me."

As he spoke, he took a DSLR camera out of his suitcase.

This was a new task assigned to her by Briatore: to be a "part-time" team photographer and take as many photos of Chen Xiangbei as possible for publicity.

To put it in the words of a floral fabric expert, the HRT fleet doesn't tolerate idlers; they always have to be given something to do.

Trulli, in another pit lane, and his race engineer, Soter, made the same decision as Odette: to take a quick lap of the track to gather information about the surface and corners.

Since the end of the winter test, Chen Xiangbei and Trulli have had no contact. Although they were teammates, under the instigation and instigation of the old rogue Huabu, they were practically no different from strangers.

The Bahrain Sakir circuit is 5.412 kilometers long and features 15 corners and three long straights.

The track layout is relatively balanced, with numerous overtaking points, and most racing fans consider it one of the most visually appealing tracks.

There isn't much to pay attention to in terms of track characteristics. A well-balanced and comprehensive track means that the driver must have no weaknesses. The focus is more on climate factors and road conditions.

"North, you must be unfamiliar with the Sakhir circuit, right?"

Odeto asked a question, and from Chen Xiangbei's looking around after getting out of the car, one could sense his novelty.

To be honest, during his time in Europe, Odeto often suspected that Chen Xiangbei had run some of the tracks before, as his skill level didn't seem like that of a rookie; it was as if everything was under his control.

Only at the Sakhir circuit did he see what a newcomer should look like.

"Hmm, it's unfamiliar."

Chen Xiangbei nodded in agreement.

"There's no point in discussing driving skills; we'll fine-tune the cornering in practice."

"I'll only tell you three things to pay attention to on the track. First, the ground temperature is very high, which will accelerate tire degradation. You need to have a tire management plan in place from the start of the race."

"Secondly, there will be sand and dust on the track, which will reduce the track grip and cause a large difference in lap times between the early and late stages of qualifying."

"The third point is that the asphalt surface is very rough due to the action of wind and sand, which significantly increases tire wear, especially the rear tires, which is detrimental to the characteristics of our race car."

Odette succinctly outlined three key points, primarily concerning tire management.

To achieve good results, drivers need to know how to maintain their tires and control the pace of the race.

If Chen Xiangbei followed his style in lower-level formula racing, constantly pushing for the fastest lap time, his tires wouldn't last more than three laps on the Sakhir circuit.

The entire race consists of a whopping fifty-seven laps!

If you don't want to pit for tire changes more than ten times, you have to honestly adapt to the characteristics of the track.

"clear."

Chen Xiangbei responded.

Although he had never run the Sakhir circuit, it didn't mean he hadn't done his homework.

Chen Xiangbei has always been known for his unprepared approach to battles.

"In addition, the Sakhir circuit is wide and seems very safe, but it is actually very dangerous to run off the track and hit the wall, and the reason is the guardrails."

After speaking, Odette pointed to the guardrails around the track.

Compared to the tire walls and other cushioning materials used in typical racetracks, the Sakhir circuit uses steel guardrails, similar to the median strip on a highway, which essentially provides no cushioning or stress relief.

In 2020, Grosjean crashed into a steel guardrail at 200 km/h, instantly breaking the entire race car in two, with the front half exploding in flames like a movie special effect.

Unfortunately, Gross also had to give way to a Haas race car.

It can only be said that the Haas team has a lot of bad luck, with major accidents involving "two" Haas vehicles happening all the time.

Even though accidents haven't happened yet, it doesn't prevent professional strategy team members like Odette from identifying potential problems in the track layout in advance.

"I know."

Before Odeto could explain the reason, Chen Xiangbei preemptively replied.

"you know?"

"Yes, if the impact angle is wrong, the steel guardrail cannot provide any cushioning."

Chen Xiangbei had witnessed Grosjean's accident during a live broadcast, and given that the HALO protection system, which was not known as the "thong" in this era, was not yet available, he understood the consequences better than Odeto.

"very good."

In response to Chen Xiangbei's answer, Odeto could only shrug.

Chinese boys never disappoint when it comes to pre-competition preparation.

After completing one lap of the track, Odette did not let Chen Xiangbei stay on the track any longer. Instead, he made him return to the hotel to rest early.

Compared to simply working hard, it's more important to maintain a balance between relaxation and focus during the competition. Chen Xiangbei needs to stay in top form to prepare for tomorrow's F1 new season press conference and Friday's practice sessions.

The next morning, Chen Xiangbei changed into the HRT team's racing suit, with the bright red national flag and his name's pinyin letters sewn onto his waist.

Standing in front of the mirror, Chen Xiangbei tidied his clothes and smoothed out the wrinkles on his racing suit, his movements were quite serious and meticulous.

This was Chen Xiangbei's first public appearance as an F1 driver, and he was also the first Chinese F1 driver to stand on the stage of a press conference. He had to present his best image.

Wearing a baseball cap with Sinopec's logo, Chen Xiangbei left the room and, together with the team members, headed to the Bahrain circuit press conference venue.

At this moment, the media center at the Bahrain Sakhir circuit is packed with reporters. Whenever an F1 driver or management member appears, the flashes from the cameras are so bright that it's hard to open one's eyes.

As one of the world's three major sporting events, the F1 opening race has a significant influence and popularity. Not to mention the addition of three new teams this year, which makes the season even more exciting and suspenseful.

Looking around, Chen Xiangbei saw that there were no fewer than 500 reporters present, a scale far exceeding any event he had ever experienced before.

With all twelve drivers present, the group lined up in the center of the press conference area to allow the media to take photos.

Theoretically, the center position should belong to the previous champion, Jenson Button, but in reality, it was occupied by Mercedes driver Michael Schumacher. This is the absolute status and influence of the King of Cars, and no one can compete with him.

As a newcomer to the new racing team, Chen Xiangbei was naturally relegated to the most remote corner, what we would call a "leftover" in modern parlance.

Before the race, Briatore touted various superstars, but on the day of the group appearance, the spotlight shone on the well-known drivers, while Chen Xiangbei stood there like a lackey...

After the media photo session, FIA's new president, Jean Todt, took the center stage and addressed the media, outlining the FIA's rule changes for the new season, as well as its future plans and aspirations.

After completing the formalities, the regular media Q&A session began.

Reporters, who were already eager to answer, launched into a barrage of questions, primarily targeting star drivers such as Schumacher, Alonso, and Button.

Schumacher's comeback form and goals are among the most pressing questions for the outside world.

Looking at the scene that was completely different from what he had imagined, Chen Xiangbei suddenly felt a little bored. Just then, he glanced at Hua Bu sitting in the audience and noticed a mysterious smile on the old man's face.

【What's the meaning? 】

Briatore's unusual expression gave Chen Xiangbei a sense of foreboding.

Just as he was making wild guesses in his mind, a reporter suddenly turned to him and asked, "According to public information, Chinese capital has acquired 67 percent of the HRT fleet."

"Mr. Chen Xiangbei, do you believe that you were able to pay to enter the F1 paddock because of Chinese capital?"

Upon hearing this question, Chen Xiangbei paused for a moment and glanced at Briatore.

Was this arranged by those old Italian scoundrels?

This time, however, the expression on Huabu's face remained unchanged, still bearing that ambiguous smile.

"Paid drivers entering the paddock do not mean they lack ability."

Chen Xiangbei responded with a single sentence, without denying that he was a paid driver.

A Chinese driver with no connections, no background, and no skills, who wanted to achieve a leapfrog development, would have no chance of entering the paddock without paid assistance.

That's the rule, regardless of ability.

"If you have the ability, why would you need to pay?"

It was obvious the reporter wasn't buying it and immediately countered with sharp questions.

"Schumacher was also a paying driver, so who can question his ability?"

Schumacher bought the Jordan driver's seat for £150,000 per race and pledged to provide no less than £3.5 million annually for the next two years.

Of course, a racing legend is a racing legend. Schumacher was so amazing after only one race with the Jordan team that he was poached by the Benetton team for a high price.

It's never wrong to spend money to buy opportunities; it's wrong to lack ability.

Chen Xiangbei believes that the real paying drivers are those who can only establish themselves in the paddock through sponsorship.

"Schumacher proved his ability with his results, but you didn't." "I can prove it too."

"Relying on those few low-level formula races?"

Another reporter chimed in, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Then another driver spoke up: "Mr. Chen Xiangbei, as far as I know, you are currently a green-light driver. Would it be considered illegal to compete in the opening race?"

As soon as he said that, the whole audience burst into laughter.

A "green light driver" refers to a driver who has obtained F1 testing qualifications but has not yet obtained a super license.

During the laps, these "trainees" driving F1 cars must have a green light on the rear of the car, which is similar to a novice putting a "trainee" sign on the trunk.

Although Chen Xiangbei received notification from the FIA ​​that a super license would be issued as an exception, it has not been issued to this day.

It's obvious that this reporter had inside information and deliberately pointed it out.

To be honest, Chen Xiangbei was also a little puzzled.

Even if F1 is suspended during the winter break and the efficiency of European and American teams is low, the FIA ​​must still have staff on duty.

It's been over two months, and the official super driver's license still hasn't been produced?

But at that moment, Jean Todt stood up, picked up the microphone, and spoke.

"As a media reporter, one should pay attention to the timeliness of news. Bei obtained his super license two months ago. He is not a green light driver, nor is he involved in any illegal race."

After saying that, Jean Todt pulled out an A4 sheet of paper from under the table. It had the FIA ​​official logo, the HRT team name, and the year of approval.

Jean Todt's signature is located in the lower left corner, while Chen Xiangbei's name is prominently displayed in pinyin in the lower right corner as the holder.

This is the FIA ​​Super License, the highest level of racing license held by fewer than a hundred people on the entire planet!
Holding this driver's license allows you to drive any racing car, including the highest-level ones.

For example, in the WEC endurance race or GT racing, drivers are divided into four levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Normally, you have to achieve results step by step to upgrade your driver's license before you can participate in the highest level of racing.

Drivers who obtain a Super License will be automatically classified as "Platinum".

This is why Verstappen was able to drive a GT3 directly at the Nürburgring.

With the release of this super driver's license, the earlier uproarious laughter instantly turned into complete silence.

Many who were watching the spectacle never expected that Jean Todt had such a hidden trick up his sleeve.

Actually, this was not an unexpected situation. If Briatore had not had the conflict with the FIA ​​over the "crash incident," theoretically there would have been no need for Chen Xiangbei's super license.

It's important to understand that Chen Xiangbei is not just a driver; he also represents the huge Chinese market!
The value of commercial interests far exceeds that of a super driver's license, not to mention that Chen Xiangbei theoretically meets the standard for F1 test mileage.

As for the speed of the race, it's completely irrelevant.

Even if someone is completely incompetent, how can they be better than Ichiro Yuuji, who can't even understand the team's instructions?
After a brief silence, the reporter who had asked the question earlier seemed somewhat embarrassed and angry, and pressed on relentlessly: "Chen Xiangbei, you said you can prove your strength, so what is your expected ranking for the opening match?"

"Scoring points in the debut."

Chen Xiangbei's answer this time was very pragmatic.

The results of winter testing don't mean much; most teams and drivers still have the trick of pulling out their pants.

More importantly, the lap time during winter testing has already exceeded the limits of the HRT race car.

But that's not the limit for other racing teams!
The reason is simple: even after collecting some airflow data for the aerodynamic kits and developing upgrade plans, the HRT team's R&D engineers still dared not directly install anything on the race car that had not been tested in a wind tunnel.

The aerodynamics and hardware compatibility of Formula 1 cars is a very complex and profound subject.

Even the slightest difference can lead to drastically different results.

The TF110 race car performed well during the winter testing phase. The team's R&D team believes it has at least reached the level of the mid-tier team. It is competitive in the opening race and there is no need to take the risk of not being able to verify its performance.

It's a minor issue if the speed doesn't improve; a negative upgrade would be much more troublesome!

Given their current speed and performance, scoring points in their debut is the team's goal. There aren't many rookies in F1 history who have been able to do this, especially before the points system was reformed.

"Briatoli touted you as the next superstar driver, but is your ability only based on scoring points in your debut?"

Until the reporter asked that question, Chen Xiangbei had been trying to keep a low profile.

F1 is not a low-level formula; it belongs to the realm of the gods, and Chen Xiangbei is well aware of this.

But this does not mean that "God" is invincible!
Where do you think I should be?

"Raikkonen, who made a triple jump, finished sixth in his debut. I think he should at least finish in the top six."

The reporter gave the answer with a provocative smile on his face.

Chen Xiangbei was often compared to Raikkonen when he was in lower-level formula racing.

Some die-hard fans even hailed them as the "skip-grade twin stars".

However, most of Raikkonen's fans felt that Chen Xiangbei was trying to gain attention by faking it.

What level are you, a Chinese newbie? How dare you be called one of the twin stars alongside a Finnish historical genius and world champion?

Now that this reporter has brought up Raikkonen again, it's clear that no matter how Chen Xiangbei answers, fans will see it as a publicity stunt, which will likely cause another storm in the racing fan community.

It's worth noting that Raikkonen's fan base was comparable to Schumacher's back in the early 2000s!

"Alright, I'll show you what the next superstar driver is all about."

Chen Xiangbei agreed casually, while looking at the floral fabric again.

When the old Italian rogue privately boasted about being the next superstar, Chen Xiangbei knew his place and directly rejected him, not falling for his sweet talk at all.

Today, in front of hundreds of reporters and all the official F1 drivers, he boldly admitted that he would become the next superstar driver.

Chen Xiangbei realized that instead of tolerating it, he should be unrestrained and arrogant!
Foreign journalists simply don't understand human language, and the moderate and low-key approach won't work at all; on the contrary, they'll think you're an easy target.

On the contrary, only by displaying arrogance in a low-level manner can we make them understand what respect and politeness mean!

As expected, many reporters' expressions changed when Chen Xiangbei said this.

Most of them have never paid attention to basic racing events at the Renault level, and even the F3 support races lack sufficient popularity.

Many people think that Asian drivers, including those from Japan, are humble and timid, never daring to make any grand pronouncements, and are even quite submissive. How could anyone claim to be the next superstar driver?
Chen Xiangbei's remarks and behavior completely overturned the preconceived notions of the reporters present.

"The Chinese newcomer is truly making some surprising remarks."

"I feel that he was provoked and couldn't control his emotions."

"No, Bei is known for his arrogance even in lower-level competitions. I thought he had become more low-key recently, but it seems he hasn't changed at all."

"F1 is not a low-level sport; arrogant remarks will have consequences!"

As various discussions arose, Jean Todt sensed the increasingly tense atmosphere at the press conference and abruptly ended the Q&A session, moving on to the driver meet-and-greet.

It's worth noting that outside the media center, there are tens of thousands of team and driver fans waiting to get driver autographs and team souvenirs.

As the reporters left, Jean Todt approached Chen Xiangbei, handing him his super driver's license and saying, "Bei, you're very different."

Jean Todt did not judge the pros and cons of Chen Xiangbei's remarks; he was well aware that this was part of the driver's personality.

Compared to other foreigners, Jean Todt, who has been in a relationship with Michelle Yeoh for many years and has met many Chinese people, is not as assertive and flamboyant as Chen Xiangbei.

Most people, when faced with such provocative questions, tend to choose to avoid conflict.

"If everything is the same, how boring would that be?"

Chen Xiangbei took the super driver's license and replied with a smile.

"Haha, it seems that's true."

"Congratulations, North."

"Thank you."

The two shook hands, and Jean Todt, without saying much, turned and left with the FIA ​​officials.

However, Chen Xiangbei left a deep first impression on him.

Jean Todt had just left when Briatore approached.

He casually put his hand on Chen Xiangbei's shoulder and said smugly, "Bei, you did a great job at the press conference."

"You hired the first reporter, didn't you?"

Chen Xiangbei immediately retorted, "Schumacher was clearly the main character at this press conference, yet someone inexplicably shifted the topic to me."

As the saying goes, something unusual must be amiss, and coupled with Briatore's mysterious smile, Chen Xiangbei had reason to suspect that he was behind it all.

"No."

Huabu shook his head decisively.

"And the second one?"

"wrong."

"The third one?"

Chen Xiangbei didn't believe that this matter had nothing to do with the floral fabric, so he kept asking questions.

"Want to know the answer?"

Briatore wore a playful smile.

"Go ahead."

"I paid for everything."

[Fuck...]

Chen Xiangbei was speechless for a moment. He had thought of the beginning, but he hadn't guessed the ending.

"No, did you prepare that question from Raikkonen beforehand?"

"Of course, Raikkonen has a large fan base, and marketing campaigns featuring him generate high buzz."

At this point, Briatore added with great pride, "More importantly, if Raikkonen were to go to the WRC rally now, there's no risk of him losing if you try to provoke him!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiangbei instantly understood. No wonder the "Gemini" rhetoric, which had been dormant, was suddenly brought up again. The old Italian rogue was behind everything.

"What if I don't make it into the top six?"

Don't be fooled by the fact that there's only a four-place difference between the top ten and the top six; often, this is the dividing line between mid-table teams and the top three.

If you move up, it means you have to push one of the top three drivers off the track.

Many people who have watched F1 races in later generations have experience that often the top six or even top ten seats can be allocated in advance before the Grand Prix even starts.

Two Red Bulls, two Ferraris, two Mercedes-Benzes, and two McLarens were enough to divide the rankings.

Teams like Renault, Toro Rosso, and Haas, barring any major surprises, are all vying for one or two last spots on the points table.

To put it in simpler terms, the top ten are competing with smaller teams from the same midstream group, while the top six are snatching meat from the mouths of the larger teams!

What does it have to do with me if I can't make it?

"I'm only responsible for contacting reporters to ask questions; how you answer them is your business."

At this point, Briatore patted Chen Xiangbei on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Young man, you must learn to take responsibility for yourself!"

After saying this, Hua Bu strode away, leaving Chen Xiangbei bewildered in the wind.

In Chen Xiangbei's two lifetimes of experience, he had only ever seen team managers who cheated their rivals, but he had never seen a team manager who would bribe a reporter to cheat their own drivers.

However, if Chen Xiangbei had traveled a little later, and waited until Briatore took over as Renault team manager again, he would have seen how Briatore swindled sponsorship funds from the team's two rookies...

With things having come to this point, Chen Xiangbei had nothing more to say and could only return to the team's pit garage.

The crew members, who had already seen the press conference broadcast, had very interesting expressions when they saw Chen Xiangbei return.

The Mewtwo team was alright before; they had witnessed Chen Xiangbei's arrogant behavior, it was just a different occasion.

As for the team members from Toyota, Renault, and others, they were all shocked and surprised.

Having spent the past few months with the team, Chen Xiangbei perfectly embodied the image of a friendly and low-key Chinese person, and no one expected him to have this side to him.

"Why don't we take a break? The practice match is about to start."

Odette reminded Chen Xiangbei of something, while urging the mechanics to inspect the race car and preheat the fluids.

F1 cars cannot be cold-started and preparations usually need to be made before the race.

"it is good."

Chen Xiangbei nodded and then walked into the drivers' lounge.

Trulli returned to the lounge first and was sitting on the sofa looking at track data on his laptop.

He didn't even raise his head when Chen Xiangbei came in, completely ignoring his presence.

Chen Xiangbei was already used to this. The two were still in competition, and Trulli, as a veteran, had pride and self-esteem, and he wouldn't allow himself to lose to the Chinese rookie.

The two sat silently for about ten minutes, and then Chen Xiangbei heard Trulli say something.

"Do you need me to share the training plan?"

In most cases, F1 team drivers will choose to share the same setup.

The reason is simple: practice matches have limited time, and there are too many items that need to be tested.

If tuning schemes are not shared, individual drivers often cannot test all aspects, resulting in a "lose-lose" situation for the teams.

However, there is one exception: when two drivers are competing for a seat.

Often when signing a contract for a car, the team won't drive both drivers; instead, they'll keep the one with the better track record.

No driver wants to leave the paddock, which leads to fierce competition within the team. Drivers in a dominant position or their own strategy group will refuse to share setup solutions.

A lose-lose situation is better than a win-lose one.

Even though Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have a very harmonious relationship within the team, when faced with the competition for the 25th place, Bottas and his strategy team refused to adjust and share data.

Zhou Guanyu's setup is relatively weak, and he is slow to adapt to the track. Without the cooperation of his teammates, he often cannot complete all the tests and can only choose between two different setups for the main race and qualifying.

Without a doubt, the main race is more important than the qualifying race.

That's why he was almost shut out by Bottas in the 24 season qualifying rounds.

Chen Xiangbei didn't expect Trulli to bring up sharing calibration data, after all, the two were practically "hostile" under Briatore's influence.

Without much hesitation, Chen Xiangbei replied, "Yes, I need to."

Chen Xiangbei has a great feel for cars and is also very skilled at tuning racing cars.

But he has zero experience with the Bahrain Sakhir circuit!

The three-day Grand Prix left no time for Chen Xiangbei to accumulate experience, let alone complete all the tuning and testing.

Trulli's willingness to share data is a timely and much-needed help.

"Just this one match."

Trulli then added a sentence.

"it is good."

"But why are you helping me?"

Given the current state of sharing calibration data, it's clear that Chen Xiangbei benefits more.

Given Trulli's fiery and proud personality, he couldn't understand why the other party would lend a helping hand.

Especially when floral fabric acts as one's agent.

"Because if you put yourself in the F1 driver category, you're still a rookie!"

Trulli retorted bluntly that helping was helping, but it didn't mean he was showing weakness.

There was no scene of "not accepting charity," and Chen Xiangbei simply smiled indifferently at Trulli's words.

As the old saying goes, arrogance is merely a facade for Chen Xiangbei; he has a very clear understanding of the situation.

You can be outwardly flamboyant, but never put yourself on a pedestal.

Only by frankly acknowledging one's own shortcomings and learning from the strengths of others can one ultimately gain a foothold in the realm of the gods.

No one considers a winner a novice; only a loser is!
(End of this chapter)