Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 188 You think you're worthy of faking an accident?

"What, you admit it?"

Seeing Chen Xiangbei smiling but not speaking, Trulli asked a question in return.

"There's nothing I'm afraid to admit. In the F1 paddock, I am indeed a rookie."

Despite the provocative question from the other party, Chen Xiangbei remained calm.

Compared to Chen Xiangbei's indifference, Trulli's gaze towards him was somewhat complicated.

At the press conference just now, the Chinese newcomer had a flamboyant and arrogant image, but now he seems like a completely different person. Which one is his true face?

Truly's intuition tells him that Chen Xiangbei is more authentic now.

"This is a first-person view from a car camera that I ran before, you can take a look."

Since the Chinese guy had already admitted that he was a "newbie," Trulli saw no need to argue about it and simply pushed the notebook he was reading in front of Chen Xiangbei.

Although the HRT team is composed of many former F1 professionals, its foundation is still the Campos team, which was at the F3 level.

This means that the team has significant shortcomings in terms of historical data and information reserves.

For example, driver track lines, first-person view in-vehicle video recordings, and some team-secret tuning schemes.

Odeto has been away from Ferrari for too long, and he's more of a technical person. As for Briatore, he's purely a businessman and management team who doesn't understand "racing" at all.

Chen Xiangbei lacks an experienced veteran to provide him with firsthand track information.

After handing over the computer, Trulli stood up to leave the drivers' lounge, feeling awkward about being alone with the two of them.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm doing this purely from the team's perspective, and because I hate those reporters in the paddock!"

Just last year's 09 Brazilian Grand Prix, the race had just begun and we were on the first lap.

Trulli, positioned on the outside of Turn 4, attempted to overtake Force India driver Sutil, who was on the inside line. As a result, the two cars lost control and collided, with Sutil also affecting Alonso, who was further behind, causing all three cars to retire from the race simultaneously.

After the accident, Trulli climbed out of the cockpit and charged directly at Indian Forces' Sutir, ready to fight.

However, the scene of a track boxing match never happened. The two sides only had some physical conflict. Trulli almost stuck his fingers into Sutil's helmet and pointed them at the other's nose to insult his family.

Since the wild spirit of the 1990s faded, the F1 paddock has not seen such a fierce person who wants to go all out on the track for many years.

The next person to be involved in a physical altercation will have to wait until 18 when Verstappen, enraged, rushed to the track's weigh-in area and shoved Ocon.

The overtaking incident on the track is naturally a matter of both sides having their own version of events, with Trulli and Sutil each sticking to their own story.

However, Trulli was still fined $10,000 for his actions on the track.

The matter should have ended there, but after the race, Sutil complained to a BBC reporter: "I was driving normally when Trulli, like a novice, recklessly overtook me on the outside, causing the accident."

Alonso, who had a grudge against Trulli, immediately stepped in to add fuel to the fire, saying, "Turuli is completely insane, and the way he does things on the track is very low-class, like a child who can't control his emotions."

The post-match interviews between the two men, embellished by reporters, instantly subjected Trulli to a barrage of criticism.

If it were just accusations and insults, that would be one thing, but then came a barrage of derogatory nicknames like "madman" and "child."

For a veteran who has been playing in the paddock for over a decade, being viewed as a "baby" by outsiders is an intolerable humiliation.

From then on, Trulli had a lot of complaints about the media, and he hoped to see Chen Xiangbei fight back fiercely!

Of course, this is only one aspect of the factor.

On the other hand, Trulli knew that Chen Xiangbei had rejected the wingman agreement and the competition between the number one and number two drivers.

To be honest, given the Chinese capital's shareholding in the team and the poor relationship between Briatore and Trulli, it would have been an easy task to forcibly assign the number one and number two drivers.

The F1 paddock is never short of drivers, and Trulli can't accept that, so he's out!

Anyway, now that Ferrari has its secondhand wind tunnel, that old Italian rogue, Florentino Pérez, is more than happy for Trulli to leave so he can bring in Senna to increase the team's exposure.

As a rookie driver, Chen Xiangbei holds an absolute advantage, yet he is able to resist the bias of team resources and accept fair competition on the track.

To be honest, Trulli doesn't think he can do that.

He disliked receiving favors from others, so sharing the calibration data was his way of returning the favor to Chen Xiangbei.

Watching Trulli leave the drivers' lounge, Chen Xiangbei didn't say anything more, focusing his attention on the laptop screen, carefully observing the veteran driver known for his qualifying performance.

After an unknown amount of time, Odeto knocked on the door and came in.

"North, the practice race is about to start. Get out and get in the car."

"OK."

Hearing Oddo's urging, Chen Xiangbei closed his laptop.

Odette noticed Chen Xiangbei's action and asked, "Is this Trulli's laptop?"

"Yes, he showed me the driver's first-person perspective racing line video."

Upon hearing this reply, Odeto's face showed a look of surprise.

These two people are usually like strangers, so why would Trulli take the initiative to help Chen Xiangbei?

"Turulli has a fiery and impulsive personality; to put it another way, you could say he's straightforward and doesn't have any guile. Compared to the backstabbing and infighting in paddock politics, at least the competition within the team is much easier."

Odeto said this with a profound meaning.

Unlike lower-level formula racing, F1 involves not only improvements in driving skills and speed, but also numerous conflicts of interest.

Trulli wasn't a great teammate, but he wasn't the worst either.

"I see."

After exchanging a few words, Chen Xiangbei followed Oddo back to the P room.

The initial inspection and adjustment of the race car have been completed, and the fluids have been preheated. It is just waiting for the signal to start the practice session before it can drive onto the track.

Unlike lower-level formulas which only have one practice session, F1 practice sessions are divided into three sessions: two sessions on Friday and the final session on Saturday.

The three practice matches are abbreviated as FP1 (Free Practice 1), FP2, and FP3.

In Chinese, they are usually referred to as "first practice", "second practice", and "third practice".

In this era, both practice matches on Fridays last 90 minutes, while those on Saturdays are shortened to one hour.

Furthermore, during practice sessions, there are no restrictions on drivers' starts, pit stops, or lap times, and the principle of free practice is fully followed.

Chen Xiangbei sat in the TF110 cockpit, fastened his six-point seatbelt, and the engine started turning as the starter motor began to run.

With a deep roar, the Toyota RVX-09 engine was ignited!
"In the north, we will first conduct technical testing."

Odeto offered a reminder.

This is the first time the TF110 has officially participated in a weekend Grand Prix. A comprehensive inspection of the car's power unit, transmission system, aerodynamic kit, fluid system, and other aspects is required to prevent malfunctions during transport.

It's important to understand that each racing team has a limited reserve of power units, especially HRT, which needs to source from Toyota's engine division, so they have to pay even more attention to protecting the racing engine.

"receive."

Chen Xiangbei made an "OK" sign, then pushed off his racing helmet and focused his gaze on the indicator lights above the garage.

A green light means the driver can leave the pit lane, while a red light indicates that a car is passing through the pit lane and the driver will face investigation and penalties for an unsafe release.

Soon, two green lights came on, and Chen Xiangbei stepped on the gas and drove out of the parking garage, onto the Bahrain circuit's maintenance lane.

The entire maintenance lane was very empty, with only Chen Xiangbei's race car leaving the station.

No driver would be foolish enough to run a 90-minute practice session, as it would be extremely taxing on their stamina and engine lifespan.

Normally, a practice session lasts about an hour and a half, with stops and starts, around twenty laps, and then the car is adjusted based on track feedback.
If the track conditions are complex, or the driver's perception is not obvious.

Then the number of practice laps will exceed twenty-five laps, and vice versa.

When the black and orange No. 13 race car drove onto the track, there was not much applause or cheers. Instead, there was more indifference and boos!
The Sakhir circuit is located in the heart of the desert, and its facilities have very limited capacity for spectators, seating a maximum of 50,000 people.

In addition, the opening match means that tickets are extremely difficult to obtain!
In this era, Chinese car enthusiasts are ultimately a minority on a global scale.

Those who are able to travel to the Bahrain circuit to watch the race live are an even smaller minority.

As a new F1 driver, Chen Xiangbei has not yet built up a fan base overseas, so the audience's reaction to him at the event was naturally lukewarm. As for the boos, the problem stemmed from his arrogant remarks at the press conference and his marketing strategy of being associated with Kimi Räikkönen, which aroused hostility and resentment among F1 fans and supporters.

This is like a foreign table tennis player claiming that he and Ma Long are the "two greatest players of all time"—no wonder he gets drowned in spittle from domestic fans.

What level are you to be compared to Ma Long?
Or to put it another way, when Chinese football players go abroad, they immediately say they want to become the next football superstar.

That's just asking for trouble...

Whether Chen Xiangbei's words were intentional or unintentional, it's normal for him to be ridiculed after uttering such bold statements.

The beauty of motorsports lies in the sheer deafening roar of the engines. At full speed, the noise is comparable to that of a small jet aircraft. Drivers cannot hear any external reactions or boos, and it has no impact on their mindset whatsoever.

The current fastest lap record at the Bahrain circuit is 1 minute 30.252 seconds, set by Schumacher in 2004.

Chen Xiangbei's technical inspection circle opened very slowly, taking more than two minutes to complete.

Although there was no acceleration or timing, Chen Xiangbei could still feel that the track was very slippery, to be precise, extremely slippery!
"North, how was your experience sweeping the area?"

Odette's voice came through the headset, explaining why he had asked Chen Xiangbei to go out and practice first.

"Sweep around the field" is a term used in Formula 1, and can also be considered slang.

Before each F1 Grand Prix, when the track usage is relatively low, the track will be quite "dirty".

This "dirtiness" doesn't refer to the amount of trash, but rather to the lack of rubber particles shed from the tires, resulting in relatively lower grip.

Especially on desert tracks like Bahrain, no matter how much you clean before the race, as soon as there's a slight breeze, the air will be filled with sand and dust, and the first driver to go out and sweep the track will feel like they're skating.

"It's very slippery."

"Remember this feeling, and don't let it go to the wall during qualifying and the race."

Only when Chen Xiangbei has sufficient understanding will he make careful judgments during the competition.

"Odetto, do you need me to conduct a test?"

"No need, just familiarize yourself with the track."

Odeto rejected Chen Xiangbei's suggestion, saying that many things cannot be rushed.

F1 is not a low-level formula; there is no room for error, and even the spectators have very low tolerance for mistakes from the drivers.

Being a rookie is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. If things get out of control and he ends up on the wall, he will be met with a barrage of ridicule and mockery, just like the famous "director" adjective used to describe him in China.

Many rookie drivers can't handle the pressure and are eager to salvage their image and achieve good results. This mindset often leads to repeated crashes, trapping them in a vicious cycle from which they can't escape.

Until he was abandoned by the team and sadly withdrew from the F1 paddock.

This is not an isolated case; even veteran drivers cannot avoid it.

For example, once-famous drivers like Perez and Ricciardo completely lost their composure before leaving the paddock, resulting in disastrous performances.

However, competitive sports don't give them time to adjust, so they naturally collapse completely.

Chen Xiangbei couldn't hear the boos and jeers from the crowd, but Odette, standing in the team's pit lane, could hear them very clearly.

Although he knew Chen Xiangbei wasn't fragile, which of those talented young men who left the F1 paddock was born with a fragile heart?
It wasn't until it was hit hard and under immense pressure that it finally broke down.

F1 has ample practice time, and the team also has Trulli to share the testing tasks, so Odto's requirements for Chen Xiangbei in the opening race are very simple.

That is to experience a real racetrack!

It's important to understand that it's not just rookies; even seasoned drivers with over a decade of experience, despite having both practical driving experience and extensive simulator experience, still need time to adapt and become familiar with a track they haven't driven on in a year.

There's a famous saying in the F1 paddock: "Nothing beats the real data."

The gist of the translation is that nothing beats real data.

A simulator is ultimately just a simulator; only by running it on a real track can you truly experience its characteristics and differences.

"receive."

Chen Xiangbei readily agreed, saying that in most cases, the driver just needs to follow instructions.

The TF110 raced lap after lap on the Bahrain circuit, and with each lap, Chen Xiangbei gained a wealth of experience on the track.

For example, when Chen Xiangbei watched Trulli's first-person perspective video, he didn't understand why Trulli slightly swayed the car on the long straight at the start, making a maneuver similar to changing lanes to straighten the car.

At that moment, Chen Xiangbei wondered if Trulli's hand had trembled slightly.
Now he understood that there was a bumpy area on the starting straight of the Bahrain circuit, which could easily cause the car's chassis to hit the ground.

In order to prevent teams from having too low a chassis, making them unable to withstand the rough and complex road conditions of the track and affecting the safety of the drivers, the FIA ​​regulations specifically added a small wooden board made of resin and fiberglass to the lowest point of the chassis.

Once the chassis scrapes against the ground, it will cause wear and tear on this wooden board.

This is why, when watching F1 races, you often see sparks and lightning streaking across the track; it's actually caused by the friction of this special wooden board against the floor.

When a racing team lowers the chassis of their car too much, it causes excessive wear and tear on this wooden board.

If the racing system detects that the speed exceeds the warning threshold, the race result will be disqualified.

Therefore, during the race, in order to pursue speed, the team's tuning scheme will keep the car as close to the ground as possible.

In order to avoid excessive wear and tear on the chassis wooden blocks and thus cancel the result, the race line should avoid the bumps and rough sections of the track as much as possible.

These detailed experiences cannot be provided by racing simulators; only real track experiences can offer them.

While Chen Xiangbei was familiarizing himself with the track, Trulli was already preparing to leave the pits.

"Trulli, after you complete your technical verification lap, conduct a long-distance simulation test, and pay attention to tire wear."

Although Odette was "demoted" to Chen Xiangbei's race engineer, he actually served as the team's chief race engineer and had the authority to issue instructions to both drivers.

However, Trulli's team instructions are usually given by his own race engineer, Söder.

During practice sessions, there is a greater emphasis on teamwork and coordination, with Odette taking charge of the overall situation.

"receive."

Compared to the Italian rogue Floral, Trulli had a better impression of Odette.

As a fellow Italian, this old engineer's style of doing things was very fair and convincing.

During the entire Grand Prix, drivers will prepare up to twenty sets of tires according to FIA regulations.

Thirteen sets of dry tires and seven sets of rain tires were included.

The thirteen sets of dry tires are further divided into two sets of white hard tires, three sets of yellow neutral tires, and eight sets of red soft tires.

Although it looks like there are a lot of tires, after three practice sessions and three qualifying sessions, drivers who finish in the top ten in qualifying for the race are only allowed to keep six sets of tires.

It happens to be two red, two yellow, and two white.

As for the drivers who did not make it into the top ten in qualifying, they will receive an extra set of red soft tires.

However, the FIA ​​rules only stipulate that teams can keep no more than six sets of tires, but do not mandate that they keep no fewer than six sets.

This means that if drivers waste tires, there is a possibility that they will run out of tires in practice and qualifying.

Tire wear at the Bahrain circuit is unusually high, which is why Odeto specifically reminded Trulli to pay attention to tire wear.

As Trulli's car drove onto the track, other teams also took to the pits to begin their practice sessions.

Compared to Odette's decision to let rookies go first, other teams, in order to avoid risks, first had experienced veterans conduct track tests, and their overall lap times were much faster than Chen Xiangbei's.

Although most F1 viewers understand that lap times during the testing phase are meaningless.

But understanding doesn't mean everything is alright, and many people still couldn't help but mock Chen Xiangbei.

Chen Xiangbei happened to be on a section of the track facing the main grandstand when he saw some uncivilized physical actions, so he curiously pressed the voice call button.

"Odetto, I feel like a lot of the spectators on the track are a bit unhappy with me."

This time, however, the answer coming through the headphones was no longer Odette's voice.

Hua Bu quickly replied, "No need to feel it, it's just that many viewers are dissatisfied with you."

"Bei, congratulations! Your press conference successfully stirred up hatred!"

(End of this chapter)