Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 190 The Emerging Driver North
At the HRT team's pit stop, Trulli, who had completed all the testing tasks, stood in front of the monitor screen looking at Chen Xiangbei's racing data and the first-person view from the onboard camera.

In this era, due to limitations in network bandwidth and track operating costs, many third-party perspective cameras are not fully available during F1 practice sessions.

For example, aerial helicopter footage and high-speed cameras above the racetrack.

However, for top F1 drivers, the first-person perspective is sufficient to judge the precision of their handling and racing line.

Just by observing Chen Xiangbei's deliberate widening of the cornering line at T1, Trulli knew that this young Chinese man had quickly grasped the essence of his racing videos.

Under normal circumstances, rookies who have never run the Bahrain Sakhir circuit will only take the textbook, conventional cornering route, which is the safest and "correct" way.

Conversely, taking sharp turns carries the risk of the tires slipping on the sand and dirt on the shoulder.

However, taking the sharp turn at T1 requires a faster exit speed than the regular route, resulting in a final speed 3 to 5 km/h higher on the straightaway.

The higher the level of motorsport, the more evenly matched the drivers' skills become.

To stand out and become the fastest, you need to be bold and meticulous, controlling every single detail.

Undoubtedly, Chen Xiangbei's actions are experimental in nature; he is exploring the boundaries between simulators and reality!

On the long straight ahead, Chen Xiangbei released the flywheel's power reserve, allowing the TF110 to exceed 300 km/h in top speed.

This system is the predecessor of later hybrid systems and energy recovery systems. It also relies on the braking system for energy storage, but one uses battery chemical energy storage and the other uses flywheel mechanical energy storage.

This system has also been used in civilian vehicles, such as the Porsche 911 GT3, McLaren P1, and certain Ferrari models.

However, due to cost constraints, it was unaffordable for mid-to-low-end civilian vehicles other than supercars, which meant it could not be widely adopted and was eventually replaced by battery hybrid systems in later generations.

With extremely high top speed, Chen rushed north into T2 turn, only stepping on the brake pedal 80 meters into the turn.

The reason he dared to push so hard without fear of going off the track is that the exit of the T2 corner of the Bahrain circuit is very wide, and the car has ample buffer space for its racing line. He only needs to be careful that the four wheels do not go out of the white line of the track restriction area.

Compared to the old racetracks in Europe that often have decades of history, newer racetracks like Bahrain's Sakir are characterized by their width, ample buffer space, and good asphalt surface conditions.

If the Sakhir circuit weren't built in the desert, its safety would be significantly improved.

After exiting the corner, accelerate through the short straight. At T3, you need to stay as far to the left as possible and use the curb to get through the corner. As soon as Chen Xiangbei drove up, he felt the race car bounce, similar to when he drove into a manhole cover.

Instantly, brilliant sparks erupted from the rear of Chen Xiangbei's race car, confirming that the special "wood" piece of the chassis had slammed hard against the curb.

Whether the chassis has been damaged can only be determined after it is inspected at the station.

T4 and T5 of the Bahrain circuit are a combination of obtuse angle corners, where the lateral tilt is extremely strong, earning it the nickname "cervical spine crusher".

Every year, F1 rookie drivers drive at relatively slow speeds through this combination of corners. Their necks and bodies are in a condition where it is difficult to withstand the lateral G-forces of several Gs. In order to avoid slight wobbling of the steering wheel and loss of control, the only option is to reduce speed.

During the previous test drive, Chen Xiangbei already felt the pressure when passing through at low speed. This time, he increased his speed significantly, but did not blindly challenge the limits of the corners.

Even so, he still felt as if his head had been forcefully turned to one side, his neck muscles were all tense, and the veins on them were bulging!
Compared to the "sudden enlightenment" in driving skills, even after more than a year of high-intensity training, it is still difficult to improve physical fitness at the same speed as the upgrading of professional races. The high-temperature test of the Grand Prix for several consecutive hours is indeed a great challenge to Chen Xiangbei's body!
Withstanding the pressure from the G-forces, Chen Xiangbei precisely navigated the curve, then floored the accelerator after exiting the corner, frantically shifting up gears using the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Finally, approaching Turn 6, he slammed on the brakes to slow down and corner, reducing his speed to around 180 km/h in 4th gear.

"Whitmarsh, the Chinese newcomer is really something. I feel like his lap time is faster than in the winter testing."

McLaren CEO Ron Dennis turned to team principal Whitmarsh beside him and remarked in surprise that Chen Xiangbei's performance had exceeded his expectations.

Ron Dennis is a McLaren legend. His success as team leader is no less than that of Briatore, and in fact, he is even more successful in terms of the number of championships.

Senna and Hamilton were both created by him.

Furthermore, if Briatore is a complete scoundrel, then Dennis fully deserves the title of hypocrite and is also regarded as a "big hooligan" in the racing world.

Stealing technology, issuing orders, filing lawsuits, poaching talent—Dennis could say he did just as much as Briatore did.

The only difference between the two is that Huabu's eating manners are too unsightly...

However, in the F1 paddock, whether it's a driver or a manager, "any means necessary" is the standard for achieving success.

After all, competitive sports are about results, not morality.

In fact, Dennis had already taken notice of this Chinese kid when Chen Xiangbei was testing his car at the Catalan circuit.

At the time, the McLaren team was also conducting test drives, and Chen Xiangbei actually drove a Honda tractor and defeated the arrogant McLaren "Silver Arrows".

Such a stunning performance caught the attention of the Renault team.

McLaren, being one of the "Big Three" automakers, is it really just turning a blind eye to this?
The answer is, of course, no. McLaren engineers assessed Chen Xiangbei's skill level and concluded that he met the standards of an F1 driver.

He met the standards of an F1 driver, but not McLaren's standards!
The "Big Three" still have a hierarchy: Ferrari remains firmly in the top position, McLaren follows closely behind with a solid foundation, while Renault has fallen apart after the "crash scandal".

McLaren's goal is to win both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships and become the strongest team in the F1 paddock.

With this goal in mind, Dennis recruited the newly crowned world champion Button to partner with his own driver Hamilton, creating the strongest driver combination in the paddock at present.

Even if Chen Xiangbei performs well in the test drive, can he really risk being accused of faking an accident by these two?
From beginning to end, McLaren has never focused on rookies. Even when they encounter promising talents, they choose to ignore them. However, the performance of the Chinese rookies in the ROC National Cup and the winter testing of the new F1 season is gradually challenging Dennis's understanding.

"His linework is very precise and beautiful, and with Brown's approval, he certainly has the potential to become the next rising star in the paddock."

The current team leader, Whitmarsh, nodded in agreement.

He wasn't very familiar with Chen Xiangbei, but he had a very good relationship with the current Mercedes team manager, Ross Brown.

It could even be said that Whitmarsh deserves at least three-tenths of the credit for Brawn GP's double championship achievement last year.

Mercedes engines were supplied to the Brawn GP team through Whitmarsh's connections.

Many people know F1 teams, but they often only pay attention to the chassis manufacturer's name and rarely notice their full name.

For example, the McLaren team is usually called that, but its full name should actually be McLaren Mercedes team.

Other examples include Red Bull Renault and Williams Honda.

Before Mercedes officially acquired Brawn GP, ​​McLaren was essentially a joint team with Mercedes, to the point that other teams in the paddock needed McLaren's permission to use Mercedes engines.

However, the relationship between the two companies turned into a competitive one with the entry of the Mercedes factory team, and they eventually parted ways in 14, with McLaren becoming a customer team for Honda.

How fast do you think he went on that lap?

Dennis then asked another question.

"Around 1 minute and 34 seconds."

巴黎赛道记录为1分30秒252，就算跑出1分34秒，依然慢了有4秒之多，看似差距非常夸张。

In fact, the F1 track record is not the kind of track record that is broken in lower-level formulas, not to mention that it was achieved by the legendary Michael Schumacher driving the Ferrari Mars Rover.

Under normal circumstances, it is very difficult for drivers to break track records, and a rookie like Chen Xiangbei has absolutely no hope.

Considering the time limit during the testing phase, 1 minute and 34 seconds is within a reasonable range.

"That's good enough, it's basically certain that he deserves the number one spot among the rookies."

Dennis nodded in agreement, now it seemed that Chen Xiangbei's "skipping grades" talent was not a coincidence.

At least this year, several rookies can't outrun Chen Xiangbei.

"Boss, it's a bit too early to draw conclusions now."

Whitmarsh didn't entirely agree. Was Chen Xiangbei really confirmed as the top rookie after only running half a timed lap?
"Then let's wait and see."

Dennis replied with a smile, then looked toward the HRT team's pit lane.

Briatore stood at an angle, looking smug and relaxed.

The old rogue understands the old rogue best; only when he's found a treasure will Huabu be this happy.

In contrast to the team manager who acts as a "hands-off manager," Odette still diligently fulfills his duties as chief race engineer.

"North, the brakes and tire temperature are too high. We cannot brake hard to slow down. Try to brake earlier and utilize kinetic energy recovery."

Odette noticed the abnormal data from the racing car's sensors and spoke up to Chen Xiangbei, offering a reminder.

The Bahrain circuit is already hot and dry, and in order to pursue the timed lap time, Chen Xiangbei used delayed heavy braking to slow down in most corners, which put a lot of pressure on the cooling of the braking system.

Current sensor data shows that the brake disc has exceeded 1,000 degrees Celsius and will soon be exposed to flame.

The air-cooling system alone is no longer sufficient to cool the brakes; other methods must be used to reduce the temperature, otherwise Chen Xiangbei will soon face brake failure.

Experienced drivers from Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan who have driven long downhill mountain roads know that on downhill sections exceeding ten kilometers, you can't rely solely on the brakes to slow down. Instead, you need to use engine braking to downshift and assist with braking. If necessary, you should even stop and pour water on the brake discs to cool them down.

As the brake disc temperature rises sharply, even high-performance carbon ceramic brakes will experience thermal fade, significantly reducing braking performance.

While F1 cars theoretically have the potential to downshift and use engine braking, this is not possible in practice.

After all, in a single lap of less than six kilometers, the driver will have to perform around a hundred gear shifts, using a fixed low gear to force a slowdown, making the lap time no different from driving a tractor.

The only thing Chen Xiangbei could do was to use the kinetic energy recovery system and extend the braking distance to cool down the vehicle.

"receive."

Chen Xiangbei gave a brief reply, glancing at the temperature monitor on the steering wheel screen out of the corner of his eye, before changing his driving style at the T9 turn that followed.

Instead of entering the corner at high speed, enter it at low speed, accelerate as much as possible in the middle of the corner, and use the full width of the track to swing outwards to the shoulder of the exit.

Driven by the inertia of acceleration, the entire race car seemed to "shift" horizontally.

"Armando, the HRT race car has such good traction control?"

Ferrari team manager Domenicali watched Chen Xiangbei's progress on the big screen.

His first thought wasn't about driving skills, but about racing!

It's important to understand that Chen Xiangbei's change in driving style wasn't just a difference in cornering speed, but a complete overhaul of his handling and racing line.

Domenicali didn't believe that a Chinese newcomer who had never run the Bahrain circuit before could master two completely different running routes in just a few hours of testing.

Since the handling is not at this level, the racing car must have outstanding performance!

Brawn GP's legendary performance last year has left the entire F1 paddock reeling.

Toyota, also a Japanese company, who knows if they left behind another Mars rover they painstakingly built before they left?

"The TF110 race car is excellent, but I think the driver is even better."

"Manager, the way Chinese driver Bei changed his racing line was too smooth; you couldn't do that with just the car's traction."

Domenicali looked surprised upon hearing the answer from sporting director Armando.

"You mean the Chinese couple prepared two different running routes?"

"This should be."

Armando's change in running style hints at problems with braking and tire overheating.

Chen Xiangbei handled the situation very smoothly, clearly indicating that he had been prepared in advance!

"Have the data analysts focus on driver North."

Domenicali gave the order without hesitation. In recent years, F1 has seen a surge of new talents, each more impressive than the last.

Raikkonen, Hamilton, Vettel, and others almost all reached their peak upon debut, joining the ranks of those vying for the World Championship.

Ferrari has been in a slump for the past few years, but this year they have recruited Alonso, the best driver currently in the paddock, and paired him with Massa, who is considered the second best driver in history. They are ambitiously looking to return to the top.

Domenicali must have all information about any threatening drivers, even if they are just rookies!

The TF110 race car continued to speed along, and despite the change in racing tactics, the problems with the brake discs and tires did not worsen.

When the long straight ahead of the finish line arrived, Chen Xiangbei accelerated at full speed.

His lap times were simultaneously displayed on the large screens throughout the track.

1 minutes 32 seconds 965!

"WOW~~~!"

Almost simultaneously, the 50,000 spectators erupted in uproar.

Even those who had previously insulted and mocked Chen Xiangbei were now somewhat shocked.

It's not that this lap time was incredibly fast, but rather that Chen Xiangbei achieved the fastest lap in the second practice session.

Patton, Alonso, Schumacher—all familiar names—are below Chen Xiangbei!

"Can anyone tell me how valuable the lap times in Practice 2 are? How could a Chinese kid be ranked first?"

"It's not a good reference point. We'll start fine-tuning for qualifying after the third practice session, and the drivers will be faster then."

"Couldn't Chen Xiangbei have trained even faster in three sessions?"

"That's right, driver North can still be faster, he will shock the entire paddock!"

"Damn, Chen Xiangbei!"

Frenzied shouts rang out from all directions, and some supporters and Chinese fans were overjoyed.

Before Chen Xiangbei, no one had ever dared to imagine that a Chinese driver could appear at the top of the F1 lap time leaderboard, even if it was just in practice.

Chen Xiangbei did just that. He proved that his "leapfrog" was not due to capital, and he also proved that Chinese drivers can also master F1!

"FUCK, did the HRT team snag a Mars rover? Otherwise, the Chinese rookies' second practice session results are just too outrageous!"

Vijay Mallya, the owner of Force India, spoke with a tone full of disbelief and envy.

This Indian team entered the paddock in 08; its predecessor was the Spyker team.

After two seasons, Force India has consistently finished near the bottom two, which is unacceptable for Malja.

It's well known that Indians have always had lofty ambitions but little ability; every goal they set is filled with unrealistic expectations.

The birth of a "purebred" Indian F1 team in 08 caused a huge sensation and boosted national pride in India. Indian media even regarded the F1 team as a "symbol of India's soft power."

However, they ended up at the bottom of the pack...

Being at the bottom is tolerable, but the lack of comparison makes it all the more painful.

Similarly, Brawn GP, ​​a newcomer to the paddock who acquired a team, won the world championship after inheriting Honda's legacy.

This year, the HRT fleet, having inherited Toyota's legacy, has once again demonstrated its competitiveness.

This was somewhat intolerable for Maya; could the difference in luck really be that great?
"The second practice session proves nothing; our team will definitely achieve better results!"

Manager Stevenson immediately responded, knowing his boss's personality all too well; he always made sure to say the nicest things.

"Stevenson, we must beat the HRT team in the opening game."

Maya gave the instructions directly to manager Stevenson.

In his view, this is not just about competition in the F1 paddock, but also about national factors outside the track.

HRT team can be considered a large part of the Chinese team, either because they crushed Indian forces as soon as they joined, or because it was difficult to suppress public opinion in China.

At the same time, Malja needs to use the team's performance to attract more Indian investment.

We can lose to anyone, but we can't lose to HRT!

"I try my best."

Stevenson reluctantly agreed, but inwardly he felt a sense of helplessness and unease.

In motorsports, can the outcome be changed simply by issuing instructions?
At this time, Chen Xiangbei also received instructions from the team to return to the pit room.

As they approached the stands again, the previous insults and provocative gestures subsided considerably, replaced by supporters waving to Chen Xiangbei.

Speed ​​is always the best way to fight back. Whether they have truly given up or are just playing dead in the face of adversity, at least things are much quieter now.

However, compared to the "restraint" of the audience, many F1 drivers in the paddock were in high spirits.

As the "gods" of the racing world, how could they tolerate a newcomer so easily standing above them?

The Chinese kid will soon see what real F1 speed is like!

(End of this chapter)