Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 191 The Intimidating Feeling of the F1 Paddock
The night passed, and Saturday's third practice session and qualifying match arrived as scheduled.

Compared to the bustling Bahrain circuit yesterday, the atmosphere in the paddock today can only be described as explosive.

The excitement of ranked matches can never compare to that of practice matches.

The main test objective of the third practice session is a ranked match simulation, which lasts only sixty minutes.

In most cases, qualifying simulations are conducted using soft red tires, as this tire compound heats up the fastest and provides the best grip.

However, sometimes due to tire quantity limitations and the desire for greater strategic flexibility in the race, teams may choose to test with neutral yellow tires or hard white tires, thus having an extra set of tires available for the race.

Just like in the 25 F1 Spanish Grand Prix, Red Bull's Verstappen used a four-stop strategy. By the time he stopped for the last time, the team had no new red tires left for him to change to, so he had to switch to the least suitable hard white tires.

Undoubtedly, the speed of the hard white tires was far inferior to that of the soft red tires of his opponent. After leaving the pits, Verstappen's position kept dropping, as if he were a lamb to the slaughter.

The white tires failed to overcome the physical limits, and the team's expectation of a scenario where man could overcome nature did not materialize.

Seeing his opponents surpass him one by one, "Autobot" Verstappen finally broke down and lost control of his emotions, reverting to his former "turret" side and almost launching a torpedo attack on Russell.

Verstappen ultimately received a ten-second penalty and had three points deducted from his super license.

The Super License's points system is the same as the civilian driver's license, with twelve points. Once the points are deducted, the driver will face a one-race suspension, and all points will be reset to zero.

This means that if Verstappen commits another violation, he will be suspended.

The high temperatures at the Bahrain Sakhir circuit cause significant tire wear, so teams often opt for a two-stop strategy, typically using two sets of red tires paired with one set of yellow or white tires.

If a racing accident occurs and the safety car is deployed, the drivers will take advantage of this window of opportunity to be forced to pit for tire changes, which will result in a three- or four-stop scenario. Otherwise, your old tires will not be able to outrun someone else's newly installed tires.

That's why Verstappen used a four-stop strategy.

Although F1 practice sessions are simulated based on qualifying, in reality, teams and drivers don't actually push at full speed according to qualifying standards.

The reason is simple: letting other teams know your car's maximum lap time before qualifying is a very passive thing to do.

Especially rival teams will develop tactics and strategies specifically targeting you.

To avoid this situation, the team will have both drivers perform some partial simulations separately.

For example, let Chen Xiangbei test the top speed on a straightaway or the limits of a high-speed curve.

Trulli then tested the limits of low-speed cornering and combined cornering traction.

This allows the team's strategy group to assess the normal maximum speed of the race car.

Conversely, other teams have no idea how much effort went into achieving these results.

Formula 1 racing is far more complex than it appears on the surface, rife with intrigue and backstabbing.

Originally, all the teams planned to keep a low profile in the opening race, but Chen Xiangbei's victory in the second practice session made many teams and drivers uneasy, especially the "newcomers" teams that entered the paddock this year.

It's important to understand that with the significant expansion of the number of racing teams, there will be a situation where there are too many advertisers and too few sponsors.

Anyone who wants to shed the label of a "newcomer" small team and truly establish themselves in the F1 paddock needs to secure substantial sponsorships for team building, gradually climbing up to the mid-tier group and even the top "Big Three".

Just like the Red Bull Racing team, which only joined F1 in 05!
In terms of fleet construction, HRT has already taken the lead.

If Lotus and Virgin can't offer something substantial, all the potential sponsors will be snatched up by Floral Fabric and the Chinese Kid.

Virgin Racing's advantage lies in the fact that they are a British team, giving them a natural home-based advantage.

In addition, Virgin Racing was formerly Manor, a powerhouse in the lower-level Formula One world, where Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton, and others once drove for the team, giving them a certain foundation and basic skills.

Lotus's trump card is the renowned "Lotus" brand in F1 history, as well as the recruitment of Senna's nephew Bruno Senna. Many potential South American investors are considering the value of investing in and sponsoring the team.

However, many things are subject to change over time.

Now, 16 years have passed since Senna's death, and the influence and aura of the racing legend have gradually faded, no longer able to provide enough protection for the younger Senna.

Just like Mick Schumacher in later years, only seven years after the racing legend's skiing accident, the lingering influence was not enough to allow his son to establish himself in the F1 paddock.

If Schumacher were in good condition, even if he crashed into two Haas or two Ferraris, Mick would still be able to keep his seat as steady as a rock as long as he wanted to drive!

"Bruno, you need to practice three times to get a good lap time. You need to prove yourself."

Inside the Lotus team's lounge, team manager Tony gave a few words of advice to Senna, who was sitting on the sofa.

Besides Chen Xiangbei, Bruno Cena was also a key figure among the rookies in the 10 season.

Compared to Chen Xiangbei's various hype and opportunistic tactics under the management of Huabu, Xiao Senna is the kind of person who brings his own audience; whenever he appears, it's as if he's associated with the Brazilian racing legend.

This brought Senna a lot of attention and also secured him sponsorships to enter the F1 paddock.

It also brought him unbearable pressure!

The aura of being a superstar uncle is not so easy to bear.

Senna is considered the pinnacle of F1 racing; even the best drivers can't surpass him.

If the performance is poor, it will be considered as tarnishing the uncle's family reputation.

In particular, Senna is already 27 years old this year. In the F1 paddock, he is considered old, not to mention compared with rookies, even compared with veteran drivers. His ceiling is fixed to some extent.

But this doesn't mean that Sena Jr. has no talent; on the contrary, his talent was wasted!
There have long been various opinions that hope Ayrton Senna Jr. can follow in his uncle's footsteps and become the next Brazilian F1 driver to lead the way.

But his mother didn't want young Senna to repeat the same mistakes; his father and uncle had both died in racing accidents, which seemed to have become a family curse.

Bruno Senna did not return to the track until he was 21 years old. It took him six years to win the British F3 Championship, the GP2 runner-up and other results, and earn his ticket to the F1 paddock.

You could say that Senna Jr. is the Brazilian version of Takuma Sato!

Lotus team principal Tony recruited Ayrton Senna into the team with the same idea as Briatore: he was after the sponsorship funds behind the second-generation Brazilian driver.

Lotus has almost spent the tens of millions of dollars in sponsorship that joined the team.

Tony now needs Senna Jr. to motivate South American sponsors with his performance to get more advertising and revenue; otherwise, relying solely on the racing legend's legacy won't satisfy the appetite of the F1 team, this money-devouring beast.

Chen Xiangbei absolutely cannot steal the spotlight from the rookie; Bruno needs to step up his game.

"I see."

Bruno is of a certain age, and his personality is relatively calm, with little emotional fluctuation.

"OK, then let's do our best."

Tony patted Bruno on the shoulder, indicating that he could get up and go to the P room.

As the practice session began at 11:00 a.m., cars started out of the pit lane one after another, their engines roaring throughout the track.

"I wonder if driver Bei can still get the fastest lap in practice three times."

"The north moved really fast yesterday, I think there's hope!"

Just as several fans of Chen Xiangbei were discussing the car, a few mocking voices broke in from the side.

"Do you even understand the F1 rules? A lap time in the third practice session is much faster than in the second. Chinese rookies have absolutely no hope!"

"Many drivers didn't exert themselves yesterday, but today we'll make them realize their weakness."

"A newbie is still a newbie, and he'll soon show his true colors."

That's just how the world is. When you have some ability but aren't strong enough, you're often the most hated and criticized when you're half-baked.

The tension is clearly much stronger now than it was yesterday.

"Bei, you test the low-speed cornering speed."

"Trulli, you're in charge of the high-speed corners."

Inside the HRT team's pit garage, Odette gave test instructions to the two drivers.

He was well aware of Chen Xiangbei's inherent adventurousness and radicalism. As a newcomer, testing the limits of high-speed cornering carried unpredictable risks.

Trulli excels in single-lap qualifying and is the only driver to have beaten Alonso twice. His experience and track familiarity make him more suitable for testing high-speed corners.

"OK."

Chen Xiangbei didn't have many objections to the team's instructions; it was simply a matter of different roles.

After the test program was deployed, the two drivers sat in the car cockpit and drove out of the pit lane one by one when the starting lights turned green.

Chen Xiangbei's No. 13 race car appeared, immediately attracting the attention of spectators in the stands and many team engineers.

Not only did this young Chinese man set the fastest lap in Practice 2, but the car number he chose was also truly eye-catching. It's been many years since the number 13 car appeared in the F1 paddock.

After a brief warm-up lap, Chen Xiangbei accelerated for three practice runs of simulated qualifying tests. In low-speed corners, he braked as late as possible to use the curb and challenge the limits of cornering speed. Then, he used long straights and high-speed corners to cool down the brake tires.

After two rounds of qualifying matches, Chen Xiangbei now drives the TF110 with even greater ease.

In addition, the light-load oil solution makes handling feel effortless.

Soon the lap timer finished, and Chen Xiangbei couldn't wait to ask Odette about his lap time via the team's voice chat.

In lower-level formula racing, Chen Xiangbei rarely asks the team about lap times.

Just like lower-level track records are meant to be broken, lower-level formula opponents are meant to be crushed.

Lap times don't matter. All you need to do is overtake all your rivals in the race and leave them far behind, making them only look at your taillights!

Only the one who "slaughters" their opponents in lower-level formulas is qualified to cross the threshold of the F1 paddock.

But now the situation is completely different. Chen Xiangbei has reached the pinnacle of motorsports, and his opponents are the strongest drivers on Earth.

No one dares to say that they don't care about lap times in the F1 paddock and can leave other drivers far behind.

Senna couldn't do it, Schumacher couldn't do it, and Verstappen couldn't do it either!

Naturally, Chen Xiangbei was far from being able to do that.

He must have a clear understanding of his own and his opponents' lap times in order to make accurate judgments and prepare tactical plans for the next step.

"1 minutes, 32 seconds, 633."

Hearing this lap time, Chen Xiangbei was quite satisfied.

After all, the speed limit for low-speed cornering is inherently lower than that for high-speed cornering.

The current lap time has surpassed the fastest lap time in practice, which is a decent improvement.

"What's the fastest lap time now?"

"1 minutes, 31 seconds, 379."

【What? 】

Upon hearing this timeframe, Chen Xiangbei was momentarily stunned.

I'm doing simulated qualifying tests, which means other teams are doing the same, and none of them are pushing their top speeds.

The fastest lap time was just over 1 minute and 31 seconds, which is simply outrageous.

If the testing proceeds at the normal pace and there are no major surprises in qualifying, then Schumacher's track record is likely to be lost.

If Chen Xiangbei remembers correctly, McLaren finished second in the team championship in the 10 season. Theoretically, they couldn't beat Red Bull. Are they really that fast?
"Hamilton ran away."

Odeto added that Hamilton had not yet achieved the seven-time world champion status he would later achieve.

But he has become the undisputed "new king" of the paddock!
"I understand. What was Trulli's lap time?"

Chen Xiangbei asked his teammates about their results, since it was only possible to make a direct comparison if they were driving the same cars.

"1 minutes, 32 seconds, 174."

Trulli's lap time difference was within a reasonable range, meaning Chen Xiangbei's problem wasn't with him.

So, does that mean McLaren cars, or Hamilton cars, are that terrifying?
To be honest, Chen Xiangbei knew that these legendary drivers were very strong, but since they had never faced off on the track, he lacked a sense of how much of a gap there was between them and himself.

Furthermore, the ROC National Cup gave Chen Xiangbei a false sense of security, making him believe that the F1 World Championship was nothing special...

Now we're in the F1 paddock, the ultimate arena for Formula One drivers, where even the slightest differences will be magnified infinitely.

Chen Xiangbei vaguely sensed the pressure of the future seven-time champion!

"Other drivers' lap times don't matter, just play to your own level."

Sensing Chen Xiangbei's unusual mood, Odeto spoke up to remind him.

Although Chen Xiangbei has shown remarkable emotional stability beyond his years since entering the Formula paddock, he also possesses a strong mentality during races.

But he was still a newcomer, and this was his first F1 race.

Historically, most newcomers entering the world of F1, the realm of the gods, will more or less feel the pressure from the audience, the media, their opponents, and their teammates, and experience some fluctuations in their mentality.

Chen Xiangbei's behavior is actually a normal psychological reaction.

However, as normal as it may seem, if a driver cannot overcome pressure and fear, then the imbalance in their mentality will be further amplified, until mistakes occur during the race.

Experience told Odeto that he had to give a reminder.

"clear."

Chen Xiangbei replied simply, then took a deep breath, clearing his mind of all the random thoughts, and focused on the three training sessions and the racing feedback.

"Sawano, the brake duct air inlet needs to be opened to the maximum, the brake disc is very hot."

"Lower downforce requires a smaller differential for a higher locking rate, reducing the probability of rear wheel slippage."

"The rear tires felt a bit overheated and deformed, so we increased the tire pressure at the pit stop to reduce the contact area."

"The front-to-rear braking balance ratio has been increased to 58:42, which improves understeer in the heavy braking area."

By pushing the limits of the track and the car, Chen Xiangbei discovered a more refined direction for tuning.

It's important to know that the most difficult thing for an F1 car is to find its balance point. Take the TF110 as an example; the overall style of the car is biased towards understeer.

However, once the rear wing is flattened and the downforce is adjusted, the rear wheels are prone to slipping.

If the downforce of the tail wing is increased, it can easily cause the tire temperature to become too high when combined with the exhaust diffuser.

The same applies to the front wheels. While a forward braking force can improve understeer, increasing the force can lock up the tires, while decreasing the force has little effect.

At the same time, changes in the braking ratio will affect the handling balance of the entire race car.

This is why you often see incredible performances in F1 racing, sometimes a godlike moment and sometimes a complete disaster.

Even among the top three racing teams, there are instances where one team is vying for the championship in one race, while the next they are going to have a close match with a mid-tier team.

The problem is that finding the balance between the car and the track is extremely difficult!

Not only Chen Xiangbei provided feedback, but Odette also informed the driver of the car data.

"North, the left front tire is worn more, pay attention to the cable routing."

“The T8 bend is not using the curb enough, and the front suspension is issuing a warning signal.”

"After the T1 bend, the long straight road is bumpy, and the chassis is prone to bumps and scrapes."

"The oil is almost used up, we'll stop here for this round."

One command after another from the convoy was transmitted to Chen Xiangbei's ears through Odette's microphone.

With successive pit stop adjustments and exit tests, Chen Xiangbei's lap times have become increasingly faster, already entering the realm of 1 minute and 31 seconds.

More importantly, the difference between his lap time and Trulli's is almost negligible!
The fact that Chen Xiangbei's lap time in low-speed cornering tests was comparable to that of his teammate in high-speed cornering tests means that, under normal circumstances, Chen Xiangbei's lap time is at least 0.3 seconds faster than Ruli's.

You should know that Trulli has been famous for his single-lap record in the F1 paddock for years!

If his overall ability is that of a mid-table driver, Trulli's lap times definitely reach the standard of the top group.

Can Chen Xiangbei, a newcomer, challenge the upstream group to enter Q3?
No one knew the answer beforehand, but HRT team's final test lap time failed to crack the top ten.

Chen Xiangbei was ranked twelfth, behind his teammates.

Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Renault, the five giants, have firmly secured all ten spots, leaving no hope for the smaller teams in the mid-to-lower ranks!
Especially when Chen Xiangbei's results were announced, many audience members and fans who already disliked him went into a frenzy.

Is this all there is to Chinese novices?

He can't even outrun his older teammates, yet he dares to spout nonsense at the press conference, trying to provoke Raikkonen, and then finish in the top six in the main race?

At this moment, Chen Xiangbei had already taken off his helmet and was standing in the P room. He could see and hear the taunting and mocking gestures from the audience in the stands opposite the repair station.

"Bei, how are you feeling?"

Briatore appeared beside Chen Xiangbei at some point, and asked him a question with a half-smile on his face.

"very good."

Chen Xiangbei replied expressionlessly.

"NICE, this is the mindset a superstar should have."

Hua Bu clapped exaggeratedly to praise Chen Xiangbei, and even deliberately turned towards the audience in the stands, which seemed like a provocation and adding fuel to the fire.

Sure enough, when Briatore made this gesture, coupled with his notorious reputation in the paddock, the spectators in the stands cursed even more fiercely, and many couldn't help but reach over the fence and give him the middle finger.

"Manager, that's not how you comfort someone, is it? Twelfth place is good too, isn't it?"

Now it was Chen Xiangbei's turn to be both amused and exasperated. You'd think Old Deng meant well, but it felt like he was being sarcastic.

You might say he's deliberately being disgusting, but he's also helping to draw attention away from the enemy and reduce their firepower.

"Is this a comfort?"

“North, you should know that Kimi Räikkönen only finished thirteenth in his qualifying debut.”

"You are stronger now than he was back then!"

(End of this chapter)