Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 194 An Impression That Overturns Common Sense

"Bei, you're doing well. Seventh in the first qualifying session. Time to pit for tires."

Odeto gave the order to enter the station, his words containing praise, but his tone remained unchanged.

The reason is simple: the pace of qualifying rounds is often faster in each round than the last.

This involves not only subjective factors such as the driver giving their all and the team increasing engine power, but also objective factors such as the car becoming lighter as fuel is consumed during qualifying.

The real battle is yet to come.

Just as Odette had predicted, faced with Chen Xiangbei's astonishing speed, the strategy teams of each team became cautious and reassessed the strength of the Chinese rookie and the performance of the HRT race car.

In particular, the managers and owners of the "Big Five" racing teams mobilized their drivers, hoping they would increase their speed in the second qualifying session.

Chen Xiangbei's seventh-place finish is not only a challenge to veteran drivers, but also an "adventure" for the top teams in the paddock!
The success of a new team means the decline of the old team.

Last year, Brawn GP successfully transformed into Mercedes, almost pushing Renault out of the running.

Now that HRT is aiming for the top spot, who will be the next Renault to decline?

McLaren? Red Bull? Or Ferrari?

There is also a situation where there are too many top sponsors and not enough contracts, just like back then, whoever won the Marlboro cigarette sponsorship never had to worry about the lack of research and development funding.

The paddock has already produced a Brown GP, ​​so there's no need for another HRT!

Compared to the first qualifying session which lasted 18 minutes, the second qualifying session was shortened to 15 minutes.

This means that the "window of opportunity" to achieve good results is very short.

With only 10 minutes between the two qualifying sessions, the HRT team didn't have much time to celebrate. After quickly changing the tires and doing some basic maintenance, Chen Xiangbei got back into the cockpit and waited for Odette's starting instructions.

This time, most teams have changed their strategies, trying to get their drivers to start as early as possible and have the opportunity to complete two timed laps.

Many fans who are not familiar with F1 qualifying may not understand why a single lap only takes a little over a minute, while the entire qualifying session lasts for more than ten minutes. Theoretically, ten laps would be enough time to time the race, but instead, only one or two laps are allowed.

In fact, for F1 qualifying, it takes three laps to complete a full timed lap.

The first lap is the exit lap, where the cars drive out of the pit lane.

Due to the speed limit in the pit lane, and the fact that the starting line timing point is very close to the pit lane exit, the cars often don't have enough acceleration to achieve very fast lap times.

Let's use this lap to warm up the tires and prepare for a full-speed dynamic start.

The second lap is the real timed lap, also known as the flying lap. The speed achieved on this lap is the driver's qualifying lap time.

The third lap is the return lap; when the car passes the timing point, it means it has missed the entrance to the pit lane.

Just like missing a highway exit ramp, you can't possibly reverse or drive against traffic into the repair area, right?
This is why completing a timed lap actually involves running three laps on the track.

Some people may have questions: even if it's three laps, a dozen minutes is enough time for a driver to complete two timed laps.

Why is time still so tight?
One reason is that the teams don't start immediately at the beginning of qualifying; they wait for the track grip to improve.

Meanwhile, the exit and return laps are slow, and you also need to avoid fast cars in other flight laps. These two laps will take about two minutes, instead of the fastest lap in qualifying which is just over 1 minute and 30 seconds.

On the other hand, many tracks use tires for qualifying that have lost all their grip after just one full timed lap, requiring pit stops for tire changes before a second flying lap can be performed.

The situation is similar at the Bahrain Sakhir circuit. According to data from the race center, the air temperature has already reached 32°C, and the ground temperature, under direct sunlight, has reached an astonishing 47°C and is still rising.

At this ground temperature, the soft red tire rubber will melt quickly and stick to the track like a sticky mouse trap.

Only by leaving the pit first can you have enough time to pit and change tires, and complete two full timing laps.

Before the second qualifying session even started, fifteen cars had already driven out of the garage, vying for the first spot at the pit lane exit.

The HRT team's pit garage was in an awkward position, located in the middle and back of the pit lane. When Chen Xiangbei and Trulli's car tried to drive into the pit lane, it was already a long line of cars, like a traffic jam.

If you don't want to wait in line, you'll have to cut in line.

In ordinary road traffic, cutting in line is considered impolite behavior.

However, in Formula 1 racing, the concept is completely reversed. In theory, the car behind must give the car in front space to enter the pit lane.

The reason is simple: the pit lane and the car number have been officially sorted, and according to the rules, they exit the pit lane in that order.

However, in actual operation, it is impossible to achieve complete synchronization, which is why this queuing phenomenon occurs.

In most cases, the car behind will let the car in front pass.

There are only about twenty people in the paddock. Everyone has to leave the station late sometimes. If you let me pass today, it might be my turn to let you pass tomorrow.

Occasionally, there will be exceptions, and in those cases, you'll have to rely on your skills to cut in line.

If an accident occurs during the cutting-in process, penalties will be imposed according to the unsafe release standards.

While the drivers were queuing, Briatore's voice came through his earpiece.

"To the north, behind us is Sutir of the Indian forces, and he won't let you pass."

The feud between Sutil and Trulli needs no further explanation; the two nearly came to blows on the track, demonstrating that they are both hot-tempered individuals.

In fact, Sutil has an even more explosive incident in F1 history, where he almost slit the throat of the Renault president in a bar in Donghai, and his friend Hamilton was also involved.

This incident, known as the "Testimony Gate" scandal, along with the Perjury Gate, Crash Gate, and Spy Gate, forms the four legendary dark histories of F1.

The specific incident involved Sutil and Hamilton going to a bar together after the East Coast race to celebrate McLaren's victory, during which they had a conflict with the Renault president.

Sutil, true to his brotherly nature, grabbed a bottle and downed it, slashing the Renault president's neck with a large gash.

At this point, the matter would have been nothing more than a brawl in a nightclub.

However, when the lawsuit was filed in court, Hamilton chose to protect himself and refused to appear in court to testify for Sutil.

The penalties for accidental injury in a fight and intentional injury are clearly completely different.

Hamilton's move directly led to a falling out with Sutil and became one of the most famous events in F1.

Of course, there were rumors afterwards that the team prevented Hamilton from testifying in court because of the potential impact.

The truth, who is right and who is wrong, is probably only known to the parties involved.

Just as Briatore was in a moment of turmoil, Tost, the leader of the Indian Forces, also noticed Chen Xiangbei's intention to cut in line.

He immediately gave the order: "Sutil, don't let the Chinese interfere."

India and China are competitors in many ways, especially the Force India, a motorcade filled with national pride.

Even if the two sides have no intention of being hostile, they will still make comparisons between each other domestically.

Moreover, Tost himself didn't like Chen Xiangbei, so how could he let a Chinese driver ride on the head of an Indian team?
"receive."

Sutil replied briefly, then turned her gaze to Chen Xiangbei.

Due to the hot weather, most of the riders in the queue did not take off their masks, which would provide some cooling effect for their faces. Chen Xiangbei naturally saw the slightly hostile and provocative look in Sutil's eyes.

To be honest, Chen Xiangbei had no intention of getting involved with Huabu's instigation.

Having spent this time with him, he has come to understand very well the Italian old rogue's mentality of always wanting to make a big splash.

However, if the other party deliberately refuses to give in, then Chen Xiangbei must become assertive.

F1 is a dog-eat-dog world, and the sight of Chen Xiangbei not being able to squeeze in would be seen by the other drivers present.

Weakness means vulnerability.

Especially for a rookie driver, the first impression they make is very important.

Later Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu often lost his position on the first lap. Upon closer observation, in addition to his own "stunned" start, there were many other instances where he would try to take the T1 corner line, and other drivers would often show him a very aggressive attitude.

Whether it's due to a lack of confidence or a desire to minimize vehicle damage, the result is that most of the time they opt for the safer outer lane and give way.

Over time, opponents got used to Zhou Guanyu's style and adopted a posture of having him completely under their control!
The HRT fleet was also very afraid of vehicle damage; Toyota's withdrawal meant it did not produce enough spare parts or stockpile enough power units.

Although they were afraid, they couldn't show it.

Once your opponent knows your weaknesses, they will exploit them and become increasingly aggressive!

The two exchanged a glance, and Chen Xiangbei casually pushed down his helmet visor, hiding his entire face in the "darkness".

Sutil instinctively thought that Chen Xiangbei had backed down after his action.

Newcomers are still newcomers, and none of them dared to look themselves in the eye! Soon the headlights at the end of the maintenance lane turned green, and one after another, the lined-up race cars drove onto the main track.

Sutil was about to follow the car in front and start moving, without giving Chen Xiangbei any space to enter.

However, the moment the car in front started moving, Chen Xiangbei quickly accelerated with the clutch and accelerator, and the front of his car cut directly between the two cars.

Then, by pressing the accelerator slightly harder, the torque exceeded the grip of the cold tires, causing the rear wheels to spin and fishtail, instantly straightening the car and blocking the Sutil.

If Chen Xiangbei had simply squeezed in based on his initial reaction, no one would have noticed any "open or covert struggle" between the two. This drifting maneuver immediately caused an uproar in the paddock.

What on earth is this Chinese kid up to?
"James, does the North have some kind of grudge against Sutil? This move seems very hostile."

Emil asked, puzzled.

Compared to himself, James knows Chinese driver Bei better.

"It might be related to his teammate Trulli."

James gave his reasons: Trulli and Sutil had a deep-seated grudge after their collision last year, which seems to have escalated into a battle between the two teams.

After all, outsiders didn't know about Chen Xiangbei's relationship with Trulli. They also thought that HRT management wanted to "mentor the newcomers" so that rookie drivers could learn and improve from their seniors.

Emil nodded upon hearing James's reply.

Then, with a surprised tone, he said, "Bei's driving style is really unlike that of other Asian drivers."

James gave a knowing smile upon hearing this.

"The North will shatter all your stereotypes."

Whether the fight shattered Emil's understanding is unknown, but Sutil's understanding was certainly shattered.

He never imagined that a newcomer from China would react and behave so aggressively, completely disregarding him, a veteran in the paddock.

What's even more astonishing is that Chen Xiangbei's starting reaction and the way he spun out and straightened up were not at the level that a rookie should have.

The timing was perfect!

If you react too slowly, you won't be able to cut in.

If you accelerate any further, it will fishtail and spin.

Before Sutil could react, Chen Xiangbei had already stepped on the gas and sped away.

The track temperature is high enough that there's no need for any fancy warm-up procedures; completing the warm-up lap at normal speed is sufficient to reach the operating temperature.

One race car after another started dynamically and passed the timing point, with various devices on the track recording the speed and time.

Just as Odette predicted, in the second qualifying session, the drivers stopped holding back and pulled out all the stops to show their best skills.

"Red Bull's Vettel was the first to set a lap time of 1 minute 30.658 seconds. He truly deserves to be recognized as the successor to the King of Racing. He has always performed very well in front of Schumacher!"

James said this with an exclamation in his voice, Vettel has always regarded Schumacher as his idol and mentor.

He has said in several interviews that he hopes to show his best side to the racing legend Schumacher.

With Schumacher now back in the paddock, Vettel has finally gotten what he wanted.

"Ferrari's Alonso is even faster, setting a lap time of 1 minute 30.544 seconds, improving the fastest lap time by 0.1 seconds again."

"Webber and Rosberg crossed the finish line one after another, but their times were slightly worse, about 0.2 to 0.3 seconds slower. I wonder if it's because McLaren and Mercedes cars are not competitive enough this year."

"Schumacher slowed down, and through the team's voice chat, we learned that he was checking his remote sensing data in the cockpit. Could it be that the car has malfunctioned?"

The two commentators, using a fast and passionate tone, described the current situation inside the paddock.

Just then, Emil suddenly discovered a uniquely spelled name that shot up like a rocket.

Bei, a rookie driver from China, set a lap time of 1 minute 30.732 seconds, placing him fifth on the leaderboard!
“MY GOD, driver North’s speed is incredible. He is currently ranked fifth in lap times, surpassing last year’s McLaren champion Jenson Button and former Brawn GP driver Barrichello.”

"You should know that driver North was once a test driver for the Brawn GP team, and there were even rumors that he wanted to compete for a full driver's seat. However, at that time, no one believed that a rookie could have the strength to challenge for the championship."

"Today, Chen Xiangbei proved with his speed that he has the potential to surpass the world champion in qualifying. I wonder what Ross Brown is thinking right now!"

James spoke these words with deep emotion. He had watched Chen Xiangbei grow in the lower-level formulas and knew the hardships he had gone through last year in his pursuit of a regular driver's seat.

Brown GP gave Chen Xiangbei an opportunity, but didn't provide him with a path to advancement.

Now Chen Xiangbei has surpassed Jason Button, who drives a McLaren, and has left Barrichello, who drives a Williams car, far behind.

I wonder if Ross Brown harbors even a hint of regret?
As he listened to the track commentator's words, Ross Brawn, sitting in the Mercedes team's pit compartment, had a very complicated expression on his face.

To outsiders, he seemed to be blind to Chen Xiangbei's potential.

In fact, Ross Brawn knows better than anyone that this Chinese rookie deserves a seat as a full-fledged driver.

However, neither Brawn GP nor Mercedes can produce one.

Betting on the potential of rookies is the domain of smaller teams.

Elite racing teams don't need to play the lottery; they can directly sign superstar drivers!
But these things were inexplicable, and he could only feel happy for Chen Xiangbei as an observer.

"North, pull into the station to change the tire."

The team instructions came through the headsets, and all the drivers who had completed the first flying lap chose to pit for tire changes and another push.

On a hot track, the supersoft tires can only maintain peak performance for one lap, so a new set of red tires must be switched on to maintain the ranking.

“COPY.”

Chen Xiangbei responded and then added, "Odeto, check the brakes; they're not cooling down properly."

On the return lap, Chen Xiangbei had already reduced his speed, but the brakes were still overheating.

Tires can be replaced with new ones, but brakes cannot be replaced.

"receive."

Without much talk, Chen Xiangbei entered the station through the maintenance passage to change the tire.

The team's technicians inspected the brakes while using air guns to blow on the brake discs to help cool them down.

"Head north, the brake discs are fine."

Liang Chi gave Chen Xiangbei a positive answer.

【no problem?】

Upon hearing this reply, Chen Xiangbei frowned.

The fact that there are no problems is actually the biggest problem.

This means the problem lies in the car's design itself; with continuous full-throttle pushes to the limit for lap times, the TF110 brake ducts' heat dissipation couldn't keep up with the intensity.

"Bei, the fastest lap time so far is 1 minute 30.477 seconds. You need to go even faster."

Odette pointed out that the lap times were improving faster than expected.

Chen Xiangbei's current performance may not be enough to secure a top-ten finish in Q3.

"receive."

After replying, Chen Xiangbei turned his attention to the headlights above.

The moment the light turned green, the TF110 race car shot off like lightning.

Chen Xiangbei is faster than ever in this racing cycle!

"Driver Bei is currently performing his second flying lap. You can tell he's really pushing himself. He's almost risking his life to challenge for the fastest lap time, and many times his car is practically grazing the edge of the track's guardrails when cornering."

"However, this reckless driving caused the driver to set a purple lap time on the North S2 section. Before the race, who would have thought that a rookie driver, paired with a newly formed team, would achieve the fastest lap time in the section?"

"Bei is about to cross the finish line. I can't wait to see his final lap time. Can he maintain his fifth-place ranking?"

"1 minute 30 seconds 622!"

"Driver Bei Xiang has risen to fourth place in the lap time rankings, which is simply a miracle!"

(End of this chapter)