Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 196 A Constant Stream of Cutting-Edge Technology
"Odeto, what's my lap ranking?"

Chen Xiangbei asked a question, his voice clearly weak at the moment.

After three intense qualifying sessions, although it seemed like only a few timed laps were completed, in reality, all of those laps were pushed with all our might, and the ten-minute break in between was simply not enough to catch our breath.

Especially with the high temperatures at the Bahrain circuit, the combination of fireproof underwear, heavy racing suit, and the open cockpit of a Formula One car is like wearing a heavy cotton-padded coat and being exposed to the scorching sun in a sweltering summer heat of over 30 degrees Celsius!

By the way, if you include a full-face helmet that's completely airtight, it's even more uncomfortable than wearing a "big cotton hat".

This was an experience Chen Xiangbei had never had in his previous life. After all, F2 and F3 level support races are mostly held in Europe due to logistical costs, where the temperature is only around 20 degrees Celsius at most.

The difference between 20-something degrees and 30-something degrees may seem small, but the actual experience is worlds apart.

No wonder Bahrain was later changed to a night race. Even for F1 drivers whose physical abilities are among the best in the world, qualifying in the middle of the day is still quite difficult to endure.

"seventh."

Odette maintained his aloof demeanor and simply replied with a single sentence.

But after answering this time, he added something else.

"good."

For an F1 rookie, advancing to Q3 in his debut qualifying session is already something to brag about, let alone defeating his older teammates to secure seventh place.

Oddo had wanted to praise Chen Xiangbei more directly and explicitly, but considering that the main competition, which would truly determine the results, was yet to come, he had to be careful with many things.

The emotional fluctuations during qualifying showed that Chen Xiangbei had not yet reached the level of a "Car Man," and excessive praise could easily make young people arrogant and complacent.

【seventh?】

Hearing this ranking, Chen Xiangbei had mixed feelings.

I was both happy and somewhat dissatisfied.

The application of the exhaust diffuser gave the TF110 race car a head start.

The cornering speed limit is the best proof. Currently, HRT racing cars are second only to Red Bull's RB6, reaching the top two in the paddock.

The problem is that it's difficult to maintain this lead throughout the entire season.

It can take anywhere from three to five races to the next round of racing, and a large racing team can replicate it through research and development.

Even the R&D bases of the "Big Three" racing teams already have new aerodynamic kits, but they haven't been installed on the race cars yet due to a lack of real-world testing results.

Just like the double diffuser last year, it became standard equipment for every team after a few races, which almost caused Brawn GP's performance to collapse in the middle of the season. The team only managed to stabilize the situation by selling shares to Daimler Group and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

Chen Xiangbei didn't know how long HRT's lead could last.

But he knew that being caught up was only a matter of time, which is the essential difference between large and medium-sized convoys.

The gap in research and development foundation and experience between the two sides cannot be bridged in just one season.

Even a world-class automaker like Mercedes-Benz, upon entering the market, still had to lie low for several seasons before building its own eight-time championship dynasty.

Although reason tells Chen Xiangbei that winning the championship in the first season is more like a slogan, or even an unattainable dream.

The kind of thing that might make people laugh if I said it.

But a dream that isn't ridiculed has no value in being realized.

Chen Xiangbei still wants to work in this direction, just like the Brawn GP team last year, to build a strong competitive advantage through early technical leadership, so that even if other teams catch up in the mid-to-late stages, he can still have the last laugh.

A seventh-place finish in the qualifying rounds is clearly not enough!
Even though Bahrain's Sakir is a track where overtaking is easy, the TF110's long-distance advantage is not as good as its qualifying advantage, making it more difficult to improve its ranking than expected.

While Chen Xiangbei was thinking a lot, the commentators were in awe.

"WHY? How is that possible?"

Emil blurted out those words instinctively, having assumed that eighth place was Chen Xiangbei's limit.

To everyone's surprise, the old tire actually improved the ranking by one place!
No one knows better than Emil, a local, how "tiring" the Bahrain circuit is.

In most cases, the old tires on the second flying lap are slower than the new tires, unless the driver is hiding his strength or makes a qualitative improvement in a short period of time. Otherwise, it is impossible for such a reversal of the natural order to occur!
"Surprised?"

Upon hearing this, James simply smiled and asked a question in return.

He's been there, after all. Emil's reaction now is exactly the same as his feelings when he was commentating on Chen Xiangbei's Renault and F3 races.

Chinese kids always manage to surprise and shock you in unexpected ways!
"Seventh in qualifying, which is already better than Raikkonen's debut."

"If North can maintain their composure in the main tournament, they can not only secure points in their debut, but also have a real chance of finishing in the top six and facing Raikkonen again."

Emil uttered these words with immense difficulty, as they were truly beyond his comprehension.

Everyone knows that the claim that Chen Xiangbei is on par with Raikkonen is just an undisguised marketing stunt by the Italian old rogue.

Now, Chen Xiangbei has reached the same level of rookie success as Raikkonen did back then!

"The stereotypes stemming from his identity as a North China driver have led many to underestimate his talent and ability."

"When you take off your tinted glasses, you can feel the brilliance of a rising star in the paddock."

"Emir, the North is definitely worth looking forward to."

James said this with a tone of emotion, "If North were a European driver, he might have been regarded as a rising star in the paddock long ago!"
"That's right, Chen Xiangbei is no weakling; he's a genius Chinese driver!"

"Chen Xiangbei entered F1 in just a few races. Is he really any worse than Raikkonen's 'three-level jump'?"

"Go for it, Chen Xiangbei!"

Influenced by James's words, voices of support from Chinese fans rang out from all over the stands.

Chen Xiangbei has never been weak, so why must we view him as a weakling?
Why can't we put Raikkonen on par with him? Does that mean he's invincible?

These scattered shouts were drowned out by the clamor of various discussions in the hunting grounds.

As Chen Xiangbei drove the TF110 race car back to the team's pit garage, he stepped out of the cockpit and took off his helmet. He looked as if he had just taken a sauna, with visible beads of sweat on his hair.

Chen Xiangbei immediately unzipped his racing suit to let it cool down, then tied it around his waist and went to the control panel. Hiroki Sawano and other members of the strategy team congratulated him.

A seventh-place finish in qualifying is a very good result for a "newcomer" team like HRT, not to mention for a rookie driver, even for a veteran. It is certainly worth cheering and celebrating.

Of course, Odeto was an exception; the old Italian man was never one to smile.

After responding happily to the crew members, Chen Xiangbei stood next to Odette and looked at the final rankings on the monitor screen.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel unsurprisingly secured pole position. A driver on the rise paired with a top-performing car is practically unbeatable!
Ferrari's Massa finished second, overtaking his teammate Alonso in the final moments, proving himself to be the successor to the South American racing world.

Following closely behind are Hamilton of McLaren, Alonso of Ferrari, Webber of Red Bull, and Rosberg of Mercedes.

The former "Big Three" in the paddock have gradually evolved into the "Big Four".

Chen Xiangbei of the HRT team, who was ranked seventh, became the only exception.

"Rosberg is getting stronger and stronger; he dominated Schumacher the entire time."

"Bei, if you want to get into the top six in the main competition, you need to pay more attention to him."

With qualifying over, Odette has already set his sights on the race.

Chen Xiangbei's first formidable opponent is Nico Rosberg, who is ranked ahead of him.

To be honest, Odeto was very shocked that Rosberg could beat Schumacher.

For veterans in the racing industry like him, especially engineers who came from the Ferrari dynasty, their impression of Schumacher is still stuck in that invincible era.

Even after the defeats against Raikkonen in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" and Alonso in the "Red vs. Blue" battle, no one outside the Ferrari team believed that Schumacher was not good enough. Instead, they believed that the Ferrari team's rise and fall was inevitable.

Moreover, both Raikkonen and Alonso have proven themselves to be legendary superstar drivers.

In comparison, Rosberg was far less dazzling, overshadowed more by the "second-generation champion" aura of his father's championship.

From practice to qualifying, Schumacher was completely dominated by the "second generation of the car," which Odeto found hard to accept.

“I know Rosberg is very strong.”

Chen Xiangbei nodded.

As the now-famous "15-time champion" on the internet and a "legend" who frequently speaks in the F1 paddock, how could Chen Xiangbei not know Rosberg's strength?

His victory over Hamilton at his peak is enough to warrant extensive discussion. Overall, Rosberg is a quintessential prodigy in the F1 paddock.

Born into a wealthy family, with his father being an F1 world champion, he is also very handsome, bearing a striking resemblance to a young Hollywood star, Leonardo DiCaprio. He possesses exceptional intelligence and was admitted to Imperial College London, where he earned a degree in aeronautical engineering.

From all perspectives, they've lived the life of a winner.

However, he lacks the spoiled nature of typical second-generation rich kids, and his mentality is among the best in the paddock.

Rosberg and Hamilton were childhood friends, competing and growing up together in the F1 paddock.

However, just like the lament of "Why did Heaven create both Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang?", Rosberg's encounter with Hamilton was like Leclerc meeting Verstappen; his entire career was destined to be overshadowed by the championship aura.

Rosberg was even worse off. He and Hamilton were teammates for many years, both driving Mercedes-Benz, but every year he had to watch others stand on the highest championship podium.

Just when everyone thought that Rosberg's career final achievement would be nothing more than becoming the next Barrichello.

This second-generation car demonstrates what it means to accumulate knowledge and experience before unleashing its full potential, as well as an abnormal level of stability and resilience.

He snatched the 16 World Championship from Hamilton at his peak!
And immediately after winning the championship trophy, Rosberg announced his retirement, leaving Hamilton with no chance for revenge...

Rosberg, with his strong inner strength, would never be influenced by Schumacher's status as the racing legend; only pure, hard power could suppress him.

Schumacher is no longer at his peak, so it's only natural that he would be defeated by Rosberg's consistency.

"And Kubica, you have to watch out for him too, he's very fast."

Odeto then reminded Renault driver Kubica, who was in eighth place, that the guy was extremely fast and aggressive, and had once been able to compete with Ferrari while driving a BMW Sauber, and was once hailed as the next champion driver in F1.

Unfortunately, to win the F1 championship, all three factors—favorable timing, advantageous location, and the right people—are indispensable.

Kubica secured a multi-year contract with the BMW Sauber team during his early career, which was considered a symbol of honor and ability at the time.

After all, it's extremely rare for a rookie to get a multi-year contract, let alone a contract from a top factory team like BMW!

Unexpectedly, BMW Sauber's prestigious cars proved useless, and the long-term contract became a hindrance for Kubica.

After finally managing to switch to one of the "Big Three" automakers, Renault, after the "crash scandal" broke out, Renault also suffered...

It can only be said that he was born without the destiny to be a champion!

After briefly emphasizing the two key drivers, Odette didn't say anything more.

As a rookie in the season, being able to understand the technical characteristics of two F1 drivers is about the limit of one's ability to learn.

Chen Xiangbei no longer has the energy or ability to focus on other drivers.

"I'll take a shower, change my clothes, and get ready to go back to the hotel."

After discussing the competition, Odeto, seeing Chen Xiangbei drenched in sweat, realized he had been a bit too hasty and offered a word of advice.

"Ah."

"By the way, where's Manager Briatore?"

Chen Xiangbei asked, "Hua Bu is the head of the HRT team, after all. After qualifying, there was no congratulations, and we didn't even see a trace of him."

Surely he wouldn't be so restless as to go on another date with some model, would he?

"You'll see him as soon as you step out of the P room."

【What's the meaning? 】

Chen Xiangbei was somewhat puzzled by Odeto's answer.

However, he still had a sense of curiosity and walked out of the P room, glancing left and right.

Indeed, Briatore was seen holding a digital camera, constantly taking pictures of the other teams' cars returning to the pits.

Upon seeing Chen Xiangbei, Briatore even waved "enthusiastically" in greeting.

【What are you doing? 】

This scene completely baffled Chen Xiangbei. Logically speaking, Briatore was neither a journalist nor a car enthusiast, so he shouldn't be interested in the appearance of other teams' cars.

Could it be spying technology?
But the question is, is it really possible to take photos so blatantly?
Just as Chen Xiangbei was in a daze, Briatore had already walked over.

He proudly boasted, "Bei, I've already taken pictures of the details of our main competitor's race car. I'll send them to Bob Bell when I get back to the hotel so he can figure out how to differentiate the aerodynamic kits."

"You can do that?"

Chen Xiangbei was somewhat dumbfounded. Although aerodynamic design is an open secret in F1, it felt a bit excessive for Hua Bu, as a team manager, to go to someone else's maintenance team to take pictures.

"Of course, it's not a secret."

"Are other teams allowed?"

"Anyway, they didn't stop it."

NB!

Upon hearing Huabu's answer, Chen Xiangbei was utterly impressed.

Others were probably speechless at the Italian scoundrels' behavior and simply couldn't bring themselves to stop them.

"By the way, I feel there's something wrong with the McLaren race car."

Briatore ignored Chen Xiangbei's change in expression and muttered to himself.

"what is the problem?"

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

When Chen Xiangbei asked her a question, Hua Bu's face showed a look of disdain.

Do you think I read books for nothing?

Chen Xiangbei replied irritably, and Briatore's tone and expression made it seem as if he thought Briatore was illiterate.

Chen Xiangbei simply didn't go to school; that doesn't mean he didn't study.

Several hours of daily study on racing engineering, along with online communication with professors at Suzuka University, are enriching his knowledge base.

To become a world champion-level driver, you must understand racing cars in every detail. A true illiterate person can't even tune a car, so how can they compete for the world championship?
Just like Mercedes' eight-time champion dynasty, Rosberg studied at Imperial College London, and Hamilton graduated from Cambridge University College of Arts and Sciences, both of which are among the world's top universities.

Upon hearing Chen Xiangbei's reply, Briatore thought about it and realized it made sense.

So he opened the camera photos he had just taken, pointed to the McLaren race car cockpit, and said, "Look, there's a hole here. It doesn't seem quite right."

Through the lower screen of the digital camera, Chen Xiangbei could indeed see the side of the McLaren race car's cockpit, as if there was a hole in it.

It's important to understand that F1 cars represent the pinnacle of design; there's absolutely no chance of something going wrong, let alone a hole appearing in the cockpit due to damage.

Something unusual must be going on; this cave definitely has a purpose!

After a moment of thought, a word came to Chen Xiangbei's mind.

That's the "F-duct"!
The cutting-edge technology that appeared in Season 10 was not only the exhaust diffuser, but also the F-duct.

Simply put, this system works by having an air intake in front of the race car's cockpit. Under normal circumstances, the air that enters is used to help cool the race car and the driver.

McLaren designed a special air duct that allows the airflow inside the cockpit to travel along the duct to the area under the rear wing of the race car, creating an effect similar to a stall in an airplane, as long as the driver blocks the exhaust vents in the cockpit.

To put it simply, this set of ducts can reduce the drag of the race car, and increase the top speed by 10 km/h on long straights.

Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel once exaggeratedly described how using the F duct to change the airflow direction allowed Jenson Button to easily leave him behind on long straights, as if overtaking a stopped opponent were effortless.

If we look at it from a decade or two in the future, it would be like one car having DRS and the other not.

The reason why a team can be called a "big team" is that they have all sorts of ingenious tricks and techniques, constantly walking the line of FIA racing rules, and always finding ways to exploit loopholes and loopholes.

Chen Xiangbei never expected that Briatore's blatant filming would actually uncover McLaren's cutting-edge technological secrets.

As expected, high-end "technological warfare" is always so simple and unpretentious!

PS: Congratulations to Ye Yifei for winning the Le Mans 24 Hours Championship, the most prestigious championship in WEC!
P.S.: Ye Yifei's teammate who won the championship was none other than Kubica, who was described in the book...

(End of this chapter)