Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 199 An Unexpected Offense and Defense

No one in this era understands Rosberg better than Chen Xiangbei.

As a 16-year F1 World Champion driver, Chen Xiangbei has watched many of Rosberg's races live in his past life, and even studied Rosberg's driving style and habits, hoping to learn some techniques and experience from him.

Because back then, in the minds of most people, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was an unattainable historically talented driver, and even if you tried to learn from or imitate him, it would be of no use.

Just like Verstappen today.

Rosberg, at least, is still in a realm accessible to "ordinary people."

However, as Chen Xiangbei learned more about Rosberg, he discovered that Rosberg was stronger than he had imagined.

Although Rosberg has only won one world championship, in fact, during his years as teammates with Hamilton, the two had a pole position ratio of 29 to 35, and only lost six qualifying sessions!
Keep in mind that this was Hamilton at his peak, and he was even nicknamed "Liu Yihuan" in qualifying.

Even the future "Ultimate Guy" Leclerc would probably have to avoid the limelight when facing Hamilton during his "Liu Yiquan" era.

In contrast, Bottas, who was also known for his qualifying speed and nicknamed "top driver," had a pole position ratio of 22 to 6 when facing Hamilton during his seven-time world champion era.

The difference is so great that calling it a complete annihilation wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Briatore was right; he had indeed been watching Rosberg's driving style and knew that the German driver preferred long-distance stability.

The Italian rogue was unaware that Rosberg's lap times were also very fast.

Perhaps its only weakness lies in wheel-to-wheel attack and defense.

Furthermore, the comparison for this "weakness" is also with Hamilton during his peak seven-time world champion period, rather than implying that any driver can easily beat Rosberg.

Briatore believes there are three laps to overtake.

Chen Xiangbei knew very well that he only had one lap left!
Once in cruise mode with the train in a queue, the Rosberg's advantages in long-distance speed and stability will be fully demonstrated.

Either your absolute speed in the race car is significantly greater, or your personal skill level is significantly higher.

Unfortunately, Chen Xiangbei had neither...

There's no need to elaborate on their individual abilities; the speed of their cars is a testament to Honda and Mercedes' foundations. It's not just a matter of some advanced technology like an exhaust diffuser that allows the HRT team to completely dominate a top factory team like Mercedes.

That's why Chen Xiangbei wanted to take a cut at the start!

Being a newcomer is often a disadvantage, as it means a lack of proficiency and experience.

However, at certain times, it can become an advantage.

Chen Xiangbei bets Rosberg has absolutely no interest in watching his own lower-level formula racing videos, and at most he'll glance at the driver profiles provided by the team to get a general idea of ​​his driving style and approach.

In other words, Chen Xiangbei knows Rosberg very well.

Rosberg knew nothing about him!
That's why, when Rosberg caught a glimpse of car number 13 next to him out of the corner of his eye, his pupils contracted instantly. He never expected that Chen Xiangbei would start faster than him and dare to change lanes and cut in front of him at the first opportunity!
"Ladies and gentlemen, all 24 cars have started, with Vettel of Red Bull Racing leading the pack. You can clearly feel that their cars are performing much better this year, both in terms of top speed and responsiveness."

"Ferrari's Massa was attacked by McLaren's Hamilton from the start. The young British driver showed his usual aggressiveness and speed, while also being eager for his second championship title!"

James quickly explained the situation of the cars in the front row, which is usually the highlight of the F1 Grand Prix.

However, at that moment, the director suddenly moved the camera back and focused on the midstream group that was starting up behind them.

Due to the limited angle, James could only see a dense cluster of race cars and couldn't immediately understand the director's intention.

But as the cars surged toward the T1 bend, guest Emil noticed something different on the track: the black and orange HRT team's No. 13 car was gradually accelerating and overtaking the silver Mercedes No. 4 car.

"MY GOD, the Chinese rookie has an amazing start. He has already balanced with Rosberg and seized the best cornering line."

"Could it be that driver Bei is going to overtake at the start?"

Emil understood the director's intention, but he could hardly believe his eyes.

While no one in this era knew Rosberg could become a world champion, that doesn't mean no one knew Rosberg's potential!
Compared to those second-generation drivers who simply "rely on their fathers' connections" to enter the paddock, Rosberg only lost to his world runner-up teammate Webber by three points in his rookie season.

In his second year, driving a crappy Williams car, he managed to reach seventh place in the overall drivers' championship!

Looking at seventh place alone doesn't mean much, but if you add a clean sheet against his teammate and the three cars that finished last in the paddock, it's enough to prove the value of this result.

Before the race, Emil predicted that Chen Xiangbei would be overtaken by the aggressive Kubica at the start.

Unexpectedly, Kubica failed to overtake Chen Xiangbei, but the Chinese kid managed to overtake Rosberg at the start!
The moment Emil finished speaking, the surging traffic crowded in front of Turn 1. Thanks to the super wide surface of the Bahrain circuit, no car collision occurred.

However, in order to regain his position, Rosberg drove so close to Chen Xiangbei that the distance between them could be measured in centimeters, making it appear in the broadcast footage as if the two cars were about to collide.

Under normal circumstances, this kind of "zero-distance" wheel-to-wheel attack and defense puts immense psychological pressure on beginners.

Whether for the sake of performance, to consider vehicle damage, or simply out of instinct, novice drivers often subconsciously step on the brake and swerve to avoid obstacles.

But as long as you dodge, you will inevitably give up your lane, and your opponent will take the opportunity to overtake you!
The biggest difference between top drivers and ordinary drivers, or even ordinary drivers, is that they can control many instinctive reactions.

Chen Xiangbei made no move to back down. He walked alongside Rosberg as if he were walking a tightrope, while making sure that he would not cross the white line with all four wheels and commit a foul.

At this moment, Chen Xiangbei knew very well that if he retreated, Kubica would relentlessly pursue him. Unless he used a tire-based strategy to undercut Rosberg, the chances of catching up and overtaking him were slim.

Rosberg naturally didn't understand Chen Xiangbei's psychology. At this moment, he only had one idea in his mind: to use continuous wheel-to-wheel combat to force Chen Xiangbei into making a pressure mistake.

No matter how well Chen Xiangbei got off to a good start or how precisely he timed his gear shifts and acceleration, he couldn't change his status as a rookie.

While driving skills can be honed to perfection, mental fortitude requires honing through numerous races.

Let alone a newcomer, even many established drivers often make mistakes under pressure from their opponents, especially during the intense psychological pressure of competing for the championship.

Rosberg's greatest strength is his stable mindset.

He believed he could easily outmaneuver a newbie!

Reality, however, gave Rosberg a harsh slap in the face. Faced with the race car that kept getting closer to him, Chen Xiangbei did not back down in the slightest, even though the front wings of the two cars had already made contact.

The pressure of the competition and the oppressive feeling of the opponent's attack were constantly coming at Chen Xiangbei.

However, Chen Xiangbei's emotional stability is also one of his strengths!

The two race cars braked and steered in sync, achieving almost perfect consistency in both handling and speed.

However, thanks to his superior racing line, Chen Xiangbei gained faster acceleration out of the corner. After passing T1, he officially overtook Rosberg and moved into sixth place on the track.

"NICE!"

At the outdoor command post of the HRT fleet, the strategy team members almost jumped up from their seats in excitement.

Odeto and others' initial goal for Chen Xiangbei was merely to hold onto his position.

After all, F1 is different from lower-level formula racing; the intensity of the initial battles can be exaggerated.

Even for established drivers, it is quite common to lose position at the start.

For a newcomer like Chen Xiangbei, it's nothing short of a miracle that he could overtake others when he was surrounded by wolves in front and tigers behind!
Compared to lower-level formula racing, F1's control system has undergone significant changes. Teams now have an outdoor control tower, also known as a Pit Wall, located directly opposite the garage wall. This outdoor control tower typically has seven positions and a row of screens displaying various telemetry data. Team engineers, race directors, motorsport directors, team principals, and other strategy team members sit outside to observe the track conditions more closely.

However, some budget-conscious racing teams will reduce the size of their outdoor conning towers; for example, the Haas team's MINI conning tower only has three seats.

Furthermore, the strategy team members were not required to be on the outdoor command post; in fact, Mercedes team manager Toto Wolff in later years only watched the game from the indoor pit room.

In his own words, he is biased towards management and does not want to interfere with the strategy team's decisions.

Of course, it's also possible that the P room has air conditioning.

As all the cars passed the first corner, the chaotic scene of the start, where they were fighting side by side, came to an end. The twenty-odd F1 cars lined up in a long, single file and began to rely on their superior handling and racing lines to solidify their advantage.

Meanwhile, the rankings on the track became clear, and the audience could see on the big screen that Chen Xiangbei had moved ahead of Rosberg and was now in sixth place overall!
"Driver Bei was a bit unexpected, as he actually rose in the rankings right from the start of his debut."

"After all, he is a driver who skipped a level to enter the paddock, and Bei is stronger than many people realize."

"No matter how strong he is, he's still a Chinese rookie. Rosberg has come back on top!"

"Go Rosberg, take down the Chinaman!"

The European fans in the stands could no longer contain their emotions and were cheering wildly for Rosberg.

They absolutely cannot accept that a top-tier second-generation German car player would lose to a Chinese newcomer.

Not only car fans couldn't accept it, but Rosberg himself felt the same way.

Beneath the helmet visor was a face etched with shock!

Throughout his four-year professional career, regardless of the ups and downs in his performance, Rosberg has never suffered such a blow as he has today.

Knowing that he made no mistakes at the start and that he immediately made a blocking move and wheel-to-wheel attack and defense after Chen Xiangbei successfully pulled away, the Chinese rookie withstood the pressure!
This is almost beyond Rosberg's comprehension; the last driver to be this dominant was Hamilton!

However, the shock was short-lived. Rosberg quickly adjusted his mindset, relentlessly chasing Chen Xiangbei's car while constantly changing lanes and lines, launching a fierce attack on him.

Overtaking at the start is just the beginning of a 57-lap race.

Rosberg is full of confidence; he believes he can come back and win!
Faced with Rosberg's attack, Chen Xiangbei kept glancing at the rearview mirror out of the corner of his eye, and almost simultaneously changed lanes to take a defensive route, firmly blocking his opponent behind his car.

To be honest, compared to overtaking, being chased like this puts more pressure on Chen Xiangbei.

After all, in lower-level Formula racing, Chen Xiangbei is either an attacker or far ahead, so it's rare for him to face this kind of continuous defensive situation.

A slight mishap could prevent a stressful mistake.

However, Chen Xiangbei quickly adjusted his mindset. He knew very well that as a professional driver, he had to adapt to and get used to intense offensive and defensive battles.

The fastest lap time in an F1 paddock may be significantly ahead of the slowest driver, but it's difficult for them to completely dominate a driver from the same group!
This means that you will always face the pressure of surpassing and being surpassed.

Only by making absolutely calm and rational judgments can one remain invincible!
As the race car sped past the T2 and T3 corners, Chen Xiangbei, in order to stop Rosberg from overtaking, had no energy left to avoid the bumpy sections of the track, and sparks flew as the chassis rubbed against the asphalt surface.

Of course, Rosberg wasn't in much better shape either; the two were engaged in a power struggle.

"The competition in F1 is really fierce. I wonder if Xiang Beijun can hold on."

Hiroki Sawano looked worried upon seeing this.

Even though Japanese Formula One is hailed as the second fastest racing car on the planet, there is still an insurmountable gap between it and Formula One.

This difference refers not only to speed, but also to the difference in the drivers' abilities.

The battles between top drivers are like dancing on a knife's edge, a struggle at the centimeter level at speeds of hundreds of kilometers per hour.

Even the slightest mistake could lead to a collision, let alone overtaking.

"The North's defense is much stronger than I expected."

Odeto didn't give a direct answer, but instead gave Chen Xiangbei a compliment indirectly.

Over the past year, Odeto has indeed rarely seen Chen Xiangbei engage in wheel-to-wheel battles. In most cases, low-level formula racing results are decided instantly without much lingering combat.

Chen Xiangbei's ability to effectively defend Rosberg is truly impressive!

Chen Xiangbei wasn't the only one engaged in fierce battles on the track; McLaren driver Hamilton in the front row was also launching a fierce attack on Ferrari driver Massa.

Massa is a celebrity in F1. As a South American, he has a very aggressive and wild driving style. His absolute speed is very fast and he is on the verge of losing control. Brazilian fans even regard him as the next Senna.

Massa has many strengths, but also many weaknesses!

Being unable to swim makes it difficult to become a world champion, let alone a legend like Senna.

In addition, although Massa has a strong start, he is not good at overtaking, especially in chaotic battles, and his offense and defense are not sharp enough.

From season 10 to season 13, Hamilton frequently outmaneuvered them!

To some extent, Massa's style was very well suited to being the number two driver, and during the year he partnered with Schumacher at Ferrari, he truly replaced Barrichello's niche.

Unfortunately, with Schumacher's retirement, the team promoted Massa to the number one driver position, which led to the historic "10-second championship" incident in 08.

The final match of the 2008 season was held in São Paulo, Brazil, where Massa was leading the standings and had a very high probability of winning the World Cup on his home turf.

Let the fans at the scene witness once again a world champion born in Brazil!
Brazilian fans have waited a full fourteen years for this moment, hoping day and night that a Brazilian driver would take over from Senna and carry the banner of South American motorsport.

Massa crossed the finish line first on the last lap, and the entire stadium went wild. Everyone, including the Ferrari crew, was celebrating the Brazilian's world championship title.

Just over ten seconds later, Hamilton overtook Timo Glock, who was gambling on dry tires in the rain, at the penultimate corner, and overtook Massa by one point to become the world champion!

From then on, the title "Hero Senna, Tragic Massa" became synonymous with Massa's professional career.

From that moment on, Massa completely lost the will and ability to compete with Hamilton.

However, the F1 paddock is not a one-on-one battle. Hamilton also had a king behind him launching an attack, preventing him from attacking Massa with all his might.

He is Alonso, who also came from the Ferrari team!
At his peak, Alonso was also a well-rounded player, a formidable obstacle for the still relatively young Hamilton.

The front row drivers were locked in a fierce battle, and the middle and rear row drivers were equally matched.

It's worth noting that the mid-table group boasts two world champions, Button and Schumacher!
Even though the veterans can no longer match the "new kings" in the paddock in terms of absolute speed, they are still a force to be reckoned with.

In the short first lap of the race, the rankings are changing almost constantly.

On the second lap, something unexpected happened on the track.

That was Kubica, who was originally behind Chen Xiangbei, seized the opportunity of Rosberg's offensive misstep and successfully overtook him to move into seventh place.

At the same time, Chen Xiangbei took advantage of the opportunity to instantly create distance and stepped on the gas to catch Alonso's slipstream.

Defending and holding onto position has never been Chen Xiangbei's style; he prefers a strong offensive approach.

At this moment, he is ready to unsheathe his sword against this "evergreen" in F1 history!
(End of this chapter)