Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 205 Wins Cheers from the Audience

"Chinese rookie driver Bei has once again overtaken Rosberg. This speed and performance were unimaginable before the race. Moreover, Bei's overtaking was very aggressive and decisive. I could even feel his determination through the big screen!"

"The race engineer for the North was Odeto, a former member of Ferrari's strategy team. I wonder if Schumacher, seeing this scene from behind, felt a trace of his own unstoppable momentum from back then?"

James could see Chen Xiangbei's "do or die" determination, and that his overtaking maneuver wasn't just to intimidate Rosberg; he genuinely had the courage to crash.

This is extremely rare for a newcomer, especially one from China in Asia!
Cowardice, conservatism, and retreat were the labels that Asian drivers used to be.

Even though Yuji Ide and Takuma Sato made changes, in the minds of Europeans they were more reckless and incompetent than brave and fearless.

The reason is simple: only successfully overtaking can be called bravery.

If you don't manage to crash, then you're a noob!
Whether it was seizing opportunities to overtake or later using extreme lines to widen the gap, Chen Xiangbei demonstrated that he was not blindly aggressive, and that his control of the car and choice of lines were no less than Rosberg's.

In addition, James had heard that Chen Xiangbei was very hardworking, which was similar to Schumacher.

Many people know that Verstappen is a "car man" who has almost given up his personal hobbies and devoted himself entirely to racing.

In fact, Schumacher is also a representative of the hard-working type in the paddock.

During the years he led Ferrari to its reign, he never missed a single team meeting, training session, test drive, or car setup.

This is why Schumacher was able to effectively suppress the inherent "clown" nature of Ferrari, the Italian team, transforming it into a highly efficient, professional, and hardworking team.

After Schumacher's departure, Ferrari relied on momentum and Kimi Räikkönen's peak performance to win another Drivers' Championship. However, for the next two decades, they could only be the third-best of the "Big Three" teams.

Red Bull and Mercedes have mostly taken turns competing for the championship.

Not only at Ferrari, but also after Schumacher joined Mercedes, he helped the team find the right direction for development and get through the adjustment period of acquisition and restructuring.

It's fair to say that without Schumacher's arrival, the Mercedes dynasty might have been delayed for several more years.

"To be honest, I think it was more influenced by Briatore."

Emil offered a different opinion. Chen Xiangbei's resolute attitude was correct, but was this way of overtaking really scientific?

Rosberg is the only one with a calm and steady personality. When he played with Hamilton, he was very much like a copy of Prost and Senna.

If it were a more aggressive driver, it would be strange if they didn't crash into each other and die together!
The rookie's use of such a "rogue" overtaking tactic must have been instructed by Briatore; otherwise, the damage to the car alone would have been a serious concern.

James did not refute Emil's question, and he also agreed that there might be something driving the floral fabric behind it.

At the HRT team's pit stop and control tower, team members watched the latest rankings on the screen, and many of them let out excited roars.

"North, that was a brilliant overtaking maneuver!"

"Good job!"

"The first time you surpass someone has an element of luck, but the second time it's all about skill!"

"Xiang Beijun is no less than any European driver. After this race, he will have a firm foothold in the F1 paddock."

Praises rang out continuously. A rookie making it into the top ten meant scoring points in his debut, and finishing in the top six fulfilled the boast made at the pre-game press conference that Chen Xiangbei could rival or even surpass Raikkonen.

If Chen Xiangbei can finish fifth, he will not only achieve a breakthrough for Chinese motorsport, but also a historic breakthrough for Asian Formula racing.

Japan's Formula One system has been conquering for thirty years, yet it has failed to produce a single top driver who finishes in the top six in his debut!
Furthermore, the overtaking and defense in this game were of high quality, without any situation where a team could only get into the top five by "picking up the baskets". In fact, Trulli's crash even caused Chen Xiangbei to lose some pit stop time.

This performance not only demonstrates Chen Xiangbei's excellent driving skills, but also showcases his incredibly strong mental fortitude. He truly deserves to be called China's first F1 prodigy driver!

Hearing the cheers coming from the HRT team's direction, the Mercedes crew members were very depressed. Their strategy team had originally planned to have Rosberg wear down Chen Xiangbei's tires and then use a two-car tactic to allow Schumacher to overtake smoothly.

Unexpectedly, Rosberg couldn't stop Chen Xiangbei!

"Team Leader Brown, the North is really beyond our expectations."

Mercedes data engineer Field said this with a complicated expression.

Last year, during Chen Xiangbei's rookie testing phase, he accompanied him for almost a month, watching this newcomer surpass the test drivers of McLaren and Renault.

At that time, Field believed that Chen Xiangbei could become a qualified F1 driver.

However, times have changed, and Chen Xiangbei has grown too fast. Now he is not just a passerby, but can actually challenge Rosberg!
It's important to know that Rosberg comes from a racing family, with a father who is an F1 world champion. His racing background and professional training are many years ahead of Chen Xiangbei's.

It's no exaggeration to say that while Rosberg was driving go-karts, Chen Xiangbei was still playing with a baby rocker.

"This overtaking tactic is too dirty. It just goes to show that like manager, like driver!"

Mercedes' race director, Robert, replied dismissively.

In his view, Chen Xiangbei did not surpass Chen Xiangbei through technical skill, but rather used the tactic of crashing cars to threaten him.

Although Rosberg is not a historically gifted driver, his background and low-level formula results mean that he cannot compete with a barefoot rookie like Chen Xiangbei in any cornering maneuvers that could result in mutual destruction.

How many more times can Chen Xiangbei use such rogue tactics?

Ross Brown remained silent in the face of his strategy team members' words.

Because both Chen Xiangbei's driving skills and his tactics on the track were unfamiliar to him.

The once naive newcomer from China has quietly undergone a transformation.

Just then, Schumacher's voice came through the headset. He said to his race engineer, "Andrew, collect HRT car data. This car has amazing cornering grip. It seems that Red Bull's aerodynamic development direction is correct."

Compared to the outcome of a single race, Schumacher values ​​who will emerge victorious throughout the entire season more.

Through so many rounds of attack and defense, plus close-up observation of the overtaking maneuvers, he was able to make a judgment about Chen Xiangbei.

While the Chinese newcomers are certainly impressive, the TF110 race car should not be underestimated.

Its straight-line speed is comparable to Mercedes-Benz, and its cornering speed is even more overwhelming!

As a "newcomer" team, to possess a race car that surpasses the established "Big Three" is truly beyond many people's pre-race assessment.

Mercedes-Benz, putting aside everything else, boasts top-tier financial and technical capabilities in the entire paddock.

If they can find the right direction for the development of the race car, they will be able to use the upgrade kit in the next race.

"clear."

The race engineer, Andrew, responded, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "Michael, how are you feeling?"

The outside world can only see that Schumacher can't surpass Chen Xiangbei, but only his team engineer knows the real reason.

Schumacher's motorcycle accident not only resulted in a cervical spine fracture that affected his handling, but also caused a blockage of the left aorta in his neck, leading to nerve damage and a decline in certain higher functions.

For example, the human body's sensitivity to rotation and yaw!

In 2010, Schumacher was 41 years old. He was no longer young and had passed the peak of his physical function, so his reaction speed inevitably declined.

Now, with the added injury to his cervical spine and nerves, he can no longer control the race car with the precision he used to, completing the entire cornering maneuver in one go. Instead, he makes too many corrections in the corners.

He even changed his driving style, braking later and more aggressively, relying on feel and experience to handle the car's dynamic changes. Andrew noticed Schumacher's change in driving habits, which is why he couldn't help but ask questions.

"I'm OK."

As always, Schumacher gave a simple and direct answer, never showing his vulnerable side.

"OK, copy."

Upon hearing this reply, Andrew released the call button and sighed silently.

Ross Brown, who was standing nearby, heard the entire conversation and was filled with mixed emotions.

At his peak, Schumacher was described by his teammate Irwin as someone who could push his car to the brink of disaster for 76 consecutive laps.

The current Schumacher is clearly much worse.

This is not just a decline in condition, but also a decline in tire wear.

Racing tires lose grip too quickly, preventing drivers from pushing the car to its mechanical grip limits.

With the remaining dozen or so cars still racing on the track, Alonso displayed his superior form, overtaking Hamilton, Massa, and Vettel in succession to take the lead.

Red Bull has its exhaust diffuser technology, and McLaren has its F-duct technology.

The performance of the race cars varies greatly, so it all comes down to the skill of the drivers.

The young Vettel was no match for the veteran Alonso.

Hamilton also demonstrated his extreme speed, finally overtaking Ferrari's Massa on lap 46 to move into third place.

Throughout history, three generations of champions—old, middle-aged, and young—have dominated the podium.

Soon, the third entry window arrived. This time, the HRT technician team worked together very precisely and replaced the last set of brand-new soft red tires with the fastest efficiency, so that Chen Xiangbei did not lose speed or ranking.

In these last ten laps, Chen Xiangbei no longer needs to worry about tire maintenance; he can push with all his might to catch up with Massa ahead, and even Hamilton ahead, to compete for a chance to stand on the podium.

Unfortunately, the previous entanglements and defenses allowed Chen Xiangbei to create too much of a gap between himself and the leading group.

In addition to the performance advantages of HRT race cars, it is only stronger than the declining old Renault and Mercedes, which is in the process of integration. This year's Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari "new big three", the TF110 can't beat any of them.

Even though Chen Xiangbei was pushing forward at full speed and chasing in a desperate manner, he still couldn't see Massa's taillights.

Ultimately, he ranked fifth.

However, compared to his seventh-place finish in qualifying, and the many impressive overtaking and defensive plays he executed during the race, it was enough for him to win over the audience and cheers.

Even those fans who disliked and were prejudiced against Chen Xiangbei before the race had to admit that the Chinese newcomer was not some paid rookie!
"Fifth place in the debut, who still says Chinese drivers can't do it!"

"Whether it's the new rules or the old rules, Chen Xiangbei managed to score points in his debut, which was absolutely brilliant!"

"That's fucking amazing! I can't believe Chen Xiangbei could be this fast."

"I used to think that Chen Xiangbei could become the next Takuma Sato, but now it seems that he could become the next Raikkonen!"

"You mean he could become the next world champion?"

The Chinese spectators in the stands had gone wild, cheering and jumping for joy for Chen Xiangbei with all their might.

Many people regretted forgetting to bring a national flag so they could wave it at this moment!
At that moment, the level of attention given to Chen Xiangbei in the paddock was no less than that given to the champion, Alonso.

After all, Alonso winning races is something everyone is used to; he is the strongest driver in the paddock and has the backing of the prestigious Ferrari team.

But no one could have predicted Chen Xiangbei would finish fifth before the competition!

As he returned to the starting lap, Chen Xiangbei deliberately slowed down his lap time, pushed up his helmet visor, and waved to the few Chinese spectators in the stands.

He hopes to let his compatriots who have traveled thousands of miles to Bahrain know that Chinese drivers are no less capable than others!
His wave gesture not only received a response from the Chinese community, but also earned the respect of many foreign fans at the scene.

Extreme car enthusiasts are ultimately a minority; most people are simply "fence-sitters."

Chen Xiangbei has no achievements and his performance is poor, so they don't mind mocking and beating him up.

When Chen Xiangbei demonstrates his strength, he can earn respect through speed!

As for those die-hard extremists, they still can't overcome the principle of prioritizing results in competitive sports. No matter how unhappy they are, they can only obediently endure it at this time, otherwise, making sarcastic remarks will only invite ridicule.

"Bei, how's the overtaking technique I taught you?"

At that moment, Hua Bu's smug voice came through the headphones. He might not understand technology, but he understood human nature very well.

Chen Xiangbei's status as a newcomer to China is both a disadvantage and, to some extent, an advantage.

Coupled with Rosberg's personality, it was destined that Chen Xiangbei would not be able to stop him from "risking his life".

Before Chen Xiangbei could respond, Odt's voice came through the earpiece.

"This approach can only win one game, but not the whole season."

Odeto also admires adventure and radicalism, but he does not approve of Chen Xiangbei's gambling style.

To some extent, gambling is an act of the weak.

The strong don't need to gamble.

Rosberg might give way today, but tomorrow, with a different driver, he might not be able to give way to the starting line.

Especially now that Chen Xiangbei's performance has far exceeded expectations, he might also become the one who gets the shoes, and the cost of gambling will be far greater than it is now. It cannot become a habit or a means.

In addition, Odette also has a sense of honor among drivers. He hopes that Chen Xiangbei can win fairly and honestly, rather than becoming like Briatore, who will stop at nothing to win.

Seeing that the two bigwigs of the team were at odds with each other again, Hiroki Sawano and others quickly interrupted and congratulated Chen Xiangbei.

"Xiang Beijun, your results are excellent. We can reach the podium at the next stop."

"Xiang Beijun, you have made history for Asian drivers!"

"Heading North, you did a great job."

"Brother Bei is awesome!"

Even Liang Chi and others from the technician team expressed their congratulations to Chen Xiangbei through the team's voice chat system.

Faced with the crew members' words, Chen Xiangbei didn't know what to say and could only respond with "thank you" repeatedly.

But at that moment, he drove to the area near the stands, and in addition to the various noises around him, he could vaguely hear indistinct, orderly shouts.

"Chen Xiangbei~~! Chen Xiangbei~~! Chen Xiangbei~~!"

These shouts, though not particularly loud, gave Chen Xiangbei immense emotion and strength at that moment.

The pinnacle of F1 racing is no longer someone else's game; finally, a voice from China is heard!
(End of this chapter)