Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 206 Only the weak make excuses
"North, on the return lap, try to get as much track rubber residue on the tires as possible to avoid failing the weigh-in after the race."

Odette did not offer any words of congratulations, but instead emphasized the issue of weighing in after the race.

In order to reduce weight as much as possible, F1 racing teams often refuel at the very limit of the lap count.

However, fuel consumption is not linear. Anyone who has driven knows that fuel consumption at low speeds in the city is much higher than fuel consumption at a constant speed of around 80 to 100 liters.

To avoid failing the weigh-in after the race, many drivers will try to get rubber pellets off their wheels on the track during their return lap. In China, this is generally referred to as "tire poop picking up".

Often, the weight may be within acceptable limits, but the difference might be just one or two kilograms of rubber granules.

For example, in the 25 Chinese Grand Prix, both Ferrari cars were successfully disqualified after the race, with Hamilton's being disqualified due to excessive wear on the chassis wood blocks, falling below the minimum standard of 9 millimeters.

Leclerc's car was 1 kilogram lighter than the minimum standard.

The last time two cars were disqualified at the same time was during the 19 season with Renault, and Ferrari made history by doing so for the first time in 75 years.

Chen Xiangbei had finally achieved a result that exceeded expectations, and Odette did not want any careless mistakes that would lead to nothing!

"receive."

Chen Xiangbei calmed his slightly excited emotions and began to change lanes left and right, getting the rubber particles on the lane markings sticking to him.

The race car was parked in the storage area, and Chen Xiangbei went to the driver weigh-in room alone. The place where Verstappen and Ocon almost got into a fight in later years was the weigh-in area after the race.

Of course, the only possibility of a fight breaking out in this match is between Trulli and Sutil, these two old rivals.

However, neither of them finished the race, and with damage to their cars, they no longer needed to be weighed.

When Chen Xiangbei arrived, many drivers in the weigh-in area congratulated him. Regardless of their true feelings, they were all competing in the same paddock and there was no conflict, so they were still polite on the surface.

Aside from these polite gestures, Chen Xiangbei's achievements also earned him respect!
No matter how much commercial factors taint the F1 paddock, it can never escape the essence of competitive sports.

Achieving fifth place in his debut race, especially while driving a "newcomer" HRT race car, is a performance that can only be described as amazing.

If it weren't for Hamilton, this "monster" who contended for the championship in his rookie season, significantly raising the public's expectations for rookie performances, the weigh-in room might not just be filled with congratulations, but with cheers from the entire audience!

When Chen Xiangbei stepped onto the scale, it showed that his weight had dropped by nearly 4 kilograms before the race. This number alone shows how intense F1 is, far from the easy thing that outsiders think, just sitting and driving a car.

Objectively speaking, Chen Xiangbei's level of dehydration was a bit too high. After all, no matter how calm and composed he appeared on the surface, as a rookie, his mental state was always in a state of high tension.

In addition, the high temperatures at the Bahrain circuit exacerbate the loss of sweat from the drivers.

The race stewards recorded Chen Xiangbei's weight and waited for the car's weight to be weighed before adding it to the car's weight. If the weight met the FIA's minimum standard, he would pass.

Just as Chen Xiangbei was about to leave the weighing room, someone gently patted his shoulder from behind.

"Bei, you ran very well, congratulations."

When Chen Xiangbei turned around, he saw a face that was both extremely familiar and unfamiliar behind him—it was none other than Michael Schumacher, the racing legend.

To be honest, since the ROC Nations Cup, Chen Xiangbei has had close contact with Schumacher many times, making him one of the most "familiar" drivers in the paddock.

The two had never spoken privately and couldn't find any topics to "start a conversation".

Having retired once, Schumacher has lost much of his peak edge, and now appreciates Chen Xiangbei more as a senior looking at a junior.

This young Chinese player impressed everyone with his performance at the ROC Nations Cup, and it's surprising that he actually managed to skip a level and enter the F1 paddock.

"Thank you, you are my idol."

Chen Xiangbei said this with the same sincerity.

Schumacher can be said to have influenced a generation of Chinese racing drivers. Many people were attracted by his speed and embarked on a professional career to pursue the wind and freedom.

It's even gotten to the point where ordinary people might not understand racing but still know about Schumacher.

"is it?"

Upon hearing Chen Xiangbei's words, Schumacher smiled.

"I'm honored. Keep it up!"

After Schumacher finished speaking, he patted Chen Xiangbei on the shoulder and prepared to walk towards the weighing scale.

But at that moment, Chen Xiangbei subconsciously shouted something.

"Schumacher, be careful while skiing."

Schumacher's skiing accident shocked the world, and it remains a vivid memory for Chen Xiangbei.

I don't know if it's a curse of fate, or if it's true that you have to give something in exchange for something you gain.

Both Senna and Schumacher, these two legends, fell like shooting stars.

Now reborn and seeing Schumacher again, Chen Xiangbei wonders if history will repeat itself.

But he hoped that his existence as a variable would change the future tragedy and Schumacher's fate.

Faced with Chen Xiangbei's sudden reminder, Schumacher turned around with a puzzled look on his face; the young man's thinking was a bit too jumpy.

However, it is almost common knowledge that Schumacher loves skiing. Every winter break, he goes to various ski resorts. Only this kind of extreme sport can get him used to speed and bring him some excitement and thrill.

Speed ​​means danger, and Schumacher knew this very well.

Although Chen Xiangbei's words were somewhat incomprehensible, at least the other party showed concern for him.

He nodded and said, "OK, I will."

This time, Chen Xiangbei didn't say anything more, turned around and walked out of the weighing room toward the HRT team's P-room.

Upon seeing Chen Xiangbei return, the HRT crew members went into a frenzy, and a group of people surrounded him and tossed him into the air.

"NICE, North!"

"Brother Bei is invincible!"

"For the victory of the North!"

"For HRT!"

Amidst the cheers, Trulli, standing to the side, wore a complex expression upon witnessing this scene.

He transferred to HRT with great ambition and had extensive experience driving Toyota cars. However, his teammate finished fifth in the opening race, while he himself had a track accident and failed to score any points.

This is undoubtedly a blow to the self-esteem and pride of a veteran F1 driver.

However, within the paddock, results are paramount. Drivers who score points not only gain the support of their crew members but also have to be treated like royalty by the team management.

Like Verstappen in later generations, who was able to directly intervene in the internal conflict between Horner and Marko within the team.

Whoever he sides with will become the winner in the internal power struggle.

“Truly, you’re still too impulsive. You shouldn’t have argued with Sutil.”

Seeing Trulli's dejected expression, the race engineer, Soter, couldn't help but offer a word of advice.

Trulli is no longer the greenhorn he once was. Coupled with his feud with manager Briatore, if he doesn't achieve a record that beats his teammates this season, it won't be as simple as just differentiating the number one and number two drivers.

It's almost certain that Briatore will use every means at his disposal to kick Trulli out of the team!
No longer young, I no longer have the right to be arrogant. "I'd rather leave the paddock than bow down to Sutil!"

Trulli replied very firmly, just like his character.

Last year's "slander" by Sutil and Alonso was a blatant humiliation for Trulli.

The game can be lost, but the feud cannot be lost!
Faced with Trulli's answer, Soter didn't know what to say and could only sigh silently.

After Chen Xiangbei finished celebrating and was put down, Briatore appeared out of nowhere and gave him a big hug, along with a cheek kiss.

The Italian old rogue's cheesy gesture sent a chill down Chen Xiangbei's spine.

He immediately used his hand to block him, saying, "Manager, calm down!"

"Bei, you're too serious. Relax a bit."

"How about this, I'll throw you a big party tonight to celebrate, so you can experience some exotic culture."

Briatore now understands Chen Xiangbei very well; the kid has a traditional Chinese side, but also a completely different side.

In modern internet slang, it would be called "secretly flirtatious".

He planned to broaden Chen Xiangbei's horizons and let him unleash his true nature.

Faced with Briatore's invitation and his amused expression, Chen Xiangbei instinctively wanted to refuse.

He is indeed somewhat different from the traditional image of a Chinese person, but not in the way Briatore imagined.

At least he wasn't interested in parties or cocktail parties.

Now, however, Chen Xiangbei is no longer alone. He has hundreds of members from the entire F1 team behind him, and they need a ceremony to celebrate and relax. As the protagonist, he cannot spoil the fun.

"Ok."

Chen Xiangbei nodded in agreement.

Instantly, even more enthusiastic cheers erupted from inside the HRT team's P vehicle.

Clearly, everyone is looking forward to a grand event.

The car weigh-in went smoothly. Although there were many twists and turns during the race, the team managed to stay within its three-stop strategy and the remaining fuel was calculated very accurately.

Just like the famous saying goes, racing at its peak is actually more like a math competition.

However, at that moment, a group of reporters gathered in front of the HRT vehicle's parking garage.

The post-race interviews for the top three drivers have concluded, and they have headed to the drivers' lounge to await the upcoming awards ceremony.

So the reporters shifted their focus to the drivers who were the highlights of the race, such as world champions like Schumacher and Button, as well as Kubica, who was on the track, and Rosberg, who was overtaken twice by Chen Xiangbei.

These were all normal procedures, but some of Rosberg's words ignited the reporters' passion for the interview!
"Mr. Chen Xiangbei, Rosberg just accused you of dangerous driving in the post-race interview. What do you have to say about that?"

"North, I've heard that the Mercedes team has filed an appeal, arguing that the overtaking maneuver resulted in unfair profit-making. Do you agree with this view?"

"Driver North, Kubica went off the track and had an accident. Did you expect it or was it an accident?"

"North, your teammate Trulli has collided with Sutil again. Does this mean there's a problem with the HRT team's overall driving style?"

Reporters bombarded Chen Xiangbei with questions, and he instantly felt like he was back at the Reynolds equation, being "besieged".

Furthermore, these questions are somewhat leading, essentially pre-defining one's own dangerous driving behavior.

The inclusion of Kubica and Trulli's accidents clearly targets the HRT team's strategy group, especially Briatore, who has a "previous record," by packaging the accidents as intentional!
"Did Rosberg criticize me?"

Chen Xiangbei did not answer directly, but asked a question in return.

He had already experienced firsthand the reporter's tendency to exaggerate and stir up trouble, and had even fallen into several traps himself.

Now that Chen Xiangbei has been through many battles, he is at least not so easily provoked or tricked.

"Of course, we also have footage of Rosberg's interview."

A reporter directly accessed the camera's replay function, allowing Chen Xiangbei to see Rosberg's post-match interview.

To Chen Xiangbei's great surprise, the reporters did not exaggerate the situation; on the contrary, Rosberg's words were much "harsher."

He was furious and expressed that Chen Xiangbei deliberately crashed the car to force his opponent to give way, saying that such behavior violated the spirit of sports and that he was not even worthy of being in the paddock!

To be honest, there are countless instances of people whispering and giving instructions behind others in the F1 paddock, but these usually happen after a track accident. Reckless overtaking usually results in a few words of greeting in the TR voice chat.

Later figures like Hiroki Kakuta and Max Verstappen can be considered typical examples of "road rage".

However, it is quite rare for someone to criticize someone harshly in a post-match interview even though no accident occurred.

Chen Xiangbei had a fairly good understanding of Rosberg's personality. In later years, Rosberg often served as a guest commentator for F1, offering various sharp critiques of drivers and hot topics in the paddock. He was definitely the type who liked to talk big.

However, this kind of comment is really a case of "playing favorites." If Schumacher or Hamilton had overtaken in the same way, he would definitely not have made such a criticism.

Do they really think they're easy prey for newcomers?

"Bei, do you have anything to say about this?"

After Chen Xiangbei finished watching the video, the reporters asked him another question.

"There's nothing particularly special to say. I overtook them based on my own ability, and Rosberg simply couldn't stop me."

Since the other party was being frank, Chen Xiangbei didn't bother to hide anything.

Translated into common parlance, it would be like saying, "I overtook you by my own skill, so if you can't stop me, is that my fault?"
Chen Xiangbei's words stunned the reporters present.

They were all F1 reporters stationed at the stadium and had never met Chen Xiangbei in lower-level formula racing.

At most, I only witnessed Chen Xiangbei spouting nonsense at the pre-match press conference.

However, such arrogant remarks are not uncommon in F1 history; it's just that Chen Xiangbei offended Raikkonen's fans.

But this statement is completely different; it's tantamount to a provocation against Rosberg!
It's important to know that Rosberg is no ordinary driver. His father is an F1 world champion with extensive connections in the paddock, and his German residency also contributed to Mercedes' decision to recruit him.

Are these rising Chinese stars really not afraid of offending people?
"Driver North, are you provoking Rosberg?"

"North, such remarks are too arrogant and will cause a lot of controversy."

"Mr. Chen Xiangbei, have you considered that your words might provoke resentment from drivers and fans?"

A barrage of questions poured in, and many reporters were even beaming with excitement. Chen Xiangbei was truly a "treasure boy," as such heated exchanges hadn't been seen in the paddock for a while.

Sensing that the situation was escalating, Odeto gave a wink to the crew members, preparing to separate the reporter and end the interview.

Before Liang Chi and the others could step forward, someone acted faster and grabbed the microphone. It was Briatore, who was standing by watching.

"Strong people never complain about their environment; only weak people like to make excuses."

"HRT drivers are not afraid of any opponent. Those who don't like it are welcome to come and challenge us!"

(End of this chapter)