Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 212 Low-key, patient killing

Because the Albert Park circuit was converted from a "semi-street" circuit, it places greater emphasis on cornering speeds in medium to high-speed corners, and often adopts a medium to high downforce tuning scheme, usually slightly higher than that of the Bahrain Sakigir circuit.

However, considering the understeer characteristics of the TF110 race car and to avoid excessive downforce putting too much pressure on the rear wheels, Chen Xiangbei and the strategy team tended to lower the car's tuning scheme compared to normal conditions.

For example, changing from a medium-high downforce scheme to a medium downforce scheme.

The initial setup before this practice race was based on the experience gained from the Bahrain Grand Prix.

To everyone's surprise, the characteristics of the race car completely reversed, and the rear of the car actually slipped and fishtailed!

Faced with Chen Xiangbei's feedback and the in-vehicle video recording, the members of the P-room strategy team all looked quite surprised.

Even with an unconventional downforce tuning scheme, theoretically there shouldn't be any oversteer. Was it because Chen Xiangbei hadn't adapted well and made a handling mistake, or was the new kit's airflow guidance effect beyond expectations?
Nobody knows the answer.

Odeto could only instruct Chen Xiangbei to drive cautiously while having Mizutani Sho conduct data analysis.

Meanwhile, test engineer Mazzola was also keeping a close eye on the various racing car sensor data displayed on the screen.

According to simulation tests in the wind tunnel laboratory, neither the front flaps nor the stall wing could have such a significant impact on the race car; at most, they could only improve the previous understeer problem.

Could it be that combining these two elements creates a synergistic effect, where one plus one equals more than two?

The delayed construction of the wind tunnel resulted in insufficient testing time. Mazzola came to the track from the laboratory to collect data on the differences between real-world data and wind tunnel simulations.

I just didn't expect the gap to be so big.

When Chen Xiangbei heard Odette's cautious driving response on the track, he instantly understood that the team couldn't find the cause.

In fact, this situation is quite normal in the F1 paddock. Not every car upgrade has a positive effect; often, it can even lead to a "negative upgrade," which is especially common among smaller teams.

Although the HRT team has developed rapidly, bringing together the strengths of Honda, Renault, and Toyota, its overall R&D capabilities and resources are still relatively weak, let alone competing with established brands such as Ferrari and McLaren in terms of heritage.

To some extent, Chen Xiangbei was mentally prepared for this situation.

He didn't complain or question anything, and tried his best to adjust and change his driving habits from understeer in the previous game to adapt to oversteer now!
Watching Chen Xiangbei continue speeding on the track, and with no more sound from his voice coming through the team's radio.

Briatore, in a teasing tone, said to Odette beside him, "I really like the way Chinese newcomers know when to shut up."

The driver Florentino Alonso previously worked with was a good driver in many other aspects, but his temper and tendency to complain were proportional to his ability.

During the competition, whenever things didn't go smoothly, they would complain about this or that.

This includes the infamous "gp2 engine" incident.

These complaints and rants often put a lot of pressure on the team's management, as they might offend their partners with just a few words.

This also made Alonso less sociable; after his peak at Renault, he drifted between various teams without ever feeling a sense of belonging.

Some have said that Alonso's ability destined him to win two world championships.

However, Alonso's personality also determined that he could only win two world championships in the end!

Briatore had spent many years with Alonso, and now, meeting the "taciturn" Chen Xiangbei, he had a truly unique feeling.

It feels so good to have fewer people complaining to me!
"The North's racing style is more like a killer."

"Keep a low profile and bide your time, waiting to deliver the fatal blow!"

This time, Odeto did not contradict Briatore; his words were full of admiration.

The reason he values ​​Chen Xiangbei is that, after getting to know him in lower-level Formula racing, he not only admires his strength and talent, but also appreciates the Chinese lad's character.

No matter what difficulties he encounters, Chen Xiangbei's first reaction will never be to shift the blame!

Winning the F1 championship while driving a Mars rover in the paddock is ultimately a low-probability event.

In the early stages, in most cases, there was fierce competition.

For example, from the 08 to the 10 season, the top spot in the standings changed hands frequently, and the final winner was often decided in the final race, or even on the last lap!
Since there are no perfect Mars rovers, the competition comes down to the driver's mental fortitude, and Chen Xiangbei at least has the potential to be a top driver.

One circle, two circles, three circles...

Chen Xiangbei is still gradually adapting to the new characteristics of racing cars, which is not an easy task for him.

After all, he was already racing completely unfamiliar cars, and now he had to add another completely "unfamiliar" car to the mix, which felt like starting from scratch and put Chen Xiangbei's adaptability to the test.

“Mr. Prost, it seems that the Chinese driver Bei is not used to the new track.”

Australian track commentator Reid posed a question to special guest Prost beside him.

阿尔伯特公园赛道全长5.3公里，赛道最快单圈由舒马赫在2004年创造，跑出了1分24秒125的成绩。

The track conditions are currently quite good. Although there is a chance of rain and a light breeze, it will not have a significant impact on the race cars. The temperature is ideal for drivers to achieve their fastest lap times.

However, Chen Xiangbei's fastest lap time so far in all of his training sessions is only 1 minute 30.778 seconds!

This result is worlds apart from his outstanding performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

It's worth noting that during the Bahrain training session, Chen Xiangbei dared to push for a faster lap time on the second lap. Today, as the Australian training session is nearing its end, the Chinese rookie's line is still very conservative, and he doesn't even dare to take the kerbs too often.

And if Reid wasn't mistaken, Chen Xiangbei seemed to have slipped at the beginning of the practice match?

However, at that time, the director's camera was not focused on Chen Xiangbei's race car, and the distant view was rather blurry, making it difficult for Reid to confirm.

"That's true. It's quite obvious that Bei is driving very conservatively."

Among the many retired F1 legends, Prost is probably the one who knows Chen Xiangbei best.

After all, he had a good relationship with Renault, which was also a French team, and had even helped the current team principal, Boullier, persuade Chen Xiangbei to join.

Prost had watched Chen Xiangbei compete in lower-level Formula racing and knew that the Chinese kid's driving style, like his personality, was full of youthful exuberance.

If they are confident, they will try to test and challenge the limits of the track as early as possible.

Chen Xiangbei's lack of movement during the first practice session meant that he lacked absolute confidence in conquering the Albert Park circuit.

Speculating on the underlying reason, Prost believes it is most likely due to unfamiliarity.

No matter how amazing the racing talent shown by the Chinese newcomer is, he ultimately lacks sufficient racing experience and proficiency. Racing simulators cannot give drivers an absolutely realistic driving experience, and the "semi-street" road conditions and complex weather environments further amplify this shortcoming.

Think about it, can a racing simulator really simulate a sudden breeze on a real racetrack?

The answer is obviously no!

"Professor, do you think driver Bei will be able to adapt to the track after three practice sessions?" Reid asked again.

"I don't know, what do you think?"

A smile appeared on Prost's face; he was in the habit of not making absolute statements.

"I don't think so."

Although Reid harbored no hostility toward Chen Xiangbei, he was also not fond of him due to the influence of his surroundings.

The first practice session is about to end, and Chen Xiangbei still has to do qualifying and long-distance setup feedback for the remaining two sessions. He doesn't have enough time to familiarize himself with the track.

"Then we'll see."

The two exchanged a few words briefly before turning the conversation to other drivers.

The broadcast cameras are currently focused on Hamilton, as McLaren has also brought a brand-new upgrade kit to this race.

Compared to HRT's "reverse upgrade," McLaren's speed was truly astonishing.

Hamilton ran a time of 1 minute 24.993 seconds in his first training session.

If the track conditions don't change much and Hamilton still has energy to spare, he has a chance to break Schumacher's track record!

In the opening race, the Bahrain Grand Prix, Red Bull maintained its lead thanks to its advanced exhaust diffuser technology. However, McLaren caught up in the second race, demonstrating the strength and heritage of the established "Big Three".

Not only were the track cameras focused on Hamilton, but even test engineer Mazzola stepped out of the pit lane to get as close as possible to the McLaren pit stop to observe any changes in the car.

The effects of the F-duct are not as dramatic as some claim; McLaren must have other upgrades in store.

Mazzola possesses an extraordinary talent: an exceptionally keen eye for subtle changes.

Technical Director Bob Bell had him participate in the race with the team, partly in the hope that he could "learn" from the upgrade strategies of other race cars and provide a reference for the subsequent upgrades of the TF110.

"North, the first practice match ends in two minutes. You can consider returning to the station early."

Odette gave Chen Xiangbei a notification: since they were still unsure about the new characteristics of the race car, they should go to the pits as soon as possible to discuss the tuning plan with the engineers.

What is Trulli's current lap time?

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

"Moderate downforce setup, 1 minute 25.845 seconds."

"So fast?"

Chen Xiangbei was somewhat surprised to hear Odette's answer.

The first practice session is usually the slowest of the three practice sessions. If Trulli didn't push himself to the limit, this result is already better than his performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix!
"Yes, he's more used to the old kit."

Trulli is considered a veteran driver of the same era as Schumacher. In an era when racing simulators were not yet fully developed, they preferred an understeer style.

Many things may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Trulli benefited from not using the upgrade kit; otherwise, he might have ended up on the wall with such a severely over-optimized feature.

"I'll just finish the last lap."

Chen Xiangbei did not choose to pit, partly because he was inspired by Trulli's lap time.

Putting aside the resource allocation between the first and second drivers, he simply didn't want to lose in the competition.

An F1 driver on the rise must be filled with a strong desire to win, otherwise he will soon be eliminated from the paddock.

Even a player as strong as Kimi Räikkönen faced countless criticisms when he drove a "health-preserving car" late in his career.

The only saving grace was that he reserved the seat for Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu.

On the other hand, Chen Xiangbei felt that he had vaguely grasped the characteristics of the upgrade kit.

The best racing car is one that is balanced and stable in all aspects.

However, due to limitations in design style and real-world circumstances, various biases will still occur.

Compared to understeer, Chen Xiangbei actually prefers the oversteer characteristic. In a sense, he can get the hang of it faster than expected!
However, not long after Chen Xiangbei drove on this last lap, a slow car appeared in front of him, blocking his lane.

Chen Xiangbei was not surprised by this, as blocking cars during practice sessions is common, especially after the expansion of F1 teams, which has exacerbated the congested traffic on the track.

But when Chen Xiangbei changed lanes, the car in front of him also changed lanes and blocked his way again, which made things a bit strange.

After carefully examining the car through the mask, I noticed its orange, white, and green paint scheme, which is the color of the Indian flag. It was obvious who the person was: Sutil, from the Force India team.

To be honest, Chen Xiangbei's deepest impression of Sutil was nothing more than his track clash with Trulli.

Aside from that, the two don't seem to have much interaction.

Not understanding what the other party wanted to do, and with Chen Xiangbei's attention entirely focused on controlling the race car, he didn't have time to play any track tag with Sutil.

So he changed lanes again, and this time stepped on the gas pedal hard, intending to shake off the guy.

Unexpectedly, Sutil accelerated almost simultaneously, determined to block Chen Xiangbei's car!
Once could be considered a coincidence, but twice would definitely be intentional.

Damn it, did this guy mistake someone else for someone else and accidentally get himself involved in his feud with Trulli?
Chen Xiangbei looked completely bewildered, but if Sutil knew what he was thinking, she would probably say that important people have such bad memories!

During the Bahrain Grand Prix, Chen Xiangbei arrogantly stepped on the gas and cut in front of Sutil, causing him to lose face.

More importantly, the Indian management of the team itself has a competitive mentality towards Chinese drivers and even the HRT team. They can't afford to lose to any other team but to the Chinese kid!
Sutil's loss in the race drew criticism from the driver management.

The two sides already had a history of conflict, and then HRT crashed off the track during the race, making Force India see HRT as their number one enemy.

At the last stop, Chen Xiangbei cut in front of him, and at this stop, he happened to run into Chen Xiangbei behind him. Of course, Sutil was determined to get revenge!
At this moment, during the period when drivers were returning to the track in large numbers, the unusual scene that appeared on the track naturally attracted the attention of the director's camera.

Watching the two cars "drawing dragons" on the track on the screen, the race commentator Reid was completely dumbfounded.

He knew nothing about the Bahrain Grand Prix and had no idea what was going on.

Prost, sitting next to him, had a playful smile on his face.

He was all too familiar with the intense atmosphere of the F1 paddock in the 1980s and 90s, where drivers constantly clashed.

Now we can see if the new Chinese talent is a tough guy or a coward.

(End of this chapter)