Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 217 Only the Strong Become the Center

When Red asked this question, Prost did not respond.

The reason he was nicknamed "Professor" was not because Prost had any degree or any position at the university.

Instead, it emphasizes that Prost used his brain in the competition, analyzing things as clearly as a professor in an academy.

Why would such a smart person take on an obviously controversial topic?
Objectively speaking, even setting aside the hidden racial discrimination in F1, Chen Xiangbei's actions after entering the paddock have made him many enemies.

Needless to say, his publicity stunt against Raikkonen went too far, and with Briatore's encouragement, he directly offended a large number of Finnish drivers, including Kovalainen, or those from Scandinavia who were friendly with him.

The conflict with Sutil during the practice match also affected his friend Hamilton and his "ally" Alonso.

Rosberg's post-match comments and Chen Xiangbei's strong response subtly positioned Chen Xiangbei as an adversary of the German forces.

Adding to the unpleasantness with Kubica, upon closer reflection, Chen Xiangbei really does have the potential to become a "big villain" in the paddock.

Although many of these grudges are not intentional, no one in the paddock cares whether it was intentional or unintentional.

A strong young driver is destined to face a "besieged situation on all sides".

Not to mention that Chen Xiangbei has no powerful background, even Verstappen, a second-generation driver and the heir to Red Bull, was considered a notorious "giant baby" in his early years, and there were countless accusations against him by paddock drivers.

To put it more simply and bluntly, the weak have no right to be scorned, only to be ridiculed.

Only the strong will become the eye of the storm in the paddock!

Prost did not reply, but many spectators in the stands were indignant.

"What exactly is going on? What happened to the promise of fair competition on the track?"

"You even accused Chen Xiangbei of dangerous driving and lack of sportsmanship during the opening match. Is this kind of obstruction what you call sportsmanship?"

"Either change lanes and block the car directly, or don't resort to such underhanded and despicable tactics!"

Amidst a cacophony of shouts and curses, Chen Xiangbei's supporters were indeed a tiny minority compared to the 100,000 audience members present.

But at any time, the silent majority always make up the majority.

Blocking the lanes on the track is indeed a very dishonorable act; drivers should let their speed speak for itself!

Of course, where there are supporters, there are also opponents.

Soon, some voices of rebuttal began to emerge, who did not believe there was anything wrong with this action.

"Shut up, what do you mean by blocking the lanes? The other drivers are just driving normally. Are you suggesting we clear the track for one Chinese guy to run in qualifying?"

"Is driver Bei some kind of paddock superstar? Does he deserve to be targeted by a group of people?"

"What a bunch of fragile people. Other drivers have also been blocked by slower cars. Who would be as vulnerable as you?"

In a sense, this is indeed a matter where both sides have their own reasons.

In almost every F1 race, there are instances of slower cars blocking the way during qualifying, and there have even been bizarre cases of drivers changing lanes without checking their rearview mirrors, nearly causing accidents on multiple occasions.

For example, Aston Martin driver Stroll, nicknamed "Young Master," never looks in his rearview mirror when changing lanes, giving him a relaxed feeling as if he's driving a race car in his own living room.

In such cases, unless a serious racing accident actually occurs, the FIA ​​will generally only issue a few words of greeting in the TR voice chat and will not issue any penalties.

As for Chen Xiangbei's situation, let alone punishment, it doesn't even meet the standard for a warning. It's like a "tractor" occupying the fast lane on the road. What can he do besides complain?
As for Chen Xiangbei, he didn't even bother to complain. He was highly focused and his attention was entirely on controlling the device.

With a tap of the accelerator, Chen Xiangbei changed lanes and overtook the car, sprinting forward at lightning speed.

Hesitation leads to defeat, and indecisiveness leads to slowing down!
Instead of worrying about whether others are deliberately blocking your way, you should take down the opponents in your way as quickly as possible!
"Impressive. Faced with the special situation on the track, Bei demonstrated the mental qualities of a top driver. He overtook the slower car in front with extremely sharp speed. The whole process was smooth and effortless."

"You know, many newcomers are often affected by this situation and give up their speed laps. However, Bei's overall speed did not change much. In fact, compared to his fastest lap in the third practice session, he even managed to get a green lap on the same corner."

"This means that even with slower trains blocking its way, North still managed to overtake itself!"

Reid's comments came from the bottom of his heart; he simply couldn't believe that a newcomer from China could deliver such a brilliant performance under such complex track conditions.

It's important to know that due to the influence of stereotypes, Reid initially didn't have a good impression of Chen Xiangbei.

I think this Chinese driver is more like a clown trying to attract attention.

However, Chen Xiangbei surprised Red with his speed and performance.

That Chinese kid was absolutely amazing!
Hearing Red's praise beside him, Prost also showed an expression of appreciation on his face.

The professor didn't respond earlier because he was well aware of Chen Xiangbei's situation, which was similar to that of Japanese drivers entering the F1 paddock in the 1990s. He was destined to become an "outcast" and a "public enemy" for a period of time.

In the early days, Japanese drivers lacked the ability and often chose to swallow their pride and then quietly withdraw from the paddock.

Chen Xiangbei, on the other hand, was different. From beginning to end, this young Chinese man showed a strong sense of courage and would not give in.

This personality is very similar to that of Ayrton Senna in the past, always full of aggression on the track!
"Bei's speed is good; he should be in the top five for now this lap."

Prost gave his prediction: although Chen Xiangbei was obviously faster than him in practice, encountering obstacles and overtaking would inevitably affect his performance.

It must be admitted that the professor's calculations were indeed precise.

Car number 13 roared across the finish line, and the track's big screen displayed the lap count almost simultaneously.

1 minutes 25 seconds 288.

The pinyin initials of Chen Xiangbei's name instantly jumped to fifth place on the list!
This achievement drew applause from the HRT team's pit lane.

Although the first qualifying session is not yet over, he is only in fifth place, and this is not the final starting grid position.

But everyone knew very well how valuable this speed was!

Just a day earlier in the practice match, Chen Xiangbei was unable to control the upgraded kit.

Just one day!
Despite encountering slow cars repeatedly, Chen Xiangbei still managed to achieve a fifth-place finish in Q1. His learning and adaptability are simply phenomenal.

Trulli, who had returned to the pit lane first, stared wide-eyed at the rankings on the big screen, his face filled with shock. No one knew better than himself how perfect his performance in Q1 qualifying had been. He had completely mastered the old kit and the inherent characteristics of Toyota cars, coupled with his familiarity with the Albert Park circuit, to get a time under 1 minute and 24 seconds.

As it turned out, Chen Xiangbei was less than 0.3 seconds slower than him!
It's worth noting that in previous practice matches, Chen Xiangbei was 0.5 seconds or more slower.

It was a near-perfect performance. In contrast to Chen Xiangbei being blocked by slower cars, both players' lap times were caught up.

If everything goes smoothly for Chen Xiangbei, will he even be able to maintain this 0.3-second advantage?
Reality was somewhat cruel, and Trulli dared not think any further. Was he really getting old and about to be replaced by young geniuses?
"North, ranked fifth in Q1, returning to the P room for maintenance."

Oddo gave Chen Xiangbei instructions, meaning that he should finish the Q1 qualifying session early by pushing only one flying lap.

This kind of instruction is very common in the F1 paddock. Basically, if a team determines, based on data and analysis of its opponents, that the time achieved will not lead to elimination, it will recall the driver to the pits for pre-race maintenance.

On the one hand, it can give drivers enough rest time, and on the other hand, it can save on engine and tire costs.

The HRT team's problem with reserve power units remains unresolved, and the Toyota Group will need time to reorganize and resume production, at least until the next Grand Prix.

"COYP".

Chen Xiangbei did not raise any objections. A fifth-place ranking should secure a spot in Q2, so there was really no need to push it another round.

Often, there may seem to be a dozen or so teams in the F1 paddock, but in most cases, only six or seven are truly competitive, and the rest are basically just there for show.

Especially before the F1 budget cap was implemented, as long as the major teams did not make mistakes in their R&D direction, there was an invisible chasm between them and the smaller teams. Newcomers such as Lotus and Virgin could not keep up with Ferrari and Red Bull no matter what.

Even mid-table teams like Sauber and Williams, with their established reputation and experience, are gradually falling further and further behind.

The 09 and 10 seasons can be considered the last era of fierce competition before the implementation of the budget cap!
As soon as the TF110 race car returned to the pit lane, the team's mechanics immediately surrounded it, manually pushing the car around to "back into the pit." Then came the maintenance and fluid replenishment, in preparation for the upcoming Q2 qualifying session.

As for Chen Xiangbei, he was standing in front of the monitor screen. There were still five minutes left in the first qualifying session, and theoretically the drivers could still make two flying laps.

Of course, this is only in theory; it is very difficult in practice.

The track remains crowded, and drivers in the elimination zone will not let go of the last moment when the road has good grip; they will do everything they can to squeeze into Q2.

As for the drivers ranked outside the top ten, they also need to push for another lap to prevent themselves from being eliminated.

The race cars sped by, their engines roaring throughout Albert Park.

Next, Chen Xiangbei and Trulli witnessed a scene that surprised them.

The qualifying results not only pushed down the ranks of ten or more drivers, but also kept changing the top spot on the leaderboard.

Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton, and Schumacher—eight drivers from the four major teams—all opted to push for another lap. Even drivers with past grudges, such as Kubica, Kovalainen, and Sutil, were unwilling to "be second best."

As race cars crossed the finish line one after another, Chen Xiangbei's ranking plummeted, dropping all the way to eleventh place, while Trulli was just barely on the edge of the top ten!
This situation was somewhat beyond Chen Xiangbei's expectations. The "save your gun" instruction in team qualifying is very common, and it is equally common for things to go wrong.

However, such accidents mostly happen in the seventh or eighth place, which is an awkward position. It would be a bit exaggerated if the fifth place could be eliminated.

"What, are you panicking?"

Seeing Chen Xiangbei's solemn expression, Briatore asked a question with a half-smile.

"The word 'panic' doesn't exist in my dictionary."

Chen Xiangbei responded forcefully, saying that they should never show weakness to an old rogue like Huabu.

"Hehe, not bad."

"Kid, don't worry, you won't be eliminated. In my experience, it's the opponents who will be anxious!"

As Briatore spoke, his voice and demeanor changed; he was no longer the jovial type, but more like a ruthless boss.

Chen Xiangbei's speed put pressure on the drivers in the paddock, who were eager to accelerate and eliminate the young Chinese driver.

Unfortunately, they can't do it!
"That's right, the opponents are getting anxious."

Odeto coldly accepted the remark, and for once, publicly agreed with Briatore.

Just as Hua Bu and Odeto predicted, Chen Xiangbei's ranking did not continue to decline, and he maintained his eleventh place ranking to successfully advance to Q2.

However, this also served as a reminder to Chen Xiangbei that he needed to drive faster in order to advance to Q3 and even achieve a higher ranking, otherwise he would really be at risk of being eliminated.

After a short break, the second qualifying session began on time.

Compared to the traffic congestion during rush hour in Q1, only fifteen cars were competing in Q2, resulting in a significant improvement in track traffic conditions and giving teams more flexibility in choosing when to start.

The second quarter of the qualifying rounds signifies a clash of titans.

The four major teams—Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull—theoretically occupy eight qualifying spots, with other drivers vying for the remaining two.

This includes Renault, a weakened giant, as well as established powerhouses like Sauber and Williams.

HRT's attempt to have both cars advance to Q3 again is undoubtedly a fight for survival!

However, the intense competition within the team, coupled with the desire to demonstrate a tough attitude, drove Trulli and Chen Xiangbei to push forward relentlessly.

This is the true essence of motorsport: only by risking your life to challenge the limits of speed can you achieve the fastest lap time and results.

Fate will not let down the brave. Trulli and Chen Xiangbei both advanced to Q3, ranking eighth and ninth respectively.

Although Chen Xiangbei fell behind Trulli again, the difference in their lap times has narrowed to 0.1 seconds!
Watching Chen Xiangbei's ever-increasing speed, Trulli really didn't know what to say. The Chinese kid seemed to be constantly evolving on the track!
Meanwhile, the fans on the track erupted in thunderous applause. Chen Xiangbei's consecutive advancement to Q3 completely shattered any doubts about "luck" or "chance," proving that he possessed absolute strength.

"Let's congratulate HRT team on advancing to Q3 with two cars again. It's hard to believe they're a newcomer to the paddock this year. Are they really going to replicate the opportunity that Brawn GP team had last year and challenge the status of the big teams in the paddock?"

"In particular, Chen Xiangbei, a newcomer from China, finished in Q3 for two consecutive races and continued to close the gap with his teammates, proving that he has gradually mastered the HRT upgrade kit."

"According to rumors, the HRT upgrade kit did not undergo complete wind tunnel testing and was entirely adjusted and modified based on driver feedback, which means that driver Bei has extraordinary talent in car tuning."

"When Bei said he could be compared to Kimi Räikkönen, many people, including myself, probably thought it was a joke."

"I have a feeling that Bei might really become the next Kimi Räikkönen!"

(End of this chapter)