Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 218 Drivers Must Have Fighting Spirit

The race commentator, Reid, was completely convinced. The rookie had made it to Q3 in two consecutive Grand Prix races, and he had also used a completely new upgrade kit with entirely different characteristics. This could not be explained or covered up by the car's performance advantage.

Chen Xiangbei has already demonstrated his top-notch speed talent!

Qualifying speed determines a driver's ceiling, while the consistency of their performance in the race determines their floor.

Raikkonen's ability to leapfrog into F1 was due to the countless track records he broke in the lower-level formula racing, much like Verstappen's later success in the junior formula scene.

To be honest, Chen Xiangbei also succeeded in "fishing" (a Chinese idiom meaning to exploit someone's weaknesses), but due to the limited number of sessions, his performance lacked persuasiveness.

The current results are the most powerful response!
"MY GOD, Bei is really amazing, I can hardly believe he is a Chinese driver."

"The fact that Chinese newcomers possess such strength and speed completely overturned my previous understanding."

"Chen Xiangbei and Raikkonen will become the strongest duo in the paddock!"

Encouraged by Renault's exclamation, fans from various countries screamed.

The problem isn't the madness in the paddock, it's the poor quality.

When you become strong enough, you'll find fans all over the world.

Of course, the doubts have not stopped. Many viewers believe that the rumors about not undergoing wind tunnel testing and negative upgrades are just smoke and mirrors released by the HRT team.

Everyone knows about Trulli's past feud with Briatore. If there were a negative upgrade aerodynamic kit, wouldn't Trulli be the first to use it?
The fact that Trulli used the old kit that Chen Xiangbei had removed proves that the new upgraded kit definitely offers a significant improvement.

Despite having a new upgraded kit, Trulli still couldn't beat Trulli with the old kit. How could the race commentator Reid have the nerve to praise the Chinese guy? Is he probably just paying people to promote him?
"Shut up, if you're so capable, let North Rover surpass Trulli first!"

"Raikkonen is a world champion, what champion is Chen Xiangbei?"

"After advancing to Q3, he's trying to stir up trouble again. If Raikkonen returns to the paddock, he'll make the North Rover's taillights disappear!"

Amidst the clamor from all sides, perhaps no one expected at the beginning of the season that a young Chinese player could cause such a stir in the paddock, somewhat rivaling the hype surrounding Schumacher's comeback.

The two HRT race cars returned to the pit stop, and the team members gathered around to give Chen Xiangbei and Trulli a high-five in celebration.

Compared to Chen Xiangbei's beaming smile, Trulli's smile seemed forced.

He genuinely couldn't understand whether Chen Xiangbei's upgrade kit altered the car's characteristics or if the Chinese kid was exaggerating, claiming that he truly possessed top-notch driving skills and adaptability, enabling him to control the car in just one race.

If it is the former, Chen Xiangbei's first-person in-car video clearly shows that he made many corrections in the corners, which is inconsistent with the car's characteristics that were previously emphasized for cornering grip, proving that there is indeed a tail swing.

If it's the latter, then I'll really become a defeated opponent of the newcomer.

This is hard for Trulli to accept, after all, he once defeated Alonso, who was also a first-year rookie, twice!

The intervals between qualifying sessions are very short. Basically, the drivers just need to drink some water or go to the toilet before they have to sit in the car cockpit and wait.

During this break, Odeto emphasized some points to note to Chen Xiangbei.

"North, the track temperature has exceeded 30 degrees Celsius. You need to pay attention to brake and tire cooling, and reduce extreme operations such as heavy braking when cornering."

Due to the reduced downforce of the race car, Chen Xiangbei's TF110 experienced a situation where its top speed increased on the straightaways but its cornering speed decreased.

To improve his overall lap time, Chen Xiangbei not only needs to push the limits of cornering, but also needs to maximize his speed advantage on long straights.

This means that he must brake hard to slow down before entering the corner, otherwise he will go too fast and run out of control.

Heavy braking is suitable for overtaking and outmaneuvering opponents, but it puts a lot of stress on the brakes and tires.

Even though the temperature wasn't low during the transition from spring to summer, Chen Xiangbei's brake discs were still visibly red-hot from being "quenched." If the temperature were any higher and the heat dissipation any worse, flames might even have been seen emerging.

Verstappen once pulled off an extreme hard braking maneuver to warm up the tires, causing the front tire temperature to rise rapidly. So extreme was that when he returned to the starting grid for the race after just one lap, the left front tire was engulfed in red flames.

Once an open flame appears, it's no longer heat conduction; it will directly burn the tire!

"Are we going to change our running style again?"

Chen Xiangbei frowned, feeling as if he were driving a Red Bull race car from a future era.

If you say its absolute performance is weak, Verstappen still managed to get pole position.

You could say this car has great performance, but it's also incredibly difficult to drive, demanding an astonishing level of skill from the driver.

For an average mid-level driver, driving a Red Bull race car means certain death, finishing at the bottom.

Even a powerful Autobot like Verstappen can experience situations where he's either a god or a demon.

"Otherwise, should I modify the race car?"

Odette shrugged; he'd seen far too many bizarre race cars in his years in the paddock.

Chen Xiangbei is quite lucky; at least for now, the performance of his HRT racing car is in the upper-middle tier.

It's important to understand that the vast majority of newcomers start their journey from the bottom-ranked teams, and even later champions like Leclerc and Russell, who achieved three consecutive championships, are no exception.

Newcomers have no right to complain about their environment.

"alright, I got it."

Chen Xiangbei wisely shut up.

Odette, this old Italian man, wasn't exactly known for his good temper, but compared to Briatore, this old rogue, he seemed like a wise and patient teacher.

Now that they've achieved the team's pre-race goals in Q3, Odette has become somewhat "unrestrained."

The third qualifying round will proceed as scheduled at 3:40 PM.

In contrast to the relaxed atmosphere of the HRT team, the atmosphere of the other teams was very serious and tense.

The competition between Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren, in particular, is extremely fierce.

Although Red Bull cars have a slight edge in absolute speed, they are far from reaching the level of later Mercedes W11 and Red Bull RB19, which have a significant lead. It depends more on the driver's condition and performance.

Red Bull wants to create a new dynasty, while Ferrari and McLaren want to be great again; neither is willing to back down.

In addition, there is Michael Schumacher of the Mercedes team.

His defeats to his teammate Rosberg in both qualifying and the race in the previous race were obviously unacceptable for Schumacher, who had reached the pinnacle of his career, not to mention the fans around the world who had such high expectations for him.

Whether it's to prove himself or to give back to the fans, Schumacher must defeat his teammate in this race.

Finally, there's Renault's Kubica, who once again beat his rookie teammate Petrov to become the team's sole representative in Q3.

After two races in the new season, the "crash scandal" has caused Renault's decline, and the once "Big Three" teams have completely fallen behind, with a new "Big Four" teams emerging both inside and outside the paddock.

Even newcomers like HRT have taken a stand against Renault.

Of course, whether HRT's success stems from its strong inheritance of Toyota racing technology or the weakness of the Russian newcomer Petrov remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Renault only has Kubica as a truly competitive player!
"Kubica, aim for a top-five finish in qualifying."

Before the start of the race, Renault team principal Brillier reiterated the team's objectives.

"I'll try."

Kubica nodded; this was also his personal goal.

Upon hearing Kubica's answer, Buril hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"If I can't finish in the top five in qualifying, I need to be faster than driver North at the very least."

Renault is currently in a slump, especially after Kubica went off the track in the opening race, which drew criticism from the public.

Robert Kubica, a championship contender from the "golden age," was sitting at the same table as HRT drivers while driving a Renault.

Even more outrageous is that they still didn't win!

This public opinion has had a significant negative impact on the Renault team, particularly on its revenue from commercial sponsorships and advertising.

Without the demeanor of a strong team, sponsors naturally won't offer the price of a strong team.

Just like the Williams team, which has already fallen from grace, can it still get the same price as Ferrari?
The answer is obviously no.

Renault's fifth-place ranking in the paddock is now in jeopardy after losing to HRT once again!
"no problem."

Kubica's tone was very firm, without the slightest hesitation.

It's worth noting that when he first entered the paddock, he and Hamilton were considered the two rising stars.

Hamilton has now become a world champion and is considered a leader among the new generation of drivers, while Kubica is still struggling in a mid-table team.

Although Ferrari has made it clear that they are very interested in Kubica and intend to invite him to join the team.

However, the standards of elite racing teams are very high. If someone can't even outrun a freshman, the invitation could be rescinded at any time.

Kubica also needs to prove himself.

"GOOD, let's go!"

Brill patted Kubica on the shoulder with a word of encouragement, then looked toward the HRT team's pit area and saw the "extremely relaxed" Briatore.

His appointment as Renault manager was made possible by Briatore's departure.

However, the Renault team carries the deep imprint of Briatore, and to create a new era for Renault, it must surpass its predecessors.

To some extent, this was also Buril's own selfish desire; he wanted not only Renault to beat HRT, but also for himself to defeat Briatore!

The roar of F1 engines echoed from the garage as race cars sped toward the main track.

Since the third qualifying session is only ten minutes long, after deducting the warm-up lap and tire change preparation time, teams can only complete a maximum of two flying laps. Teams that are in a hurry or lack confidence will choose to pit early to give themselves one more lap to run.

HRT did not release their cars immediately; Odette was waiting for good traffic conditions on the track to avoid a repeat of the situation where they were blocked in Q1.

As the cars on the track gradually increased their distance, Odette finally gave the starting command, and Chen Xiangbei stepped on the gas and drove onto the main track to warm up his tires.

Although he was almost a minute late, Chen Xiangbei still had plenty of time to run two laps, so he wasn't in a hurry to warm up the tires.

The TF110 race car was driving at a leisurely pace. Just as Chen Xiangbei was accelerating with the accelerator after the last bend, preparing to cross the starting line for a dynamic start, another race car came out of the bend and followed closely behind him.

Chen Xiangbei didn't pay much attention at first, since there were still ten cars qualifying on the track, and it was normal for two cars to meet.

Moreover, now that we're in Q3, everyone wants to make the most of qualifying time and secure a better starting position. No one is going to engage in any underhanded tactics or slow down to block anyone.

Front row drivers, more or less, still need to save face.

But when Chen Xiangbei finished the long straight at the start, he saw the car behind him catching his wake and constantly closing the distance.

And that's not all. After entering the corner, T1 immediately opted for heavy braking, bringing the two cars out of the corner to within ten meters!
It's important to know that F1 cars are nearly five meters long, so ten meters is just two car lengths, which is well within attack range in an official race.

Theoretically, after catching the slipstream in qualifying, should you brake hard and follow so closely to avoid being affected by the turbulence from the car in front?

After all, qualifying shows the fastest lap time, not the overtaking rankings.

Through the rearview mirror, Chen Xiangbei could clearly see the other car's black and yellow color scheme and the number 11 on the front.

Without a doubt, this is Renault driver number 11, Robert Kubica.

Sensing that the other party's intentions were somewhat off, Chen Xiangbei still did not retaliate.

The driver must remain calm and avoid road rage; he should focus more on his qualifying rhythm.

So Chen Xiangbei floored the gas pedal, trying to shake off his opponent and get a faster lap.

However, Chen Xiangbei suddenly accelerated, and Kubica behind him also accelerated. The two cars are currently neck and neck in terms of absolute performance. In addition, Kubica is indeed very talented and can accurately catch the slipstream of Chen Xiangbei in front of him.

After several turns, the two race cars remained one after the other, as if they were staging a chase, and Chen Xiangbei had not managed to shake off Kubica.

【what's the situation? 】

The unusual scene on the track naturally attracted the attention of everyone in the paddock.

Everyone was wondering how the two cars ended up together and which one was the slower one.
As time went on, the flying lap was halfway through. On the second long straight of the Albert Park circuit, Kubica's slipstream effect accelerated again, and he directly caught up with Chen Xiangbei's car, with the distance between them reduced to less than five meters!
Even someone who knows nothing about cars can see that something is wrong in this situation; Kubica is suspected of provoking and driving aggressively.

Is this an attempt to get revenge?

Chen Xiangbei looked at Kubica in the rearview mirror with a cold expression.

Many car enthusiasts in later generations remember Kubica primarily for his title of "one-handed racing god".

In fact, Kubica in his early days had a very strong personality and an extremely aggressive and "dirty" driving style, almost a carbon copy of Hamilton. It's no exaggeration to call the two the two rising stars.

On the contrary, after the car accident, without that strong competitive spirit, Kubica's personality became much more easygoing.

Just as Chen Xiangbei was hesitating about whether to respond, or how to respond.

Briatore's voice came through the headphones.

"Bei, are you afraid of trouble?"

"Not afraid."

"If you're not afraid, then take down Kubica!"

Briatore was very excited, believing that making it to Q3 in qualifying was enough, and that drivers had to show their toughness and fighting spirit.

Whether it was against Schumacher or Alonso, he used the same standard!
(End of this chapter)