Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 226 Challenging the Real Championship Contenders
The commentator's words left the audience in the stands speechless. Not to mention the "haters" who looked down on Chinese drivers, even Chen Xiangbei's most loyal fans could not imagine that he was really that strong.

Trulli, who once defeated the up-and-coming Alonso and possesses the skills of a mid-table driver in the paddock, could not withstand Chen Xiangbei's all-out attack!
"Taking a combination bend at 300km/h, these Chinese guys are really fearless."

"Is Chen Xiangbei really that strong? He's already shown full-throttle cornering twice today."

"To achieve such speeds, one needs exceptional car feel and handling. The former relies on talent, while the latter relies on skill. Driver Bei Zhen may be able to rival Raikkonen."

"I feel that we might witness a Chinese driver making history at this Australian Grand Prix!"

A chorus of praises and exclamations arose as Chen Xiangbei impressed many in the audience with the high quality of his series of offensive and defensive maneuvers.

The talent this kid is showing really reminds me of Kimi Räikkönen back in the day!
"We need to put pressure on young people to unleash their potential, and that will end the competition within the team."

"I'm the manager who understands the drivers best!"

Briato said this with a smug tone; the guy always had a high opinion of himself.

Odeto and others did not refute this, nor could they refute it.

Whether it's luck or keen insight, the Italian veterans certainly have a knack for unlocking drivers' potential and bringing out their individual personalities.

In the paddock, results speak for themselves. Briatore succeeded and became known as "Briatoli the Saint"!
Since they've failed, their words and actions have become nothing more than empty talk, which will also be called "nonsense".

Seeing that Odette and the others were "convinced," Briatore pressed the call button again, but this time the target of his order was not Chen Xiangbei, but Trulli, the driver of car number 14.

"Truly, Rosberg behind the car, create an environment for the North to attack the vanguard."

Now that the number one and number two drivers have been decided, Trulli must take on the responsibility of blocking the second driver's cars, and if necessary, he will sacrifice his own interests for the sake of the team's performance.

"Manager, isn't it a bit cruel to make Trulli press the car down now?"

The competition engineer, Soter, suppressed his anger and asked a question.

There's really nothing to say about accepting the consequences of a bet, but as a team manager, you should at least consider the drivers' feelings and emotions.

Is it necessary to be so realistic and ruthless?
"cruel?"

"Sott, this is the paddock."

"Turulli should be grateful that at least after Toyota withdrew, I gave him the opportunity to still drive."

Briatore's tone was very flat, even indifferent.

He could understand Soter's dissatisfaction and anger, but after years in the paddock, he had long since become indifferent to the value of emotions.

Compared to being the second driver or a wingman, the cruelest thing is for a driver to have no car to drive!

Regardless of any past grievances between Briatore and Trulli, he ultimately allowed Trulli to remain in the paddock and continue driving an F1 car on the track.

This response left Sott speechless. Indeed, with Toyota's sudden withdrawal, Trulli was on the verge of retirement, and no team extended an olive branch to him.

Although Trulli was able to join HRT in exchange for Ferrari's second-hand wind tunnel.

But in reality, this does not play a decisive role.

Trulli can't get into HRT without Briatore's approval!

Trulli on the track was in a daze before hearing Briatore's instructions.

During the winter testing practice races, he had made an agreement with Chen Xiangbei that whoever set the fastest lap would become the team's number one driver and receive priority access to resources.

As a result, the competition ended without a clear outcome due to factors such as the grudges against Suttier and the engine failure of the Toyota.

Lap speed has always been Trulli's strength and something he is very proud of. Even after his performance in the opening race was worse than Chen Xiangbei's, Trulli is still full of confidence and believes that the outcome is still uncertain!
Today's overtaking maneuver shattered Trulli's preconceived notions.

The Chinese newcomers not only outpaced their opponents in absolute speed, but also surpassed them in offensive and defensive maneuvers and in their control of overtaking opportunities.

We lost, we lost completely!

Briatore's instructions through the earpiece snapped Trulli out of his daze, and at the same time, he caught a glimpse of Rosberg closing in from behind.

Contrary to race engineer Sott's expectations, Trulli was not so fragile. After taking a deep breath, he obeyed the team's instructions to block Rosberg, who was chasing from behind.

The reason is simple: after more than a decade of professional experience, Trulli has long been familiar with the ruthlessness of the paddock!

Just like Barrichello prefers to be the second driver and is forced to give way to Schumacher?

Having experienced the tragedy in Brazil, does Massa not want to win back in front of the home crowd, but instead want to act as Alonso's wingman?
Or perhaps Bottas really has no dreams at all, and isn't he envious of Hamilton becoming a seven-time champion?
The answer is of course no.

When it comes to food, you just have to accept your fate!

Moreover, regardless of how much they openly disliked Briatore, or how many grudges and conflicts existed between them.

Trulli always had a clear understanding of his place: it was Briatore who gave him the opportunity to stay in the paddock.

If you're going to lose, you have to be able to accept it. Trulli wouldn't do something like kicking someone after they've served their purpose.

Since Briatore did not switch to a separate channel, Chen Xiangbei, who was running ahead, also heard the instruction through his headset.

To be honest, he didn't think Trulli would comply, or at least not so readily.

After all, the timing of the order to issue the floral fabric order was a bit "outrageous".

However, through the rearview mirror, Chen Xiangbei saw that Trulli had no intention of pursuing further. On the contrary, he slowed down and ran along the defensive line, doing his best to block Rosberg, who was trying to catch up from behind.

Has Trulli accepted reality?
The phrase "able to afford to lose" seems simple, but in reality, very few people can actually do it.

After spending several months together, Trulli's volatile and decisive temper made him an unapproachable teammate.

However, one advantage is that they don't play political games and are not cunning.

If the other party is willing to accept the role of the second driver, they might become a "good teammate".

The ever-changing situation on the track left Chen Xiangbei little time for reflection. The continuous overtaking and battles of offense and defense had created a large gap between him and the Masala in front of him, and he needed to do his best to catch up.

The drivers in the front group were theoretically engaged in fierce competition as well.

The driver who happened to be ahead of Massa was named Michael Schumacher!

Schumacher went all out at this race, giving Massa absolutely no chance to overtake.

In addition to his formidable reputation as the racing legend and his toughness demonstrated in years of competitive racing, Massa dared not risk a crash by attempting to overtake, and the performance of the Ferrari car was also insufficient to overpower the Mercedes W01.

With no other option, Massa could only follow behind, waiting to see if the "red and blue duo" of Schumacher and Alonso would spark any intense action that would allow him to capitalize on the opportunity.

Twenty-one race cars roared around and around, and soon the race reached the ninth lap.

HRT team's pre-race strategy, Chen Xiangbei adopted a one-stop tactic, which means that the soft red tires currently in use must be used for at least twenty laps before pitting to consider switching to medium yellow tires or hard white tires for the entire race.

However, plans often go awry. Excessive wear caused by locked tires, coupled with the back-and-forth battles triggered by continuous overtaking, meant that Chen Xiangbei's red tires had already passed their peak grip by the ninth lap, let alone reaching 20 laps. Furthermore, the sidewalls in the locked-up area were very thin, posing an extremely high risk of a tire blowout. "Bei, the tires might not hold up. Let's prepare to pit early."

Looking at the data from the car's sensors, Odette gave a reminder via the team's voice prompts.

How far behind Massa am I now?

Chen Xiangbei asked.

"2.3 seconds."

Upon hearing the figures reported by Odeto, Chen Xiangbei fell into deep thought.

My tires have already passed their peak grip, and the car in front of me, Massa, also started with soft red tires, so theoretically their wear levels should be about the same.

But this is only in theory.

Massa did not engage in fierce offensive and defensive battles, only making tentative attacks on Schumacher before choosing to give up, spending the rest of the time on safe driving techniques.

Besides the difference in driving style, tire wear also depends on the characteristics of the race car.

Some vehicles wear out tires very quickly, while some race cars look brand new even after dozens of laps!

The most obvious period of this difference should be the Haas and Red Bull teams in the 23 season.

Back then, Verstappen of Red Bull was basically just "sightseeing" ahead. His lap times were already incredibly fast, and when paired with the relatively tireless RB19, he created an unparalleled spectacle.

The Haas team serves as a cautionary tale. At the time, both drivers, Magnussen and Hulkenberg, had excellent lap times and frequently achieved very good qualifying results.

As a result, tire wear was extremely high, and the team disappeared midway through the race, becoming the bottom-ranked team in the paddock.

The Ferrari season has only had one opening race so far, so the tire wear level is still unclear.

However, Chen Xiangbei was clear on one point: the tire wear rate of his TF110, which was equipped with the new upgraded kit, had been greatly reduced.

As long as the locked area doesn't get a flat tire, it should be able to run a few more laps without any problem.

“Odetto, I want to try to catch up with Massa.”

[Chasing Massa?]

The team's strategy group members were stunned when they heard Chen Xiangbei come up with this idea.

What's this kid thinking? Could it be that beating Trulli has made him arrogant, and he thinks that Brazilian driver Massa is nothing special?
"Xiang Beijun, even if you can catch up with a 2.3-second difference, there's no chance of overtaking. Don't take unnecessary risks."

Hiroki Sawano immediately spoke up to stop him.

Taking risks is a challenge for drivers, but it depends on whether it's worthwhile and meaningful.

For example, if Chen Xiangbei attacks Trulli, he only needs to achieve a cornering speed of 300 km/h in the T7 high-speed combination corner to overtake and win the number one driver position.

Chen Xiangbei's desire to challenge Massa is an impossible feat; persisting in this will only lead to a tire blowout and even greater losses.

Despite Hiroki Sawano's advice, Chen Xiangbei did not respond; he was still weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

Immediately afterward, Mizutani Shoya spoke up: "North, the Ferrari's lap time is basically the same as yours, and with the advantage of its tires, you have no hope of overtaking."

Sho Mizutani was quite blunt this time, even drawing a definitive conclusion.

Actually, his words were relatively "tactful," not mentioning that besides the tire advantage, there was also a gap in the two players' abilities.

It's important to know that Massa possesses top-tier long-distance and single-lap skills in the paddock. It was precisely because of these two strengths that he, along with Kimi Räikkönen, helped Ferrari regain the Constructors' Championship after a two-year absence.

And he was the world champion for half a minute in 08!
Even though Massa has weaknesses in rain driving and some wheel-to-wheel performances, this gap is still significant compared to historical champions like Schumacher, Alonso, and Hamilton. It's not something that newcomers or mid-table drivers can easily exploit.

Chen Xiangbei's idea was a product of youthful impetuosity.

Even if Mizutani Sho didn't say it, Chen Xiangbei could understand what he was trying to say.

However, compared to the strategy team members, Chen Xiangbei also has a god-like perspective on history.

Those were the drivers whose performance plummeted in the 10 season, and it wasn't just Schumacher, but also Massa!

During the 09 Hungarian Grand Prix, a spring from the rear suspension of Barrichello's car detached and struck Massa in the head at 240 km/h, penetrating his goggles and causing serious injuries to his left forehead and skull, a life-threatening situation.

From then on, Massa's competitive form, like that of the injured Schumacher, plummeted.

The 10 season had only just begun, and Massa didn't show any major problems in the opening game, so the world didn't realize the impact of his head injury on him, let alone expect that Massa would fall so quickly.

Throughout the year, Massa was outscored by Alonso in points, completely relegating him from a championship contender in 08 to a mere wingman.

No matter how history changes, Massa's injury remains the same.

Chen Xiangbei was certain that this Brazilian driver had lost his peak strength and competitive form, and that he was not as hopeless as Mizutani Sho had said!
"Mizutani, I still want to give it a try."

Without explaining why, and unable to explain why, Chen Xiangbei reiterated his stance through the team's voice chat system.

Faced with Chen Xiangbei's insistence, the strategy team members at the outdoor command post exchanged glances. Chief Test Engineer Mazzola spoke up: "The tire wear of the newly upgraded kit at this station is relatively low, and there is still room for further progress."

"only……"

Mazzola didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present understood what he meant.

The problem still exists in the area that was previously locked; the tire sidewall is too thin in that spot!

"North, if you can't lead Massa by one second on the next lap, then pit."

Odette set a goal: to finish one second ahead of Massa on a single lap.

If you can't do this, then overtaking becomes meaningless, and you won't even be able to catch up!
“COPY.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Xiangbei gave his answer.

Immediately afterwards, he floored the accelerator, and the TF110 race car engine roared, propelling it at full speed to chase after the Ferrari race car ahead.

At the same time, Chen Xiangbei felt a strange excitement and a surge of passion.

Although he had defeated Kubica and Rosberg, to be honest, Kubica's title of "championship contender" was more based on the predictions given by his past performances. The fall of a genius always brings some sympathy.

As for Rosberg, he was indeed a world champion, but his peak was in the 16 season.

Rosberg today is far from meeting the standards of a champion.

Massa, however, was different. In the 08 season, he genuinely competed for the title until the very last race, and even became the world champion for half a minute.

This will be the only true championship contender Chen Xiangbei has ever challenged on the track!

(End of this chapter)