Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 233 The boy who slays dragons finally becomes a dragon
Hearing Trulli's "thank you" through the earphone, Chen Xiangbei's original intention was not teamwork, nor was he thinking about the other party's status as a teammate; it was purely to disgust and retaliate against Sutil.

But if we set aside the backstabbing and infighting and return to the essence of F1, a team that only competes and doesn't cooperate won't go far.

They can't possibly become a championship team!
In many situations, besides the zero-sum game of life and death between teammates, there is also a win-win situation.

For example, if Chen Xiangbei blocks Sutil, it not only allows Trulli to improve his ranking, but also, in a sense, allows Sutil to help him.

If Sutil wants to make an attack and cause trouble, he needs to surpass Trulli.

Soon, Chen Xiangbei's No. 13 race car arrived at the corner braking area. This time, he stepped on the brakes early to slow down, while keeping an eye on Sutil's line in the rearview mirror, ready to change lanes and block the other car at any time.

Sutil was unaware of Chen Xiangbei's thoughts. Furthermore, the two HRT drivers were locked in fierce competition at the start, showing no signs of being teammates. How could the Chinese kid possibly help his rival Trulli?
Chen Xiangbei's early deceleration was interpreted by Sutil as the Chinese newcomer lacking confidence in high-speed cornering and thus having to slow down.

With that in mind, Sutil did not hesitate to change lanes and turn around, preparing to lap Chen Xiangbei directly on this bend.

To his surprise, Chen Xiangbei reacted incredibly quickly, changing lanes almost simultaneously and blocking his car, effectively shutting out his overtaking route.

If it were just that, Sutil could understand. The two cars entered the corner one after the other. Chen Xiangbei not only did not think of taking the best cornering line, but also further reduced his speed at the apex of the corner to press down on the car, forcing himself to slow down at the same time and "have no way to go"!
At the same time, Trulli seized the opportunity to catch up quickly, and the two cars soon came side by side.

At this moment, Sutil finally understood Chen Xiangbei's true intentions.

The Chinese driver was slowing down and using his brakes to create an opportunity for Trulli to overtake!
"FUCK, is this some kind of fake teamwork nonsense?"

Sutil made a sarcastic remark with utter contempt: clearly both sides wish the other would "die" for the sake of team resources, yet now they're resorting to this cooperative dual-car tactic.

Since that's the case, then I'll take off your fake masks!
In this race, Force India has virtually no chance of scoring points. Sutil, who is completely barefoot, is he afraid of Chen Xiangbei, who is wearing shoes?
At that moment, a ferocious expression appeared on Sutil's face. Old and new grudges made him grit his teeth and step on the gas, intending to overtake directly with a torpedo.

If Chen Xiangbei gives way, even if he can't overtake, he can at least block Trulli.

If Chen Xiangbei doesn't allow it, then crash this Chinese guy's car onto the track to avenge his own crash into the wall during practice!
Chen Xiangbei was perfectly aware of Sutil's intentions and actions.

It can be said that from the very beginning, he was prepared for the other party to "perish together".

That would make it impossible for Sutil to succeed.

You're not even worthy of trading one for one with me!

In a flash, Chen Xiangbei simultaneously stepped on the gas and accelerated. The HRT race car was not the fastest in the paddock, ranking only third or fourth.

But it's not something a bottom-ranked team like Force India can pull off.

As long as Chen Xiangbei reacts quickly enough, with the added power response and acceleration, Sutil cannot catch up with TF110, let alone cause a torpedo collision.

Just as the "Mars rover" looks down on all living beings, the "Earth rover" can also crush the "Earth core rover," unless the driver has a 0.5-second advantage.

It's obvious that Sutil is not a god-level driver.

But what happened on the track next was completely unexpected by Chen Xiangbei.

Trulli, who was driving alongside Sutil, did not take the opportunity to overtake him. Instead, when Sutil accelerated and tried to veer north, Trulli swerved and the two cars collided sideways.

The slippery track, coupled with the lateral G-force of the corners, caused both cars to veer off the track without any suspense, leaving Chen Xiangbei completely dumbfounded.

"OM MY GOD, another accident has occurred on the track. HRT team veteran Trulli, while overtaking, may have slipped on the corner and collided with Force India team driver Sutil. Both of them slid into the run-off area, stalled, and retired from the race."

"The two had a similar collision last season, which almost escalated into a brawl. Now that the same thing has happened again, I don't know whether to call it a coincidence or..."

Commentator Reid didn't finish his sentence. Although the track broadcast cameras didn't capture enough details, it was clear that Trulli had made a deliberate lane change.

Whether this was due to skidding and loss of control or dangerous driving requires assessment and determination by the FIA.

Providing a definition in advance as a commentator inevitably raises suspicions of manipulating public opinion.

Of course, it's hard to say about Red, but there's someone else who would be perfect as a mouth double.

"Professor, what's your take on this track accident?"

Prost was highly respected, and since he was only a guest, he did not need to bear too much responsibility.

"An accident."

Prost uttered these words with profound meaning.

The young commentator was trying to dig a hole for himself, but he was still too inexperienced. The nickname "Professor" wasn't given for nothing.

Experience told him that Trulli did indeed cause the collision on purpose, but that didn't mean Sutil was a good person.

This Force India driver was also thinking of crashing into Chen Xiangbei's car in front of him!
There's nothing to say about reaping what you sow; the only thing that surprised Prost was why Truss went to help Chen Xiangbei.
You know, at the very beginning of the race, he almost wanted to knock his teammates off the track.

Chen Xiangbei was dumbfounded, Prost was surprised, and even the HRT team's strategy group didn't understand.

Only Trulli, after the car crash, wore a "revenge achieved" smile!

Last year, Sutil and Alonso's joint accusations not only made Trulli feel wronged and aggrieved, but the media offensive also directly affected his career, and no one wanted him after Toyota left the field.

Cutting off someone's wealth is like killing one's parents.

The hatred that comes from cutting off someone's career is even greater than the hatred that comes from cutting off their source of income.

Besides that, it was Trulli's inner pride and stubbornness that made him unwilling to owe Chen Xiangbei a favor.

At that moment, Sutil suddenly accelerated the torpedo. From Trulli's perspective, he had no idea whether Chen Xiangbei could dodge it. The only way to resolve the crisis was to strike first and knock the other party off the track.

If Trulli didn't do this and just watched Chen Xiangbei get knocked out, he wouldn't be able to get over his own conscience.

There was no great sacrifice of oneself to benefit teammates; it was simply a matter of "reciprocity."

Chen Xiangbei helped by pulling over the car, so it's time to return the favor!

However, the car crash was not over yet. Sutil, furious, rushed up to Trulli, intending to demand an explanation.

This time, however, Trulli remained remarkably calm, a hint of mockery on his face, as he left with the staff. There was no argument as everyone had anticipated, nor the "boxing match" in the paddock that the audience had expected.

The reason is simple: Trulli's anger stemmed from the fact that he had been wronged.

He deliberately caused the accident, so why are you angry?
The track once again had a single yellow flag speed limit, and Chen Xiangbei was unable to close the gap with Alonso. However, during the yellow flag speed limit period, the track surface conditions improved dramatically.

A track that can host an F1 Grand Prix must have obtained FIA Level 1 certification and meet many stringent audit standards, including track drainage.

As soon as the rain stops, the water on the track will drain quickly in a short time, and the driving lanes will dry even faster!
The two yellow flags that towed away the wrecked car allowed Chen Xiangbei to get through the most slippery and dangerous period. With the appearance of the green flag and the removal of the speed limit on the track, Chen Xiangbei ushered in his own killing moment.

Accelerate, accelerate like crazy! The grip of the soft red tires on a semi-dry road surface has already far surpassed that of the semi-wet tires.

Furthermore, the drivers in the front row are in an extremely difficult situation. If they pit for tires, there are less than ten laps left in the race, and it's impossible for them to make up for the 22-second window of opportunity.

Instead of stopping to change tires, Chen Xiangbei in the car behind showed unstoppable speed, and the distance between them visibly decreased.

Ultimately, none of the front-row drivers chose to pit for tire changes.

The car behind is just one Chen Xiangbei catching up; if they can't hold on, they'll drop a place.

If you need to change tires in the pits, you'll most likely fall off the podium.

Moreover, both Schumacher and Alonso have absolute confidence in their driving skills.

Chinese newcomers can surpass other drivers, but they can't surpass me!

"Terrifying, Chen Xiangbei, on soft red tires, closed the gap on Alonso by a full 3 seconds on this lap."

"At this rate, driver Bei could launch an attack in two laps at most. Could it be that he's really going to create a miracle and reach the podium?"

Looking at the data on the broadcast screen, Red was completely impressed by Chen Xiangbei's speed.

Once is a coincidence, twice is inevitable!
Regardless of whether Trulli's crash brought any benefits, the Chinese newcomer certainly possesses top-notch driving skills and absolute speed.

The F1 paddock has finally welcomed a top Asian talent!
"Miracle my ass, driver Bei clearly profited improperly."

"Now I understand. Trulli deliberately crashed into Sutil to trigger the yellow flag and give the driver a break from the danger zone."

"The severity of Trulli's crash is no less than the Renault crash scandal last year. Both involved sacrificing the second driver for personal gain. The FIA ​​should thoroughly investigate the HRT team!"

"How much money does Trulli actually have that he's willing to be cannon fodder for a Chinese guy like this?"

“Briatoli is a repeat offender; he was definitely the one who gave the order!”

An unexpected scene unfolded: as Chen Xiangbei closed in on Alonso, the audience in the stands collectively broke down in shock.

Chen Xiangbei already had a poor reputation on the Australian circuit, and the fact that a Chinese driver stole the spotlight made the white spectators and other drivers' fans feel very frustrated.

Now Chen Xiangbei is about to catch up with Alonso and stand on the podium, which has directly crossed their psychological bottom line and is unacceptable.

More importantly, Chen Xiangbei's pursuit method is highly suspicious of unfair gain. If Alonso is overtaken by a Chinese newcomer in this way, his fans will definitely not be satisfied.

Compared to Raikkonen's laid-back attitude, Alonso at his peak was definitely not a pushover.

The same goes for fans.

Hearing the audience in the stands pointing the finger at him, Briatore in the pit room wore a look of bewilderment.

To be honest, he really wanted to do that, but under normal circumstances, Trulli would definitely not cooperate.

As a result of a series of unexpected events, the desired effect was achieved.

Briatore didn't care about the insults and slander; he was like a man who had plenty of lice to bite.

Since the atmosphere in the audience is so lively, let's just go all out with something bigger.

Briatore pressed the call button on his headset and asked in a teasing tone, "North, want to hear a little secret?"

At this moment, Chen Xiangbei was highly focused. Extreme speed often means walking on the edge of losing control, not to mention that the track was only dry compared to rainy conditions, and was incomparable to normal track conditions.

Even the slightest mistake would send Chen Xiangbei hurtling forward at his speed, leaving absolutely no room for error.

Chen Xiangbei didn't even bother to pay attention to Briatore's inexplicable "madness," simply ignoring the noise in his headphones.

When Chen Xiangbei didn't reply, Briatore shrugged helplessly.

He then continued, "This secret is related to surpassing Alonso."

[Beyond Alonso?]

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiangbei became somewhat interested.

"explain."

He gave a brief reply, suspecting that the old rogue Huabu was up to something and didn't want to waste his breath.

"No one in the paddock knows Alonso better than me. He has a top-notch sense of tires and absolute confidence in his driving skills."

"This leads to his driving style and overtaking methods tending to choose the outside line, and to fully understand the width of the track and the limits of tire grip."

"Habit is a terrible force. It can make a driver stronger, but it can also become a weakness that can be exploited. It all depends on whether you can seize it!"

Briatore's tone became serious towards the end of his speech.

Florentino Pérez discovered Alonso and molded him into the strongest driver in the paddock, witnessing the king's growth and peak step by step.

Indeed, no one understands Alonso's driving style and habits better than him.

Hua Bu hadn't originally planned to say these things. On the one hand, under normal circumstances, Chen Xiangbei simply couldn't catch up with Alonso, so there would be no point in saying anything.

On the other hand, Chen Xiangbei's confidence in him was not yet at the level that he could challenge Alonso.

Both sides are equally important; helping Chen Xiangbei would mean betraying Alonso.

However, Chen Xiangbei's talent and speed at this stop earned him Briatore's recognition.

The previous claim that Chinese youngsters would become the next Schumacher and Alonso was just marketing hype and wild speculation.

Now, Hua Bu's intuition tells him that Chen Xiangbei will become the next Schumacher and Alonso!

Briatore trusted his intuition and was never wrong.

"I believe you can take down Alonso."

After saying this, Briatore hung up the team's voice chat and looked up at the broadcast screen above the paddock.

Behind the red Ferrari in the picture, a black and orange HRT race car appears.

The old red-blue battle is now history, and Alonso has donned the red jersey of his "enemy," Ferrari.

Now comes the era of Black Lightning challenging Red Prancing Horse.

Alonso, the dragon-slaying boy, eventually became the dragon himself!
(End of this chapter)