Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 235 Growing Ambition

"I can't even begin to describe the shock this Chinese kid brought to the game. He surpassed Alonso in an extremely clean and sharp manner."

"Driver Bei has achieved the ultimate in route control, timing, and even anticipation of opponents' responses."

"You can tell that the driver did a lot of preparation before the North Asian race; he knows Alonso's style and habits very well!"

With Chen Xiangbei's lap time being 4 seconds faster than Alonso's, Reid anticipated that the rookie might overtake Alonso.

But he didn't expect that overtaking would be so quick and "easy".

Judging from the broadcast footage, it looked like Chen Xiangbei made a feint before completing the inside pass.

There was no intense fighting, nor any dangerous moves to force the opponent to give way. Chen Xiangbei's entire routine was very clean, a perfect example of technical overtaking!
"The move was indeed very beautiful. Driver North accurately predicted Alonso's defensive route. On the contrary, Alonso clearly did not have a good understanding of Driver North's abilities."

There is an old Chinese saying: "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

"So it's only natural that Alonso was overtaken."

After saying this, Prost probably realized that his words could easily offend people.

So he added, "However, as the world champion and currently the strongest driver in the paddock, Alonso has too many challengers to deal with and pay attention to, so he can't spend a lot of energy on a newcomer."

"This is the destiny of a king!"

Proust's words are not without reason; the higher one climbs, the colder it gets.

Alonso faces far too many challenges, while Chen Xiangbei, placed in the paddock, is at most a minor player, and it's normal for them to be in a situation where the enemy is in the dark and we are in the light.

However, both hosts guessed the wrong direction. In fact, apart from his God's-eye view, Chen Xiangbei didn't pay much attention to Alonso.

The reason is simple: even Chen Xiangbei himself did not expect to be able to challenge Alonso in his second Grand Prix in his F1 career.

Instead of wasting time and effort targeting top drivers, it would be better to focus on understanding the competitors in the midstream group. Challenges require gradual upgrades, and aiming too high will only lead to more harm than good!

Therefore, Briatore deserves more credit for being able to exploit the loopholes in the opponent's habits.

On the track, Alonso watched the number 13 car gradually disappear into the distance, his eyes filled with disbelief.

When other drivers are overtaken while driving on the outside, it is generally referred to as "driving too far," which is considered a mistake.

Alonso, however, is different. He takes the initiative and always keeps the pace of the game in his own hands!

It was precisely because of his superb driving skills and absolute confidence that Alonso was able to go head-to-head with Chen Xiangbei's soft red tires on semi-rain tires, showing a tough attitude of having the newcomer figured out.

To everyone's surprise, the newcomer was so cunning that he made a feint and quickly overtook the car from the inside.

Furthermore, Alonso had a feeling that his mental state and actions were all within Chen Xiangbei's expectations, which was why the other party was so calm and precise.

Are Chinese guys really that good at "car dealerships"?
To become a legendary driver in F1, aggressiveness and recklessness can only be used to gain an advantage; what truly allows one to stand firm in the racing world is "intelligence."

Even for a player as strong as Verstappen, the "turret" style was only during his rookie phase. After winning his first world championship, you could feel that his driving style became more and more stable, and he no longer made unnecessary risky moves.

For example, the kind of torpedo maneuver where you throw a race car into a bend and let the other side have it.

Of the two GOTA-level drivers of this era, Schumacher's style is closer to the racetrack, full of passion and tension.

Alonso's style is actually more like Prost's; his strengths lie in intelligent driving and long-distance pace.

This is not to say that Alonso is conservative, but rather that he belongs to the "technical style".

Take overtaking as an example. Alonso rarely makes those aggressive inside pressure maneuvers. He prefers to push the limits by overtaking on the outside or by using a combination of lines in the corners.

Many times, watching Alonso's cornering control closely can be an indescribable pleasure, showcasing the ultimate in racing driving control!
It was thanks to his top-notch technology that Alonso was able to dominate the automotive world for two decades, from naturally aspirated engines to turbocharged engines, and then to the hybrid era.

From traditional overtaking with exhaust tips to the new generation of DRS overtaking.

In the past, most of the young paddock drivers that Alonso faced tended to be impulsive and reckless.

After all, challenging this formidable opponent in the hunting grounds by relying on technical skills is no different from showing off one's axe skills in front of Guan Yu.
You might as well try taking a chance and maybe you'll succeed.

Chen Xiangbei's previous image in various media and public opinion was that of an arrogant and conceited person. Alonso never expected that his opponent would show a completely different side and use a skillful overtaking maneuver.

Interesting, really interesting...

Realizing Chen Xiangbei's "hypocrisy," Alonso's lips curled into a mocking smile.

It seems I was really careless and got tricked by the newcomer.

Alonso was able to accept his defeat with equanimity, but most of the audience members found it unacceptable.

"How is it possible that Alonso couldn't stop the Chinese newcomer?"

"What exactly happened just now? How did Bei overtake so easily?"

"Even if there are differences in tire performance, this kind of scene shouldn't occur!"

"FUCK, does that mean the Chinese are really unstoppable?"

Various voices of heartbreak and indignation rose up. If even Alonso could not stop Chen Xiangbei, the audience could not imagine who could stop car number 13.

"The new king" Hamilton, or "King of Cars" Schumacher?

In fact, Hamilton's current situation is on the verge of being unstoppable.

Of course, what he couldn't stop wasn't Chen Xiangbei, but Schumacher, who was relentlessly pursuing him!
In the past 10 seasons, Mercedes' performance ranked only fourth fastest in the paddock, and there was a significant gap in points between them and the top three Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari.

Schumacher's comeback was hampered by old injuries and the need to adapt to new tires and a regenerative braking system, resulting in a mediocre performance; he didn't even outrun his teammate Rosberg.

But the rain at Albert Park level leveled the playing field.

Furthermore, with the championship title within reach, Schumacher seemed to have summoned his former self, unleashing a speed beyond his current form, matching the unstoppable brilliance of a seven-time champion.

Even the "new king" Hamilton was still a bit lacking!
The pressure from the chase and attack made Hamilton's defense increasingly difficult. Several times, Schumacher had already completed his turn, but chose to give up under the threat of the opponent's "mutual destruction" defense.

Hamilton has always been a driver with historic speeds and a very aggressive and not-so-clean style. There are almost no drivers who can get the better of him wheel-to-wheel.

This includes Schumacher today, and Verstappen in the future.

Schumacher, equally tough this time, remained calm, believing that his aggressive and risky approach was aimed at reaping greater rewards.

He has now secured second place in the leg of the race, and a crash would mean his points are reduced to zero.

Moreover, he noticed Hamilton's shift in mentality; a continued offensive approach would lead to pressure-induced errors from his opponent. Lap 53, lap 54, lap 55…

The Albert Park circuit has a total of 58 laps, meaning the race is now in its final three laps.

The prey, struggling desperately, will eventually reveal its weakness, and the hunter Schumacher has his chance to overtake.

In the T7 cornering defense, Hamilton, in pursuit of speed, turned the steering angle slightly too large, causing the wheels to slip on the curb.

In the brief moment of correcting his line, Schumacher seized the opportunity and overtook him with lightning speed, taking the lead.

When this scene appeared, the entire audience erupted in cheers.

Whether you're a Schumacher fan or not, you can't deny that he has become a symbol of F1, and countless people are looking forward to the king's return!
Schumacher! Schumacher! Schumacher!

The thunderous shouts echoed throughout the Albert Park circuit, even drowning out the roaring engines of the race cars in the paddock.

But at that moment, some sharp-eyed observers noticed that Hamilton's danger was not limited to one place. A "black ghost" appeared right behind him, like the Grim Reaper welcoming its prey.

Without a doubt, this car belongs to Chen Xiangbei, who caught up with them!
"They've caught up! Chen Xiangbei caught up with Hamilton during the offensive and defensive battle!"

"From ninth in qualifying to third, he's about to launch an attack on second place. Where exactly is driver Bei's limit?"

"Chen Xiangbei, you have not disappointed me. China is destined to produce a world-class driver!"

"Bei, overtake one more, and let the world witness your speed!"

"That's right, let's surpass one more!"

The frenzy sparked by Schumacher's overtaking hadn't subsided when the fans at the scene were ignited by Chen Xiangbei's speed.

Before the race, even if people were to make wild claims, apart from Chen Xiangbei himself, no one would dare to boast that he could stand on the podium, or even catch up with the runner-up position in the event.

However, once this goal was achieved, the fans' inflated ambitions led them in an uncontrollable direction. They expected Chen Xiangbei to go even further and defeat Hamilton, the strongest new generation driver in the paddock.

Chinese drivers can also try wearing the crown of the "new king"!

"Hamilton, give up chasing Schumacher and focus all your efforts on defending driver North."

McLaren's team instructions soon came through the headset.

Hamilton is no longer thinking about the championship; he needs to hold onto his second-place position for the next three laps.

The car behind, Chen Xiangbei, was traveling at a very high speed on soft red tires. In addition, Hamilton had just been overtaken by Schumacher, so his mentality must have been unstable, making him easy to be overtaken by others.

Following the instructions of race engineer LS, Hamilton reluctantly shifted his gaze from the Mercedes car in front of him to the HRT car in his rearview mirror.

To be honest, before Chen Xiangbei caught up with the car, Hamilton never took this Chinese newcomer seriously.

This isn't about discrimination; after all, he's a Black man who has suffered from discrimination himself.

Instead, after Hamilton entered the paddock, he broke various F1 records as if cutting melons and vegetables, and the outside world basically regarded him as the next superstar driver. He just needed to use more championships to consolidate the foundation of the throne.

His eyes were only on Schumacher and Alonso.

Only by completely defeating the two champions, past and present, can the future belong to you!

Who would have thought that the person appearing behind their car would be a newcomer named Chen Xiangbei?

Holding his breath and concentrating, Hamilton quickly adjusted his state, as one of only two drivers in history to win seven world championships.

You can question his character, his words and actions, and even his sexual orientation.

If we look at his driving skills without prejudice, his status as a well-rounded individual is beyond doubt.

Hamilton's comparisons have always been with drivers like Senna, Schumacher, and Alonso.

To some extent, placing him in the comparison list of all-time greats implies that Hamilton himself is at that level, something even Vettel, the four-time champion, falls short of.

His only weakness is that his lack of self-discipline leads to fluctuations in his performance.

Among all the GOAT drivers of all time, Hamilton is arguably the least disciplined, focusing too much of his energy on entertainment, fashion, and even political correctness that have nothing to do with racing.

Even if he hadn't met his mentor Dennis, who used his prestige and power to pressure him into training, he might have been a flash in the pan or had a high start but a low finish, far from achieving the seven-time champion status.

Of course, that's all history now; the Hamilton of today is not the same Hamilton who would later become a seven-time champion.

Compared to Hamilton, who had calmed down, Chen Xiangbei at this moment could be described as having "no distracting thoughts".

A top-three finish has already achieved the pre-race goal and fulfilled the boastful words he made.

Having reached this point, Chen Xiangbei was simply enjoying the competition and challenging the strong.

Often, only by being completely focused can one achieve 100% performance.

If you add the passion and excitement that comes from challenging stronger opponents, then Chen Xiangbei's performance can be described as exceeding expectations.

He displayed an extremely fierce, even ruthless, attack, letting Hamilton experience what a storm is like, and what it means for the new generation to surpass the old!

"Team leader, the tire difference is too big. Hamilton might not be able to hold up in the last two laps."

McLaren's data analyst Miller, with a worried expression, reported to team manager Whitmarsh.

Soft tires have a crushing advantage over semi-wet tires. If it weren't for Chen Xiangbei's continuous pursuit and the battle between him and Alonso that wore down the tires, the tires would have already passed their peak grip.

They might have already overtaken them.

When prompted by the data analyst, Whitmarsh didn't discuss the track situation. Instead, he asked, "Miller, I remember during the rookie testing phase, you mentioned that Brawn GP had a very fast rookie who overtook our test driver, Parfit, in a single lap."

"Is he the driver Bei?"

Last year, during the rookie testing phase, Chen Xiangbei used an older Honda race car to defeat McLaren's renowned "Silver Arrows".

Miller, the data analyst who was present at the time, submitted the test report to the team's management, and Whitmarsh glanced at it briefly.

At that moment, he was just a little surprised, but didn't pay too much attention to it.

Unexpectedly, just one year later, this rookie in the report was already able to challenge his own team's ace!

(End of this chapter)