Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 241 Theoretically Possible Chance of Winning the Championship
Chen Xiangbei naturally couldn't sign Alonso's name, but he promised Zhou Guanyu that he would bring him an Alonso souvenir in the future, such as a helmet from his Renault days.

After all, Briatore was Renault's team manager and Alonso's agent, so handling this little thing shouldn't be a problem for him.

In the following time, Chen Xiangbei stayed at the club and watched the junior students train. To be honest, their performance was indeed quite good.

The main factor is that people like Zhou Guanyu and Ye Yifei did not start from scratch without any foundation; they had already been exposed to go-karting training in China for some time.

However, due to limitations in the domestic infrastructure and the lack of a Formula One training system, it is very difficult for them to upgrade further.

They either need to train abroad or choose to change careers.

Zhang Zhicong's karting club has solved the difficulties of training for racing-level karting.

Meanwhile, the early reputation of Huasai Sports, the foundation of Honda's Japanese coaching staff, and Chen Xiangbei's appearance at the Australian Grand Prix all gave this karting club a unique status.

This is why Chen Xiangbei was able to "coincidentally" run into Zhou Guanyu and Ye Yifei at this moment.

There is no better, more professional, or more famous go-karting club in all of China.

If they want to improve, they must come here to train.

In a sense, the Huasai Karting Club will become the cradle of Chinese motorsports for at least the next decade.

During the training session, Masaharu Ito invited Chen Xiangbei to drive a lap, as a demonstration for the young trainees, to make them realize how terrifying F1 drivers are.

Chen Xiangbei certainly wouldn't refuse such a small request.

In fact, many famous F1 drivers, such as Verstappen and Leclerc, also occasionally go to the karting training ground to run a few laps.

One reason is to relieve stress.

On the other hand, go-karts can provide drivers with the most direct feedback on their feel for the car, helping them regain their former form and sensitivity.

However, Chen Xiangbei's driving line was indeed impeccable, demonstrating F1-level driving skills, but his speed was comparable to Zhou Guanyu's track record, without the kind of crushing dominance that the public perceives.

The reason is simple: the huge difference in thrust-to-weight ratio caused by body weight.

Chen Xiangbei was about ten years old when Zhou Guanyu weighed twice as much. Putting him on the go-kart was like overloading him. In addition, Chen Xiangbei had a casual attitude, so it was naturally difficult for him to leave the track record by a large margin.

In fact, a similar situation occurred with Haas rookie driver Berman in later years.

There was a go-kart track next to his hotel in Sweden, so Bellman tried to break the track record by wearing light clothing and removing some parts to reduce weight.

To minimize the impact of airflow, he kept his head down and hunched over the steering wheel the entire time, and even deliberately chose to do laps when the temperature was lowest in the morning.

Even after exhausting all these methods, the result was only a mere 0.05 seconds faster than the track record.

It's fair to say that weight has a much greater impact on go-karting than one might imagine.

After spending a day on Hong Kong Island, Chen Xiangbei crossed the border back to his home in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Having learned his lesson from the airport landing, Chen Xiangbei did not choose public transportation this time. Instead, he drove Zhang Zhicong's Volkswagen R36 back without notifying anyone.

When he took out his keys and pushed open the door, he saw his mother, Zhao Yumei, standing nervously at the door with a mop in her hand.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

Chen Xiangbei asked, puzzled.

When Zhao Yumei saw that it was her son who had returned, she was stunned.

She never expected Chen Xiangbei to suddenly appear, and the inexplicable sound of unlocking made her think a thief was trying to pick the lock.

"Xiang Bei, you're back?"

As if unsure, Zhao Yumei asked again.

"Mom, I'm back."

Upon hearing this reply, Zhao Yumei put down the mop in her hand, took a step forward, and hugged Chen Xiangbei tightly.

"You came back without telling me, catching me completely off guard!"

"Mom, do I need to report to my family before going home?"

Chen Xiangbei replied with a smile that he had wanted to give his mother a surprise.

"I have to make something you like to eat!"

After saying that, Zhao Yumei carefully looked Chen Xiangbei up and down, wanting to see if her son had lost weight in the past year or so.

Contrary to her expectations, Chen Xiangbei not only didn't lose weight, but on the contrary, he appeared very strong and muscular, a stark contrast to his previous pale and thin high school student appearance.

The high-intensity professional training, along with the expertise of physical trainers and nutritionists, ensures that F1 drivers are among the best in the world, with no weaknesses whatsoever.

Aside from some unfamiliarity with the taste of foreign food, its nutritional content is certainly no less than that of home-cooked meals.

Zhao Yumei's concerns, typical of traditional parents, are actually somewhat unnecessary.

Of course, scientific theory is one thing, and emotion is another.

After Zhao Yumei pulled Chen Xiangbei to sit down, she quickly went to the kitchen to prepare a meal.

The mother and son sat at the dining table, eating while listening to Chen Xiangbei recount his experiences abroad.

However, Chen Xiangbei concealed the hardships and dangers of his career, only mentioning the easy and glamorous side.

Zhao Yumei wasn't entirely clear on this either. If her son, Chen Xiangbei, hadn't gone to F1, she might have been involved with Formula racing for the rest of her life.

But Zhao Yumei is very proud of one thing: the news of her son's appearance on the stage was broadcast on TV, and he was called the pride of Chinese racing!

At that moment, she truly understood her son's dream of choosing racing.

After finishing the home-cooked meal, Chen Xiangbei went to his high school to invite his teachers and ask them to contact his former classmates so that they could go to the Donghai International Circuit to watch the home Grand Prix if they had time.

Just like Mercedes' rising star Antonelli later invited his teacher and classmates to Imola circuit to witness his home debut.

Now that his high school classmates have graduated and gone their separate ways, Chen Xiangbei doesn't know how many will come back, and many of their friendships and memories have faded.

But he still extended an invitation.

After all, this kind of opportunity may only come once in a lifetime.

Of course, Chen Xiangbei will contact his real friends, Fatty Wang and Glasses Zhou, himself. They will arrive directly at the team's pit garage to watch the game.

After doing all this, Chen Xiangbei stayed at his home in Guangzhou and Shenzhen for a few days, putting the competition and his career behind him, and briefly returning to a normal, peaceful life.

When television news reported that the various F1 teams were about to arrive at Donghai International Airport, it meant that Chen Xiangbei's leisurely time was over and he was about to transform into the world's top professional driver.

Chen Xiangbei bought plane tickets for his mother, Zhao Yumei, to arrive in Donghai on Sunday to watch the main race. He then called Qin Lianjie, and the two took turns driving their Volkswagen R36 to Donghai to avoid the enthusiastic fans.

The last time I "drove" to the East China Sea like this was with Uncle Liang in a Subaru Impreza.

Walking through it again now, I have a sense of déjà vu, as if everything has changed.

"Xiangbei, how have you been these past few days?"

Qin Lianjie asked a question while driving.

"It feels like a dream, a kind of unreal feeling, and I'm not used to it."

Perhaps Chen Xiangbei had become accustomed to the high-intensity pace of the competition, and the peaceful life made him feel somewhat unreal.

No wonder many drivers engage in extreme sports during their off-season; the adrenaline rush from speed and passion on the track is indeed addictive.

"To be honest, seeing you on stage during the live broadcast felt like a dream," Qin Lianjie replied with a smile. He knew Chen Xiangbei was exceptionally talented and would definitely achieve great results in the future.

But to everyone's surprise, he managed to reach the F1 podium in just over a year in Europe.

A Chinese driver taking the stage was something that would have been unthinkable in the domestic racing scene in the past.

If this isn't a dream, what is it?
"Really? Then you might not wake up again."

"So confident?"

Qin Lianjie understood the hidden meaning in Chen Xiangbei's words.

"Why drive an F1 car if you don't have confidence?"

"really!"

Qin Lianjie nodded in agreement, saying that top drivers should be worthy of the pride and domineering presence of top drivers.

"Heading north, we hope to see you take the stage at Donghai Station, your home ground."

Qin Lianjie made a wish, saying that compared to taking the podium at the Australian Grand Prix, taking the podium at the China Grand Prix undoubtedly has extraordinary significance.

"Just going on stage?"

"what do you mean……"

"I want to reach the top!"

Upon hearing Chen Xiangbei's reply, Qin Lianjie swallowed hard.

If Chen Xiangbei's previous demeanor was one of confidence, then at this moment it can be described as "overbearing."

At this moment, Chen Xiangbei gave him a completely different feeling than the boy he had before.

"Alright, then let me witness you reach the summit with my own eyes."

Qin Lianjie offered his best wishes, but in his heart, he took Chen Xiangbei's words more as a declaration to boost morale before the competition.

Australia's victory is already a dream come true; can China, playing on home soil, really claim the title?
Reason tells you that Qin Lianjie is unlikely.

However, it's good that Chen Xiangbei has this ambition. If even the driver himself doesn't dare to think about it, then it's truly impossible.

After a long journey of more than ten hours, the Volkswagen R36 arrived in the East China Sea.

Tomorrow is Friday's practice session, but Donghai is already showing a grand F1 atmosphere, with various promotional brochures about the Donghai Grand Prix lining both sides of the road.

At the entrance of the Donghai International Circuit, there are huge posters of twenty-four drivers, with Schumacher and Chen Xiangbei on the left and right, respectively, placed in the front and most conspicuous positions.

The silver Mercedes and the black HRT create an atmosphere of a fated showdown.

"Heading North, this poster is truly stunning."

Qin Lianjie stood in front of the gate, looking up at the huge poster, his tone full of amazement.

In the poster, Chen Xiangbei is wearing a black and orange racing suit, with his arms crossed in front of his chest, and his gaze is fixed firmly on the distance.

The bright red national flag on the belt stood out against the black racing suit, marking the first time the F1 Chinese Grand Prix had its own home driver, instead of being someone else's stage.

"Okay."

Chen Xiangbei replied casually, but in reality, he was just as shocked as Qin Lianjie.

This was his dream for two lifetimes, and Chen Xiangbei, who hadn't come with the team, was also seeing his own giant poster for the first time. The emotional impact of that reaction was indescribable.

"Okay, I've delivered it. You can go in now."

Qin Lianjie waved his hand, saying that the Donghai Circuit was currently closed, and the team and staff could only enter if they were allowed to.

"Thanks."

"Do we need to be so polite with each other?"

I'll come back to cheer you on during the match!

"it is good."

Men don't need to be too sentimental. After a brief farewell, Chen Xiangbei drove his Volkswagen R36 alone toward the track pit stop.

Since the Chinese Grand Prix and the Australian Grand Prix are two weeks apart, the teams have plenty of time to complete the pit setup and track wiring, so there aren't many staff members working at the moment.

However, the HRT team was completely different; the technical team and team engineers were still working hard on assembling the race car.

So much so that when Chen Xiangbei arrived at the vehicle's pit garage, no one noticed him at first.

"Manager Briatore, is the race car not assembled yet?"

Chen Xiangbei asked a question with some surprise.

It's worth noting that Briatore is usually quite carefree, but he is extremely strict and serious when it comes to team management.

Today is Thursday, and there shouldn't be any images of race cars not yet fully assembled.

The sudden sound startled Briatore, who was focused on assembling the race car.

He instinctively wanted to curse, but upon seeing that it was Chen Xiangbei, his expression immediately changed.

With a slightly joyful and excited tone, he said, "Bei, do you want to know why the assembly is so late?"

"Speak directly."

Chen Xiangbei really didn't want to waste words with that old Italian rogue.

Once you get into his rhythm, he might do something unexpected or dig a hole for you.

This time, however, Briatore didn't dig a hole, and the late assembly of the race car was not unexpected.

"North, do you know how hard the engineers at headquarters have been working lately? Design Director Bob even lost all the hair he had left. Dozens of hours in the wind tunnel cost over five million US dollars. And Toyota is even trying to sell the engine design blueprints at a high price..."

"Speak the key."

Faced with Briatore's incessant complaints, Chen Xiangbei chose to interrupt.

"The key point is that the TF110 has been reborn, overcoming the shortcoming of unstable high-power engines, and the horsepower has been restored to over 800."

"At the same time, we have redesigned the entire rear vehicle layout, leaving more space for the exhaust gas drive kit, increasing the intake of cold air to combine with the hot exhaust gas, thereby reducing the pressure on the rear wheel braking system."

"In summary, the upgraded HRT racing computer simulation data shows an improvement of nearly 0.3 seconds compared to before, which puts us at roughly the second fastest car in the paddock."

Briatore paused for a moment, a smug smile spreading across his face, and said, "It's even possible that we've already caught up with Red Bull!"

In the F1 paddock, whether a driver can win the championship or not, the car is always the most important factor.

Even drivers as strong as Schumacher, Alonso, and Verstappen, who have a 0.5-second advantage, can't outrun mid-table drivers if they encounter a tractor.

Moreover, this 0.5-second advantage often depends on a combination of favorable timing, location, and circumstances. For example, it might be perfectly suited to the characteristics of the race car, or the driver might be in top form, or the driver might be on a track they are extremely good at.

It's not about actually being able to outpace other drivers by 0.5 seconds in every race with the same car.

After all, the gap between F1 drivers isn't that big.

If Chen Xiangbei's previous championship aspirations were based on potential and talent, then the team has now provided him with solid skills.

When a skilled driver is combined with a fast race car, Chen Xiangbei has all the prerequisites to compete for the championship!
(End of this chapter)