Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 243 How can you compete for the championship without going to extremes?

Back at the team's pit stop, the mechanics, having completed the assembly, were conducting pre-race checks according to the established procedures.

This time, Liang Chi and his team were exceptionally serious, as they did not want any instability issues to occur on China's home turf.

For many F1 drivers, home-field races are more than just about achieving results; they're a kind of spiritual symbol. Just like when the 08 Olympics were held at the Bird's Nest, countless Chinese athletes stood on the podium with tears in their eyes.

On the other side, Trulli led his racing engineering team and returned to the pit ahead of time. Compared to Chen Xiangbei's relaxed appearance, Trulli's expression was very serious.

After the Australian Grand Prix, Trulli returned to the UK headquarters in London and worked tirelessly on a racing simulator in hopes of getting a head start on the new upgrades to his car, so he could overtake Chen Xiangbei and meet Perez's challenge.

No driver wants to leave the F1 paddock in disappointment, and Trulli is even less willing to be kicked twice by Briatore.

Whether for the sake of his seat or for his own dignity, Trulli wanted to stay.

However, the feedback he received after driving on the racing simulator was so overwhelming that Trulli was on the verge of a breakdown.

He never imagined that Chen Xiangbei's talent for adaptability would be so exaggerated!
The new upgrade conditions are indeed theoretically very fast, but the cost is that it changes from understeer to oversteer, and is accompanied by various fishtailing from time to time, which is almost like completely changing the car.

Trulli, in his thirties, was considered a veteran driver of the previous era. Back then, racing simulators were not very advanced, much like the "Little Tyrant" (a popular Chinese mobile game console). Aside from using them to familiarize oneself with the track, their actual training effect was equivalent to playing QQ Speed ​​on a computer.

Older drivers adapted to racing cars through real-world testing. To minimize damage, they often opted for conservative steering adjustments, resulting in cars that tended to understeer in most situations.

Trulli crashed countless times on the racing simulator after suddenly encountering a car that was almost "drifting".

If it were just a matter of racing style, that would be one thing. However, at the Australian Grand Prix, Chen Xiangbei was also experiencing the new upgraded kit for the first time, and the tuning data was still raw and had not even been tested in the wind tunnel. On top of that, he encountered an unexpected rainy race.

In this situation, the TF110 race car became a sled in Trulli's eyes, but Chen Xiangbei adapted to it in just a few practice races and successfully made it into Q3 in qualifying.

Furthermore, without adjusting data sharing, Chen Xiangbei achieved his goal of taking the stage in the rain.

Trulli, an F1 prodigy, has seen countless talents throughout his more than ten-year career.

Raikkonen, Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel...

These are all considered to be Trulli's successors.

Even these so-called prodigies still went through a period of adaptation and a slump.

Apart from Hamilton, who peaked right from the start, no one can control a car just by driving it casually.

Chen Xiangbei did it.

This talent is unbelievable to Trulli; it probably can't be described by the usual F1 prodigy standards. Will he become the next world champion, or even the successor to the racing legend?
Chen Xiangbei was unaware of Trulli's situation in the simulator at the UK headquarters, let alone the shock he was experiencing.

He just felt that the way the other person was looking at him was a bit strange. Could it be that Perez's early joining the team made Trulli feel threatened and uncomfortable?

"Trullelli, how's everything going on the track?"

Odeto then asked a question.

Although he favored Chen Xiangbei, he was still nominally the chief race engineer for both drivers.

In particular, Odette was well aware of Trulli's simulator driving performance, as the veteran driver was not well-suited to the upgraded car.

Perez's arrival at the East Coast Circuit suggests either that Telemex has made some kind of promise, or that he himself is eager to enter the F1 paddock and even intends to end the GP2 season early.

Either way, it means Trulli doesn't have much time left to adjust.

"Fortunately."

Trulli nodded; even if things didn't go smoothly, he couldn't afford to publicly show weakness.

After saying that, Trulli turned to Chen Xiangbei and asked, "Bei, how do you adjust yourself to adapt to a car with understeer?"

If it weren't for Perez's appearance, Trulli wouldn't have taken the initiative to "ask for advice" from Chen Xiangbei, even for the sake of his pitiful pride.

The reason is simple: they refused to share shunting data at the previous station, but they want to gain experience from others at this station.

That's really shameless...

But compared to saving face, Trulli wanted to stay, driven by his curiosity.

To be honest, Trulli believes he has considerable talent, at least at the level of a standard mid-table driver in the paddock, and he even "double-killed" rookie Alonso.

Why can't I handle the new upgraded kit?
Chen Xiangbei was somewhat surprised by Trulli's question, but without much thought or hesitation, he replied.

"Feel the sway of the car's rear end, don't resist small corrections and fine-tuning in the corners, and brake relatively early and smoothly. Avoid slippage in the corners by accelerating early out of the corner."

Without holding anything back, Chen Xiangbei shared Verstappen's experience from later generations.

As for why it wasn't his own, the reason is simple: Chen Xiangbei has the background of a rally driver, and he prefers heavy braking and late braking combined with the precise steering of the front of the car, which is fundamentally different from Verstappen's cornering logic.

During the opening race, Trulli gave Chen Xiangbei his first-person view video from the car, so he was very familiar with the veteran's cornering style.

When it comes to driving skills, those who learn from me live, those who imitate me die!

There is no single correct answer, only the method that suits you best.

Whether he can do it or not depends on Trulli's talent and comprehension, after all, Verstappen's abnormal perception of the rear of the car is not something everyone can possess.

But as long as you reach 50% of your strength, you can run faster than before.

"I'll give it a try in the practice match, thanks."

"You're welcome. You helped me in the same way during the opening game."

Chen Xiangbei waved his hand, actually not taking the matter of refusing to share vehicle dispatch data to heart at all.

Sharing is someone else's right, not their obligation.

Many things are based on the idea that a small favor is appreciated, but a large favor is resented. If you take it seriously, you'll feel like the whole world owes you something; if you don't care, it's a trivial matter.

Just as the two were chatting, Perez walked into the P room, instantly making the atmosphere slightly awkward.

It was Chen Xiangbei who broke the deadlock by greeting Perez, after which Trulli offered a perfunctory remark.

This is the atmosphere of an F1 team, filled with competition, where perfect harmony is rarely possible unless one driver chooses to completely back down and accept their weaker position.

The problem is that drivers who are positioned as mere tools find it difficult to establish themselves in the F1 paddock.

After all, racing is a game where you risk your life to chase the wind and freedom.

Without fighting spirit, you can't reach peak speed, let alone achieve amazing results.

Over time, they will be abandoned by the team.

Of course, Chen Xiangbei can't change these things; he can only rely on time to gradually work things out.

Just like his relationship with Trulli, they went from being rivals and friends to gradually working as a team and now even exchanging racing experiences. Perhaps one day in the future, the two of them can sit down and have a nice drink together.

After completing the race, Chen Xiangbei did not follow his usual practice of watching and studying the race videos of drivers of this era, nor did he memorize the cornering lines and techniques.

This doesn't mean Chen Xiangbei is lazy or complacent, but rather that he has faster cornering routes in mind and a stronger first-person perspective for the driver.

Verstappen, Hamilton, and even Piastri—their races at the Donghai International Circuit became the goals that Chen Xiangbei learned from in later generations, and he even came to watch the races live several times.

As I said before, no one in this era understands the Donghai International Circuit better than Chen Xiangbei!
Although I didn't watch the video, I didn't miss my workout after returning to the hotel.

Odette felt somewhat displeased by this "strange" situation, but did not say anything more.

He is a team leader and chief engineer, and even an elder who watched Chen Xiangbei grow up, but he is not a nanny!
Chen Xiangbei is now an adult, and he needs to be responsible for his actions.

If we lose because of overconfidence at home, then there's nothing to say; that's the price we pay.

The night passed, and it was Friday, the practice session for the F1 Chinese Grand Prix.

Donghai International Circuit is one of the F1 circuits with the largest capacity for spectators. If tickets were sold openly, it could accommodate an astonishing 200,000 people at the same time.

However, since the first F1 Grand Prix was held in 2004, the number of spectators has been declining. After Schumacher retired and F1 entered a period of decline, the number of spectators at the Donghai International Circuit was only between 100,000 and 150,000, many of whom were students who bought tickets at half price.

Until the emergence of the first Chinese driver, Zhou Guanyu, and the resurgence of F1's global influence and revenue, the Donghai Grand Prix once again saw tickets in high demand, and is now heading towards a peak of 200,000 spectators.

Theoretically, the number of spectators at today's Friday practice match should be much lower than that of Sunday's main match, and Chen Xiangbei doesn't know the exact number of spectators present.

However, the area he could see was almost full, which meant that the number of spectators was no less than 150,000!
To be honest, Chen Xiangbei was stunned when he looked at the densely packed audience and the sea of ​​red on the scene.

This sea of ​​red, a sight previously only seen at Ferrari's home track, is now being witnessed by Ferrari itself.

Today's red isn't Ferrari red, it's Chinese red!
"Go Chen Xiangbei!"

"Go HRT team!"

Go China Racing!

Cheers erupted everywhere, and the audience members shared the same excitement and awe.

This is the first time a Chinese driver has stood on the home stage of the Donghai International Circuit, and according to media reports and HRT press officers, Chen Xiangbei has the potential to compete for the championship on home ground.

A Chinese driver winning the home race is a dream that would have been unthinkable in the past, but this Grand Prix offered the opportunity to witness it firsthand.

How could car enthusiasts not flock to this feast?
Looking at Chen Xiangbei, who was standing blankly at the entrance of the pit stop, Briatore teased Odette, "This kid is usually very composed. It's rare to see him like this. It seems that playing at home really has a big impact."

Before Odeto could even reply to Hua Bu's words, Hiroki Sawano crossed his arms and said, "There's an old Chinese saying, 'Returning home in glory,' and Mr. Xiangbei is currently immersed in that kind of atmosphere."

"He deserves the praise and glory of the home crowd."

As someone from the Greater China cultural sphere, Hiroki Sawano could understand Chen Xiangbei's current state of mind.

"Enjoying it is fine, I just hope this kid doesn't lose himself."

Odette remained calm. Chen Xiangbei's professional career was too short, and the F1 Chinese Grand Prix was scheduled for too early in the calendar, making it easy for young drivers to get carried away by the hype.

Or perhaps they are too eager to prove themselves and show off, leading to unnecessary mistakes during the game.

HRT is a new fleet, but most of its members are seasoned veterans.

They have experienced countless team home races and witnessed countless moments of fervent enthusiasm from home drivers.

In fact, most of them didn't do very well.

For example, the famous hero Senna, and the tragic Massa.

While the group was chatting, Chen Xiangbei had "woke up" from his reverie and turned to Odette to ask her a question.

"Odette, what's the initial suspension tuning plan for the Donghai International Circuit?"

Chen Xiangbei possesses memories of the racetrack from the future, but he cannot foresee the future of HRT racing cars in this era.

The simulator test was conducted by Perez and Trulli, and Chen Xiangbei had not participated in it before. He needed some experience and advice.

"Low downforce settings paired with the stiffest suspension."

"So extreme?"

Chen Xiangbei was somewhat surprised, because the essence of tuning the Donghai International Circuit lies in "the art of compromise".

Long straights require very low downforce to increase top speed, while high-speed corners require high downforce to maintain grip balance.

In such situations, trade-offs must be made. Often, teams will sacrifice some downforce in the corners to gain speed on the straights, in order to prevent being overtaken by competitors.

However, pairing it with the stiffest suspension would be too extreme, and no team has chosen such a combination based on the tuning data from the Donghai Grand Prix over the years.

It's important to know that the end of a long straight requires heavy braking to enter a curve, instantly reducing the vehicle speed from an astonishing 350 km/h to the 100 to 200 km/h range. This places extremely high demands on the strength of the brakes and suspension.

Anyone who has ever slammed on the brakes has probably experienced the "nodding" of the vehicle due to inertia.

F1 cars also have this problem, but it is much less severe compared to civilian cars.

If the suspension is too soft and exceeds a certain limit, there will be excessive pressure on the front brakes, leading to signs of vehicle instability.

Conversely, if the suspension is too stiff, there will be insufficient grip.

With low downforce and the stiffest suspension, is Odette afraid it won't be able to break the track?

Is this considered extreme?

"What is the Trulli tuning plan?"

Chen Xiangbei asked back.

"Medium downforce paired with a medium-firm suspension."

"Right, isn't what I'm doing extreme?"

"How can you compete for the championship at home without going to extremes?"

Odette coolly dropped those words, then turned around and ordered the technicians to make adjustments and settings, giving Chen Xiangbei no room for discussion.

Chen Xiangbei's performance made Odette realize the importance of the home race in his heart, and also understand the kind of excitement that the emergence of an F1 driver can bring to fans in this country that can be described as a Formula One desert.

If you want to win home-field glory, you can't just dream about it.

He has to be more aggressive and risk his life than other drivers!

(End of this chapter)