Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 252 Winning the Approval of Teammates

According to the rules issued by the FIA, after practice sessions, car settings can only be fine-tuned as needed, such as simply adjusting the wing angle.

If you want to change the engine power setting, you must do it before the end of practice, otherwise you will be penalized for violating the rules and disqualified.

The reason for this rule is to increase the excitement and unpredictability of the race. Otherwise, each team would prepare two tuning schemes: one for maximum speed in qualifying and the other for the race.

Once there's no room for fine-tuning the balance point, then the car's performance becomes the absolute dominant factor, and there won't be any dark horses in qualifying or the race.

The evolution of F1 history and rule changes over the years have all been aimed at bringing teams closer together in terms of skill level, rather than making the outcome of the race a foregone conclusion before it even starts.

During the Mercedes dynasty, F1 viewership plummeted, partly due to Schumacher's official retirement signaling the end of his era, and partly due to the FIA's extremely poor commercial operations.

Another aspect is that Mercedes' "Mars Rover" is too dominant.

Even with your eyes closed, you know Mercedes will win the championship. What's the point of watching a game where they're crushing weaker teams?
"Yes, team leader."

Hiroki Sawano responded and then pressed the voice call button.

"North, next lap, proceed to the station."

"receive."

Chen Xiangbei didn't know exactly what had happened.

However, judging from the unusual behavior of other teams on the track, he could roughly guess that it was related to qualifying.

As for Briatore, his face flushed red and then turned pale when faced with such team instructions.

His long-standing "I am the only one" team management style made him very dissatisfied with Odette's affront to his authority, especially since the old guy publicly mocked him in front of everyone in the team.

But Briatore also knew very well that Odette was someone who had come all the way with Chen Xiangbei.

Whether it's team owner Carabant or the Chinese capital holding a major shareholder position, they will undoubtedly firmly support Odette. Getting rid of this troublesome guy and completely taking control of the team's management will not be easy.

The old Italian rogue finally experienced firsthand the feeling of disliking someone but being unable to get rid of them.

In the past, it was always others who disliked him.

Soon after, Sott also gave Trulli the pit stop instruction, regardless of whether he had adapted to the car or not, and ordered him to activate overpower mode.

Trulli's current situation is similar to that of some newcomers who have just joined the team and hope to retain their seats through their performance.

Manager Briatore has already made it clear that he has sold the seat to Mexican newcomer Perez. The only obstacle is that he has not yet gained absolute control, and going too far would provoke opposition from other team shareholders.

If Trulli wants to stay, he must be exceptionally good, able to match or even surpass Chen Xiangbei, and not give Perez any chance to replace him!

The problem now is that Trulli is "past his prime" and no longer has the ability.

However, being forced out and giving up are two different things. Both Trulli himself and his race engineer, Sott, will do their best to stay in the paddock and continue driving the F1 car.

This means that regardless of whether he can drive a race car or not, Trulli must keep up with Chen Xiangbei's pace.

If we fall far behind, then there's really no hope of turning things around.

Of course, Odeto and the others did not object to the orders given by Soter.

Although they don't have high hopes for Trulli, every driver should have the opportunity to fight with their backs against the wall.

Who knows, it might work like a miracle?

Two HRT race cars entered the pit lane one after the other, signaling the early end of the third training session.

Chen Xiangbei emerged from the racing cockpit and stood in front of the team's control panel, intending to inquire about the reason for Odette's pit stop recall.

But when he saw the lap time leaderboard and saw Alonso, Vettel, and Hamilton surpass his fastest lap, he instantly understood Odette's intention: the other teams' mechanics had already stepped up their game.

"Do you feel that your opponent is very fast?"

Seeing Chen Xiangbei staring silently at the monitor screen, Odeto took the initiative to ask him a question.

"No."

"Isn't this fast enough?"

"I can be even faster!"

Chen Xiangbei gave an extremely firm answer.

While outsiders believe Chen Xiangbei completed three laps of practice at the Donghai International Circuit, he has actually been using a simulator for nearly ten years!
1 minute 32.422 seconds is the limit of the TF110, not its own limit.

"Yes."

This time, Odeto finally gave a positive statement, proving that his decision was correct.

That means if Chen Xiangbei were to choose, he would also choose the super-power mode and give it his all!
"What areas of the car setup still need improvement?"

"The suspension is too stiff. I can clearly feel the changes in the road surface. And the long-term bumpy ride combined with heavy braking into a corner puts a lot of pressure on my cervical spine."

Chen Xiangbei didn't try to be strong all the time; instead, he shared his feelings about the Donghai International Circuit.

He does have a lot of experience, but that's in simulators and below F1 level.

As the purest racing machine on Earth, the G-force of F1 cars far exceeded expectations, and the accumulated pressure on the body after each lap made it not as easy for Chen Xiangbei as he had imagined.

F1 professional training is similar to the concept of building muscle in fitness. Even after more than a year of high-intensity training, the muscle thickness and strength of the shoulders and neck of an average high school student are still insufficient.

The regular track was tolerable, but the stiffest suspension combined with high G-forces made Chen Xiangbei feel uncomfortable.

With a total of 56 laps in the main race, instead of stubbornly clinging to pride, it would be better to discuss strategies and avoid a decline in performance due to exhaustion.

Upon hearing Chen Xiangbei's feedback, Odeto did not hesitate.

He immediately said to Liang Chi in the garage, "Lower the suspension stiffness by one degree."

"Do you have any other questions?"

"When I got out of the car, I checked the tire wear and it was more serious than I had imagined. I think we should decide on a pit stop plan in advance and be prepared to protect the tires from the very beginning of the race."

"Your tire strategy will depend on your qualifying results."

Odeto did not give an answer. Chen Xiangbei was a bit too impatient. He didn't even know his ranking. How could he decide on the entry plan in advance?

"What if it's pole position?"

Upon hearing Chen Xiangbei utter these words, the expressions on the faces of everyone in the P room varied.

This kid is really confident he can get pole position...

"Stop, start on neutral yellow tires, don't jeopardize the safety of the car."

The logic of F1 tire strategy is this: the more pit stops you make, the less you need to worry about tire wear, and the driver can push for faster lap times.

However, there is a prerequisite: if you are using new tires against someone else's old tires, you need to be 18 seconds ahead in the pit stop window. Otherwise, pushing hard will become meaningless, and you will still fall behind your opponent.

However, there are always exceptions. If the track issues a yellow or red flag, the pit stop window will be shortened.

If you're lucky enough to catch a few safe cars with multiple pit stops, it's like not wasting time by not pitting at all. You can use new tires to fight against other cars' old tires the whole time, which is a huge advantage.

Some drivers who are low in qualifying even disregard track wear and tear, blindly starting on red tires to take advantage of peak grip for a few laps to overtake.

If you beat a few opponents and then gamble on a safe car making a pit stop for a tire change, it's like getting a free win!

But as the old saying goes, only the weak need to gamble.

The strong have all the advantages; they just need to let things take their course. Since Chen Xiangbei is confident of taking pole position, let's use the least risky strategy: two sets of tires to the end!

“Team Principal Odette, a single stop places very high demands on tire maintenance, and this has not been sufficiently tested in the F1 paddock.”

Hiroki Sawano raised an objection from the side.

The strategy of starting on neutral yellow tires means the pit stop window will be set at lap 15, which means that the remaining forty laps will have to be completed on a set of hard white tires.

Although hard white tires are very durable, they are still slick tires, and the pressure of forty laps is too great.

Twenty-five years later, at the Chinese Grand Prix, Ferrari experienced its first-ever double-car disqualification in 75 years. Leclerc's disqualification was due to excessive tire wear, which resulted in him weighing 1 kilogram below the standard weight after the race.

After the race, the team's technical director admitted that the simulator data underestimated the wear and tear on the tires at the Donghae Circuit, and that the damage to the front wing amplified the extra load on the tires.

"Then let's use this match to prove it."

Odeto’s tone was very calm, yet it was filled with an undeniable authority.

Do you become more timid as you get older?
This doesn't apply to Odette. As long as Chen Xiangbei has enough ambition to win the championship, he will provide whatever radical solutions the other party wants.

"Okay, let's use the stop tactic."

Chen Xiangbei nodded. He didn't need to be a gambler on the East China Sea track!
Just as Chen Xiangbei was discussing with Odette, the countdown to the third practice match ended.

Hamilton did not show much joy when he learned that he had run the fastest lap.

The reason is simple: he knows this is the result of the team's engine operating at overpowered output. If the McLaren team can drive it, then the HRT team can drive it as well. Chen Xiangbei's early recall and pit stop is most likely due to setting the engine output mode.

Just how fast Chen Xiangbei is in his fully evolved form remains a mystery.

However, this doesn't put much pressure on Hamilton. No matter how fast Chen Xiangbei is, he will only be faster than him.

This is the confidence of a world champion!

Alonso became champions by defeating Schumacher in the "Red vs. Blue" battle.

Raikkonen achieved legendary status by winning the World Championship in 07 after a dramatic comeback.

Hamilton, on the other hand, swept through various F1 records, becoming the new king that everyone in the paddock was looking forward to.

He never thought that anyone's talent and speed could surpass his, including legendary drivers like Schumacher and Alonso, let alone a newcomer like Chen Xiangbei.

Other top drivers who returned to the pits shared similar mindsets with Hamilton, and were equally confident in their own abilities.

In a sense, this is inevitable.

A driver without this kind of confidence cannot become a top-level driver.

After practice sessions, there is a roughly three-hour break where drivers will have lunch and a short rest to recharge for the afternoon's qualifying session.

After finishing his meal, Chen Xiangbei was about to go to the drivers' lounge to rest for a while, but as soon as he opened the door, he saw Trulli sitting inside, staring at the driver's first-person perspective video on his laptop, trying to glean some experience from it.

This kind of scene used to only happen to Chen Xiangbei, but now it's someone else.

To be honest, Chen Xiangbei could feel Trulli's pressure; he desperately wanted to achieve good results and stay in the paddock.

Once upon a time, Chen Xiangbei also held a similar obsession, hoping to cross the threshold of the F1 paddock and obtain a formal driver's seat.

"Take a break and don't put too much pressure on yourself."

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Xiangbei finally offered a reminder.

Racing also requires a balance of relaxation and focus. Skipping lunch to study videos and being too tense can actually negatively impact performance in the afternoon qualifying session.

"There's not much pressure; I'm more focused on pushing my limits."

Trulli replied casually, saying that Chen Xiangbei had underestimated him.

He has experienced being betrayed by Briatore, slandered by Sutil and Alonso, and ridiculed and accused by various media outlets.

If Trulli couldn't handle the pressure, he wouldn't deserve to stay in the paddock.

Wanting to stay was certainly one factor, but another was Trulli's competitive spirit.

As a veteran, he didn't want to be outmatched by his rookie teammates!

In addition, watching the video in this state makes it easier for Trulli to find his own flaws and address them one by one.

The whole process will give Trulli a sense of exhilaration.

"Actually, controlling oversteer in a race car is easy. You just need to feel the sway of the rear end, try to use the accelerator instead of the brakes to control the slip, and don't be stingy with corrections in corners. Don't habitually turn the steering wheel all the way to the floor."

Chen Xiangbei sat down on the sofa and shared his understanding of controlling oversteer racing cars.

Upon hearing Chen Xiangbei's words, Trulli paused for a moment, then looked at him with a complicated expression.

After a moment's hesitation, he said, "You shifted gears too quickly on the long straight at the start. The tachometer is showing signs of dropping. Shifting to a higher gear too quickly will result in insufficient torque, which could lead to overtaking risks in the race."

Trulli didn't want to say thank you again, and at the same time, his pride prevented him from owing Chen Xiangbei a favor.

In the past few days, he has been watching the drivers' first-person perspective videos the most, and besides himself, he has watched them the most with Chen Xiangbei.

After all, the two were driving the same race car, making it a highly relevant reference.

While searching for his own shortcomings, he also discovered some flaws in Chen Xiangbei.

No matter how well he was familiar with the simulator, Chen Xiangbei ultimately lacked the experience of actually driving an F1 race car, and careful observation would reveal the problems.

Ok?
Faced with Chen Xiangbei's surprised look, Trulli continued to speak to himself.

"The continuous left and right curves on T10 and T11 can be passed with just minor adjustments to the direction; too many turning maneuvers are not allowed."

"If you make too many corrections to the cornering steering, it will actually reduce your cornering speed."

Trulli may not be as fast as Chen Xiangbei in absolute terms, but experience counts.

He drove at the Donghai International Circuit for six years, and his familiarity with each corner was no less than that of Chen Xiangbei.

It's just that this isn't his home turf, so it's less important to him and he doesn't seem to value it that much.

The saying "Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me" is true, but Trulli is no novice.

Chen Xiangbei can offer his own understanding, and Trulli can offer his own experience.

Of course, besides his pride and self-esteem making Trulli unwilling to compromise, another reason was that he wanted to help Chen Xiangbei improve through this method.

At 36 years old, no matter how unwilling Trulli is to admit he's getting old, he has finally entered the countdown to the end of his professional career.

Truly felt Chen Xiangbei's hard work and open-mindedness during this period of contact.

Or to put it more bluntly, this Chinese lad possesses a certain personal charisma.

You might hate him a lot, but once you get used to it, you'll find that Chen Xiangbei is very genuine!
The last driver to give Trulli a similar feeling was Senna.

One generation will eventually grow old, but there will always be someone young.

If Trulli can't establish himself in the paddock, who can shine in F1? He hopes it's Chen Xiangbei.

the reason is simple.

It's better to lose to a strong opponent than to a rookie!
(End of this chapter)