Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 255 Pole Position That Made History
"Go for it, North!"

"Brother Bei, you've advanced to Q3!"

"Xiang Beijun, just stay calm."

The crew members cheered Chen Xiangbei on, as the intensity of this inequality competition far exceeded their expectations.

Based on the general lap times predicted in the first qualifying session, Chen Xiangbei only needs to achieve a lap time close to the track record to secure a stable advancement to Q3.

Schumacher's racing records are being broken one after another. Are the drivers on performance-enhancing drugs, or are the teams pushing their engines to the limit?

However, the crew members still had full confidence in Chen Xiangbei. After all, his average performance in practice and the first qualifying session was there. As long as there were no accidents or handling mistakes during the flying laps, he could advance smoothly if he kept his mindset!
"OK."

Chen Xiangbei made a hand gesture, and then drove onto the main track during the green light period in the maintenance lane.

Compared to the congested track traffic in Q1, there were significantly fewer cars on the track in Q2, which is one of the main factors contributing to the substantial improvement in overall lap times.

When Chen Xiangbei was doing his warm-up lap, he could already feel the intense and tense atmosphere of race cars whizzing past him at full throttle. If this trend continued, a lap time of 1 minute 32.201 seconds would not be the limit.

Just as Chen Xiangbei had guessed, another driver achieved an amazing result, one that caught everyone completely off guard. That driver was Williams driver Barrichello.

Most people are probably familiar with this name: one of the founders of the Ferrari dynasty.

But when it comes to Barrichello's career, it can only be described as a life overshadowed by Schumacher's aura!
Barrichello desperately wanted to break free from Schumacher, but he had to succumb to the lure of profit. His years as Ferrari's number two driver brought him over $100 million in earnings.

Barrichello only moved to another team after Ferrari's reign ended, but he failed to prove his ability and remained the best second-best driver.

However, in the second half of the 09 Brawn GP season, Barrichello experienced a resurgence in form, almost overturning the huge advantage that Jenson Button had accumulated in the early stages, and ultimately missed out on the world championship by a narrow margin.

Barrichello actually maintained a good form in the first half of the 10 season, completely dominating his Japanese teammate Kazuki Nakajima, which led Jazz Williams to make the decision to "cut him off" halfway through the season.

However, limited by the mid-to-lower performance of the Williams car, Barrichello's clock could only hover outside the top 10, making him unable to become a strong competitor in the points zone.

But Barrichello is very strong on the Donghai International Circuit.

Because he was the champion of the first F1 Chinese Grand Prix, defeating Michael Schumacher, the racing legend who set the track record that year!
Not only did Barrichello make a strong comeback, but defending champion Jason Button also set an amazing lap time once again.

1 minutes 32 seconds 015!

This result improved Schumacher's track record by 0.2 seconds, bringing him just one step away from breaking the 1 minute 31 second barrier.

"Patton, well done!"

Inside the McLaren pit lane, owner Dennis and team principal Whitmarsh were both extremely excited. They had spent a fortune poaching Button from Mercedes to build a world championship-caliber team.

Or to put it more directly, McLaren is the only team in the paddock that has two world champions at the same time!
However, Jenson Button performed poorly in the first two races, failing to even reach the podium, let alone win a race, which greatly disappointed the team management.

Fortunately, both McLaren teams demonstrated extremely strong capabilities at the F1 Chinese Grand Prix.

If McLaren can maintain this form and performance, they might be able to overtake Red Bull and jump to the top of the constructors' championship after the race!
"Old Sha, the opponents are no longer hiding their strength. I wonder if Xiang Bei will feel the pressure."

Commentator Li Bing no longer spoke with the same confident tone as before, and indeed the situation on the track was changing in an unpredictable way.

Before the race, who could have imagined that Barrichello, driving a mid-range Williams car, would surpass Schumacher's track record?

"The team probably won't tell him the lap times."

"If you don't know, there's no pressure."

Sha Tong shook her head and stated the most likely possibility.

Drivers cannot know their lap times and rankings in real time while driving.

Many drivers are unable to accurately determine their ranking immediately after the race. After making various cheering and celebrating gestures, they are only informed of time penalties or disqualification, leaving them disappointed.

Chen Xiangbei is a newcomer. Even if he has shown a very stable mental and emotional state in these few races, the team will not tell the opponent the results under such circumstances, which would only add pressure.

Sha Tong was right about standard operating procedures, but he didn't understand the HRT team's unconventional approach.

After seeing the opponent's score, Odette pressed the voice call button without thinking and spoke.

"In the North, the situation has changed somewhat, and a conservative approach may not guarantee advancement to Q3."

"What do you mean? Are the other drivers fast?"

Chen Xiangbei casually asked a question in return.

"Yes, the fastest lap time is 1 minute 32.015 seconds, and Barrichello and Kubica from the midfield teams are very competitive in speed. They will be vying for the ten spots to advance to Q3."

F1 qualifying spots are always one per person.

If there are several top teams, several qualifying spots must be reserved, unless something unexpected happens.

The four major teams usually occupy eight qualifying spots. Now that Barrichello and Kubica have shown their competitiveness, it means that there are only two remaining spots, and Chen Xiangbei's lap time at the top of the first practice session is almost at the cutoff line for the second practice session.

"understood."

"So calm, yet it can go even faster?"

Odeto asked in a teasing tone.

The reason he told Chen Xiangbei about his opponent's lap time was that, after spending more than a year together, Odeto knew how strong the Chinese kid's ability to withstand pressure was.

However, Chen Xiangbei's calm and frightening reaction still surprised him somewhat.

"I can drive as fast as the car can go."

Chen Xiangbei's arrogant declaration came through the earphones.

Just when the team members thought the call was over, Chen Xiangbei's voice rang out again.

"Even if the car isn't fast enough, I can drive faster!"

As soon as these words were uttered, the expressions on the faces of each team member were quite fascinating.

Even Briatore, who was used to big scenes and troublemakers, said with a half-smile, "Odetto, it seems that the one who is really not afraid is this kid."

"and then?"

"I like young people who can take risks, so I don't have to worry about them not being able to handle the challenges."

Briatore's words were meaningful: daring to risk one's life and having the right to risk one's life are two different things.

The kind of reckless street racing that many drivers do can only be described as daring to risk their lives.

Only drivers of the caliber of the Isle of Man TT and Ayrton Senna can truly be considered qualified to risk their lives when they challenge speed.

Chen Xiangbei has completely abandoned his usual style of play on his home track, and Briatore wants to see just how fast he can actually run!
The roar of the TF110 engine once again filled the sky. Everyone in the team, including the mechanics, went into the pit and sat in a row in front of the broadcast screen, staring intently at Chen Xiangbei's qualifying speed.

Only Sho Mizutani remained glued to his racing data monitoring laptop. The overpowered mode tuned by the Ferrari team hadn't undergone rigorous testing, and this "training through battle" approach was fraught with risk.

He wasn't worried about Chen Xiangbei running into problems; he was more concerned that the race car wouldn't be able to withstand the pressure.

Qualifying is about squeezing every last bit of performance out of the car and pushing the limits of every corner on the track. Chen Xiangbei's racing footage, displayed on a small monitor screen, delivers a visually stunning experience.

It's important to know that the running line at many corners may only be a few centimeters away from the edge of the track and the guardrail.

Imagine how thrilling it must have been for Chen Xiangbei to drive the TF110 race car at an average speed of over 220 km/h to attempt a distance that was just one finger's width.

Without the close-up slow-motion shots, from a regular perspective it would look like you were about to crash into a wall, causing many new F1 fans who had no experience watching F1 to gasp in surprise.

Some timid girls and children were so scared that they closed their eyes!

Not to mention the audience, even Chen Xiangbei himself, with his highly concentrated mental energy, only needed one lap to drive. Even though the air temperature in Donghai was less than 20 degrees Celsius in late spring, sweat still quickly soaked through his inner clothes.

This is the extreme intensity of F1 racing. It may seem like there are no physical movements, but in reality, every muscle in the body is exerting force.

As the speed increased, Chen Xiangbei even forgot about the physical strain caused by the G-force; his eyes were only focused on the various racing data displayed on the dashboard.

Delaying the braking point as much as possible in every corner, striving for that slight millisecond-level time advantage, and setting your own fastest lap to advance to Q3.

The moment the TF110 race car crossed the finish line, the huge broadcast screen above the track switched to the driver qualifying lap time leaderboard, and the name at the top changed.

1 minutes 31 seconds 995!

"Awesome! Chen Xiangbei ran a time of 1 minute and 31 seconds, and he has once again taken the lead."

"This result definitely puts him in Q3, no wonder he's China's racing god, Bei!"

"It seems that pole position is not just a dream, Chen Xiangbei is really going to create a miracle."

"Go, racing god Bei!"

The crowd on the track erupted in cheers. Many of them could have predicted that Chen Xiangbei would finish in Q3, but they never expected that he would be able to take the lead again.

And the title also changed from Chen Xiangbei, driver Bei, and more people gradually turned to call him the racing god Bei.

For Chinese audiences, this is practically a miracle.

"Are HRT racing cars really that powerful?"

"Those idiots at Ferrari are absolutely raising a tiger that will eventually take its place, tuning up a car that's even faster than their own!"

"Isn't it normal for engine suppliers to be outpaced by customer teams? Mercedes can't outrun McLaren, Renault can't outrun Red Bull, that's the tradition of F1."

"Besides, it's not necessarily because the HRT cars are faster. Look at Trulli, he's only ranked eleventh, and it'll probably be a problem for him to even make it into Q3."

The few foreign spectators in the stands were not as excited as the Chinese fans; they were more focused on discussing the race cars and drivers.

Ferrari fans, in particular, are heartbroken!

Other teams or drivers can only claim a certain track as their home track.

Apart from Monza in Italy, Ferrari can find support from fans on almost any racetrack in the world.

And on tracks without a home team or driver, it can even become a sea of ​​red for Ferraris, like the Donghai International Circuit, where flags supporting Schumacher fluttered everywhere. Perhaps sensing the discussions among the fans, Ferrari team principal Domenicali seemed to have mixed feelings.

He knew that the headquarters management had reached an agreement with the HRT team to provide technical support for engines in exchange for becoming a Ferrari customer team next year.

No one could have predicted that the HRT team would grow so quickly.

Chen Xiangbei had a vague feeling that something was unstoppable.

“Alonso, Massa, I need you to be faster, the team needs this pole position more.”

Domenicali emphasized something to the two drivers.

Ferrari has been on a downward spiral ever since Alonso ended the Prancing Horse dynasty.

Although Kimi Räikkönen's performance secured the Drivers' Championship title in 07, it couldn't mask the overall decline in competitiveness, which continued to weaken, eventually dropping the car to the third fastest in the paddock.

Massa is the best second driver after Barrichello, while Alonso is a superstar comparable to Schumacher.

With this driver combination, Domenicali doesn't believe Ferrari's glory cannot be restored. The team needs to secure a pole position or a race win to boost the morale and confidence of the team members.

After all, even dispatched teams can deploy HRT "Mars rover".

The home team couldn't even get pole position, which is clearly unreasonable.

"I will."

Alonso responded with a sound, while Massa nodded rather reservedly.

On the other side, after completing the flying lap, Chen Xiangbei went straight to the pits to change tires and prepare for Q3.

As the F1 qualifying session progresses, the time becomes shorter, and once drivers are certain of their qualification, they won't waste engine and tire life by continuing to work on the track to improve their performance.

The team members were incredibly excited to see Chen Xiangbei return, but they tried their best to control their emotions.

Often, a driver's performance depends on their momentum. Celebrating early with champagne can dampen that momentum. With the third qualifying session just around the corner, it's crucial to maintain this high-intensity and tense competitive atmosphere.

Compared to Chen Xiangbei's early pit stop, Trullica was still making his flying laps until the very last second of qualifying.

Unfortunately, his lap time improved, but Kubica, who was in the tenth position, also improved, so he still couldn't advance any further to Q3.

This is the cruelty of competitive sports: success is right in front of you, yet you can't reach it.

Back in the pit lane, Trulli received comfort from his team members, who understood how difficult it was for a veteran in his thirties to change his instincts and adapt to a complete change in the car's setup.

Just like the Red Bull race car of later generations, countless top drivers in their prime have fallen before it. But consolation cannot change the situation; Trulli has reached a critical point in his career.

The third qualifying session arrived on time. In the final stage of determining the rankings, Odeto did not let Chen Xiangbei leave the pits last to run only one flying lap. Instead, he drove onto the track normally, ready to run two or three flying laps.

"Go for it, Chen Xiangbei!"

"We secured the first pole position for a Chinese driver!"

"Run faster, racing god Bei!"

Roars echoed from the stands, mingling with the roar of engines and exhaust pipes.

Chen Xiangbei, who was on the TF110 race car, naturally had no way of hearing these shouts.

But this did not prevent him from seeing the supporters waving red flags across from the repair shop, and the vast expanse of Chinese red in the distant stands.

"GO!"

With Odeto's final command, Chen Xiangbei floored the accelerator, and the Toyota engine roared to life, accompanied by a surge of excitement and passion.

This TF110 race car may not be the best performing car in the F1 paddock right now, nor is it the fastest "Mars car" overall.

But as long as he can grip the steering wheel and listen to the roar of his "old buddy," Chen Xiangbei can feel the power and support that this monster, born purely for speed and competition, brings him.

"Chen Xiangbei has exited the pits. I wonder if he can maintain his speed in these final moments and bring China's first-ever F1 pole position!"

This is not only Sha Tong's question and expectation, but also the wish of hundreds of thousands of Chinese fans in the paddock.

However, Chen Xiangbei is far from the only driver who wants this pole position.

"Hamilton, don't forget the provocation the Chinese newcomer made at the last stop. He can't replace you!"

"Button, show some spirit and fight for pole position, you're the defending champion!"

"Alonso, you are the true king of the paddock. Be faster."

"Vettel, the prerequisite for becoming the new king is to defeat all your opponents."

The team kept issuing commands, putting constant pressure on the team to secure pole position.

Beyond the results, many team management teams subconsciously do not want to see a person of Asian descent, or even a Chinese person, achieve pole position.

For sixty years, Formula 1 has remained an aristocratic sport for older white men, with even Japanese drivers often relegated to the sidelines.

Now we have Lewis Hamilton, a black man who has silenced many with his skill, but at least he has the strongest British heritage in the racing world.

If another Chen Xiangbei were to emerge as a dark horse, the rumor he made to Nakajima Satoru twenty years ago that Asians are not suited for racing would likely be completely untenable.

A rookie who skipped a grade and secured pole position in three races is an achievement no one in motorsport history has ever accomplished. Chen Xiangbei is the real genius driver!

"Hamilton has exploded, setting a lap time of 1 minute 32.114 seconds on his first flying lap. It seems Chen Xiangbei won't be able to keep his fastest lap in the second practice session."

"Vettel followed closely behind, and the Red Bull car's absolute performance was unleashed, with a lap time of 1 minute 32.007 seconds, proving that it is still the fastest car in the paddock!"

"With a time of 1 minute 31.991 seconds, Alonso achieved the fastest lap of the entire race by a mere 0.004 seconds. He truly deserves to be called the strongest driver in the paddock!"

From a Chinese perspective, both Sha Tong and Li Bing were extremely hopeful that Chen Xiangbei could secure pole position.

However, from the perspective of commentators, they still have to explain and congratulate the other drivers on their excellent results.

Especially when Alonso set the fastest lap, the stands erupted in cheers no less enthusiastic than those for Chen Xiangbei.

The former king of the blue Renault team has now donned the red Ferrari jersey. With this double boost, the number of fans and global influence are probably only comparable to that of racing legend Michael Schumacher.

Even Kimi Räikkönen is slightly outmatched by Alonso.

Inside the HRT team's pit garage, everyone remained silent as they waited for Chen Xiangbei's first flying lap time to be announced.

1 minutes 32 seconds 019!

This result is not bad; in fact, by the standards of a newcomer, it can be described as extremely excellent.

But that wasn't enough for Chen Xiangbei.

"Odetto, what's my current ranking?"

Chen Xiangbei immediately turned on his microphone and asked a question.

No one wanted to secure pole position at his home track, the Donghai International Circuit, more than he did.

"Not fast enough! Go all out and be even faster!"

Odeto did not tell Chen Xiangbei his speed or ranking, only saying that he was not fast enough.

In this situation, dwelling on numbers is meaningless; until the qualifying rounds are over, nobody knows how fast their opponents can go.

Odeto had only one goal for Chen Xiangbei: to push him to his limits with all his might!

Indeed, the situation on the track did evolve as Odette had predicted.

1分31秒898、1分31秒885、1分31秒864……

The drivers who ranked high in qualifying were all in a state of explosive power, constantly pushing the limits of their cars and the track, improving their performance by a mere fraction of a second.

For top drivers, being able to unleash the full potential of a race car is already considered a fundamental skill.

With all the super-power modes activated, the question now is who can perform at 120% of their potential, or even come incredibly close to the level of a god.

The third qualifying session is only ten minutes long. Including the warm-up and cool-down laps, it means that in most cases, only two valid flying lap times can be completed.

Furthermore, under such extreme push conditions, even a brand new set of red tires can only withstand the peak grip of two flying laps, and may not even be able to withstand it in special circumstances.

随着时间一分一秒的流逝，Q3最快圈已经比陈向北第一个飞驰圈快了接近0.4秒，比陈向北第二节排位赛跑出来的1分31秒995，同样快了0.13秒。

0.13 seconds is just the blink of an eye; many people don't even realize time is passing unless they're watching a stopwatch.

However, when placed inside an F1 race car, it becomes an insurmountable barrier.

But Chen Xiangbei was determined to cross that line!

When he truly unleashes his full power, no longer caring about the lifespan of the racing engine, he will make the whole world understand that the phrase "China's home ground" is not just empty talk.

Behind it lies a full decade of simulator experience, countless days and nights of longing, and Chen Xiangbei's once unattainable dream.

When the time of 1 minute 31.686 appeared on the track's big screen.

The world's first reaction was complete silence; everyone was wondering if they were seeing things.

I double-checked the numbers and the pinyin of the three characters "陈向北" (Chen Xiangbei).

The Donghai International Circuit, which can accommodate 200,000 spectators, erupted with an overwhelming roar.

That's right, Chen Xiangbei did it. He managed to improve his time by 0.6 seconds on the last lap, surpassing all his competitors and setting the fastest lap in qualifying at the Donghai International Circuit.

It can also be declared in advance that Chen Xiangbei has secured pole position for the 10 F1 Chinese Grand Prix.

This is the first pole position ever held by a Chinese driver!

(End of this chapter)