Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 257 The Curse of Asian Drivers

"Bei, you ran beautifully!"

"Pole position belongs to HRT!"

"Bei, don't worry about the racing. Leave it to us."

"There will still be a very competitive car in the main race!"

Watching Chen Xiangbei walk back to the station through the emergency exit, the team members didn't dwell on the car malfunction at all; instead, they all expressed their encouragement and congratulations.

For F1, especially for a new team that takes over the "legacy" of another team midway through the season, it is perfectly normal for a car to have problems. On the contrary, the fact that the car ran smoothly for three races before the breakdown occurred when it was pushed to its limits by overpowering the race car is already considered extremely lucky!

It's important to know how many teams' championship dreams have been thwarted by car malfunctions.

For example, during the Ferrari dynasty, McLaren suffered three pole position starts but failed to make the race due to malfunctions, allowing Schumacher to achieve an unprecedented five-peat, a feat unlikely to be repeated.

Often, that's just how fate works.

Faced with encouragement and congratulations from his team members, Chen Xiangbei showed little frustration or worry, and instead smiled and high-fived them in celebration.

When the other team members in the maintenance lane saw this scene, they felt a mix of emotions.

If securing pole position at the Donghai International Circuit and having home-field advantage is a given, then this kind of mentality is unparalleled among rookies. Even Kimi Räikkönen, known as "The Iceman," probably couldn't have remained as calm and composed as Chen Xiangbei in the face of unexpected situations.

The car's problems can determine who wins the main race!
Many drivers, let alone calmly celebrating with their team members, can't even manage basic facial expressions and emotions. Quite a few complain or blame the technical team.

This includes legendary GOAT drivers like Alonso and Hamilton, who love to talk big.

"Brown, you should have kept the Chinese kid."

Upon witnessing this, Schumacher casually remarked to Ross Brawn.

As Schumacher spent more time back with Mercedes, he gained a deeper understanding of the connection between Ross Brawn and Chen Xiangbei.

In some ways, Ross Brown can be considered one of Chen Xiangbei's mentors.

Without the signing and assistance of the Brawn GP team, and their help in enabling Chen Xiangbei to skip a level and enter F1, he might still be struggling in F3 or GP2, and his entry into F1 would have been delayed by at least one to two years.

Ross Brawn didn't know how to respond to Schumacher's words.

If he were to publicly admit his regret, it would inevitably hurt Rosberg.

Schumacher can be so straightforward because as a driver, he doesn't have to worry about too many management issues.

Another point is that, despite both being German drivers, he and Rosberg don't actually have a deep friendship or connection, which is far less than Vettel's relationship with Rosberg.

It's important to know that Schumacher was Vettel's mentor and close friend. Even after Mick Schumacher entered the F1 paddock, Vettel maintained their friendship and provided him with a lot of help and support.

He even got the title of "Uncle Vettel".

"He is the most talented driver I have seen in years."

"If his professional resume is not fabricated, he is the only one of his kind."

Schumacher added another sentence.

As he aged and his form declined, Schumacher, after his comeback, no longer possessed the sharp edge he once had. He became much more "amiable" and magnanimous in his evaluation of younger drivers like Chen Xiangbei.

If it were Schumacher during the Prancing Horse dynasty, he would never casually praise other drivers; he would only think that he was the best in the world!

“His professional resume was not fabricated, but his adaptability was almost as good as if it were.”

"You can't imagine how a newcomer at Renault managed to handle both the F1 simulator and the winter testing of a real car."

Ross Brawn finally spoke up, saying he would never forget the shock Chen Xiangbei had given him at the Brawn GP team headquarters.

"Really? Then I'd like to see what kind of shock driver Bei can bring to the F1 paddock."

Schumacher's tone remained calm; perhaps only he in the world could maintain such a "looking down on the world" attitude.

After all, in the world of motorsports, Schumacher is a god!

The same discussions and shock were not limited to the paddock area.

Once the qualifying results were finalized, global media outlets rushed to write articles, hoping to be the first to publish the news.

The first Chinese driver to secure pole position will undoubtedly trigger a media storm!
Indeed, that was the case. The next day, the headlines of major sports news outlets were almost entirely about the East China Sea qualifying matches and Chen Xiangbei.

First place in F1 Chinese Grand Prix qualifying: A miracle from Chinese driver Bei!

Asia's strongest newcomer is born! A rising star in F1!

Breaking the track record at pole position: Where are the limits for Chinese driver Bei?

The future of Formula 1 may well be dominated by Chinese drivers!

Will the engine failure shadow cast a shadow over Kita, mirroring the fate of Takuma Sato in 04?

Positive reports about Chen Xiangbei in the past were mostly concentrated in the country or the Greater China region.

Foreign media reporters focused more on Chen Xiangbei's arrogance and conceit, and waited to see him make those outrageous remarks only to be proven wrong.

Of course, they didn't get to see that scene.

But this time, Chen Xiangbei's reports were almost entirely positive!

Ultimately, ability is the passport to competitive sports, regardless of nationality, skin color, or race.

Hamilton has proven this to some extent, and Chen Xiangbei is currently following in his footsteps.

China, or any other race of East Asian descent, can produce racing prodigies who can become the fastest drivers on the planet!

The only negative coverage focused on Chen Xiangbei's engine failure after qualifying, which can be considered a curse for Asian drivers.

Before Chen Xiangbei, two other Asian drivers had achieved front-row start status: Akuri Suzuki in the 90 Spanish Grand Prix and Takuma Sato in second place in the 04 European Grand Prix.

In fact, there is a third Japanese driver in history to have achieved this feat, namely Kamui Kobayashi in the 12 Belgian Grand Prix, who completed a miracle lap that can be described as divine.

Although they failed to secure pole position, they managed to finish second with the Sauber midfielder, but still couldn't escape the curse of fate!

In the ancient era of 90, Suzuki Akuri retired from the race due to a clutch failure after securing pole position.

In 04, Takuma Sato experienced the exact same thing as Xiangbei Chen. Driving a British American race car that wasn't exactly top-of-the-line, he activated the overpower mode and achieved the second fastest time, second only to Michael Schumacher at his peak. As a result, he exhausted the engine's lifespan and was forced to replace the engine after qualifying, relegating him ten places from the starting grid.

After finishing second in 12, Kobayashi Kamui braked suddenly and started smoking during the start of the race, and was then defeated by Alonso's "Flying Dragon in the Sky" move, failing to finish the race.

This truly reflects the old Chinese saying, "Good fortune may be a harbinger of misfortune, and misfortune may be a harbinger of good fortune."

In some ways, Zhou Guanyu, a Chinese driver in later generations, had a similar experience. He achieved his best qualifying result in the Hungarian Grand Prix, but before he could even start the race, a torpedo caused a chain reaction accident that forced him to retire.

It seems that the highlight of Asian drivers' qualifying is destined to end in tragedy in the main race...

On Sunday morning, Chen Xiangbei was eating breakfast in the restaurant while looking at the newspaper that Lu Xiaoman had brought him. His eyes happened to land on the "curse" report.

After all, no one in the world understands better than him the huge gap between Asian drivers' qualifying and the main race.

"Odette, can the engine problem be fixed?" Chen Xiangbei put down his newspaper and asked Odette.

"do not know."

"do not know?"

Upon hearing Odeto's answer, Chen Xiangbei nearly spat out the milk in his mouth.

As the team leader, how could I not know whether the engine could be repaired successfully?

"Yes, Liang Chi and his entire team of technicians rushed over early this morning to repair it."

"Judging from last night's progress, the engine has suffered significant damage. Even if it can be repaired, there's no guarantee it can finish a race."

"The involvement of the Ferrari team in the north did improve the stability of engine performance release, but it also made maintenance more difficult, and the entire engine tuning direction was very chaotic."

Odeto shrugged and told the truth.

Just like when the HRT team was first established, it had a super mixed team composed of players from the original F3 team, the Super Aguri team, and some layoffs from the Brawn GP team, plus poaching players from the Renault team.

The current TF110 racing engine is also a product of research and development and tuning by HRT, Toyota, and Ferrari. Each team has a different focus and there are communication barriers in terms of data exchange.

Team integration can be handled with Briatore's iron fist; anyone who disagrees or is considered a troublemaker will be fired.

As for the engine, that's beyond the capabilities of the old Italian rogues.

After all, they're getting paid by Toyota and Ferrari, so why should they obey a mere HRT manager?

Just because you trained Schumacher and Alonso?
What does that have to do with me, an engineer!

What are the alternative plans?

Chen Xiangbei didn't dwell on the confusing issues; he went straight to asking for solutions.

As a driver, I've already done my best. Providing a fast and easy-to-drive car is the team's obligation.

"Either we make do and hope for luck that there won't be any problems in the main race."

"Either we directly install a new power unit and accept the penalty of being demoted ten places."

Odette's professionalism is beyond question; he had already prepared alternative plans.

"I choose the latter."

"If you change the engine and go back ten places, given the characteristics of the Donghai International Circuit, you can't replicate your miraculous podium finish in the Australian rain race, let alone win a race."

Odeto solemnly reminded everyone that luck could be a gamble and lead to victory.

They need to activate a new power unit, but unless a miracle like a rain-soaked race happens, they will never become champions.

“I remember you once said that only the weak need to gamble, while the strong can control themselves.”

"Rather than relying on luck, I choose to take control of my own destiny!"

Chen Xiangbei replied firmly, knowing the curse on Asian drivers, and that he would not leave his fate to fate.

This time, I'm determined to conquer nature!
Odeto did not reply immediately to Chen Xiangbei's answer.

After a long silence, he said, "Let's wait until we get to the track and see what's going on with Liang before we decide."

"Ah."

The main race on Sunday is much more complicated than the practice and qualifying rounds.

In addition to the competition, there are also pre-competition interviews and a parade of floats and other activities.

Therefore, for the race that was scheduled for the afternoon, Chen Xiangbei had to rush to the track in the morning.

This time, however, he was accompanied not only by his racing team members, but also by his classmates who had chartered a car to pick him up, and his mother Zhao Yumei, who had driven Qin Lianjie there.

During the free time before the morning race, Chen Xiangbei, along with a group of teachers, classmates, and his mother Zhao Yumei, visited the Donghai International Circuit and the HRT team's pit garage. He even got to touch the No. 13 race car he was driving.

The TF110 may not be the fastest car in the paddock yet, but it is definitely one of the fastest cars on Earth. This hands-on experience excited a group of young people, and they took a group photo together.

Especially Wang Pangzi and Zhou Yanjing, once they got the race car, they completely forgot about Chen Xiangbei. They ignored their promise to catch up and became more obsessed with the novelty of the F1 team.

Only the mother, Zhao Yumei, felt a mixture of pride and worry.

He was proud of his son's achievements but worried about his safety while racing.

After the tour, a large group of people headed to the VIP viewing room, where Chen Xiangbei officially entered the competition mode.

As the saying goes, public and private matters should be kept separate. Chen Xiangbei was well aware that there should be a clear boundary between the two, especially when it came to a game like driving an F1 car, which is like dancing on the edge of a knife. Approaching it with a carefree and entertaining attitude would come at a heavy price.

"Uncle Liang, can you fix the engine?"

Only after all irrelevant personnel had been cleared out did Chen Xiangbei ask a question.

"I can't guarantee it."

Liang Chi shook his head. Let alone an engine that has experienced high temperature shutdown, even a brand new F1 power unit cannot guarantee 100% stability. This thing is as fragile as a vase.

"Then we should hurry up and replace the power unit. The team has reported this to the FIA."

Upon hearing Chen Xiangbei's words, Briatore's face showed a look of surprise.

"Bei, are you crazy? This is pole position!"

Yesterday, Chen Xiangbei secured pole position, and if we're talking about who was the happiest, Briatore would definitely be one of the top contenders.

This pole position is not just an honor, it's worth a fortune. He's already thinking of discussing with Lu Xiaoman about contacting the Chinese sponsors as soon as possible to see if they can urgently put a few logos on the race car.

Furthermore, if Chen Xiangbei can win the championship, the value of the sponsorship contract will at least double!
Chen Xiangbei didn't want to gamble; he chose to believe in himself.

The old Italian rogue was a born gambler; he needed to pursue even greater profits!

"I know what you're going to say. Even without starting from the front row, I'm still confident of winning."

Chen Xiangbei anticipated Briatore's thoughts and didn't give him a chance to object.

He is currently not involved in team sponsorship or management matters, and is focusing on being a driver and driving well.

But that doesn't mean he was unaware of Briatore's ulterior motives.

Even if Chen Xiangbei didn't want to know, Lu Xiaoman would tell him on her own initiative.

After saying that, Chen Xiangbei turned to Liang Chi and said, "Uncle Liang, since we've decided to replace the power unit, the engine power can be released more aggressively than usual. I need it to be faster."

Under normal circumstances, the engine power in the race is very conservative, since the requirement is stability rather than top speed.

However, since a new power unit has been installed, its stability and lifespan are now maximized. A conservative tuning approach cannot meet Chen Xiangbei's pursuit needs; otherwise, it would indeed be difficult to turn the tide.

Chen Xiangbei's goal has never changed: to win the championship at the Donghai International Circuit, his home track.
He is determined to defy fate!

(End of this chapter)