Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 264 This is a team victory!
"Team leader, Xiang Beijun isn't playing conservatively. He's not timid or hesitant for the championship. Is there any need to provoke him like this?"

Hiroki Sawano found it somewhat incomprehensible as he listened to Oddot's instructions.

If Chen Xiangbei had some hesitation when overtaking Barrichello, then when he overtook Jason Button, he showed his usual determination and decisiveness.

It utilizes almost the entire width of the curve, while the shoulder is used to its absolute limit.

The team leader's order seemed like a desperate gamble, but the race wasn't even ten laps in yet, and Hamilton was only in fifth place, far from the final showdown.

I've only ever heard of people opening champagne halfway through a race, never of someone burning their bridges halfway through. What if the tires don't have enough grip to overtake?
Odeto did not answer Hiroki Sawano's question.

Instead, he continued to ask Chen Xiangbei, "Bei, did you hear that?"

“COPY, I’ll catch up with Hamilton right away.”

Chen Xiangbei didn't hear Hiroki Sawano's words, and even if he had, he would have made the same decision as Odeto.

The lead car of the midstream group is meaningless; it has neither enough cooling air to boost engine power nor the exhaust flow from the car in front to reduce wear, and it's followed by a tire-preserving master like Jason Patton.

To be honest, Chen Xiangbei is not bad in terms of maintaining his tires in the race, but he can't be as good as a freak like Jason Button.

Or to put it another way, there are very few players in F1 history who can outperform Jenson Button in terms of tire maintenance. Even if you put Verstappen to compete with others in terms of strengths, he would most likely lose.

There is an old Chinese saying: "Use your strengths to attack your opponent's weaknesses."

Never fight in someone else's area of ​​expertise; instead, draw them into your own area of ​​expertise.

Chen Xiangbei's advantage lies in his driving feel and absolute speed, rather than long-distance cruising for tire maintenance.

In that case, we should demonstrate speed as much as possible!

With a press of the accelerator, the TF110, this "old buddy," seemed to understand, and Chen Xiangbei broke away from the lead car of the midstream group to chase after them.

As the taillights of the car in front of him gradually disappeared into the distance, Jason Patton was somewhat puzzled.

The Chinese rookie also started on neutral yellow tires, which means he is likely to use a one-stop or two-stop strategy. This heavy fuel load to chase the car in front will wear down the tires a lot. Does this mean he plans to pit after about ten laps?

Or perhaps the HRT strategy team is betting on the deployment of a safety vehicle?
The problem is that the newly built track at Donghai has ample buffer zones and track width, which significantly reduces the chance of collisions between cars.

At the same time, the wide buffer zone provides enough escape routes, meaning that even if a car malfunctions, it will not stop on the track and block traffic, and the race can still proceed normally.

If you don't use soft red tires to gamble on a safe car in the early stages, the chances of winning are very small!
HRT is a new military vehicle fleet, but their strategy team is full of veterans.

The renowned former Renault team member Briatore, former Ferrari team member Odette, Honda team member Hiroki Sawano, and Toyota team member Sott are all at least mid-table teams in the paddock.

Jason Button doesn't believe the HRT strategy team would make such a foolish decision, so there's only one possibility left: the HRT team is protecting Chen Xiangbei and treating driver number two Trulli like he's nothing, letting him cause an accident that requires the safety car to be deployed!

In fact, the HRT team had already shown this tendency, at the start of the race, they had Trulli, who was in a more forward starting position, sacrifice himself by changing lanes and slowing down to help Chen Xiangbei block the car.

Given the precedent of the Renault "crash incident," engaging in some irregularities would be very much in line with Briatore's consistent "profit-first" approach.

Now we'll see if the HRT team dares to blatantly replicate this again.

When it comes to guts, the old Italian rogues definitely have it.

However, in terms of benefits, it's not enough at this stage.

Chen Xiangbei didn't even make it to the championship position, yet he made the second driver risk causing a crash, which was really not worth it.

Furthermore, Trulli is not as easy to manage as Piquet Jr. This guy has a fiery temper and is willing to openly break with the team management. If you want him to crash and cause a track accident, simply relying on the team's instructions is not effective.

In fact, it wasn't just Jason Barton who had this thought; many professionals in the paddock had the same suspicion.

Because they didn't understand why the HRT team would give the order for Chen Xiangbei to advance at this moment, they subconsciously placed their suspicions on Hua Bu, the villain.

It has to be said that this is one of the stereotypes within the paddock...

"Whoosh! Chinese driver Chen Xiangbei took the fastest lap in the paddock with a time of 1 minute 35.362 seconds. He also closed the gap between himself and Hamilton to 3.2 seconds!"

Despite the commentary prompts, McLaren team owner Dennis and team principal Whitmarsh remained relaxed at the outdoor control tower.

"Driver North is really getting arrogant and overconfident. He actually dares to think he can catch up with Hamilton."

There was a hint of disdain in Dennis's tone.

Hamilton is a new generation champion driver that he personally discovered and nurtured. No one knows this guy's speed and potential better than Dennis.

It's no exaggeration to say that he is the next Senna or Schumacher!

Indeed, Hamilton became one of only two drivers in F1 history to win seven titles, becoming a landmark driver who dominated an era.

No matter how motorsport develops in the future, Hamilton's name will always be associated with it.

Let's not even talk about whether Chen Xiangbei can catch up with Hamilton in just a few laps, even if he does, so what?

With his tires completely depleted, could Chen Xiangbei still overtake?

Whitmarsh didn't reply immediately, but instead turned to look at the data on the monitor screen.

"At Chen Xiangbei's current pace, the tires will wear out in three laps at most, and he won't be able to even cruise at high speeds without sucking in the exhaust of the car in front."

"Either we get overtaken, or we force our way to speed and get a tire blowout. I'd like to see how the HRT strategy team will choose."

After saying that, Whitmarsh turned to the side and looked toward the HRT vehicle's outdoor command post.

F1 strategy is essentially a mathematical problem. Hiroki Sawano used the theoretical lifespan of tires to predict the risks of a chase in advance.

However, the actual wear and tear on the tires during this full-speed push will exceed expectations, and Chen Xiangbei can only push for a maximum of three more laps!

After three laps, if Chen Xiangbei can't catch Hamilton's slipstream and enter a train-like cruising state, he will find himself in an awkward situation with nowhere in sight, waiting to be overtaken by Jason Button, who has a stronger ability to maintain his position.

From Whitmarsh's perspective, the HRT strategy team made a foolish decision; the Italians really are clowns!
Of course, there's also the ultimate trick of turning the tide by causing a car crash.

Given his mere fifth-place position, would Briatore risk being expelled from the paddock again by issuing this order?
The premise of "putting interests first" is having enough interests, and it is clear that we don't have enough bargaining chips at the moment.

McLaren can deduce the results through calculations, while HRT has the raw data and is more aware that Chen Xiangbei's tire wear life is rapidly declining.

Upon seeing this, Hiroki Sawano said, "The tires only have three revolutions of propulsion life left. We can't take any more risks."

Hiroki Sawano didn't put it too bluntly, but he believed Odeto would understand.

A lap time of 3.2 seconds for three laps means that the lap time is one second faster than Hamilton's.

The previous lap showed that Chen Xiangbei could only catch up by 0.5 seconds per lap. The remaining 1.7 seconds would have allowed him to leave the car behind by 100 meters on an F1 track, making it impossible for him to catch the slipstream of the car in front of him.

If they cut their losses in time, there's still room for maneuver. If they continue to pursue, Chen Xiangbei's situation will not only be awkward, but also risk a tire blowout!
"North, can you speed up? I need you to catch Hamilton by one second in a single lap."

Odeto pressed the call button and asked Chen Xiangbei a question.

"Team leader, we can't be so reckless; the risk is too great!"

Hearing that Oddo was completely unmoved by any advice, Hiroki Sawano, who was usually calm and low-key, became anxious.

"Racing is inherently risky; if you're afraid, don't drive in F1."

"I think this is stubbornness!"

"No, I consulted the driver."

Just as Odeto finished speaking, Chen Xiangbei's reply came through the earpiece.

"Received, I will continue to close the distance between the cars."

This conversation left all the team members speechless.

On one hand, this Japanese competition engineer, who is so steady and low-key, actually has an emotional side, publicly opposing the team leader's aggressive and risky strategies.

On the other hand, there is Chen Xiangbei's toughness.

Is driver North unaware of the risks, or does he simply not care? Is it possible for him to catch up with Hamilton in three laps?

As for Briatore sitting next to him, he had a completely detached, amused expression, as if this matter had nothing to do with him, the team manager.

Only someone as extraordinary as him could calmly enjoy the gossip about his own racing team.

"Manager, aren't you going to say something?"

Data analyst Sho Mizutani couldn't stand it anymore and asked Briatore, "Even paddling isn't done like this."

"say what?"

"explain……"

Sho Mizutani was speechless for a moment. He didn't know what to say, but instinctively felt that Briatore, as the team leader, should step up and do something.

“Odette’s decision is perfectly normal; I don’t need to say anything.” “You support team leader Odette?”

Sho Mizutani was somewhat surprised. Everyone in the team knew that manager Briatore and team principal Odette didn't get along. It was already difficult for the two to remain silent and not disagree, let alone take the initiative to support each other.

"Of course, whether or not you can catch up, and whether there are any risks, is up to the driver."

"I just need to get good results."

“If not, then it’s Odeto’s problem.”

After hearing these words, Mizutani Sho was dumbfounded, realizing he had truly underestimated Briatore's shamelessness.

He's not supporting Odette, he's just a pure non-stick pan!
The race is still going on, and we've reached the ninth lap.

When Chen Xiangbei crossed the starting line again, the fastest lap time on the track was simultaneously updated on the big screen.

1 minutes 34 seconds 329!

This speed, when combined with heavy fuel and medium yellow tires, can only be described as astonishingly fast. Chen Xiangbei closed the gap between himself and Hamilton to 2.16 seconds, fulfilling his promise of closing the gap by one second per lap!

"No way, Chen Xiangbei pushed so hard, how could he be a second faster than Hamilton in a single lap?"

"OH MY GOD, Bei's speed on his home track is outrageous! He's like a raging beast!"

"Can't McLaren's two world champion drivers stop Driver North?"

The lap time shocked the audience. Although it wasn't the kind of extreme push seen in qualifying, Hamilton maintained a cruising speed.

But to run a time of 1 minute 34.329 seconds is still incredibly fast!
Before the gasps of amazement had subsided, Chen Xiangbei's lap time of 1 minute and 34 seconds was not a highlight, but rather his usual pace.

Over the next two laps, he maintained a time of 1 minute 34.32 seconds, with the lap time error remaining within a thousandth of a second.

To the average viewer, this speed would simply be considered as Chen Xiangbei being fast enough.

But in the eyes of professional racers, it's terrifying!

The ability to maintain absolute stability in speed indicates that the driver possesses an exceptionally high level of control over both the car and the track, and has unpredictable potential for improvement.

Verstappen's despair-inducing leadership in later generations wasn't due to his consistently fast laps, but rather his remarkably consistent lap times down to the millisecond, which conveyed a clear message.

That means I have an even faster speed. If you don't believe me, you can try to challenge me!

Hamilton looked in the rearview mirror at Chen Xiangbei closing the distance between them, and his expression became somewhat serious.

He already knew through the team's voice system that Chen Xiangbei was chasing him from behind, but he didn't expect the other party to be so fast, repeatedly breaking the fastest lap record on the track.

However, Hamilton remained calm.

Chen Xiangbei spent half of his dozen or so laps battling and overtaking, and the other half chasing and pushing, which meant his tires were nearing the end of their lifespan.

On the contrary, apart from overtaking his teammate Jason Button at the start, he spent the rest of the time following Rosberg in a cruising position, with the neutral yellow tires providing excellent grip.

As a future seven-time world champion, never doubt Hamilton's ability to keep up with traffic and maintain tire balance.

Even a world champion title can be a matter of chance.

Seven world champions mean he's a well-rounded fighter with no weaknesses!

Even if the Chinese driver catches up, Hamilton hasn't even exerted his full power yet, so there's no way he can overtake him.

“Odette, the tires are starting to slip. If we attack Hamilton now, I won’t be able to overtake him.”

Chen Xiangbei's voice came through the team's voice chat: "Pursuing and advancing comes at a price, and tire grip is that price."

He no longer had the confidence to navigate some corners at high speeds as before, and the number and magnitude of the car's swaying increased, which led to a corresponding increase in the number of corrections needed in the corners, resulting in a slower overall lap time.

If we were to attack Hamilton at this point, we'd be lucky to even overtake him, let alone maintain control.

No one knew Hamilton's true strength better than Chen Xiangbei.

He is the new king, even more powerful than Alonso!

"You don't need to overtake, just follow."

Odeto gave a nonchalant reply, but those words left a bad taste in the mouths of Hiroki Sawano and the other members of the strategy team.

If you weren't planning to overtake, why did you make Chen Xiangbei chase you so recklessly?
With tires nearing the end of their lifespan, and the ranking unchanged, the added risk of a tire blowout makes it difficult to keep up.

Of course, given the circumstances, no one would question Odette's words.

The team cannot have one person making all the decisions; otherwise, there would be no need for a strategy group.

But there shouldn't be too much noise, especially when things have settled down.

Even if Odette is wrong, we have to keep going with the mistake!

The leading group's six vehicles formed a long, straight line, resembling a train.

The absence of a truly dominant "Martian car" made the race even more exciting and suspenseful, with every driver having a chance to win, maintaining a strange balance in the situation.

No one dared to make the first move, in case of a miscalculation, their opponents would seize the opportunity!

The one who struggled the most was Chen Xiangbei. Just as Hiroki Sawano had predicted, following other cars became very difficult after the tires ran out of life, and he skidded and fishtailed several times in the corners.

If it weren't for Chen Xiangbei's habit of over-steering, and if it weren't for the Donghai race track being his home track, he probably would have already lost control in any other race.

Of course, Chen Xiangbei wouldn't have been so aggressive in other fields.

The race has now reached lap 15, the first pit stop window.

If no incidents occur that trigger yellow or even red flags, the drivers of the leading groups will pit for white tires and implement a one- or two-stop strategy.

"North, keep an eye on Hamilton. When he enters the station, you follow him in."

After saying this, Odeto took off his headphones, turned around, and spoke to Liang Chi and the rest of the technician team in the repair bay.

"In the six months since the winter test, you have gone through countless pit stop practice sessions and have been able to reduce the tire changing speed to about 2.5 seconds."

"But this time my requirement for you is 2 seconds, to complete the undercut (tactical overtake) of McLaren's Hamilton using the speed of the pit stop tire change."

"The track is not a place for individual battles. No matter how strong an individual is, they will still hit a ceiling when facing the power of a team."

"Show your speed, demonstrate the results of your training, and let the world witness the power of the HRT team!"

That's right, Odette never planned for Chen Xiangbei to overtake Hamilton by relying on his speed.

He pinned his hopes on changing the tire in the pit!
F1 is never a one-man show; behind every driver is a teammate and the entire team.

Odette knew how much effort Liang Chi and others had put in to improve their tire-changing speed, practicing mechanically hundreds and thousands of times to catch up with the average speed of the four major teams.

Today, Odette aims to lead his entire team to surpass the four major racing teams!

Upon hearing the team leader's words, all the members, including Hiroki Sawano, were initially taken aback.

Then he realized Odette's intention.

As members of F1, the world's most aesthetically pleasing team, they naturally understand the importance of teamwork better than anyone else.

"For HRT!"

Someone raised their arm and shouted something.

Immediately afterwards, all the team members who remained at the repair shop echoed this sentiment.

"For HRT!"

These shouts naturally alerted the other team members in the maintenance lane. They looked at the HRT team's pit garage with puzzled eyes, wondering what had happened.

Only the McLaren team management had a vague sense of foreboding.

Soon Hamilton's No. 2 car and Chen Xiangbei's No. 13 car entered the pit lane one after the other to change tires.

Both teams recognized the urgency of the tire change time, and the total tire change time was displayed in the lower right corner of the broadcast screen.

McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton finished his pit stop after changing tires in 18.9 seconds!
Almost simultaneously, the HRT vehicle lowered its front jack, and Chen Xiangbei stepped on the gas and pulled out of the station.

At this moment, the bottom right corner of his broadcast screen shows a duration of 18.5 seconds!
When Hamilton arrived at the HRT team's pit garage, he was stuck at the 80km/h speed limit in the maintenance lane.

A black and orange race car suddenly appeared sideways, narrowly cutting in front of him.

undercut (tactical overtaking)!

Chen Xiangbei overtook Hamilton in the pit lane!
(End of this chapter)