Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 285 The Shortcoming of Lack of Control

"Team leader, Perez's ability to maintain pregnancy is really strong."

Hiroki Sawano couldn't help but sigh, "Now that refueling at stations has been canceled and tire materials are becoming harder, tire maintenance has become an increasingly important and essential driving skill for drivers."

In the early days, Schumacher used a four-stop strategy to reverse the situation against Alonso, who had only stopped three times, and won the championship, creating a miracle in the world of F1.

Nowadays, pit stops and two-stops have gradually become the mainstream, and if it weren't for the FIA's mandatory pit stop requirement, many drivers might have planned to run the whole race with the same set of tires and wouldn't need to pit for tire changes at all.

It's important to know that going to the station often involves more than just changing a tire; it represents a significant change in circumstances!
Why did F1 gradually decline over the period of 10 to 20 years?
On the one hand, Schumacher's retirement marked the end of an era.

Secondly, F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is stuck in his ways and completely out of touch with the internet age, so the company still has to rely on Liberty Media to take over and commercialize it.

Finally, the "Mars Rover" was too strong, making the outcome of the race a foregone conclusion early on. Even using DRS to reduce the difficulty of overtaking was somewhat ineffective.

Multiple pit stops mean an expansion of tactics, an increase in variables in team coordination, and a lot more unknown suspense in the race!

Just like no one likes to know the ending of a movie from the very beginning.

Nobody wants to know who the champion will be in advance in a sports competition.

However, the tide of the times is ultimately unstoppable, and reducing the number of trips to the hospital to protect the fetus has become an inevitable trend.

Drivers with this ability or talent will shine in the paddock!
"It is indeed outstanding, no less than that of the North."

Odette nodded, giving Perez a very high evaluation.

To be honest, his assessment was a bit too mild. In fact, Perez's current ability to maintain a pregnancy has already surpassed Chen Xiangbei's.

Of course, this also depends on driving style.

An overly conservative approach to racing inevitably results in a slower absolute lap speed. However, this might not be a major problem in a race, allowing for a latecomer to overtake the leader.

If placed in ranked matches, it will fall to the very bottom.

On the contrary, Chen Xiangbei possesses absolute speed and tire-holding ability that is not a weakness, which is the standard for a true all-around driver.

However, no one holds Chen Xiangbei to the standards of a rookie anymore, even though he's still in his rookie season. Conversely, the team management has much lower expectations for Perez, who is merely a substitute rookie.

Just like rookies who fill in for others in later generations, as long as they don't cause any accidents and perform adequately, they can be considered qualified.

If we can get some points, we'll have a chance to secure a spot for next season!

"However, Perez's driving style clashes completely with North's, so how can the resulting tuning data be matched?"

Data analyst Sho Mizutani sounded somewhat worried.

Based on the data from the racing car's sensors, he believes that Perez and Chen Xiangbei are like two extremes.

An extremely aggressive late braking extreme trajectory.

Another extremely smooth, flaky glide through the corner.

With such a distinct personal style, how can Chen Xiangbei refer to Perez's tuning data?
"That's a problem with the North."

Odeto replied casually.

The team only provides the data; whether the driver can handle it is up to them.

Trulli was also not used to oversteer in the car. Does Chen Xiangbei want to collect a set of data specifically for him to adjust the car according to the understeer driving style?

The answer is clearly no.

Even if Perez takes over as the number two driver, it doesn't mean he needs to make endless sacrifices.

Even a champion like Schumacher, who once won a Grand Prix for free by taking it from Barrichello, was criticized by many and retaliated in the following race.

Chen Xiangbei wasn't so arrogant as to have an entire convoy serving him.

The second practice match ended quickly as scheduled, and Perez's ranking remained outside the top ten, without any significant improvement.

However, the tire data shocked the team. Based on Perez's driving style, he could have easily stopped the car!
It's important to know that historically, the Lingyan Circuit typically employed a two- or even three-stop strategy, with the pit stop window being limited by the unique layout of the pit lane entrance, averaging around 25 seconds.

In other words, reducing one stop can make up for a 25-second gap.

If you enter the station twice, that's 50 seconds!
However, based on Perez's average time, the tire-maintaining driving style has very slow lap times and is very weak in wheel-to-wheel combat, making it extremely easy to get stuck in traffic and unable to get out.

Overall, the 50-second advantage is significant enough to entice the team's management.

Upon seeing this data, Hiroki Sawano came to Chen Xiangbei's side.

He turned to him and said, "Xiang Beijun, Perez's driving style is very suitable for the Lingyan Circuit. And since it is a brand new circuit, other teams may not have collected data on this aspect, so we have a first-mover advantage."

"However, this is completely different from your usual driving style, and you lack a practice session to adapt. Do you think you can handle it?"

"can."

Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Xiangbei gave his answer.

"Sure?"

This time, it was Hiroki Sawano's turn to have some doubts.

Could this kid be trying to impress the newcomers by pretending he can do something he's not?

"Of course, I'm very good at it."

Chen Xiangbei replied with a smile.

He was neither showing off nor lying.

In fact, compared to being radical and adventurous, Perez's conservative driving style is more like Chen Xiangbei's style in his previous life.

The reason is simple: they can't afford the risks and are afraid of crashing, so they can only choose to be gentle and conservative, making the most of long-distance stability to turn the tide later.

Chen Xiangbei's initial conservatism was corrected by Odette, who saw it as "fear" of the track.

But this does not mean that Chen Xiangbei has forgotten that familiar memory.

If you want to drive conservatively and gently, Chen Xiangbei is absolutely second to none!
"Ok, I trust you."

After a moment's hesitation, Hiroki Sawano nodded and placed Perez's tuning plan as his first choice.

With the end of the second practice session, Hamilton took the lead in lap times, closely followed by Vettel.

This result, compared to Perez's inability to even make the top ten, immediately ignited the South Korean audience at the scene.

"They couldn't perform well on the first practice session, and they're still at this level on the second. The HRT team's true colors have been revealed!"

"If that Chinese guy didn't go to the mechanics during practice, I don't believe he can pull off anything in qualifying!"

"I hereby declare that the Korean circuit will be Chen Xiangbei's nemesis!"

"Go Hamilton! Show Chen Xiangbei who the real rising star driver is!" The crowd erupted in cheers, leaving Chen Xiangbei somewhat bewildered.

Hamilton has taken the top spot, and the British fans should be the ones who are excited. What does it have to do with you Koreans?
"Interesting, Chinese kids really do seem to easily provoke public anger wherever they go."

Inside the Williams team's pit garage, director Heid stood with his arms crossed, his tone slightly mocking.

As a competitor, he was happy to see Chen Xiangbei suffer a setback, and he hoped the media storm would be even more intense, directly impacting the Chinese driver's mentality.

After all, the HRT team is too strong, and has already surpassed the Williams team.

It's important to know that in addition to regular sponsorships and advertising revenue, teams also receive a share of the FIA's year-end rankings, the amount of which is determined by the team's points and ranking.

If a new team comes from behind and surpasses the old team, it means that the old team will drop one place.

Williams Racing was already facing financial difficulties, and team principal Sir William Williams had already sold his private jet in order to keep the team running.

Even a drop of just one rank will impact the team's R&D investment.

"Being tough is always better than being weak; being able to provoke public anger is also a skill."

Sir Williams replied casually, without intending to belittle Chen Xiangbei.

After all, he and Staller were friends for many years, and he had watched Chen Xiangbei grow up step by step.

Having witnessed the rise and fall of countless teams and drivers over the years in the paddock, Sir Williams has become accustomed to many things.

"I don't think this skill is of any use."

Hyde remained unconvinced; on the contrary, he grew increasingly disgusted with Chen Xiangbei, feeling that this Chinese lad was nothing more than a clown trying to attract attention in the paddock.

In a sense, this also reflects Chen Xiangbei's current situation regarding his interpersonal relationships.

I really like him. I think if a young person isn't spirited, what kind of young person is he?
I absolutely hate him. All he does is cause trouble and show off in the hunting grounds, trying to gain attention by engaging in all sorts of staged accidents.

Just like Verstappen during his "turret" era, he was a genius boy on one hand, and hated by everyone on the other!

Sir Williams did not argue with Hyde regarding his remarks.

He then asked, "How's the feedback from the Hulkenberg circuit?"

"His accuracy is exceptional, which means he has top-notch car sense and talent. He already finished in the top eight in the second practice session, and I have a feeling he will shine in this race!"

Both Hyde and Sir Williams smiled when Hulkenberg was mentioned.

The HRT team won an SSR card, and they were lucky with their own draws.

Hulkenberg, this newcomer, is no pushover either. He reached the edge of the points zone in the last tournament and has consistently finished in the top ten in practice matches in this one.

It's worth noting that compared to HRT cars, Williams cars, while not exactly tractors, are still considered to be among the lower ranks of the "earth group," normally placing around fifteenth or sixteenth.

However, Hulkenberg demonstrated absolute speed and had the potential to break into the top ten.

Furthermore, Hulkenberg's ability to maintain this speed on the brand-new track of Yeongam in South Korea demonstrates his exceptional adaptability and potential talent. His move to eliminate Kazuki Nakajima and welcome a newcomer was a wise one.

"Great, I believe this stop will be very exciting."

Sir Williams smiled.

His brilliance wasn't just due to Hulkenberg's performance, but also to Hamilton and many other drivers' past conflicts with Chen Xiangbei.

HRT drivers are too dominant and have become the target of public criticism.

After the second practice session ended in the afternoon, the Lingyan Circuit gradually quieted down, and most of the team members returned to their hotel to rest, waiting for the third practice session and qualifying tomorrow.

Chen Xiangbei did not go back; he stayed in the driver's rest room at the pit stop and drove the simulator.

Despite the insults and ridicule from the audience, Chen Xiangbei remained very calm and even used tactics to fight back.

But this does not mean that Chen Xiangbei was completely unmoved.

On the contrary, his gesture of giving the middle finger was actually an expression of his emotions. However, Chen Xiangbei was able to suppress his anger, or rather, he had learned to disguise it and would not show it in front of outsiders.

At the same time, Chen Xiangbei was very clear that the FIA's punishment alone could not truly silence the Koreans present.

The best way to retaliate and humiliate is to stand on the highest podium at Yeongam Circuit and let the national anthem be played on Korean soil.

Make those Koreans who love to hurl insults stand up and pay their respects!
To conquer the Lingyan track, you'll have to put in more effort, and the simulator is the only way.

In addition, although Chen Xiangbei's style in his previous life was gentle and conservative, he is more radical and adventurous in this life, and needs some time to "rehabilitation".

This caused Chen Xiangbei to run around in circles on the simulator with extreme madness, losing control and crashing into the virtual protective wall many times, repeatedly pressing the reset button to start over.

This scene caused great concern to Sho Mizutani, who was watching from the back and recording data.

“Senior Zeno, I feel that Xiangbei is not as calm as he appears. His simulator line and speed are extremely extreme. The public opinion in the paddock has made him a bit overwhelmed.”

Hearing this, Hiroki Sawano glanced at the lap time he had recorded and nodded, saying, "Yeah, but the speed is getting closer and closer to the ideal lap time."

"Senior Sawano, aren't you worried that Mukai-kun will lose control of the match?"

Sho Mizutani was somewhat surprised that Hiroki Sawano was focusing on lap time.

In the past, Odette was the radical, while Sawano-senpai was more concerned about the safety of the drivers.

"No, on the contrary, venting will make you calmer."

As a former Formula One driver, Hiroki Sawano knows very well that drivers also need opportunities and channels to vent their emotions.

Clearly, Chen Xiangbei vented his frustration on the racing simulator.

Once you've vented, tomorrow will actually be safer.

As if to confirm Hiroki Sawano's statement, Chen Xiangbei quickly changed his previous crazy running style and began long-distance simulated training according to Perez's method of maintaining a healthy pregnancy.

Despite the drastically different driving style, Chen Xiangbei did not experience the difficulty he had imagined. On the contrary, the transition was incredibly smooth, as if the Perez tuning was made just for him.

This scene left Hiroki Sawano and Sho Mizutani standing behind him, both with their mouths agape, wanting to say something, but unable to utter a word for a long time.

Even a veteran like Trulli, who had been driving for over a decade, found it extremely difficult to adapt to the changes in car design and even had an accident.

Chen Xiangbei completely reversed his personal driving style, and surprisingly, he didn't have any problems?

It's like asking a right-handed person to suddenly write and eat with their left hand; it's something no one can get used to in a short time!
Even more outrageous is that not only did Chen Xiangbei not crash into anything, he also slowed down...

As the number of practice laps increased, Sho Mizutani's notebook was filled with several pages of densely written lap times.

If you look closely, you'll notice that the speeds on the first few pages are very similar, indicating that Chen Xiangbei's long-distance speeds are extremely stable.

The following pages show some changes, with the time taken for each lap being shortened little by little, even if it's only a few milliseconds.

The change in numbers only represents one thing: Chen Xiangbei is running faster and faster!
(End of this chapter)