Why race if you don’t have money?

Is Chapter 289 still not enough?

Chen Xiangbei had no idea what Perez was thinking. If he did, he could only say that his premonition was correct.

I did intentionally create some tailwind for Perez.

The reason is simple: after the Trulli incident, Chen Xiangbei understood the importance of teamwork.

Perhaps to put it more bluntly, what goes around comes around. There will always be a time when you need help from others. No one can be that high and mighty "god" forever.

Even a legend like Schumacher has shed his sharp edges and aggressiveness during his Mercedes career, no longer resorting to any means to win, and instead focusing more on helping the team develop.

Verstappen has a major stain on his record: in the 22 São Paulo Grand Prix, despite having no pressure to achieve any results, he refused to give up even a sixth-place finish to Perez, allowing his teammate to compete for the world runner-up position.

At that time, the relationship between the two sides was on the verge of breaking down. At the next race, the Saudi Grand Prix, Verstappen deliberately beat Perez's fastest lap, thus losing that extra point, which was like rubbing salt into the wound.

At that time, Verstappen possessed all the characteristics of GOAT-level drivers throughout history.

Powerful, domineering, arrogant, and willing to use any means to achieve victory.

His actions may have stemmed from Perez's exceptional performance at the start of the season and the resulting ambition to challenge, which offended the new generation of champions.

A true king cannot be challenged!

Chen Xiangbei certainly has his own pride, but he also has a god-like perspective, knowing that after Perez left, Verstappen could no longer find a second driver who could follow in his footsteps and act as his wingman.

Going it alone, he could never beat the McLaren duo.

The only lucky thing is that the two McLaren teams are so evenly matched that neither is willing to concede to the other, giving Verstappen the opportunity for a 1v1v1 match.

If it were a combination like Schumacher and Barrichello, even a powerhouse like the Autobots would have a very difficult chance of winning.

Chen Xiangbei's goal is no longer to protect himself within the paddock, but to "benefit all under heaven," which inevitably requires the second driver to provide assistance at crucial moments.

Perez is a top-class number two driver, as history has proven.

In that case, it's not a bad thing to show goodwill and offer some help to the other party.

Teammates can be opponents, that's true, but the paddock is not a zero-sum game.

Ultimately, there is still a possibility of a win-win situation.

"North, Perez, proceed ahead of schedule."

After the revelry, Odtor's instructions came through the headphones.

If you complete the flight lap before the track becomes completely slippery, then there's no need to run any more laps.

Because a race car with rain tires can never be faster than one with soft red tires.

Timing was indeed not on Chen Xiangbei's side, but he managed to defy fate with his own strength, and this racing lap is the final result of Q2!
Indeed, that was the case. Chen Xiangbei slowed down and returned to the pit lane, while the drivers behind him who hadn't finished the race on soft red tires were in big trouble.

In the seventh minute of the second qualifying session, Ayrton Senna of Lotus went off the track.

Just ten seconds later, Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi went off the track, and both cars sustained minor damage.

Upon seeing this situation, the teams that were still performing flying laps realized that the water on the Lingyan circuit was flowing much faster than expected, and the soft red tires might not be able to support the flying laps.

So a dozen or so race cars pulled into the pits to change tires, and then all of them came out of the pits to set lap times on semi-wet tires.

While F1 racing offers the option of using full wet tires, it's extremely rare to see teams using them for flying laps in real life.

On the one hand, full wet tires have terrifyingly slow lap times, so many teams and drivers would rather gamble on using semi-wet tires.

On the other hand, when it comes to heavy rain that necessitates the use of full-weather tires, the FIA ​​often considers safety factors and ends the race early, rendering the full-weather tires useless.

However, while these team management teams understand radar cloud maps and rainfall data, they don't understand just how bad the drainage system of the Lingyan Circuit really is!
In theory, semi-weather tires should be sufficient for the situation, but in reality, the situation turned from a race car to a speedboat.

The track was severely flooded, and the semi-wet tires couldn't clear the water at all. In the eleventh minute of the second qualifying session, Lotus driver Kovalainen went up the wall and the red flag was displayed.

With a defiant attitude, the race restarted two minutes later, and then Force India's Lyuz once again put up the red flag on the wall.

In just five minutes, four racing incidents occurred. Considering driver safety, the FIA ​​was forced to end the second qualifying session early. HRT team's Chen Xiangbei and Perez officially advanced as a pair!
Knowing the answer in advance, there was naturally no need for much celebration. At this moment, the HRT team focused more on the upcoming third qualifying session.

If all drivers switch to rain tires, it's like everyone is on the same starting line again. Chen Xiangbei's race car, with its race car tuning scheme that favors the main race and its power unit with reduced power, will become his fatal weakness.

Even the worst result after entering Q3 is starting at tenth.

But Chen Xiangbei and the HRT team were not satisfied with this!
While the HRT team was discussing their results, the two commentators in the studio were still debating the Q2 standings.

Reid asked sarcastically, "Park, it seems that it's not as you said, that even the heavens aren't on the side of driver North."

In terms of results, Chen Xiangbei seized the last soft tire window before the rain, which allowed him to advance to Q3 without any major incident, and he also brought in rookie Perez thanks to the wake effect.

At least in terms of timing, things were on Chen Xiangbei's side.

Park Dong-wook's face turned very ugly in response to Red's taunts.

He originally thought that Chen Xiangbei wouldn't be able to finish the speed lap, and that he might even end up on the wall.

As a result, this Chinese kid managed to stay calm, and many times when he was just a hair's breadth away from losing control while cornering.

At this moment, Park Dong-wook didn't know whether to say that Chen Xiangbei relied on his strength or was truly blessed by God.

“The qualifying season isn’t over yet, and Q3 won’t give him that kind of window.”

Park Dong-wook retorted defiantly, saying that the moment of truth had arrived and he was no longer maintaining the so-called neutrality of a host, openly taking the opposing stance.

Reid simply smiled at the answer.

He has witnessed too much prejudice in his career, even against himself.

A few words can't change other people's opinions. Regardless of Chen Xiangbei's performance in the third qualifying round, making it into Q3 has already proven himself in a sense.

Don't forget Chen Xiangbei's status as a rookie just because he won the station championship.

He only played three more games than Perez!

For a rookie running on a completely unfamiliar track, isn't making it into Q3 enough?

Or perhaps, in the subconscious of the outside world, the standard for Chen Xiangbei has been set at the highest level, and it is assumed that he has entered the first tier of the hunting grounds.

The audience in the stands felt even more frustrated listening to the two commentators' discussion.

It's important to understand that South Korea's motorsport culture isn't much better than China's, and may even be worse. The vast majority of spectators there are just casual viewers who lack a real understanding of Formula 1.

Disdain and prejudice led them to believe that Chen Xiangbei was a complete idiot!
As for why he was able to win the China Grand Prix, that's not important; it was either luck or cheating.

People often only believe what they want to believe.

"Damn, Chen Xiangbei is too lucky. He just managed to finish the flying lap."

"Luck can't protect the Chinese forever; they'll still be exposed in Q3."

"It's just a tire advantage. Didn't you see that even the driver, Bei Lian, couldn't beat Perez?" "Indeed, a regular driver who gets overtaken by substitutes in practice and qualifying, how come he's stuck in this position?"

"They have to pay. Aren't the Chinese the ones who get seats because they have money?"

The stands were filled with sarcastic and mocking voices. Since they couldn't change Chen Xiangbei's grades, they tried every means to slander them.

Meanwhile, hearing these words, the few Chinese spectators and fans finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Bullshit, you think F1 drivers are a bunch of rookies because they got into Q3 by luck?"

"Koreans are such a fragile bunch!"

"Stop talking nonsense, you can't bring Chen Xiangbei down by just cursing him."

"I'm waiting to witness the moment when Chen Xiangbei conquers the Lingyan racetrack!"

"South Koreans, North Korea is far more powerful than you imagine!"

Chen Xiangbei may not have many supporters, but their words carry more weight.

The reason is simple: at least Chen Xiangbei was able to establish himself in the F1 paddock and even win a race.

Where are the Koreans?

It wasn't just Chinese viewers; many European and American fans also stood up for Chen Xiangbei after hearing the emotional criticism from the Korean audience.

They are the ones who truly witnessed Chen Xiangbei's transformation from Formula Renault to the F1 paddock.

To call this driver, who skipped a grade to be second only to Raikkonen, a rookie is simply a joke!
Many people are unaware that Chen Xiangbei has become the youngest track record holder, the youngest pole position holder, and the youngest Grand Prix winner in F1 history.

If he hadn't experienced a dramatic rise and fall, he would have been destined to become a brilliant new star in the F1 paddock!

The noise from the stands had no effect on the team's preparations.

The Koreans may not understand the significance of Chen Xiangbei's racing achievements, but the team members at the pit stop see it very clearly.

It can be said that Chen Xiangbei is dancing on the edge of a knife throughout the entire racing circle.

"Hamilton, rain is your strength, you need to be faster to take pole position."

"The slippery track eliminated the HRT's racing car's performance disadvantages."

Dennis directly reminded Hamilton that when car performance is at the same level, then it's purely a matter of driving skills.

Hamilton is second to none; he is undoubtedly one of the greatest rain-racing drivers in history.

However, we still cannot let our guard down.

The Chinese lad has already demonstrated his talent for racing in the rain at the Australian Grand Prix, and that flying lap just now proved it once again.

If you let your guard down even a little, you might get a chicken stolen by that Chinese kid.

Just like at the Chinese Grand Prix, no one expected that the McLaren team, one of the Big Three, would be "sneaked out" by a newcomer, HRT.

Dennis absolutely will not allow the same scenario to happen twice!

"I'll keep a close watch on the north from this station."

Hamilton replied very coldly.

Putting everything else aside, at least in the Korean Grand Prix, Chen Xiangbei's priority has already surpassed Vettel's.

"That's it, don't give driver Bei any chance!"

Dennis was very satisfied with Hamilton's response; he liked this kind of fighting spirit.

Just as all the teams were actively preparing for Q3, the weather changed even more suddenly, and the light rain stopped.

However, the rain stopping does not mean that the water on the track has been drained. Especially with the poor drainage facilities at Lingyan Circuit, it may take a long time for the track to dry completely, so the only option for tires is still semi-weather tires.

At 3:20 p.m., after a short break, the third qualifying session began on time.

The current situation with cars leaving the pits is very similar to Q1, with no team starting at the exact time.

Q1: Everyone delays their start, intending to let others go first, and then enter the race when there are enough rubber granules falling off the track and the grip conditions improve. The later you start, the greater your advantage.

Q3 is where, after the rain stops, the water on the track drains to the shoulders on both sides, and as the cars speed along, a clear dry lane will appear, again giving the advantage of exiting the pits later.

Nobody wants to be the first to leave the pits, especially the four teams with an absolute advantage in car performance; they have the ability to fight for a flying lap record!

However, one race car went against the grain, and that was Chen Xiangbei of the HRT team.

Chen Xiangbei didn't have the luxury of sitting back and watching the tigers fight, so he had to personally step into the fray and become the tiger that came down the mountain.

The semi-rain tires have very low wear and tear, and the rainwater can also slow down the rise in tire temperature, making it possible to complete two consecutive flying laps.

Given this, Chen Xiangbei wanted an extra layer of error tolerance.

A lone race car sped by, the spray of water filling the air and the roar of its engine creating a unique scene.

All eyes were on Chen Xiangbei, eager to see just how fast this young Chinese man could run.

A little over a minute passed in the blink of an eye, and Chen Xiangbei's lap time was displayed on the large screen inside the paddock.

1 minutes 39 seconds 470.

This result is not bad; it even surpasses the lap times of those mid-to-lower-tier teams in Q2 after switching to semi-wet tires.

However, the HRT team members knew very well that they wanted to use this lap time to get into the starting grid of the top group.

Hard!

Schumacher, Alonso, Button, Hamilton, and others are all god-level rain-fighting masters.

Vettel, Weber, and Rosberg are also quite good.

Among the top ten drivers, Massa is probably the only one who is slightly inferior.

As it turned out, HRT team's guess was correct. After Chen Xiangbei's lap time was announced, the other drivers took turns coming out of the pits to perform their own flying laps.

His lap time of 1 minute 39.470 seconds continued to decline until he reached ninth place, only ahead of his teammate Perez.

Driven by a sense of defiance, Chen Xiangbei then completed another lap, this time significantly improving his ranking to fourth overall.

However, there was no jubilant scene at the HRT pit stop, because as the track conditions gradually improved, the flying laps of the drivers behind would also become faster and faster, and Chen Xiangbei would not be able to hold this position!
Judging from Chen Xiangbei's control just now, he has squeezed almost all the performance out of car number 13, but the final speed is still much slower than the competitors. It seems that entering Q3 is the limit for HRT in the Korean Grand Prix.

Just as everyone was about to accept reality, Chen Xiangbei's voice came through the team's voice system.

"Odette, prepare a set of soft red tires. I'll be pitting to change tires this lap."

(End of this chapter)