Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 298 Lady Luck Did Not Favor Us
"FUCK!"

Hamilton cursed under his breath, glancing at Chen Xiangbei who was still gently braking to warm up the tires. In the end, he didn't press the accelerator to provoke him, nor did he intend to rear-end him and die together.

Trading a World Championship title for a regional title is a losing proposition no matter how you look at it.

Looking at Hamilton, who had become "obedient," in the rearview mirror, Chen Xiangbei's lips curled into a contemptuous smile.

To be honest, he hadn't considered trading Hamilton for one.

The reason is simple: they are currently ranked high in the standings, and moreover, both the car and the team of HRT have shown the potential to compete for the championship.

The title of rookie champion is only temporary, not a permanent label.

I also have a chance to compete for the World Championship, so is trading one for one really a good deal?

Of course, if Hamilton continues his provocative behavior, Chen Xiangbei will remain steadfast in his confrontation and may even have further tricks up his sleeve.

For example, changing lanes and suddenly braking to a stop, causing Hamilton to overtake on the warm-up lap, resulting in an exaggerated 30-second penalty that no one can bear!
However, this method is very time-sensitive and can only be done when Hamilton is blinded by anger.

Never underestimate the seven-time champion's reaction speed and handling ability. Even if you brake in time, Hamilton is very likely to react and brake as well, rather than make an overtaking maneuver.

Trying to outmaneuver Hamilton won't be that easy!

"The warm-up lap has returned to calm. Hamilton has stopped his provocative actions. From another perspective, driver North has not been at a disadvantage in this game at all, showing his extremely tough attitude and fighting spirit."

"In the 60-year history of F1 racing, this is the first Asian driver to face a world champion without showing any weakness!"

Reid expressed his approval of Chen Xiangbei's attitude. As the saying goes, when two people meet on a narrow road, the brave will win. F1 drivers often rely on their momentum.

In the past, Asian drivers may have included figures like Takuma Sato and Yuji Ide, who dared to crash their cars.

But to be honest, their crashes were more a result of incompetence and recklessness than courage.

Just like when Takuma Sato was slapped on the helmet by Schumacher, he didn't dare to say a word and had to apologize honestly after the race.

If it were Chen Xiangbei, he probably would have retaliated with a punch on the spot. He didn't care about your status as a racing king or not; he wouldn't swallow this insult!

Upon hearing Reid's words, Park Dong-wook instinctively wanted to refute them.

But the words stuck in his throat and he didn't say them.

The reason is simple: he is also Asian, and South Korea is considered an Asian driver.

They envied and were jealous of Chen Xiangbei, yet deep down they hoped that such a tough driver could emerge in China.

Mocking Chen Xiangbei is tantamount to mocking the future hope of South Korea.

After the warm-up lap, the twenty-four race cars returned to the starting grid, accompanied by the roar of the engines and an invisible tension.

Everyone knows that Hamilton will never swallow this insult. He is filled with anger and a desire for revenge. When vying for position at Turn 1, he should probably be careful to avoid a collision, otherwise, he might be caught in the crossfire.

However, the thoughts in their minds were quickly dispelled by the starting indicator lights above the track, and the drivers on site had to keep their eyes locked on the starting line to improve their reaction speed by a fraction of a second.

Only in this way can we avoid being overtaken by our opponents.

"Drip, drip, drip..."

The lights are turned on at a regular frequency to prevent drivers from anticipating a false start, while the lights are turned off without any discernible pattern, relying entirely on manual pressing of the turn-off button.

As he released the clutch and revved the engine, the RPMs skyrocketed. The instant the indicator light above the track went out, Chen Xiangbei floored the accelerator and sped off. His reaction speed and starting control were both top-notch.

The problem is, which F1 driver who can start from the front row isn't a top-tier one?
There is a famous saying that has been passed down through the ages: In the F1 paddock, there is no last place, only the top twenty in the world.

Hamilton, Vettel, Webber, and others have reaction speeds and starting control that are on par with Chen Xiangbei. From now on, each driver will have to compete on acceleration control and the ability to take the lead.

Of course, there's also the most important factor: tire grip.

Chen Xiangbei's starting control and upshifting acceleration abilities, whether in this life or the previous one, have always been among the top tier, demonstrating extremely solid fundamental skills.

Because in many cases, when Formula One cars move short distances, some drivers will find it troublesome and ask the technical team to push them. However, Chen Xiangbei will always drive himself as long as the engine is running.

This is just like a novice manual transmission driver. No one is born with the skills to start with the clutch and shift gears. They learn by repeatedly stalling the engine.

Often, things that seem insignificant or trivial can prove to be less familiar to you than your opponent is at crucial moments.

In addition, the start is often the moment when the car's performance requirements are the lowest. Chen Xiangbei had never driven a "Mars car" in his previous life in a big team. If he was overtaken by his opponent at the start, he would not be able to catch up with his opponent in the whole race.

Through hard work and various real-world factors, Chen Xiangbei honed his basic skills!

While linearly revving the engine, Chen Xiangbei shifted gears according to the RPM using the steering wheel paddle shifters. The perfect combination of throttle and gear shifting prevented the race car from spinning out of control, and the relatively weak grip of the neutral yellow tires held onto the position.

"Pretty!"

The HRT team members were immediately overjoyed. According to the team's prediction, Chen Xiangbei would start on medium tires and would lose at least one or two positions.

Chen Xiangbei's performance was far better than expected!

However, his good fortune didn't last long. Chen Xiangbei started from pole position with a clean side of the track and the best running line.

However, the biggest difference in tire grip occurs in corners.

And then there was Hamilton, who, at this moment, displayed his yet-to-be-famous golden left-front attack, accelerating on the inside with an extremely aggressive stance, wheel-to-wheel with Chen Xiangbei as they rounded the corner.

Hamilton is going to overtake Chen Xiangbei at Turn 1!

Chen Xiangbei's expression was very serious as he looked at the McLaren's front end, which he could see out of the corner of his eye.

He knew Hamilton was no pushover and would never let a loss go unpunished after being taken advantage of on the warm-up lap, but he didn't expect him to attack so quickly, cleanly and decisively cutting into his side box without any hesitation.

A world champion is a world champion after all. The man who truly inherited Schumacher's seven-time world champion title, even in his youthful and inexperienced stage, was already a force to be reckoned with.

At this moment, Chen Xiangbei had no intention of challenging Hamilton's "golden left front" position. Perhaps compared to Hamilton, he was barefoot, but compared to most other drivers, he had already joined the ranks of those wearing shoes.

A pole position collision is actually a lose-lose situation.

Since a collision is not an option, the only choice is to try to get a faster exit speed from the corner and keep Hamilton behind their car once again.

Without much time to think or hesitate, Chen Xiangbei stepped on the gas and accelerated, trying to widen the distance and shake off Hamilton.

After qualifying, Schumacher spoke with Jean Todt and mentioned that Chen Xiangbei's driving style was extremely aggressive, and he often had to rely on luck to save himself from the brink of losing control.

But Lady Luck doesn't always favor one person.

With that throttle input, the engine's torque finally broke through the tire's grip limit, causing Chen Xiangbei's No. 13 race car to spin instantly, and then the car's traction balance was broken.

To put it simply, Chen Xiangbei lost control and skidded!
"A pendulum! Driver Bei's car is exhibiting an out-of-control pendulum phenomenon at the rear. His attempt to suppress Hamilton's control by accelerating in the corner was too impulsive. Could it be that Driver Bei's journey at the Lingyan Circuit will end with such a dramatic scene?"

Reid couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Through the broadcast footage, he could clearly see that Chen Xiangbei's race car had accelerated, but the next second the tires spun and the car spun out of control, resulting in a rear-end pendulum effect.

This is an extremely dangerous situation for F1 racing, and it would be very difficult for the driver to save the car.

Not to mention that this is at the T1 turn, where there are more than twenty cars behind him. If Chen Xiangbei loses control completely, not only will his own HRT car be smashed to pieces, but it may also cause a chain reaction accident!
"It's over..."

The spectators in the stands didn't have much insight; they only knew that the F1 car's loss of control at T1 corner basically sealed its fate.

As the saying goes, excessive joy leads to sorrow, and Chinese car enthusiasts never expected that this would happen to them!

Faced with this extremely dangerous situation, Chen Xiangbei remained rational. He knew very well that even if he lost control, he absolutely could not stay on the track, as it would inevitably cause a collision with other race cars, and there would be no room to save the car.

The only chance for survival is the T1 turn at the Yeongam Circuit in South Korea. Considering the danger of overtaking at the start, a buffer zone was reserved instead of using a concrete retaining wall like later turns, meaning Chen Xiangbei still has a chance to defy fate.

Chen Xiangbei used extremely high speed to counter the "pendulum" by steering the car backwards, and at the same time, he no longer tried to stay on the track to take the corner, letting the car rush straight into the edge of the buffer zone, using the gravel surface to increase friction.

The spinning tires kicked up a cloud of dust and gravel, and the drivers following Chen Xiangbei were also affected. The helmets and visors hit the cars with a "crackling" sound, and with limited visibility and the need to instinctively avoid the collisions, several race cars were involved in a chain collision.

"Fuck!"

"What is Driver Bei doing?"

"Another instance of dangerous driving; this Chinese guy should be banned from racing!"

"Idiot, I want to file a complaint against driver Bei!"

For a time, the team's voice system was filled with all sorts of profanities and the drivers' anger.

In fact, F1 drivers are also extremely prone to road rage when they encounter special events, and it is common for them to swear in the voice system. As long as it is not racist or particularly serious insulting words, the FIA ​​will even make it public for the outside world to know.

There is no doubt that Chen Xiangbei's throwing up of gravel caused a chain-reaction collision, which broke the spirit of the rear-seat drivers affected by the accident.

This is not the first time Chen Xiangbei has caused a similar accident. He has long been known as the "public enemy of the track". Coupled with the various crashes caused by the HRT team in the previous race, it has further solidified the image of Chinese drivers as "villains".

It can only be said that one is influenced by one's surroundings; judging from the results of this competition, Chen Xiangbei will likely become a "bad guy" in the paddock like Briatore.

However, compared to the chain reaction of accidents involving the drivers in the back row, the terrifying grip of the slick tires began to show at this moment, and Chen Xiangbei felt that the race car had regained control.

Without the slightest hesitation, he released the brake pedal with his left foot and pressed down on the accelerator with his right foot. The No. 13 race car returned to the track from the gravel run-off area and continued driving amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd.

To the audience's utter surprise, Chen Xiangbei, who caused the accident, was not the one most severely affected; he was still able to compete!
"Holy crap, Chen Xiangbei actually managed to save the car and come back?"

"He didn't spin on the track; he was already prepared to make a save when he went into the gravel run-off area."

"Driver Bei was too calm. The pendulum's successful rescue is extremely rare. He made every judgment correctly."

"It seems that what happened before wasn't just the favor of Lady Luck, but more so Chen Xiangbei's own strength that allowed him to defy fate!"

Chen Xiangbei's incredible rescue maneuver drew gasps of amazement from the audience.

The majority of the audience members may have mocked and belittled Chen Xiangbei, but those who were hostile were ultimately a minority. Fans understood the value of Chen Xiangbei's rescue maneuver; one wrong step and he would never have been able to get back on the track.

In the F1 paddock, skill will ultimately earn a driver respect.

Just as many Chinese car enthusiasts in later generations dislike the Japanese, they still praise Yuki Tsunoda's performance at certain times.

Chen Xiangbei's performance at the scene drew gasps and applause from some South Korean audience members.

Compared to the audience at the scene, the team members at the pit stop breathed a deep sigh of relief. Chen Xiangbei's dangerous situation had everyone on edge, even the nonchalant Briatore remained silent, staring intently at the broadcast screen.

If Chen Xiangbei were to collide with something or his "spinning top" were to stall, it would essentially mean the end of the Korean leg of the competition.

The team members all knew what Chen Xiangbei had suffered at this race, and he was eager to dominate the Lingyan circuit to retaliate. Moreover, Chen Xiangbei's points at the scene still gave him a chance to take the top spot.

A major accident could be a huge blow to the mental health of a rookie driver.

Fortunately, this desperate scene did not happen. Chen Xiangbei eventually regained control of the race car and continued to race on the track.

However, the starting order from pole position has now dropped to eighth, which has also caused the track to have two yellow flags.

This is thanks to the fact that the Lingyan Circuit does not have a long starting straight, and the speed of cars entering T1 after the start is less than 200 km/h, unlike some circuits where the speed is astonishingly high at around 300 km/h.

The lower speed gave Chen Xiangbei more room to maneuver in rescuing the car, and also reduced the severity of the chain-reaction accident. Most of the damage was to the starting kits, and the vehicles were still able to drive or move. Otherwise, the race would have ended by now.

Schumacher, who had already overtaken to sixth place, looked at the HRT13 race car that had reappeared in his rearview mirror, his eyes filled with profound meaning.

Only drivers who can withstand the slump can reach the true peak. If Chen Xiangbei can return to pole position under these circumstances, it will prove that this Chinese newcomer has truly withstood the test.

[North, let me see just how far you can go!]

(End of this chapter)