Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 315 If Miracles Had Color

Chen Xiangbei's attack point was T6 turn at the Lingyan Circuit. This is not a regular overtaking point and is located in the low-speed street area of ​​the first half, making overtaking relatively difficult.

The reason Chen Xiangbei chose this spot as the decisive moment is that, compared to most sections of the low-speed street area of ​​the Lingyan Circuit, which are surrounded by concrete retaining walls, the T6 turn is a regular shoulder.

However, due to the tight construction schedule and shoddy workmanship, the T6 curb is much higher than the normal F1 standard. It can be simply understood as a curb, and there is a great risk in riding on it.

As we all know, if a regular passenger car drives onto a curb at high speed, the vehicle will experience a violent jolt. If you're unlucky, you may suffer damage such as a tire blowout, wheel deformation, or even a broken axle.

Turn T6 isn't a particularly high corner, but that standard is only relative to F1 cars; the actual speed is still over 100 kilometers per hour.

If Chen Xiangbei were to ride it, it would be fraught with all sorts of unknown risks; the worst outcome would be that he would experience what it's like to "fly a dragon in the sky."

Chen Xiangbei was well aware of the risks. He had no intention of indulging in an extreme gambler's mentality and using the T6 corner shoulder to overtake Vettel. He simply wanted to expand his cornering line and increase his exit speed.

To put it simply, it means having enough space to run alongside Vettel at Turn 6.

After all, the performance of the HRT car is quite different from that of the Red Bull car, and the difficulty of following and overtaking is not on the same level. As long as you take advantage of the slipstream of the car in front, it is not difficult to catch up with Vettel's tail.

Overtaking is virtually impossible!

There wasn't enough room for maneuver in the low-speed cornering areas, and Chen Xiangbei couldn't catch up with Vettel in the high-speed cornering areas.

The T6 bend is the only chance.

That's why Chen Xiangbei was waiting for this opportunity to arrive.

"Bei is getting faster and faster. He has already made a lane change and turn around. Is he planning to overtake at T6 turn?"

"The problem is that the kerb at T6 is very high, and the risk of riding up it is completely unpredictable. Moreover, Vettel's cornering speed is not slow, so he simply cannot achieve a cornering overtaking route."

"Bei's move was somewhat irrational!"

Reid explained the track situation at an extremely fast pace, and secretly shook his head.

He could understand Chen Xiangbei's desire for the championship, and he also understood that there was no time to wait in the last lap.

However, overtaking at T6 turn was not a wise choice, and Chen Xiangbei will pay the price for his impulsive behavior!

Many of Chen Xiangbei's fans outside the venue, listening to the commentary coming from the radio, began to show expressions of despair. They also believed that this was Chen Xiangbei acting out of desperation.

With his superior car performance, defensive experience, and driving skills, Vettel gave his opponents no chance to overtake. It seems that his actions on the last lap were more like a "death struggle".

But compared to the despair of the fans and car enthusiasts, Chen Xiangbei's face was filled with a resolute expression.

He had to surpass them; he couldn't allow himself to be a loser in this competition!
The HRT race car sped onto the curb at 100 km/h, the huge impact causing the entire car to jump into the air. Chen Xiangbei then vaguely heard a "crack" sound as his lower back and tailbone were violently struck, causing him sharp pain.

When an F1 car engine spins at high speed, the sound is as loud as a jet engine, and theoretically, no external sound can be heard.

If Chen Xiangbei could hear a "crack" sound, there's only one possibility: it was transmitted through solid matter, not through the air.

This means the race car's chassis has suffered a serious impact, commonly known as bottoming out.

However, Chen Xiangbei didn't care, or rather, it was within his acceptable range.

The F1 cars of the 10 season were "aerodynamic cars". The downforce and airflow guidance of the entire car relied entirely on the aerodynamic kit, and the chassis was basically not involved in aerodynamics.

This is fundamentally different from the "ground effect vehicle" of later generations.

This means that even if the chassis is damaged, as long as the damage is not particularly severe, the impact on the race car will not be that significant.

Especially when only the last half of the lap is left.

By maneuvering aggressively along the roadside, Chen Xiangbei managed to find a space to drive alongside Vettel's car in the narrow bend.

However, that's all there is to it. Riding on the curb doesn't bring any faster speeds, and Vettel firmly maintains the optimal cornering line, strictly denying Chen Xiangbei any overtaking space.

If this trend continues, Chen Xiangbei will soon be left behind again.

"The North is making a futile struggle."

Williams team manager Parr gave his assessment.

Even your own boss can make mistakes; the final result was failure!

Sir Williams did not respond to this. Based on his understanding of the Chinese lad, he believed that the guy was the type who was bold yet meticulous. Behind his seemingly arrogant and reckless behavior, he actually had a very shrewd plan to profit.

From a rational perspective, the scene on the track seemed to suggest that Chen Xiangbei couldn't overtake and, in desperation, decided to take a gamble.

But Sir Williams' intuition, honed over many years of professional experience, told him that things weren't so simple.

The two race cars continued to advance side by side, and soon arrived at the exit of Turn 6.

At this point, Chen Xiangbei had slightly surpassed Vettel in speed thanks to his wider cornering line, but to overtake the entire car, he needed to secure the exit of the corner in advance.

Simply put, whoever exits Turn 6 first is the ultimate winner!
The problem now is that both teams are at similar speeds, and this is a battle for the championship, so neither side will back down on the last lap.

To be the first to finish, it depends on who is more aggressive and can push the other out.

However, the final result will most likely be a lose-lose situation, with both cars colliding and rolling off the track!

This kind of scene has happened countless times in F1 history; none of the championship contenders are easy to mess with. There are countless precedents of deliberate crashes, let alone collisions caused by cornering.

Mansell, Senna, Prost, Schumacher...

Every legendary driver who is known by name has done this.

But there are many things that you still have to do, even if you know the consequences.

Motorsport is a highly competitive game, and the main players in the competition are not only the cars themselves, but also the drivers' skills and willpower.

In any competitive sport, the tougher one always has the advantage.

Weakness means being bullied!

Throughout Chen Xiangbei's career, he was generally regarded as an easy target. It was only through his reckless and crazy driving on the track that many people changed their minds and dared not to mess with this Chinese driver.

What Chen Xiangbei needs to do today is no longer to make others afraid to mess with him.

On the contrary, he wanted to actively control Vettel, the future four-time champion. To put it bluntly, Chen Xiangbei intended to completely dominate Vettel!
The two race cars raced toward the exit, neither giving way to the other, creating a scene of unwavering determination: "It's either you or me."

Looking at the extraordinary speed and performance of the two drivers on the track, both the HRT team and the Red Bull team management showed a look of horror on their faces.

At this speed and angle, an accident wouldn't be as simple as just going off the track; the two race cars would essentially be heading head-on in a U-shape. If they were driving side-by-side and only collided head-on, it would be somewhat manageable, but if one car was going faster and was hit in the sidepod by the other, the consequences would be unimaginable.

At speeds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour, the front of an F1 car is like a sharp dagger, capable of piercing the sidepods and cockpit of the opposing race car.

The safety design philosophy of racing cars is actually similar to that of civilian vehicles; their protection against frontal collisions is far greater than that against side impacts. Higher speeds mean a higher risk factor, and a greater chance of victory also means a greater threat of death.

At this point, the competition has become a game for the brave!

"MY GOD, both drivers have lost their minds."

"The speeds are too close; it's impossible to overtake."

"In the current situation, whoever doesn't slow down will die!"

"Now it's a matter of who's willing to risk their life for the championship."

The noise outside the track is nothing more than a fleeting thing inside the track.

As the two race cars drew closer and were about to collide at the exit of the bend, an unexpected scene unfolded.

Chen Xiangbei, like an arrow released from a bow, instantly overtook and defeated Vettel, and the outcome was decided!
Vettel chickened out?

The scene on the track caused quite a stir among the spectators in the stands.

Whether they supported Chen Xiangbei or Vettel, neither of them expected the match to end in this way.

Looking at the Red Bull race car in the rearview mirror, Chen Xiangbei's expression was very calm, far less shocked than the spectators and team staff, as if he had already expected this outcome.

In a sense, although Chen Xiangbei was gambling, he did anticipate that Vettel would back down.

The reason is simple: in the cutthroat world of F1, Vettel is a decent guy with historic achievements, but he lacks the ruthlessness of Senna, Schumacher, Hamilton, Verstappen, and others.

Especially in his rookie season, Vettel was too "soft"!

This "softness" doesn't mean he's a coward on the track, afraid to compete wheel-to-wheel, or to fight against opponents or even teammates.

Rather, it is a "weak" mindset when facing extreme situations.

It was the same competition within the team during the 10 season, and he was the core player whom the team absolutely supported, as well as the one with better results.

Faced with Webber's dissatisfaction and anger, Vettel acted like a child who had made a mistake at the press conference, offering no rebuttal or assertive stance.

From a moral standpoint, Weber was indeed wronged, and Vettel, being a good person, was right to sympathize with him.

But this is the F1 paddock, where there is no friendship, only rivalry. If you don't show a tough enough attitude, you won't be able to secure enough team resources. When your competitive performance declines and you are kicked out, no one will care whether you are a good person or not.

Just as no one considers Senna or Schumacher to be bad people.

History will only remember the titles "God of Cars" and "King of Cars".

A solid foundation and a smooth career prevented Vettel from having the ruthlessness to fight his way out of the jungle, especially before he developed the aura of a champion.

This means that when faced with extremely dangerous scenarios, Chen Xiangbei will fight to the bitter end, just like he died in a racing accident in his previous life.

Chen Xiangbei's situation dictated that if he didn't risk his life, he would have no room to survive and would have to leave the racetrack.

Vettel, on the other hand, has many options. He is like a pampered young master who has enjoyed the glory of the entire German racing world since childhood and the protection laid by the foundation laid by the racing legend Schumacher.

Marco selected him for the Red Bull Junior Team, and Sauber team manager Mario, who had watched him grow up, defied public opinion and gave him a seat in the F1 paddock.

Sometimes, having everything go too smoothly isn't a good thing.

This was also demonstrated when Vettel moved from Red Bull to Ferrari. When the once-proud star fell from grace, the sudden drop caused him to lose his composure and his competitive form collapsed.

The four-time champion turned into a spinning top, ultimately leaving the F1 paddock in disappointment.

The "God's-eye view" gave Chen Xiangbei not only track experience, but also an understanding of the psychology of his opponents in the paddock.

However, while Chen Xiangbei could analyze it, the Red Bull Racing team could not understand it.

Team principal Horner, in particular, stared in disbelief at the overtaking scene. The fact that Vettel could be overtaken despite Red Bull's superior performance meant that he had slowed down at the last moment.

At least I didn't floor the accelerator.

Are you scared?
At the age of twenty, a driver is often young and impetuous, and teams are more worried about him making irrational decisions than about him backing down or becoming weak.

You have to understand the environment of the F1 paddock. If you are weak and afraid to risk your life at crucial moments, your opponents will take advantage of you.

If you're the weak one, who else would you bully?

Marko, however, sighed inwardly. He had watched Vettel grow up and knew that the young man's mentality and desire to win were not up to the level of the top drivers.

However, Vettel's technique and talent are on par with the top players.

That's why there are very few opponents who can force Vettel to expose his weaknesses. Today's extreme lane-pushing scene may never happen again in his entire career, so a slight "weakness" is actually insignificant.

After all, Vettel is not afraid of tough confrontations in most cases, and there have been many instances of collisions when he tries to go over the line.

Unexpectedly, this weakness was discovered by the Chinese player and became the key to victory in the game!

Indeed, once Chen Xiangbei overtook Vettel, the outcome of the F1 Korean Grand Prix was no longer in doubt, and Vettel's attempt to catch up and overtake him became a pipe dream.

The No. 13 HRT race car roared across the finish line, and the black and white checkered flag, signifying the end of the race, was waved at the track guardrail.

At the same time, Reid in the studio also let out a loud and excited voice.

"It's over. The first driver to cross the finish line is Bei, a Chinese driver from the HRT team."

"Ladies and gentlemen, let us give a warm round of applause and cheers to driver Buk for winning the F1 Korean Grand Prix. He is also the first driver in F1 history to achieve consecutive championships in his rookie season."

"If miracles had a color, it would probably be the Chinese red on the racetrack!"

(End of this chapter)