Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 117 The Strong Are Always Envied (Two in One)

"Chen Xiangbei is awesome!"

"It's beyond imagination that we can even get the pole position."

"It's really cool! I just want to ask who else is looking down on Chinese driver Bei!"

"Yes, who else!"

"Remember, the strongest driver of the new generation is not Magnussen, his name is Chen Xiangbei!"

Countless cheers rang out from the stands, and the Chinese fans at the scene went crazy.

Costa was on the return circle at the moment. He saw the audience in the main stand standing up and cheering from afar, and thought they were celebrating for him.

"Team, is the qualifying countdown over? Am I the new Donington Park pole position record holder?"

Costa's tone was filled with uncontrollable excitement. He didn't think that Chen Xiangbei could surpass his final lap time of 1 minute 08 seconds 137 in the last lap. This was definitely a Renault-level "Lap of God".

"The qualifying countdown has ended."

The call from the Manor team engineer came from the headset, but his tone was very calm.

Costa instantly had a bad premonition in his heart. You know, when he just ran the fastest lap, even the noise reduction of headphones could not suppress the excitement of the team members in the P room.

Now that I have got the pole position, I shouldn't be so quiet.

The team engineer's subsequent response confirmed Costa's thoughts.

"It's a shame for Costa. The pole position went to Chinese driver Bei. He was 0.06 seconds faster than you, ran the fastest lap of 1 minute 08 seconds, and became the new pole position record holder at Donington Park."

After hearing the response from the team engineer, Costa was completely stunned.

He never expected that Chen Xiangbei could be faster than him by relying on his teammate's extreme lap time.

How is this done?
"Impossible, is the lap timer wrong?"

Costa found it difficult to accept this reality and wanted to confirm it again.

"The lap time was accurate. Bei used the 'drag tactic' on the last flying lap, and his teammate Takatoshi Kobayashi also pulled him into the slipstream."

Pulling a wake?

Even after knowing the answer, Costa was still a little mentally broken.

I have done it without making any mistakes. Even if Chen Xiangbei has teammates pulling in the tailstream, they can't be faster than me!

"Mr. Starler, no wonder you were able to invest in the Williams team and discover several world champion drivers. Your vision for talent is truly astonishing."

"Bei, he has the qualifications to be a test driver for an F1 team."

Looking at the cheers of the spectators at the track, James sighed to Starler.

Just over half an hour ago, almost everyone thought that Starer was crazy about money and sold the test driver's seat to a Chinese newcomer.

It turns out that Starler has a forward-thinking vision!
When Starler heard this, he shook his head and replied.

"James, it's not that I have a unique vision, but that you look at the North with stereotypes and prejudices."

"Or to put it another way, if Bei was a British man and he won the first pole position and the race for Renault, would you be so skeptical and opposed to him becoming a test driver?"

Staler's question left James speechless for a moment.

His neutral commentary inevitably made him look at Chen Xiangbei through tinted glasses, not to mention the ordinary fans and spectators.

"The weak foundation of the Chinese Formula One series doesn't mean they will never produce great drivers. If that were the case, Brazil wouldn't have produced Senna, and Argentina wouldn't have produced Fangio."

"I don't judge a person by his nationality or race. On the contrary, it was Bei who conquered me with his potential and strength."

Starer looked very serious at this moment. He did not just say some empty words, but instead put his ideas into practice with actions.

Otherwise, he would not have been impressed by Zhang Zhicong and invested real money in China's Huasai Sports, hoping to create an oasis in the desert of Formula One racing.

Stahler’s investment was not successful in the past, but now he sees hope for the revival of his ideas in Chen Xiangbei!

The focus in the paddock at the moment is not on James and Starrer. Race reporters have already flocked to the maintenance tunnel, intending to interview the drivers for first-hand information after the race.

Magnussen, who was the first to arrive at the station, became the focus of reporters' attention.

"Magnussen, you ranked third in qualifying this time. Do you have anything to say about that?"

"Kevin, as this year's most prestigious and talented driver, you've lost two qualifying races in a row. Is this an acceptable result?"

"Our opponents, Costa and Bei, both used a two-car cooperative slipstream strategy to achieve incredibly fast lap times. Do you have similar strategies or ideas?"

Magnussen's racing style is very wild and reckless, but he himself is not very talkative. This is different from other famous gangsters in the paddock. He is the type who does dirty things but does not show off.

But this time, Magnussen felt a little frustrated about his loss.

Unable to contain himself, he took the microphone and replied: "Our team has never discussed this tactic, and I personally think it should not be done."

"Rather than sacrificing my teammates to get better results for myself, I would rather fight side by side with my teammates as a team and focus on our own competitions and results."

“You know.”

Magnussen didn't say it explicitly, but his meaning was clear.

That is, both Costa and Chen Xiangbei exploited their teammates as tools for their own results.

This is not the F1 paddock. Every driver faces the pressure of advancing in the race. Under normal circumstances, there is no distinction between driver number one and driver number two.

The "trailer tactic" sacrifices not only one game for teammates, but most likely their entire career!

"Magnussen is right, junior formula drivers should compete fairly."

"A real driver doesn't climb to the top by stepping on the corpses of his teammates."

"Teammaters shouldn't just compete with each other, but should also advocate unity and cooperation. This is the purpose and spirit of sports."

"I will always support pure drivers like Magnussen!"

Magnussen's words in the interview resonated with the audience.

Although Formula One is a commercial event, it still falls within the scope of sports and is one of the three major sporting events in the world!

Many people love racing because they want to see drivers challenge their limits and chase wind and freedom.

Instead of delving into paddock politics and team interpersonal relationships.

The success of one driver should not be based on the sacrifice of another driver!

While Magnussen was being interviewed, Chen Xiangbei and Kobayashi Takatoshi returned to the team's maintenance station almost one after the other.

Seeing the "person involved" come back, the track reporters immediately skipped Magnussen and surrounded Chen Xiangbei, who had not yet gotten off the Renault car.

Hank, an old friend of Sky Sports, grabbed the best spot this time and asked Chen Xiangbei as if he wanted to put the microphone in his mouth: "Bei, first of all, congratulations on getting the connecting rod and breaking the track record. What do you want to say about that?"

Chen Xiangbei felt a little uncomfortable after hearing Hank's very normal questions in the post-match interview, and wondered in his mind whether he had dug some hidden trap.

But then he put his concerns behind him and a faint smile appeared on his face.

"I don't have much to say about connecting rods and breaking track records."

"My team leader Odetto once said that track records are meant to be broken. This is just the beginning."

"What I want to say more is that today I proved my speed and proved that Chinese drivers can also become the masters of European tracks!"

Chen Xiangbei has thought it through thoroughly. He has no control over whether the reporter will make "big news".

The title of "uncrowned king" is not given for nothing. The right to speak is in their hands. It is too easy to take things out of context through editing.

In this case, you might as well let yourself go and say whatever you want to say.

At least the audience at the track can directly witness the most authentic Chen Xiangbei, and can also expand his influence through the Internet!
Sensing the change in Chen Xiangbei's attitude, Hank stopped hiding his feelings and immediately resumed his previous style, with his questions becoming increasingly pointed.

"Bei, your opponent Magnussen doesn't acknowledge your speed, believing your success was achieved at the expense of your teammates. Do you agree with this?"

"The strong are always easily envied."

Chen Xiangbei replied simply. He was almost immune to this kind of talk.

It’s like even if Renault won the pole position and the championship in the first race, how many people would sincerely acknowledge their speed and strength? Most people were still full of contempt and doubt.

The reason why Chen Xiangbei was so aggressive against Mansell today and was unwilling to give up in qualifying was that he persisted to the end.

He did this not to prove how great he was, but to return the cold stares and ridicule.

No one can look down on themselves and Chinese drivers!

"Do you think you could have gotten pole position without your teammates pulling in the slipstream to help you?"

"If my teammates didn't help me pull in the slipstream, I would still be on pole position even if I ran ten more times." Chen Xiangbei answered firmly. He never keeps a low profile when he should be showing off.

As a pole position holder and a new track record holder, one must have absolute confidence in oneself.

Even in the eyes of outsiders, it seems more like arrogance.

But so what? In competitive sports, the winner is the king and the loser is the villain!

As Chen Xiangbei said this, the supporters in the stands became excited instantly.

"Strong enough, that's why I like Chen Xiangbei."

"There's nothing wrong with what you said. Even if they run ten times, they won't be able to defeat Chen Xiangbei."

"Costa was still caught in the slipstream, so why didn't Magnussen blame him?"

"Don't be such a bitch and say such sarcastic things. If you have the guts, beat Driver Bei head-on on the track!"

Without the roar of the engine blocking his way through the helmet, Chen Xiangbei could hear the words of support from both sides of the maintenance station this time.

He waved his arms to his supporters at this time, and cheers and screams resounded throughout the enclosure again.

Many viewers are willing to become supporters of Chen Xiangbei, not only because of his speed and strength on the track, but also because of the strength and courage he showed!
No one likes a coward, nor does anyone want to hear all kinds of hypocritical words of "love and peace".

If you are unhappy, just say it out loud. If you are not convinced, fight back on the track. This is Chen Xiangbei's simplicity, roughness and personal charm!

At this moment, Kobayashi Takatoshi, who was driving behind, heard Hank's question. He walked over, took the microphone from Chen Xiangbei, and said, "Tell Magnussen, I never felt this was a sacrifice. On the contrary, it's an honor for me to win the victory through cooperation with the team."

"Besides, just like Xiang Beijun said, the strong are always easily envied. Even if he races ten more times, he'll still be in pole position!"

No one thought that Kobayashi Takatoshi would say these words on his own initiative. Even many viewers and reporters have put him in the position of "victim", waiting to dig deeper into the internal conflicts and oppression of the team.

Kobayashi Takatoshi's action seemed to tear off the last fig leaf of the "loser", and there was an uproar at the scene with many angry insults.

"He's so arrogant just because he got the pole position. If you didn't know, you would think he won the Renault championship!"

"It's like I'm suffering from Stockholm syndrome. I've never heard that sacrificing oneself is an honor."

"Chinese rookie, don't be too happy too soon. The winner of the main event is the champion!"

"Fuck, Magnussen is not someone you can mess with. Just wait for him to beat you in the race!"

Chen Xiangbei could hear the voices of support from the beginning, and naturally he could also hear the voices of abuse now.

But this time, Chen Xiangbei did not feel the slightest bit of anger or dissatisfaction.

The reason was simple. He only saw those Europeans who were full of superiority breaking down.

If insults and curses could stop drivers, drivers like Schumacher and Verstappen probably wouldn't even win a world championship.

After all, according to the standards of "moral judgment", these two guys' styles on the track are really not good.

Impotent rage is useless, if Renault's first race, future F1 drivers such as Magnussen, or future FE world champions such as Costa, still have some historical halo in Chen Xiangbei's eyes.

Now the halo has completely faded, and they are just ordinary opponents.

No one is born an F1 driver; they grow up through one race after another.

Now, Magnussen and others are just losers in front of Chen Xiangbei.

Losers are only worthy of looking up to themselves!

……

After the heated post-race interview, Chen Xiangbei walked into the team's P room and accepted congratulations from his team members.

As for Odeto, he didn't come over. After the team members dispersed, he said with a playful look, "Bei, I believe you must be in a good mood right now. So now is the most suitable time to tell you the bad news. This way, it will help you feel more balanced and not so uncomfortable."

Good theory!

Chen Xiangbei looked at Odetto's "malicious" expression and actually guessed that something bad was going to happen.

"Tell me, what's the bad news?"

"The Renault Racing lessor sent us a repair quote. They quoted $163,500."

what?
Upon hearing this number, Chen Xiangbei was stunned. It turned out that life was full of joys and sorrows, ups and downs.

The repair quote is over 160,000 US dollars, which is equivalent to more than one million RMB in this era. How can it be so expensive to repair the chassis of a Renault junior racing car?
"Is this a car repair? This is clearly robbery. Buying a new one doesn't have to be this expensive!"

Chen Xiangbei became excited instantly. He felt that winning the pole position in the qualifying round and breaking the track record had never made his blood pressure soar as at this moment.

"Bei, you should know that there's a term in the automotive industry called the parts-to-whole ratio. It's normal for a repaired car to be more expensive than a new one, not to mention that labor costs in the UK are not cheap."

"But luckily we had insurance and you only have to pay the extra insurance increase."

After hearing what Odette said, Chen Xiangbei felt relieved. He really couldn't come up with the one million yuan for car repairs all at once.

"Odeto, please finish your words at once next time, thank you."

"NO, NO, NO, I haven't finished telling you the bad news yet."

In response to Chen Xiangbei's reminder, Odetto waved his finger.

"Any other bad news?"

"The FIA ​​has issued a penalty for the dangerous conduct of you and Mansell, with a five-place grid penalty at the start of the race."

"Is there nothing else?"

Chen Xiangbei didn't care about the penalty, or perhaps it was something he had expected.

"No, but overtaking is difficult at Donington Circuit Park. Plus, based on your previous interview, I believe Magnussen and Costa will be very strong in their defense."

"Bei, I'm looking forward to your performance."

Odette acted like a bystander who had nothing to do with the matter, and his words and expression showed that he was just there to watch the fun and not be bothered by any trouble.

Chen Xiangbei was speechless about this. He waved his hand and walked towards the driver's lounge, ready to change out of his racing suit.

Looking at Chen Xiangbei's departing back, Sawano Hiroki leaned over and said, "Team leader, isn't the timing of sharing this bad news a bit inappropriate?"

During the celebration after the last race victory, Odetto didn't react much.

This time, even after breaking the track record, Odette did not say any words of congratulations. Instead, he "poured cold water" on him at an inappropriate time.

Hiroki Sawano felt a little confused. Why was Odette, the team leader, so "moody" at the critical moment?
Hearing Hiroki Sawano's question, a smile appeared on Odeto's face.

"Zawano, when drivers are conservative and fearful, what we need to give them is encouragement."

"But when young people become arrogant, we can't continue to add fuel to the fire."

"I'm proud of Bei's achievements, but I know he still has a long way to go."

In Odetto's eyes today, Chen Xiangbei is no longer just a driver he coaches, but more like a junior whom he is training with all his strength.

He has a more stringent set of standards for the growth of younger generations!

"Leader, I understand."

Hiroki Sawano nodded. People in the East Asian Confucian cultural circle could better understand what Odette meant.

Chen Xiangbei came to the lounge, and it happened that Kobayashi Takatoshi was also here preparing to change into his racing suit.

"Xiaolin, thank you."

At this Donington Park stop, Takatoshi Kobayashi has already done himself two favors, which is far more than the return of handing over a tissue.

"No need to thank me. I'm not doing this for you, but for Asian drivers including myself."

Kobayashi Takatoshi answered very frankly. His friendship with Chen Xiangbei was not close enough to be "sacrificed".

The reason why he was willing to slipstream was purely because he could empathize with the cold stares and ridicule. He hoped that Chen Xiangbei would fight back fiercely to defend the dignity and honor of Asian drivers!

"I am also one of the Asian drivers, thank you."

Chen Xiangbei replied with a smile, then walked straight into the locker room.

When he changed his clothes and came out, Kobayashi Takatoshi had already left, and a familiar old man appeared in the lounge. He was Starer who rushed over from the studio.

"Bei, congratulations on getting pole position. This qualifying race was amazing!"

Before Chen Xiangbei could answer, Starler raised his left hand and looked at the time on his watch.

"North, are you interested in coming with me to the Brawn GP factory to see firsthand the fastest and most powerful race car of this era?"

(End of this chapter)