Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 120 The Terrifying Almighty Driver (9K)

When he heard Ross Brawn's idea, Starler's eyes lit up.

As a professional investor, his inertial thinking is not only about the competitiveness of future F1 seats, but more about the commercial value that Chen Xiangbei can enhance and the sponsorship funds that can be obtained.

After all, Starler had invested in Huasai Sports and even had the "fantastic idea" of creating a Chinese Formula One series. It can be said that no foreigner of this era understands the current state of Chinese racing better than him.

The backwardness of China's professional Formula One series is not only due to the late development of the automobile industry and the failure to create a mature automobile culture atmosphere, but also due to insufficient sponsorship for the driver training system.

As we all know, Formula One racing is a money-burning sport that relies entirely on the self-funded support of the drivers' families. To start, you have to be a billionaire, and families with tens of millions of dollars cannot afford the initial expenses.

In contrast, developed countries like the UK offer substantial subsidies for drivers. A top-three finish in a professional race earns a valuable scholarship, covering 30% to 40% of their expenses.

Of course, developing countries do not have such abundant funds, and often have more important uses, so providing subsidies to drivers is obviously unrealistic.

At this time, top companies or automobile giants are needed to sponsor drivers.

For example, the Russian driver Kvyat, the originator of the term "torpedo" and who has a "wife-stealing grudge" with Verstappen, has the Russian financial SMP Bank as his top sponsor.

There is also the famous Mexican driver Perez, who just left the Red Bull team. His sponsor is a Mexican telecommunications giant.

As for the Japanese drivers, there is no need to say more. As long as the automobile giants Honda and Toyota stay in the paddock, they will always be their strongest backing!

Chen Xiangbei currently does not have any sponsorship from any top Chinese companies, especially automobile manufacturers. This is certainly due to factors such as lack of fame or achievements, but in Starr's opinion, it is not very reasonable.

The reason is simple. For rising and ambitious car manufacturers, investing in drivers is not a loss-making behavior without any profit!

You should know that F1 is the world's top automobile sports event, and is also regarded as a symbol of high technology, team spirit, driver wisdom and courage. To put it simply, it is very high-end!
The global annual viewership is as high as 600 billion, and the cumulative number of viewers is close to 10 billion. The majority of the audience are middle-class people with sufficient purchasing power and people from developed countries in Europe and the United States.

As a rising automobile manufacturer or industrial country, the fastest way to gain external recognition is to demonstrate sufficient influence in top automobile competitions, and drivers are a very important link in the communication chain.

Back in the day, Japanese cars were synonymous with knockoffs and shoddy manufacturing for a long time. Many models from the 1960s and 1970s were essentially one-to-one replicas of well-known European and American brands.

The reason why Honda has become a world-class car manufacturer and has the reputation of "buy an engine and get a car for free" in the era of fuel vehicles is due to their achievements in participating in F1 events.

Because the F1 racing engine supplied by Honda is code-named "Earth Dream" technology!
The fame gained by F1 has expanded to the civilian car field with its radiation effect. The "Earth Dream" engine has become synonymous with reliability, stability and performance, and once made models such as Fit and Civic equipped with it so popular that people had to pay a premium to buy the car.

There are similar examples not only in Japan but also in China.

In order to make its sub-brand "Lynk" famous, Huali Automobile spent a lot of money to participate in various top touring car competitions.

The title of WTCC champion team made Lynk & Co the most popular car in the domestic performance car field. The brand popularity and recognition instantly achieved the publicity goals. In other words, it was a case of spending little money to achieve great things.

Having spent several years in China, Stähler is well aware of the development of automakers there. He believes the company's trajectory is similar to that of Japan in the 1970s and 1980s, on the eve of a boom. They desperately need consumer market recognition and global recognition to shed some of the negative perceptions of their early days.

Participating in top-tier motorsports significantly enhances a car company's image and status. If Chen Xiangbei can successfully enter F1, he will also receive a year's worth of global advertising, representing an exceptionally high cost-effectiveness.

Since China's top sponsors and car manufacturers are not paying attention to Chen Xiangbei who is participating in competitions in Europe, let him arrive in Australia to compete locally.

Starler believes that the Grand Prix will be the best opportunity for Chen Xiangbei to expand his influence and exposure in the country!
"Brown, good idea, no one is more suitable than Bei to participate in the Grand Prix."

Anticipating future profits, Stahler's face was beaming.

Ross Brawn came up with a clever trick that kills two birds with one stone, which may become a turning point in Chen Xiangbei's career!

"Statler, then you should talk to Bei and see if he's willing to skip a grade and participate in the Grand Prix."

Compared to Starler's excitement and optimism, Ross Brawn, a technical man, gradually calmed down.

The benefits of skipping levels in Formula One racing are huge, but so are the risks.

All of his and Starer's ideas were based on Chen Xiangbei's success, or even winning the championship.

But the question is, what if your grades are at the bottom?
There was an example of forcing things to happen in later generations. The Liberty Media Group, which took over the operation of the F1 event, forcibly promoted the local driver Sargent to the Williams team in order to have an American driver in the paddock to increase ratings.

The result is predictable. Sargent was unable to adapt to the intensity of the F1 event, accidents occurred frequently, and his performance throughout the year was at the bottom. He also won the title of "Sargent Director".

He eventually announced his retirement through social media, completely ending his career.

In fact, Sargent's performance in low-level formulas is not bad. He ranked fourth in the F2 in his first year and won the race in the Silverstone rain race. The talent and car-following skills he showed were above average.

You should know that in Zhou Guanyu's F2 rookie season, he only ranked seventh overall.

If he had not been forced to be promoted, Sargent would have been old enough to have been able to train in F2 for another two years without being forced into F1 and having his heart broken.

The Grand Prix is ​​a prestigious event, meaning many of the world's top F3 drivers will participate, making the competition extremely difficult.

Moreover, the Guia Circuit is a street race, which is definitely a huge challenge for low-level Formula One drivers. Chen Xiangbei has not shown any talent in this aspect of the race.

Profits and risks coexist, and Ross Brown wants to give the decision-making power to Chen Xiangbei himself.

"OK, I'll contact Bei. I'm sure he'll agree!"

Starler realized the possible risks from Ross Brawn's serious expression.

However, although he had not had contact with Chen Xiangbei for a long time, there was one thing that Staler was full of confidence in.

That is, in Chen Xiangbei, one can feel a radical and adventurous spirit that is different from other Chinese drivers, and even Asian drivers.

This Chinese kid will definitely not be afraid of the challenges brought by skipping grades!

On the other side, Emily, who was on her way back, was very curious about Chen Xiangbei. She didn't quite understand why this "mediocre" Chinese driver could be favored and valued by his grandfather, and even "come out" again to return to the F1 paddock.

"Bei, how on earth did you manage to convince Grandpa to invest in the Brawn GP team?"

After hesitating for a long time, Emily finally asked the question in her mind.

You have to know that 09 million US dollars was not a small amount of money in , especially since Starer had experienced the failure of investing in China Huasai Sports.

As a result, after only one meeting, Chen Xiangbei made Starler resolutely invest money. What kind of words could be so powerful?

"No need to convince him. Just tell Mr. Staler how fast and powerful BGP001 is. He will decide for himself whether it's worth investing in."

Chen Xiangbei replied in a flat tone.

"that's all?"

Emily was a bit amused and confused. She had thought the conversation was mysterious and complicated, but she hadn't expected it to be so simple...

"Ah."

Chen Xiangbei responded, it was indeed that simple.

"Bei, it seems like your style is very compatible with Grandpa's. No wonder he has praised you for your talent and potential more than once."

Hearing this compliment, Chen Xiangbei smiled and did not answer.

Because talent is like being handsome, it’s something you can’t tell for yourself.

In a sense, Chen Xiangbei does have something in common with Stahler, and that is the restless and adventurous spirit in their bones.

It’s just that one is in the business world and the other is in the workplace.

Not long after Emily finished speaking, the Focus RS drove to a remote road without street lights. The road conditions were similar to the winding country roads in southern China.

The dark night and the narrow road made Emily focus on driving and she didn't continue chatting with Chen Xiangbei.

Chen Xiangbei glanced at the speedometer, which was clearly slowing down. He then took out his phone and checked the time again. He then said, "Emily, you're a Ford Rally youth trainee, right?"

"Ah."

Then Emily added, "I just joined this year."

"Can you understand the road book?"

"Of course!"

Emily must have replied that after all, she was a Ford youth training student, not an amateur rookie.

"The first 50 meters make a sharp left bend with a curvature of 3. Exit the bend at half throttle and then cut right."

When Emily heard Chen Xiangbei suddenly say this "familiar" sentence, her first reaction was surprise, and then she subconsciously followed the instructions in the road book.

Just as Chen Xiangbei reported the road conditions, the Focus RS encountered a sharp left turn after driving 50 meters, and immediately after that, there was another right turn.

"The first 70 is a fast right turn with a camber of 5."

"Go straight 100 degrees, turn 6, and go through the right curve at full speed."

There were several more standard road book instructions. This time, Emily did not hesitate at all. She completely followed the road conditions reported by Chen Xiangbei and started to drive the Focus RS with full concentration.

The speed instantly soared from about 50 to 60 kilometers per hour to over 120 kilometers per hour!

Imagine a dark "windy path" without street lights, and vehicles driving at high speeds at the speed of a highway. To outsiders, it would be a shocking scene.

More importantly, the illumination angle of car lights at night is limited, and Emily cannot see the road conditions behind the bend at all. It can be said that she was able to drive at such an amazing speed entirely relying on Chen Xiangbei's guidance.

If there were any mistakes in Chen Xiangbei's instructions, even if the angle of the curve was just slightly different, the driver would have no time to make any corrections when visibility was obstructed at night.

Not to the point of a car crash and death, but at least there is a risk of injury.

At this moment, Emily felt like she was crazy. Why would she follow the road instructions issued by Chen Xiangbei?

You have to know that he is a formula driver, not a professional rally driver!

The two can be said to be completely different types of racing. As the saying goes, different fields are like different mountains. If you make a mistake, both you and the driver will have to go to the hospital tomorrow.

"Rough road ahead, pay attention to changes in grip, straight left turn, bend 3."

"Fly uphill and jump in the first 30 seconds. Pay attention to avoid the left pit when you land."

As Chen Xiangbei reported the last two sections of the road book instructions, Emily successfully drove the Focus RS through the remote road section and came to the main road with bright street lights.

Emily, who had come out of the "competition" state, looked at Chen Xiangbei and felt that he was simply stunning.

MY GOD, how can a low-level formula driver report such clear road book instructions?
It took Emily five or six seconds to come back to her senses. She asked in a tone of great surprise, "Bei, do you know the Pull Road Book?"

"Ah."

"So are you the driver or the navigator?"

Chen Xiangbei's road report was so professional that Emily was confused about his specific identity.

You should know that rally is different from other motorsports. There are two people sitting in a rally car, the driver and the co-pilot navigator.

Since the rally is all off-road tracks and cannot be fully enclosed, the dozens of kilometers of the race are full of dangers and unknowns.

The driver cannot determine whether there is a wall or a straight road behind the curve due to the obstructed vision.

At this time, the navigator needs to record the entire road section, and then make a standard road book to report to the driver. Just like "artificial intelligence" navigation, the two work together to run at the fastest speed!

"Neither. I'm just an amateur."

Chen Xiangbei replied with a smile. For him in this world, he could only be considered an amateur.

“How would an enthusiast know the road conditions on this section of trail?”

Emily obviously didn't believe it. The route book that Chen Xiangbei had just reported was extremely precise and standard, and it had completely reached the professional level. It was difficult for an amateur to reach this level.

Moreover, even for true enthusiasts, it is not an easy task to record the characteristics of road sections and curves and then make a standard road book.

Chen Xiangbei is a Chinese. He came to the UK for the first time to participate in the Renault race. It is impossible for him to be familiar with the trail just now. Could he have the ability to predict the future?

"When Mr. Starler drove up, I was bored and wrote it down."

Chen Xiangbei replied casually. He did not lie or cover up anything. He just wrote it down out of boredom.

Since coming to this world, Chen Xiangbei has never walked on such a winding path. In addition, there is an age gap between him and Starer, so there is not much to talk about in the car.

Having nothing to do and encountering this "off-road" road, Chen Xiangbei simply memorized the road conditions to make a road book, which was a professional habit left over from his previous life.

Because before the official rally race, just like formula drivers need to walk the track to familiarize themselves with the venue, rally drivers also need to conduct road surveys to familiarize themselves with the road sections.

Normally, the road survey is conducted twice: the first time the driver reports the road condition information to the navigator, and the second time the navigator reports the previously recorded information and checks it with the driver.

Once the two times are completely consistent and confirmed, the traffic information will be made into a road book.

During a race, drivers only need to follow the navigator's road book, which is close to "driving blindly." However, in pursuit of extreme speed and reaction, Chen Xiangbei chooses to memorize key road information rather than relying entirely on the navigator.

For a driver, no matter how good the navigator is, he can’t remember the track as well as himself!

This kind of operation is not only done by Chen Xiangbei, in fact, top WRC rally drivers all do this.

Someone like the "King of Rally" Loeb can even form a memory book of hundreds of bends in a tens-kilometer race section in his mind under the rule restriction of only running the race twice, thereby achieving a faster passing speed.

"Bei, are you also a rally genius?"

Emily said this with great emotion. She now understood why her grandfather valued and favored Chen Xiangbei. For an amateur to have such a level meant that his racing talent had reached a terrifying level!

She had never seen an enthusiast who could memorize a road map of a particular corner after just one ride. If Chen Xiangbei hadn't driven a Formula One car, what would his performance have been like in rally events?
"No, just an ordinary enthusiast."

Chen Xiangbei modestly denied it, saying that he had participated in WRC events and competed with the top rally drivers, and was well aware of the gap in strength between the two sides.

Of course, the gap between Chen Xiangbei and the top WRC drivers is that ordinary rally drivers will be crushed by him!

"Bei, there's a small road ahead. Do you have the road conditions memorized?"

"more or less."

"Then you drive it!"

Emily braked the Ford Focus RS to a stop, then opened the driver's door and got out with excitement on her face.

Chen Xiangbei has such a high level of road knowledge that she is not worried about the other party's driving skills at all, not to mention that he is a Formula One driver.

After all, Formula One racing is the ceiling of professional racing!

Seeing Emily's action, Chen Xiangbei was stunned.

He really never thought that one day he would experience rally running again.

Emily walked around the front of the car, opened the passenger door, leaned over and "encouraged" Chen Xiangbei, "Bei, give it a try. I believe you can do it."

Emily's eyes were full of anticipation. She really wanted to experience the concrete manifestation of "talent".

"Then give it a try."

Chen Xiangbei nodded, then unbuckled his seat belt and moved directly from the passenger seat to the driver's seat.

To be honest, although rally racing's pursuit of speed and control cannot reach the ultimate mechanical standards of F1.

However, the excitement and adrenaline that the "unknown" of rally racing brings to drivers is really not inferior to formula racing.

This is why Chen Xiangbei did not cross the threshold of F1 in his previous life and chose to switch to rally racing.

Only this unique feeling can help him regain the original speed and passion of racing!
Emily's Focus RS, like Chen Xiangbei's Subaru Impreza, is also the WRC's highest-performance track version.

The 2.0T turbocharged engine can provide a maximum of 300 horsepower.

However, for WRC racing cars, horsepower is not the most important thing. It focuses more on acceleration torque.

In this way, the peak torque of the Focus RS can reach an astonishing 550 Nm.

It's a pity that with the major changes to the WRC competition rules in 2011, the Focus RS WRC was replaced by the 1.6T Fiesta RS WRC.

"Are you sitting tight?"

Chen Xiangbei looked at Emily fastening her seat belt and asked a question.

"YES!"

Without too many words, the accelerator is the best response.

At this time, Chen Xiangbei stepped on the accelerator, and the explosive push back brought by the powerful torque directly pressed Emily against the seat back, and even her golden hair flew sideways.

Chen Xiangbei's starting speed is very terrifying. You should know that accelerator and clutch control is his strong point.

After starting at full throttle, Chen Xiangbei began to accelerate frantically and kept pulling the gear lever to shift up. His driving movements were extremely rough.

The Focus RS WRC version is equipped with a five-speed sequential gearbox and an M-Sport carbon fiber clutch, which has a high tolerance for violent driving, which is also one of the essences of rally racing.

The numbers on the speedometer jumped from the initial 0km/h in just a few seconds.

30km/h, 70km/h, 100km/h, 150km/h……

Feeling the weeds and trees on both sides of the road flashing rapidly backwards like black patches, the sense of speed brought tension and excitement, which made Emily's muscles tense instantly.

At this moment, she realized that her grandfather's recognition of Chen Xiangbei was not accidental. Only by sitting in the passenger seat could she experience this terrifying strength firsthand!
The Focus RS sped to the first bend. This time, Emily didn't have to concentrate on driving. Instead, she could observe the road conditions more carefully and calmly.

It was pitch black outside, and since there weren't many cars on this path, the roadside was already overgrown with weeds. Besides knowing it was a right turn, I couldn't see anything beyond the curve.

But Chen Xiangbei seemed to have turned on the "X-ray vision". The vehicle did not brake or slow down at all and turned at a speed of up to 160km/h.

Even though Emily was a professional youth trainee, she subconsciously curled up in a defensive posture when she felt the huge lateral G-force pressure and faced the fear of the unknown.

It's horrible, so horrible, it's just like driving with your eyes closed!
However, Emily could tell from her physical sensation that Chen Xiangbei's line was very smooth, because she did not hear any "screaming" from the tires slipping, nor did she hear any changes in the lateral G-force.

Only top-level routing skills can give people this kind of stability on the edge of loss of control.

Emily didn't know whether to say that it was because the Formula One driver had a good foundation in line tracking, or whether to say that Chen Xiangbei had unparalleled adaptability, and could achieve the ultimate line tracking even on such a rough concrete road.

Compared to Emily's surging emotions, Chen Xiangbei's state can be said to be completely the opposite. He has eliminated all distracting thoughts from his mind, leaving only the memory map that was made into a road book.

And precisely calculate the curve line, braking points, tire friction limits, and even the limits of self-driving ability!
For a driver, when you choose speed and passion, it means you will be walking on the edge of danger.

Rally racing does not have the extreme speed of Formula One, but that does not mean it is safer.

On the contrary, a rally track has no buffer zone, and the sides of the road may be walls, trees, reservoirs, or even cliffs!
Just like Chen Xiangbei now, he actually has no idea what the scenery and road conditions are like in the darkness on both sides of the road.

The only thing he can do is to use absolute condition and skills to avoid making any mistakes.

As a competitive sport where one gambles his life, Chen Xiangbei lost once in his previous life, and he will not let himself lose a second time in this life!

They passed each curve at high speed, and even in a sharp turn, Chen Xiangbei showed drifting skills that Emily had never expected.

In a sense, she could understand how to take a line and turn, as Formula One drivers were almost insulated from drifting. However, Chen Xiangbei downshifted, added gas, pulled the handbrake and turned the steering wheel. The entire operation was completed in one go, without any unfamiliarity or hesitation.

Is this the skill a Formula One driver should have?

As bright street lights appeared again in front of him, Chen Xiangbei rushed forward without slowing down at all. The entire Focus RS jumped high into the air, and then "slammed" heavily onto the road.

If it weren't for the specially adjusted suspension system, this single blow would be enough to cause an ordinary performance car to break down!
To some extent, it also symbolizes that Chen Xiangbei never let go of the accelerator from the start to the end...

The car braked on the main road, Chen Xiangbei put it in neutral and pulled the handbrake, then said while unbuckling his seat belt, "You drive."

After hearing Chen Xiangbei's words, Emily did not move at all, and her eyes were filled with admiration!
The speed and control that driver Bei just demonstrated are beyond the capabilities of even the trainees in the youth training program and even the coaches who have achieved rally results.

"Bei, why don't you become a rally driver? I think you can drive in the WRC!"

Emily blurted out this sentence, Chen Xiangbei really gave her the feeling of a WRC-level driver.

It's strange to say that a formula driver who is still competing in low-level competitions has a level close to that of the top WRC rally drivers. It's simply too unreasonable. This world is too crazy!
"I'd better start with the formula."

Chen Xiangbei replied with a smile. He actually understood Emily's thoughts.

In fact, many drivers in this world are good at different types of racing. Take the current "DTM King" Ekstrom as an example. He participated in karting and junior single-seater formula events in the early days, and his results were terrible.

Logically speaking, this type of driver is considered to have no talent, but Ekstrom turned to touring cars and made a stunning debut, winning the German DTM championship title, the most prestigious title in touring car racing.

He also defeated the crossover racing king Schumacher twice in touring car competitions!
The talent for rally that Chen Xiangbei just demonstrated undoubtedly gave people an impression far superior to the equation, which is why Emily said such words.

Perhaps sensing Chen Xiangbei's lack of interest in transformation, Emily replied with a hint of regret: "Bei, if you were to participate in rally racing, you would definitely become a talented driver."

"Even if you don't transform, you can still practice whenever you want. Maybe you can participate in this year's ROC National Cup with your all-around performance, but it's on your home turf in China."

ROC Nations Cup?
Hearing this familiar term, Chen Xiangbei fell into deep thought.

The ROC Nations Cup, also known as the World Championship, invites world champion drivers of different types of racing to cross over and compete in a race to satisfy the fantasy of Guan Gong fighting Qin Qiong in the minds of car fans around the world.

It’s like countless car fans must have wondered, who is more powerful, the F1 champion or the WRC champion?
The answer is simple, just let the racing king Schumacher race with rally legend Loeb!
Not to mention four-wheeled racing cars, even two-wheeled motorcycles can cross over, such as letting the world champion of Le Mans or Indy have a peak showdown with the "God of Motorcycles" Rossi.

And compared to the conventional "club" racing in car races, the World Championship is grouped by country, which brings a completely different sense of honor to the drivers.

It’s like the comparison between the League of Legends S champion and the Asian Games champion in the game.

In terms of technical content, the S-League is definitely higher, but many people want to pursue the glory of the Asian Games championship.

Moreover, the 2009 ROC National Cup was held at the Bird's Nest Stadium in Yanjing, China, which can be regarded as Chen Xiangbei's national home stadium!

"Hopefully."

Chen Xiangbei gave an ambiguous answer.

For a driver, it is good enough to be able to concentrate on driving one type of racing car well.

The drivers of the ROC National Cup are cross-border drivers. Most of them are successful seniors and have no pressure on performance.

Chen Xiangbei is still a newcomer in the field of formula racing, so it is not easy for him to distract himself to participate in the ROC National Cup.

Faced with Chen Xiangbei's rational answers, Emily calmed down from her surprise and excitement, realizing that her thoughts were indeed a bit naive.

After opening the car door, the two exchanged seats. The rest of the road was a standard highway, and they drove smoothly all the way to the hotel entrance.

"Thank you."

Chen Xiangbei thanked Emily, opened the car door and got out.

"Bei, good luck in tomorrow's game!"

Looking at Chen Xiangbei's departing back, Emily hurriedly shouted.

Chen Xiangbei made an OK gesture and walked straight into the hotel gate without looking back.

As soon as they entered the hotel lobby, Lu Xiaoman appeared out of nowhere, jumped up, and threw her arms around Chen Xiangbei's neck, jokingly saying with a playful look on her face, "Little guy has finally come to his senses. He went to Brown GP's headquarters factory and met a little blonde beauty by the way?"

However, Chen Xiangbei did not have the energy to respond to Lu Xiaoman's teasing. Her action just happened to press the muscles on his left shoulder, and the discomfort made the corner of his mouth twitch.

Realizing Chen Xiangbei's strange expression, Lu Xiaoman put aside her joking attitude and asked seriously, "Did your shoulder muscle strain recur?"

"Well, the qualifying match was too intense and there wasn't enough time to recover."

In fact, muscle strain is not a big problem. Athletes will encounter it several times during their career.

But Chen Xiangbei had no time to recover properly, especially because of the intense driving competition in the qualifying round and the final lap in the tailspin, which required absolute control of the steering wheel.

Tomorrow is the main competition, which is like a non-stop race.

"Then go to the lounge and apply ice first."

The only way to relieve the pain now is to apply ice to suppress muscle swelling.

"it is good."

Chen Xiangbei nodded and followed Lu Xiaoman to the hotel lounge.

But when the two of them pushed open the door, they found Odette sitting inside.

"Bei, I received a letter from Honda headquarters and the Brawn GP team. Congratulations on officially becoming an F1 team test driver."

Although Super Aguri has become the Mewtwo Racing Team and the Honda F1 Team has become the Brawn GP Team, the technical staff remains the same, and the influence of the Pan-Honda camp has not completely subsided.

Even though Stahler had made a public announcement during the qualifying round, when Odetto received the two official letters, he still felt mixed emotions.

No one expected that Chen Xiangbei, a new Chinese driver, would be able to enter the F1 field so quickly.

"Odeto, you're not waiting here just to congratulate me, are you?"

"I'm just a test driver. When I become a full-fledged driver, won't you have to do it all over again?"

Hearing Chen Xiangbei's joking answer, the corners of Odeto's mouth rose slightly.

It seems that there is no need for psychological preparation anymore. This kid now has enough confidence in himself.

"Of course not, it just happened."

Odetto replied very arrogantly, then stood up and left in a cool manner.

Watching Odette's leaving figure, Chen Xiangbei put away the smile on his face and accepted Lu Xiaoman's physical therapy massage and ice compress.

……

A night passed and it was time for the main race on Sunday.

Unlike his previous pre-race preparations, Chen Xiangbei was surrounded by a group of fans as soon as he arrived at the parking lot of Donington Park Circuit. Many of them were holding posters and photos that they had obtained from somewhere, hoping to get his autograph.

Yesterday's consecutive pole positions in qualifying and the track record-breaking lap completely earned Chen Xiangbei's recognition as a top performer.

More importantly, the news that Starler announced the test driver directly set off the racing circle!
After all, no matter how well Renault performs in competitions, it is far less influential than the F1 team.

Chen Xiangbei has made history in Chinese racing by becoming a test driver for an F1 team, and he will soon become the first Chinese driver to sit in the F1 cockpit.

For Chinese car fans, those once unattainable expectations are no longer dreams. Chen Xiangbei is working hard to make them a reality step by step. They must support and witness the birth of a miracle!

(End of this chapter)