Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 97 You Must Challenge Your Limits (5K)

Chen Xiangbei felt a little puzzled by Odette's response. This old team leader usually looked quite kind, but why did he become like a different person when he went to the track for formal practice?

If you have any questions, just speak up...

Data analyst Sho Mizutani was also confused as he listened to the TR (team voice) conversation.

He quickly retrieved the cornering speeds of other drivers in the Renault European Cup over the years from the database to compare with Chen Xiangbei's speed just now.

It was confirmed once again that there was nothing wrong with Chen Xiangbei's running style and route, and it was far from the level that should be "blamed".

"Sawano-senpai, the data is fine. What happened to our leader, Odeto?"

Mizutani Sho asked in confusion to see if Sawano Hiroki knew the answer.

After all, although the other party has never raced in F1, he is still a double champion of Japan's top event. His track experience is far richer than that of his junior, and he may be able to understand Odetto's intentions.

"It's really no problem."

Hiroki Sawano shook his head and added, "Let's see what Odeto says after the race."

Just like that, when everyone was full of doubts, Chen Xiangbei completed his first timed lap on the Silverstone Circuit.

【1 minute 59 seconds 436! 】

Seeing this lap time, the "Chinese" crew members in the P room, including Hiroki Sawano and Sho Mizutani, all showed joy and excitement on their faces.

Even in an unfamiliar environment, Chen Xiangbei still maintained his usual adaptability and speed. This lap time was extremely close to the track record, only less than two seconds slower than the fastest lap!
Many people may not know that the F1 track actually has two different track records.

One is called the pole position record, also known as the fastest lap.

Only the fastest lap time in the race can be called a track record.

It may seem a bit complicated, but it is actually very simple to understand.

Strictly speaking, qualifying is not a formal race, it is just a "foreplay" to determine the starting order.

In addition, the fastest lap in qualifying is unsustainable. It is often achieved by using brand new tires, fuel that can only run two or three laps, and adjusting the engine power to the point of near explosion.

There are many things to consider in the race, so the lap speed will naturally be much slower.

In F1 races, the fastest lap in the race is generally two to three seconds slower than the fastest lap from pole position in qualifying.

Of course, there is another situation, that is, when the race is in the last few laps, you stop to change to new tires and push hard to get the fastest lap time, then the gap between the two will be narrowed.

Chen Xiangbei's current practice settings put the car in a state between qualifying and the race.

It is not as extreme as qualifying, nor is it as full fuel to protect the tires in the race.

银石赛道的雷诺方程式正赛记录是1分59秒017，排位赛的杆位记录则是1分57秒582。

At Chen Xiangbei's current pace, surpassing the race record would be a piece of cake. As for challenging the pole position record, Sawano Hiroki and the others were hesitant to even think about it.

After all, the pole position record at Silverstone is not the same as that at Japan's Suzuka Circuit.

Every one of the strongest Formula One drivers on the blue planet has raced on the Silverstone Circuit.

If you can break the pole position record, you'll be the strongest ever!
And the current Renault-level pole position record holder at Silverstone is none other than the famous seven-time champion Michael Schumacher.

However, as racing cars are updated and replaced, the speed is getting faster and faster in a sense, and the pole position record cannot be maintained forever.

But even so, challenging the pole position lap time is not something that Asian drivers can touch!
"Zawano, how's my timed lap speed?"

Chen Xiangbei asked through TR.

"A lap time of 1 minute 59 seconds, a very good run."

Hiroki Sawano confirmed that he had also run on the Silverstone Circuit in the past.

Although the single-seater formula racing cars of that era were different from Renault racing cars, and the track layout and performance had all changed drastically, the value of Chen Xiangbei's lap time could still be judged.

If there is no "battle of the gods" in this Renault European Cup, and things continue to develop in this way, Chen Xiangbei will definitely be in the top ten in qualifying!

"Odeto, do you have any suggestions?"

Chen Xiangbei asked Odeto again, he also felt that the lap speed was okay.

"One more lap."

Odeto's answer was still brief, and he did not give Chen Xiangbei any explanation.

"it is good."

Chen Xiangbei did not ask any more questions, he immediately started his second timed lap.

The car was speeding along, and less than two minutes passed in a flash.

Chen Xiangbei's lap time soon appeared on the racing data monitoring screen in the P room.

1 minute 59 seconds 291

Don't underestimate the improvement of only 0.1 seconds. In fact, as the driver's competitive level increases, the improvement in lap time will become smaller and smaller, and in the end it may only be faster by ths of a second, or even ths of a second.

The fuel weight of Chen Xiangbei's car can be further reduced, and at the same time, there has been no feedback on the track feel for fine-tuning, so it is very likely that it will be a few tenths of a second to one second faster in the end.

"Run another lap!"

Before Chen Xiangbei could ask, Odeto's voice came from the headphones.

Chen Xiangbei still had no doubts and improved his lap time by 0.1 seconds in the next lap.

Regarding Chen Xiangbei's improved lap time and stable performance, members of Kobayashi Takatoshi's team on the other side of the P room all showed surprise on their faces. They did not expect this Chinese newcomer to be so strong.

You have to know that the relationship between teammates in a Formula One team is often not the kind of unity, cooperation and working together that everyone imagines.

On the contrary, in most cases, your teammates in the Formula One team are your biggest opponents!

Drivers want to advance to higher-level competitions, want to get more resources from the team, or want to keep their seats.

The first thing to do is to crush your teammates, then talk about defeating your opponents!
Although in lower-level formulas, there is no obvious distinction between drivers 1 and 1 like in F2 teams, and it is not clear which driver will serve as the "green leaf" or "wingman".

However, there will still be a tilt of resources within the team, with a focus on drivers with better results, or higher potential, and stronger "cash ability"!

It is just like the reason why Zhou Guanyu withdrew from the Ferrari Driver Academy in later generations, because he believed that he had encountered the imbalance of team resources and unfair treatment in internal penalties, and the object of the conflict was Mick Schumacher, the son of the racing king Schumacher.

Similar signs now exist within the Super Dream Racing Team. The former Super Aguri F1 team members have been assigned to Takatoshi Kobayashi's team, and they will not take the initiative to provide technical services to Chen Xiangbei.

On Chen Xiangbei's side, he only has his own "China" team.

However, this is not entirely due to the Dream Team's factors. A large part of it is that Chen Xiangbei himself wants to train the team.

But regardless of subjective or objective factors, it is a fact that two crew camps have formed within the Super Dream Team.

The members of Takatoshi Kobayashi's crew naturally hope that the drivers they serve will advance or win the championship, so that they can maintain their jobs and get higher bonuses and shares.

But judging from the current situation, the lap time of this Chinese newcomer is so amazing that it is really possible that Takatoshi Kobayashi cannot outrun him!
Next, Chen Xiangbei ran a few more laps on the track until the grip of the soft tires dropped from its peak. The final lap speed stabilized at 1 minute 58 seconds, which was more than one second away from the fastest lap on the track.

"North, return to Room P."

"Xiaolin, prepare for track practice."

Odetto issued two instructions in succession. After Chen Xiangbei replied "received", he drove into the maintenance passage and returned to the team's P room.

When the Renault racing car stopped in the maintenance area, a team of technicians led by Liang Chi gathered around and immediately carried out preliminary maintenance and inspection on the vehicle.

Chen Xiangbei immediately walked into the P room and asked Odeto, "Leader, what exactly did you mean by what you said in TR?"

Until this moment, Chen Xiangbei couldn't understand why Odeto thought he was afraid of bends.

It wasn't just Chen Xiangbei. Hiroki Sawano and Sho Mizutani also came over and wanted to know the reason from Odette.

"Conservative, too conservative!"

Odetto said this with dissatisfaction, shaking his head.

keep?

Upon hearing Odette's answer, the usually calm Chen Xiangbei was stunned. A pre-tuning lap time of 1 minute 58 seconds, compared to Formula Renault's historical data at Silverstone, would have essentially put him in the top ten in qualifying.

If this cornering speed can still be considered conservative, then how fast would it be considered unconservative?

Will it directly break the track record held by Schumacher?
Even as a driver, one must maintain absolute confidence in oneself, but not be so arrogant as to look down on others.

At least Chen Xiangbei had some idea of ​​Schumacher's talent and strength.

He is not at the level of Kamui Kobayashi!
"Odeto, where's the conservativeness?"

Chen Xiangbei asked in confusion.

Hearing this question, Odeto turned the notebook on the table so that the screen was facing Chen Xiangbei and others.

"Look at the car's trajectory above. Your first impression is that the North Cut line is very standard, as if it were following a textbook method."

"Ah."

Hiroki Sawano nodded subconsciously. When he was at the Honda Racing Academy, he admired Chen Xiangbei's cornering and line-cutting skills.

It is very accurate and smooth in most situations, and maintains high consistency and stability over long distances.

Unlike many younger students, who often run in circles all over the place, their braking points and cornering routes vary greatly.

It was also for this reason that Hiroki Sawano suspected that there was something wrong with Chen Xiangbei's career record, as the style and performance of a normal newcomer were not like this.

"Bei's problem is that his line is too standard. He seems unwilling to take even the slightest risk of going off the track!"

Odetto has witnessed the glory and crazy era of F1. Whether it is Niki Lauda's perseverance, Senna's courage, or Schumacher's desire for the championship, they all have one thing in common: the courage to take risks.

Chen Xiangbei's speed in the corners was indeed good, but in Odette's eyes, this speed and line were kept within a safe range. He did not challenge the limits of himself and the car, nor was he on the verge of losing control!
The so-called textbook route, to put it bluntly, is just repeating what others have said. Previous people have taken similar routes and proved that they are safe, so Chen Xiangbei just followed suit.

"Bei, you have to remember that racing is a sport that challenges your limits and yourself."

“Many times, you have to take risks to understand the limits of yourself, the track, and the car.”

"You're afraid of crashing in practice races at lower levels of the Formula One formula, so why would you wait until you get to F2 or F1 and take the risk with a car worth millions of dollars?"

"You will be even more conservative then than you are now!"

Odetto, a veteran of the F1 paddock for decades, pointed out Chen Xiangbei's current problem: with car upgrades and no guarantee of personal funding, his driving style has unknowingly become more conservative.

You have to know that when Chen Xiangbei first drove a performance car, he dared to dance on the edge of a knife.

When driving the CFR2000 at the Huasai Base, he dared to challenge the loss of control, and the front nose of the car brushed past the tire wall.

At the Honda Racing Academy, although Chen Xiangbei continued to advance on the rainy track and still maintained his challenge for the fastest lap time, it was obvious that his driving style and line-taking were no longer so extreme.

The reason is that Chen Xiangbei is "afraid" of a car accident.

Many viewers who have watched F1 events in later generations should be impressed by the major "directors" in the paddock, such as the famous "Director Latifi", "Director Sargent", as well as Mazepin and Mick Schumacher.

The fundamental reason why they were given the title of "Director" is that they caused too many track crashes.

F1 racing is a commercial sport. From the perspective of the team, the ultimate goal of the owners and investors is to make money.

Too many collisions cause vehicle damage, and the fleet not only fails to make money, but may even lose money.

Moreover, under the budget cap, if the team uses too much money to repair the car, it will also affect the R&D budget for the next season, making the team lose its competitiveness.

That is to say, even if the F1 team is large and powerful, it still cannot withstand the drivers who frequently have accidents and often chooses to terminate the contract and give up.

Even the strongest driver in the paddock like Mick Schumacher could not escape the fate of being eliminated due to excessive car damage.

In his previous life, Chen Xiangbei did not have the advantage of a household registration book, nor did he have high-value sponsorship. He simply could not afford the serious consequences of the car damage.

This led to Chen Xiangbei becoming more timid subconsciously as he entered higher-level competitions and drove more expensive Formula One cars.

They often choose to stay within a safe range and strive to improve their line accuracy and smoothness through high-intensity training, rather than challenging the unsafe extreme lap time.

Similar situations occurred not only with Chen Xiangbei, but also with early Japanese drivers.

It wasn't until the 1980s and 1990s, when the Japanese automobile industry flourished and factory teams with abundant capital such as Honda and Toyota entered the paddock, and with the support and confidence, the style of the new generation of Japanese drivers became more radical.

Takuma Sato, Kamui Kobayashi, Yuki Kakuta, etc., are all not afraid of things when they are on the track!

At the same time, this is why, despite Hiroki Sawano's experience as a double champion, he was unable to see the problem with Chen Xiangbei.

He is also one of the older generation of Japanese drivers who is "afraid" of accidents!

"Bei, it's easy to improve your skills, but it's hard to improve your mentality."

"In the F1 paddock, when it comes to driving skills alone, there is often no essential difference. It's more about the driver's mental quality."

"Remember, make yourself stronger inside!"

After saying that, Odeto patted Chen Xiangbei on the shoulder to show encouragement.

He did not want to attack Chen Xiangbei. On the contrary, he saw the potential of this Chinese newcomer and the solid basic skills he demonstrated on the track, and he said this because he admired his talent.

"Odeto, I understand."

Chen Xiangbei nodded, he had realized his problem.

"Now that you understand, come with me and watch Xiaolin's running method."

After saying that, Odette picked up the telescope, walked out of the P room, and went to the best stand.

This time, Chen Xiangbei sat next to Odetto and carefully observed Kobayashi Takatoshi's running line and racing data.

After two laps of tire warm-up to reach the optimal operating temperature, Kobayashi Takatoshi's performance in the first timed lap was not as good as Chen Xiangbei's, he was 0.3 seconds slower and only ran a time of 1 minute 59 seconds.

There are two main reasons why the gap is so close. On the one hand, Kobayashi Takatoshi is equivalent to a special tuner. Under normal circumstances, in Renault-level competitions, there will be no F1 crew members to help you adjust the car.

On the other hand, as long as low-level competitions leave the scope of academy, due to the low performance ceiling of the car, it is often difficult for drivers to create a big gap in lap time.

For example, in the later Renault Formula and F3 events, more than ten cars can be squeezed into a one-second gap in qualifying, and most drivers' lap times are extremely close.

"Bei, do you see the difference between Xiaolin and you?"

As Kobayashi Takatoshi finished his first lap, Odetto asked.

"Well, his overall line and lap time are not as good as mine, but he is more extreme than me in some corners."

Takatoshi Kobayashi is a typical example of a talented newcomer. Most of his cornering trajectories are not perfect, but he can still come up with a stroke of genius in many corners, showing his upper limit to the outside world.

This is just like in the F1 paddock, where many drivers may not score any points throughout the year, but they always receive high praise and evaluation.

The reason is that they often run a "God's lap" in qualifying that breaks through the performance of the car, allowing engineers from various teams in the paddock to notice the driver's true potential and upper limit.

"That's right, Xiaolin's running wasn't perfect. The cornering and line-up were a bit rough in many places."

"But even if there's a risk of losing control and running off the track, or even crashing and causing an accident, as long as you remember where the limit is, you'll be able to run even faster on the next lap!"

"Ah."

Chen Xiangbei nodded, but he felt a lot in his heart.

This is the foundation of a veteran F1 team leader, who can capture his own shortcomings and flaws extremely accurately.

It's not just about the technical level, but also the difference in mentality.

While the two were talking, Takatoshi Kobayashi finished his second lap on the track, and his lap time improved to almost the same level as Chen Xiangbei by 0.1 second.

Chen Xiangbei became serious when he saw this scene.

He knew that Europe was a place where hidden talents abounded in the field of formula racing, with a huge gap between it and other regions.

However, Chen Xiangbei did not expect that Kobayashi Takatoshi, who received training in Europe, had such strength. He had never even heard of his name in his previous life.

Could it be that there are some hidden masters in this world?

(End of this chapter)