Car Racing without Money-Chapter 533 - 208: Only the Mediocre Escape Envy

Faced with Briatore’s unequivocal words, everyone in the conference room fell silent.

Hua Bu may often seem smiling and easygoing, but...

In reality, when he decides on something, his methods are extremely forceful!

To the extent of being unreasonable.

Trulli had been kicked once; he clearly understood that this was non-negotiable.

More importantly, Ferrari Team’s second-hand wind tunnel had been debugged, leaving him without the means to confront Briatore.

The Italian rogue had burned bridges more than once; don’t expect him to keep his promises.

"Sote, don’t argue anymore, I accept the old kits."

Facing the outraged race engineer, Trulli shook his head at him.

Then, he turned his gaze to Chen Xiangbei and said, "I didn’t finish that lap due to engine failure during the winter tests, but the Australian Grand Prix can continue."

"If I lose this time, you will be the number one driver."

Just like what Odetto said at the clubhouse, the grievances and conflicts of interest between drivers should be resolved on the track.

Trulli hoped to have a decisive battle with Chen Xiangbei!

"Okay."

Without much words, Chen Xiangbei simply nodded.

In a sense, this wasn’t a fair duel, as upgraded kits often have a speed advantage over old ones.

But through his interactions with Briatore, some of Chen Xiangbei’s "naive" ideas had gradually changed, realizing there’s no absolute fairness in the F1 Paddock, only absolute victory.

By not using the team’s management to pressure and forcibly order Trulli to be the second driver, giving him a chance for a convincing defeat was an extra layer of fairness.

"Thank you."

With mixed emotions, Trulli said thank you.

If his past "challenge" to Chen Xiangbei carried a senior’s arrogance and disdain for a rookie,

then now, Trulli had some admiration for Chen Xiangbei.

The Chinese rookie was a true driver, one worthy of respect.

After saying this, Trulli left the conference room.

With the issue of the upgraded kits settled, the next problem for the HRT Team to handle was "production ramp-up."

Whether it was the power unit, chassis, or even the car shell, everything needed mass production to meet the team’s demands.

After all, the car damage and failure rates of this era were much higher than in a dozen years, and if Chen Xiangbei or Trulli once hit the wall without spare parts, they would be forced to retire from a race.

This was obviously unacceptable to all the ambitious HRT Team members.

The team entered full-speed operation mode, and besides regular training, Chen Xiangbei also took time to follow design director Bob Bell, trying to participate in the car development project as much as possible.

Chen Xiangbei’s idol from his previous life in car racing was Schumacher. Many knew the German King of Cars was incredibly skilled, but few knew he was among the few drivers who could greatly assist in car development.

Moreover, through his participation and feedback, Schumacher had an in-depth understanding of every detail of the car, achieving the ultimate unity with the vehicle.

Chen Xiangbei hoped he could become such a driver!

After a brief week or so, Chen Xiangbei and the strategy group set off for Australia.

However, this time the chief test engineer Mazzola was accompanying him to collect effective data on the upgraded kits in "real combat", which would then be fed back to the headquarters for optimization or improvements.

Compared to the transition during the opening race, this time the team members were noticeably more relaxed, chatting and laughing along the way.

As for Chen Xiangbei, he was looking out the window at the gradually shrinking London, filled with anticipation for the upcoming races.

The fifth-place finish at the Bahrain Station was not just about scoring in his debut for Chen Xiangbei; it also broke his obsession.

Once, China’s racing weaknesses and his own past falling at the F1 Paddock’s doorstep made Chen Xiangbei subconsciously harbor a psychological disadvantage facing this pinnacle of racing and those "god-like" drivers.

Could he really defeat the "gods"?

The Bahrain Grand Prix shattered Chen Xiangbei’s perception of the F1 driver’s aura.

They weren’t invincible, and he could become the strongest!

After almost twenty hours of flight, the team’s charter flight slowly landed at Melbourne’s international airport.

Chen Xiangbei had never been to Australia, making it relatively unfamiliar; most of the information he received came from the internet, and his past impression wasn’t great.

But he was there to compete, not to experience the local customs, so those things didn’t matter.

As a major international event, the F1 Grand Prix usually had a dedicated arrival channel at the airport, allowing media and fans to capture moments without disrupting regular passengers.

As Chen Xiangbei came out of the channel, he immediately saw a crowd of people, fans, and enthusiasts welcoming him, much like the scene at Bahrain International Airport.

However, what happened next was quite different from the Bahrain scene; alongside fan cheers, there was quite a bit of cursing and provocations greeting Chen Xiangbei!

Rosberg’s post-race accusations, Kovalainen’s clubhouse altercation had fermented over the week, becoming the headline news in the racing world, leaving many dissatisfied with Chen Xiangbei’s reckless and arrogant behavior.