Car Racing without Money-Chapter 552 - 215: Hidden Nemesis on the Track

Saturday afternoon at 2 PM, Australia Station’s qualifying race.

Compared to the eighty thousand spectators at the practice session, the number of spectators for the qualifying race has reached nearly one hundred thousand, almost hitting the maximum capacity of the track.

Chen Xiangbei had a simple hamburger for lunch, spending all the remaining time on reviewing the practice session with the strategy team.

Though more than two hours may seem short, it brought a significant improvement for Chen Xiangbei.

There is a saying in China that goes, "Among three people walking, there must be a teacher for me." In the past, Chen Xiangbei always studied track information alone, memorizing the best braking points, normal racing lines, overtaking routes, and defense strategies.

This time, with the comprehensive intervention of Odetto and others, it brought many different perspectives to Chen Xiangbei, allowing him to understand the characteristics of the car more thoroughly!

However, before the qualifying race started, Odetto specifically emphasized one point.

Data is dead, and so is video, but only people are alive.

The same racing line control that Schumacher can easily manage might send other drivers into the wall.

Chen Xiangbei doesn’t have the time or resources for trial and error; whether he can apply the learned data and racing lines to the race wholly relies on his adaptability and mastery of both the car and the track.

Just like the name "driver," only the car and the hands are Chen Xiangbei’s most steadfast partners!

Before the start of the qualifying race, Chen Xiangbei walked out of the pit lane. He intended to actually feel the weather and wind speed changes but ended up seeing a few red flags waving at him from the opposite grandstand, directly facing the pit box.

To be honest, seeing fans waving the national flag on-site was not too surprising for Chen Xiangbei.

After all, as the first F1 driver from China, and with a considerable number of overseas Chinese, there were always supporters who upheld a sense of camaraderie, even in junior formula races like those of Renault’s level.

But this time, Chen Xiangbei saw many faces that were evidently foreign.

"Driver Bei, cheer up; you will be tomorrow’s star!"

"Bei, I think you’re the strongest rookie, no less than Raikkonen."

"Driver Bei from China, will dominate the F1 paddock!"

Various accents in English expressed almost the same sentiment: support and encouragement for Chen Xiangbei.

In the F1 paddock, ultimately, it’s the competitive nature of the sport that counts. History shows that many drivers, including Verstappen, had so-so reputations initially but won over the audience with their performance and results.

Chen Xiangbei is now walking the old path of his predecessors!

"Brother Bei, we now have quite a few foreign supporters too."

Ayong came over to Chen Xiangbei at this time, with a hint of surprise and excitement in his tone.

Considering that since landing from the plane, Chen Xiangbei had encountered much hostility and ridicule, which peaked at the pre-race press conference, this was unexpected even for Ayong.

Thus, Ayong never expected that there would be a group of foreign supporters on the track.

"As long as there are good results, naturally, supporters from all over the world will follow; this is the law of competitive sports."

Briatore appeared from nowhere and calmly added.

In terms of ridicule and accusations, Hua Bu encountered at least ten times as much as Chen Xiangbei, yet he could still gain the team’s trust and the drivers’ favor.

The fundamental reason lies in the performance of the team!

"Perhaps."

Chen Xiangbei replied with a smile.

Somehow, he felt that he started to share more common language with Hua Bu.

To the outside world, both might look like the "villains" within the paddock.

This sentiment did not last long, as Odetto soon instructed Chen Xiangbei to change into his racing suit for preparation.

As the countdown to the qualifying session began, the paddock fell into a tense atmosphere, with every team meticulously executing the pre-race strategies.

This time, Chen Xiangbei chose not to be the first to exit the pit; he sat in the car’s cockpit, waiting quietly for the right moment. It’s known that the Albert Park Circuit itself is slippery, plus the occasional crosswind coming off the lake means that those who exit first often can’t set a decent lap; they only waste tire and engine life.

Only by waiting for enough rubber particles to accumulate on the racing line can you obtain the best grip.

Of course, the downside is that twelve teams with twenty-four drivers slightly exceed the "half-street" capacity.

Huddling together to start towards the end of the qualifying session will lead to severe traffic congestion, and you might not even get a flying lap in.

"Bei, do you remember all the track data?"

Before the start, Odetto asked again.

"Yes, I’ve memorized every corner completely."

Chen Xiangbei pointed to his head, perhaps not to the top student level in academics.

But when it comes to various track data and racing lines, he has absolute confidence.

His previous flaws, as well as Schumacher’s control and line details, are all imprinted deeply in his mind like engravings.

"Great."

Odetto didn’t doubt; he had seen Chen Xiangbei’s imitation of Schumacher’s lines at the Spa Circuit.

If this guy gets serious, he can replicate things at a pixel level!

"The race center keeps updating the weather data; there’s a high probability of wind during the qualifying session, so you must always pay attention to the car’s lateral drifting."

"Understood."

Odetto has emphasized the importance of "wind" more than once, which is a distinctive aspect of the ring-lake circuit.

Additionally, in Europe, some "highland mountain" tracks like Nurburgring, Red Bull Ring, etc., may also experience sudden mountain winds.

Legendary driver Nicky Lauda once lost control due to mountain winds at the Red Bull Ring.