Car Racing without Money-Chapter 561 - 219: Fulfilling Past Boasts

Looking at Kubica who was left behind, Chen Xiangbei’s expression remained indifferent, much like an emotionless assassin!

The three practice sessions of testing, along with studying and imitating top drivers like Schumacher, had Chen Xiangbei "communicating" with the car time and again, challenging the limits of the track.

His hard work and dedication paid off, to the extent that he knew Kubica inside out.

With this absolute control and advantage, Chen Xiangbei didn’t know how he could lose!

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Just now, Xiangbei’s cornering technique and choice of overtaking line were both exceptionally beautiful!"

"With a double change of line inside the corner to accelerate, luring Kubica into a strong defense, accurately finding the dynamic apex point, etc., it all surpassed the standard attacking and defensive skills expected from a rookie driver, rivalling those once renowned paddock prodigies."

"With his operation of defeating Kubica once more, Xiangbei has proven his capability to stand firm within the paddock!"

This time it wasn’t the commentator Red who spoke first, but the guest sitting beside, Prost.

As a four-time F1 champion, except for Schumacher, nobody in the paddock dared claim to be more professional than him.

Prost even stated bluntly that, among the rookies entering the F1 paddock in the last decade, those who could perform the cornering control like Chen Xiangbei just did were very few.

Considering Chen Xiangbei is a Chinese driver with almost a blank Kart racing training record, apart from describing him as "exceptionally talented," Prost couldn’t find a more fitting phrase.

In the past, the media and team promotions often associated Chen Xiangbei with Raikkonen, which Prost viewed with disdain, thinking it was Briatore’s marketing strategy.

Now he had a feeling that, marketing aside, Chen Xiangbei might indeed have the potential to stand shoulder to shoulder with Raikkonen.

At the very least, an average marketing-focused driver couldn’t possibly defeat Kubica twice!

"What was that, Kubica got overtaken so easily?"

"Incredible, Kubica displayed championship-level strength even driving a Sauber, now joining Renault yet can’t outperform HRT?"

"I knew Chen Xiangbei wasn’t weak, but I didn’t expect him to be this strong. He might truly become a legendary driver!"

"As expected of the super villain Xiangbei, I ask, who else dares to challenge?"

The fans of Chen Xiangbei in the stands were already in a frenzy facing this scene.

Overtaking in a race involves various objective factors, such as different team strategies, tire compounds, setups, traffic conditions, etc., making it difficult to assess if two drivers are in a relatively fair state.

But Kubica’s proactive provocation in the qualifying meant he was prepared to attack, with his setup and tires in optimal condition, and even the driver himself filled with fighting spirit.

Losing in this situation, Kubica had no excuses!

Chen Xiangbei was steadily fulfilling his past boasts—he aimed to become the strongest driver in the F1 paddock!

The HRT Team’s pit was also erupting with thunderous cheers.

Even the usually jovial Briatore and the stern Odetto joined the celebration team, their excitement no less than Chen Xiangbei finishing fifth in an official race.

The excitement stemmed from two reasons: Firstly, the confrontation with Kubica indicated that Chen Xiangbei had fully adapted to the upgraded package’s characteristics, mastering the oversteering TF110 race car!

Secondly, the victory in this duel would thoroughly build Chen Xiangbei’s confidence.

A rookie driver being overconfident is never the issue; it’s being underconfident, or having a façade of false pride.

In the sixty years since the establishment of F1, there have been countless drivers in lower-level formulas deemed as prodigious stars.

However, not many have managed to persist and achieve results in the paddock.

The majority succumbed to a "flash in the pan" situation.

Many factors contribute to this: sponsorship, environment, driving skills, and even luck could be counted.

Among them, a broken spirit ranks highly!

Many rookie drivers can’t handle the gap when they sweep through the ranks only to find they lack competitiveness in the F1 paddock.

Or if they perform poorly, make mistakes, face ridicule, and suffer universal mockery, all contributing to a vicious cycle where they can no longer adjust their mindset.

From the perspective of Odetto and others, Chen Xiangbei was under significant pressure and might be at a critical point.

If he lost the duel with Kubica, it might shatter Chen Xiangbei’s tough demeanor, throwing him into self-doubt.

After all, the Chinese Kid was the target of criticism outside the paddock and deemed a driver enemy within.

Yet, Chen Xiangbei won, winning cleanly against a championship-level driver. The psychological benefits were immeasurable, potentially establishing an unbreakable mental barrier, and instilling his driving skills with confidence.

Often, the so-called "champion aura" is the external manifestation of such confidence.

Of course, amidst the celebration, once things calmed down, Odetto still issued an order.

"Xiangbei, find a chance to push a flying lap, there’s not much time left in Session 3."

The third practice session was only ten minutes long, just enough for drivers to push two flying laps.

The entanglement between Chen Xiangbei and Kubica had already wasted his first flying lap, and he needed to quickly cool down the braking system to complete the last lap.

"COPY."

With a simple response, Chen Xiangbei slowed down for his cool-down lap.

In contrast to the HRT team’s jubilant celebration, the Renault Team members encountered "death-like" silence.