Car Racing without Money-Chapter 591 - 233: Arrogance Is the Original Sin of Failure
Listening to Briatore’s words, Chen Xiangbei’s mind conjured up a famous future race track accident.
It was at the Albert Park Circuit in 2016, during lap 19 of the race, Alonso attempted to overtake the car ahead, Gutierrez, in the DRS zone, resulting in a collision between the two cars.
Alonso’s right front wheel slammed into Gutierrez’s left rear wheel, causing Gutierrez to lose control, skid across the track, and crash into the runoff area.
As for Alonso’s situation, it was even more perilous. His McLaren car soared into the air at a staggering 310 kilometers per hour, flipped several times mid-air, and crashed heavily into the tire barrier.
The entire car disintegrated, leaving only the cockpit intact.
Fortunately, the high-intensity integrated cockpit and the HANS neck support system’s protection in modern F1 saved Alonso’s life.
With the same accident intensity happening ten years earlier, the driver might not have survived.
The fundamental cause of this shocking accident was Alonso’s attempt to delay his braking point and overtake from the outside, despite Gutierrez already firmly defending the center line and leaving no space for overtaking. Alonso, relying on his perception of tire grip and absolute confidence in his driving skills, attempted a hard outside pass!
Ultimately, Alonso paid the price for his arrogance. After this shocking accident, he realized that he was no longer in his prime era as the world champion who dominated the circuit.
The era of Alonso might have passed, just as Schumacher’s era had ended.
A new king will eventually replace the old!
The same track, the same driver, will Alonso defend with the same habits?
Chen Xiangbei doesn’t know the answer, as it is not 2016.
What he can do is to attack Alonso at Turn 3, where the future accident happened.
Force the opponent into his habitual outside line!
"Manager Briatore, I understand."
After a simple response, Chen Xiangbei sped up intensely with a full sense of challenge to chase Alonso.
Through the Ferrari Team’s audio reminders, Alonso learned that the gap between his lap times and Chen Xiangbei’s was rapidly narrowing, which he didn’t mind.
The speed of the Chinese newcomer is indeed fast, but that’s expected.
In a dry track environment, the semi-wet tires are easily outperformed by the soft red tires.
Even if the least experienced Ino Yuji were driving, there’s a chance to catch Schumacher.
The strength of Driver Xiangbei is clearly much stronger than Japan’s legendary Ino Yuji.
But catching up is one thing, overtaking is another.
Alonso’s defensive capabilities are unquestionably strong; even peak Schumacher could only match him. The Chinese rookie still needs a few more years of practice to overtake him!
Car No. 13 raced at an astonishing speed, with the nearly-dry driving line providing Chen Xiangbei a space to fully exert his performance. With surging fighting spirit and a strong desire for victory, Chen Xiangbei vaguely felt a sense of "being one with the car."
The TF110 car, achieved genuine control taken at his will!
"He caught up with the driver! Driver Xiangbei has caught up with the car ahead, Alonso, not in the previously estimated two laps but in just one lap to enter the attack range."
"The live audience might not imagine it, but Xiangbei’s one-lap speed was 1 minute 24.919, surpassing his qualifying performance and breaking the fastest lap record in the race again, surpassing the current leading driver Hamilton’s 1 minute 25.118!"
"This is the fastest lap time performed after the rain started, already exceeding the initial dry road conditions of the race. Even considering the difference in fuel load, it cannot hide Driver Xiangbei’s outstanding performance."
"For this lap speed just now, Xiangbei was four seconds faster than the driver he is about to face, Alonso."
"Frankly speaking, I don’t even know how to describe such an exaggerated lap speed, it’s clearly perceived that Driver Xiangbei’s condition and momentum have hit a peak, and there’s even a premonition that even Alonso might not stop him!"
Commentator Red reported the data, instantly causing an uproar among the circuit spectators.
Rain battles are always the touchstones of testing a driver’s absolute strength. From rain until the end, through various track and road condition changes, Chen Xiangbei also experienced some mistakes and slides.
The only constant was his exaggerated absolute speed.
Chasing for over four seconds in a single lap, even accounting for the tire difference, Chen Xiangbei’s real speed has surpassed Alonso.
A rookie driver faster than the circuit’s strongest Alonso, what’s the joke here?
"Go for it, Chen Xiangbei, the podium is right ahead!"
"China’s strongest driver, Asia’s strongest driver, you will become the world’s strongest driver!"
"I used to call you Driver Xiangbei, if you can take down Alonso, I would be willing to call you Racing God Xiangbei!"
Various encouragement voices echoed, as Chen Xiangbei’s miraculous performance showed supporters a pre-race impossible dream.
That is, the Chinese driver could reach the F1 podium just in the second race.
The same attempt to make it to the podium, the strongest automobile industry and racing nation in Asia, Japan, took a full twenty years.
Chen Xiangbei, however, only needed two races!
The fans present, today witness history in the making, how can they not be excited and thrilled?
Of course, alongside the encouragement, there’s cynicism.
"Want to make it onto the podium? First, ask if Alonso agrees!"
"The Chinese rookie rising a few ranks and starting to dream; does he really think making it onto the podium is that easy?"
