Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 328 The Heavy Pressure of Competing for the Championship

"Fuck, are the Chinese this fast?"

"The second timeout has already surpassed Rosberg's lap time. Does this mean he's going to break 1 minute and 12 seconds for this lap?"

"Damn, this is only the first qualifying session! Will Schumacher's track record be broken so easily?"

"I thought Rosberg would be the first to break the record, but I didn't expect the North Limit to be this high."

The speed on the track ignited the passion of the audience, and many people looked at Chen Xiangbei's lap time in the individual time trial with disbelief in their eyes.

They thought Chen Xiangbei would run out of ideas, but he unexpectedly went against the tide!

"The tail sway and cornering corrections have been greatly reduced. What did driver Bei experience last night?"

Red Bull team principal Horner looked on in shock as he watched the HRT race car speed through the corner.

Despite Rosberg's commanding lead and Chen Xiangbei's second-place position after three practice sessions, Red Bull had something up their sleeve. They upgraded their kit for this race and incorporated some features of next year's new car.

It's not uncommon for F1 teams to use new upgrade kits for the following year. Some teams, with ample funds and rapid development, will install aerodynamic components such as front and rear wings on older cars in advance for technical verification.

In some special circumstances, they might even use a pre-developed B-version vehicle.

Of course, if the team is short of money, it is not uncommon for an old car to be repaired and used for two years.

Red Bull Racing happens to be one of those teams with both money and resources. With the help of design genius Newey, the development speed of the car upgrade kit far exceeded expectations, and it was directly applied to the old car at the Monaco Grand Prix.

According to computer simulations, breaking Schumacher's track record under ideal conditions would not be a problem.

To avoid alerting their opponents and to get a head start on studying the new upgrade kit, the Red Bull team was waiting to make their move in qualifying.

After all, for the Monaco circuit, qualifying is almost equivalent to the race!

But to the Red Bull strategy team's utter surprise, Chen Xiangbei was also able to achieve a qualitative change overnight.

Did the HRT fleet hide the items, or did Chen Xiangbei himself hide them?

No one knows what happened last night.

However, qualifying results on the track cannot be faked.

When the time of 1 minute 12.991 seconds was announced, it once again caused an uproar among the audience.

The second driver to break the 1 minute 12 second limit has emerged, and it happened in the first qualifying session. Theoretically, barring any track accidents or weather changes, he could have done even faster in the second and third sessions.

This is why Rosberg's sub-1 minute 12 second practice session time caused such a sensation, as it meant that breaking the track record was a foregone conclusion.

"North's first lap time is out, showcasing the foundation and strength of this year's strongest rookie, successfully breaking into the 1 minute 12 second range, less than 0.1 seconds slower than Rosberg's fastest lap!"

"I have a feeling that the competition for pole position this year will be very fierce, and the track record may be broken by more than one driver!"

Reid's tone was excited. He wasn't happy about Chen Xiangbei's speed, but rather he had a premonition of an exciting qualifying battle.

For the Monaco Grand Prix, the qualifying rounds are often more exciting than the main race.

Overtaking in the main race is extremely difficult, and in order to suppress their opponents, many drivers deliberately slow down, much like encountering a tractor blocking the road.

But in qualifying, what the drivers are doing is practically a game against God.

Constantly teetering on the edge of being out of control, pushing the limits of centimeter-level accuracy at speeds of hundreds of kilometers per hour, in extreme cases you can even see the carbon fiber front wing leaving white or black scratches on the fender!

This track doesn't have grand offensive and defensive maneuvers; it only has precise, one-hit kills!
Just as Reid predicted, once a driver set a lap time of 1 minute 12.991 seconds, even those who had planned to hold back would feel an inexplicable pressure to accelerate.

"1 minute 12.833 seconds, Red Bull's Webber took the lead. As the driver currently second in the overall standings, there is no doubt that the Australian wants to fulfill his championship dream!"

"1 minute 12.786 seconds! Schumacher's five-year track record has been broken by Alonso from Ferrari. The title of the best driver in the paddock is well-deserved. When Alonso wanted to sprint, the track trembled!"

"1 minute 12.735 seconds, Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing, has demonstrated what it means to be a super rookie who sets countless F1 records. Last year, he narrowly lost to Jenson Button in the final race. This year, he will once again charge for the world championship title and prove to the world that he is the true successor to the King of Racing!"

Local commentators Henry and Reid, with their passionate voices, provided almost non-stop updates on the situation on the track.

Neither of them expected that the first qualifying session would descend into madness under Chen Xiangbei's leadership, breaking Schumacher's track record at an extremely high speed.

And it wasn't just one person; Alonso and Vettel both set new pole position records!

"Odette, what's the fastest lap time so far?"

After finishing the cooling loop, Chen Xiangbei listened to the incessant roar of the engines and asked the team a question.

"1 minute 12.735 seconds, Vettel just set that time."

【So fast? 】

Upon hearing this number, a look of surprise appeared on Chen Xiangbei's face.

He knew that, based on practice session performance standards, it was only a matter of time before Schumacher's track record was broken in qualifying.

But I never expected to be surpassed after just one training session!
To be honest, Chen Xiangbei pushed really hard in that round just now, basically giving it his all.

He thought he could maintain this lap time and at least finish in the top five, even in Q3.

Now I'm a little unsure.

"Odette, should I push it one more lap?"

Chen Xiangbei countered with a question.

"No need, let's save the engine's life and go back to the depot."

Although there were many top qualifying results in this lap, Chen Xiangbei's lap time was enough to secure a spot in Q2, so Odeto immediately gave the pit stop instruction, ending the first qualifying session early.

It's important to know that in qualifying, engines are pushed to full power output, which puts a lot of pressure on heat dissipation and lifespan. Basically, if a team can guarantee a stable advancement, they will have the driver pit early.

Another point is that the Monaco circuit is too narrow, making it extremely difficult to wait for the flying lap window.

If they encounter a slow-moving vehicle ahead, many low-end vehicles cannot even overtake or go around it, and can only be forced to brake and follow behind, waiting for an opportunity.

Of course, the most important point is that Chen Xiangbei's soft red tires are not enough.

The intense testing and pushing during practice sessions have already used up two sets of soft red tires. Under normal circumstances, three more sets will be used in qualifying, which means that Chen Xiangbei will not have any new red tires left to use in the main race.

Chen Xiangbei's return did not attract much attention or cause a stir in the hunting grounds.

Because a silver-painted race car was speeding along the track, and it was none other than Rosberg from the Mercedes team.

On this lap, he will showcase the glory of being a home driver.

And prove that you are better than driver North!

"Go Rosberg, get pole position at Monaco!"

"Monaco's first home champion, we look forward to witnessing your coronation!"

"It would be great if Rosberg were a purely homegrown driver."

A Monegasque man stood on his balcony, listening to the chants of victory for their home team, a look of longing and anticipation on his face. Rosberg, after all, was German at heart.

"Charles Leclerc has an undefeated record in karting, and I believe that a homegrown champion driver will emerge in the future!"

Amid cheers and murmurs from the audience, Rosberg's Mercedes race car streaked across the night sky like a silver meteor, leaving a brilliant afterimage on the Monte Carlo circuit in Monaco.

"Team Leader Brown, Rosberg's lap was very fast, I feel he broke Schumacher's track record!"

Inside the Mercedes team's pit garage, the crew members were already excited.

It's important to understand that for any F1 team, even if they have a seven-time champion like Schumacher, it only represents past glory; young talent represents the future.

The new generation of drivers are a formidable force. Hamilton and Vettel have already lived up to their potential and become the absolute core of McLaren and Red Bull teams, respectively. Kubica has also shone brightly at Sauber, and Ferrari has extended an offer to him ahead of time.

As a world-class factory team, Mercedes' goal in F1 is definitely not just to play a minor role and achieve a mid-table finish; their aim is to win the world championship!

Then Rosberg has to step up and take up the mantle of Mercedes after Schumacher's retirement!

Throughout the series, Rosberg's performance, achievements, and speed were slightly inferior to those of the best of his generation. Even his close friend Hamilton did not consider him the strongest opponent, but rather Kubica.

Today's Monaco Grand Prix victory will be a stepping stone for Rosberg to become a top driver!

"Without a doubt, this lap was too fast; it's definitely the fastest lap time to date."

"Schumi, the past glory belongs to you, the future belongs to Rosberg!"

"Let the lap times come out, I want to see Rosberg's name at the top!"

As the silver Mercedes race car crossed the finish line on the track, the ticking timer numbers came to an abrupt halt.

With a lap time of 1 minute 12.707 seconds, Rosberg successfully took the top spot!

As the audience watched the bright red numbers on the big screen, they went wild, shouting and cheering to express their celebration, as if they were already anticipating the birth of the home team champion.

"SHIT, celebrating before even securing pole position? Aren't you afraid of popping champagne halfway through the round?"

Briatore responded with utter disdain to the frenzied revelry outside the P-room.

After saying that, he walked over to Chen Xiangbei, stretched out his arm to reveal a watch under his shirt, and asked, "Do you know what brand it is?"

Briatore's sudden outrageous move left everyone in the P room speechless.

"TAG Heuer".

Chen Xiangbei replied coldly.

It's not that he has expertise in luxury goods, but rather that this brand is an F1 sponsor and the first luxury brand to print its logo on a race car. In addition, TAG Heuer also sponsors the official countdown at the Monaco Circuit.

If you look closely at the timer, you're sure to see the TAG Heuer logo.

"If you take pole position in Monaco, you will become a global ambassador for TAG Heuer. I've already finalized the deal."

Briatore raised an eyebrow as he said this.

"manager!"

Hearing Briatore's words, Hiroki Sawano couldn't help but shout out.

The Monaco championship is an honor and a dream for drivers.

When we're talking about honor and dreams, you suddenly start talking about money?

“Great, my gloves are missing a watch.”

Chen Xiangbei pointed to the gloves, his tone relaxed, as if he hadn't been affected by the pressure of the competition at all.

The image of luxury watches highly overlaps with that of F1 drivers and their target audience. Almost every famous driver has endorsed a watch brand. Even Zhou Guanyu signed an endorsement contract with Hublot back when he was an F3 driver.

However, since modern F1 drivers need to wear fireproof suits and gloves, wearing a watch is very inconvenient. The way to show the brand endorsement is often to draw a watch on the glove, just like drawing a watch on the wrist when we were kids.

Chen Xiangbei's gloves have been vacant for a long time, but now there is a target to fill the gap.

"GOOD, let's wait for the second practice session to begin!"

After receiving a satisfactory reply, Briatore returned to his manager's seat, lazily putting his feet up on the table.

Upon seeing this, Hiroki Sawano said to Odette with extreme dissatisfaction, "Team leader, isn't the manager interfering with the drivers' performance?"

During qualifying, especially on a track like Monaco that demands high precision, drivers need to be fully focused. There's no time to discuss endorsement contracts during qualifying breaks.

"No, he's helping Bei relieve stress."

"Decompression?"

Hiroki Sawano was even more puzzled by Odette's explanation.

"Didn't you notice that Bei's arm was trembling slightly?"

Trembling?

Hiroki Sawano was stunned; he hadn't noticed that detail at all.

“Briatoli didn’t discuss any watch contract. TAG Heuer also has its own ambassadors. He noticed the detail of Bei’s arm trembling, so he used the watch to relieve stress and distract himself.”

"The pressure to win the championship is far greater than we imagined."

"Don't forget, North is still in his rookie season."

Hamilton and Vettel both finished as runners-up in their first title-contending seasons, making many mistakes along the way. Perhaps if they had just run a better race, they could have won the title a year earlier.

In Norris's first championship season, facing Verstappen's offensive pressure, his performance was nothing short of disastrous, with one blunder after another.

This is not only Chen Xiangbei's first season competing for the championship, but also his debut season.

Chen Xiangbei may not show it often, but that doesn't mean he isn't nervous or stressed.

Briatore may not be a good person, but he is undoubtedly a legendary team manager.

When it comes to stress relief, the meticulous Odeto is no match for him, nor can he achieve that kind of lighthearted, joking effect.

Never underestimate Briatore's professionalism just because he seems carefree. Could someone who nurtured Schumacher and Alonso be a complete failure?

There wasn't much time for casual conversation before the second qualifying round began.

This time, Chen Xiangbei did not leave the station first. He took deep breaths to adjust his physical condition and rhythm, while reviewing the details that could be improved in the first lap.

Chen Xiangbei didn't know exactly how fast Rosberg could run.

But he knew that 1 minute 12.991 seconds was definitely not his limit!

(End of this chapter)