Car Racing without Money-Chapter 571 - 224: Ending the Intra-Team Strife

The FIA’s perfected second lane change and braking zone change rules only had clear details and penalties until the 2012 season. Before that, the evaluation standards were very vague, leading to many "dragon drawing" drivers on the track.

Even after the rules were clearly defined, many drivers still found ways to push the boundaries and exploit loopholes, trying every method to block overtaking from behind.

Magnussen earned the title of "Magnus Draws The Dragon" because this was something he often did.

Now, with years of experience behind him, Trulli is defending with borderline illegal methods, making it appear from Chen Xiangbei’s perspective like there is an "impenetrable" wall in front of him, making it truly difficult to find an opportunity to overtake!

"Odetto, suitable internal competition can promote improvement, but this type of defense is extremely dangerous, easily leading to collisions and causing both cars to retire."

"I believe a team directive should be issued to stop this intense battle!"

Sawano Hiroyuki finally couldn’t hold back and expressed his opinion to Odetto.

Healthy competition and "life-and-death struggle" are fundamentally different; Trulli’s current defense is clearly crossing the line a bit excessively.

No team can just stand by and watch or tolerate such a level of confrontation between its two drivers. Causing accidents and both cars to retire affects not just the results of this race. Given HRT’s current research and production capability, whether they can even repair in time for the next race is questionable.

The internal competition initiated by manager Briatore has gone a bit too far!

Faced with the skepticism from Sawano Hiroyuki, hesitancy showed on Odetto’s face.

It’s worth noting that the Ferrari Team’s strategy group used to be strictly hierarchical, directly specifying driver status and the role of wingman in contracts, completely prohibiting any internal competition and preventing any "insubordination" by the second driver.

At critical moments, for the sake of the team’s results and interests, even the second driver had to relinquish the championship unwillingly!

Influenced by Ferrari Team for many years, emotionally, Odetto doesn’t agree with this competitive approach, yet rationally understands that both drivers have already crossed a line, and stopping them now might not heed team directives.

Winning this race doesn’t guarantee a win in the next.

Throughout history, countless drivers have refused to follow team directives, especially before any clear victory is decided.

Instead of leaving a hidden hazard, it might be better to proceed according to Briatore’s method and let them settle it on the track, willing to gamble and accept the outcome!

While Odetto hesitated, Briatore stepped out from the air-conditioned P room to the outdoor command platform.

With a leisurely pace, he put on his listening headphones, then pressed the voice communication button and said: "Xiangbei, this is your desired fair competition, and now you can’t overtake?"

Briatore’s teasing words were transmitted to Chen Xiangbei’s ears via radio broadcast.

Honestly, it felt a bit "like a mental attack."

Initially, Chen Xiangbei, with youthful vigor and enthusiasm, had refused the wingman supplement agreement from team owner Kalanbant, believing there should be fair competition between first and second drivers, so that at least his "teammate" would accept defeat wholeheartedly.

It turned out Chen Xiangbei also had the potential to become the loser!

If he couldn’t overtake and lost, the management’s and strategy group’s focus, with priority given to the upgraded car resources, would all highlight Chen Xiangbei’s naive idea as clownish.

Briatore’s mockery was meant to make the young Chinese kid face reality.

A Raikkonen-style driver isn’t suited for the paddock; Schumacher is the ultimate answer!

"Why aren’t you speaking? Are you upset?"

"Yes, very upset."

Chen Xiangbei replied, and it’s likely no one enjoys being mocked by Briatore.

"If you’re upset, just overtake; up ahead at the T7 and T8 high-speed left turns, do you know how fast Alonso used to pass through?"

"300km/h!"

"If you achieve Alonso’s speed, I don’t believe Trulli can defend."

Compared to Odetto’s concern about his chief race engineer status and reluctance to explicitly favor Chen Xiangbei, Briatore, the team manager, had no such concerns.

He clearly didn’t want Trulli to win!

Of course, wanting is one thing; whether Chen Xiangbei can do it is another.

Alonso’s benchmark is there, and only dancing on the knife’s edge can lead to a successful overtake!

Listening to the conversation between Briatore and Chen Xiangbei, Odetto frowned slightly.

The track record for the T7 combination corner is barely over 290km/h; when did Alonso ever achieve 300km/h?

Despite the doubts, Odetto could still keep a straight face, but data analyst Mizutani Sho, being young and impatient, couldn’t help but question: "Manager, did you get that wrong? Alonso didn’t set the track record for that corner."

"What’s the track record?"

Briatore responded with a question.

"293km/h."

"Then it seems I remembered wrong."

Hua Bu replied nonchalantly, not taking it to heart at all.

"Manager, this mistake is serious. If Xiangbei attempts the corner at 300km/h, there’s a high probability he’ll shoot off the track."

Mizutani Sho sternly reminded him, maintaining the data precision typical of a Japanese tech guy.

"So then?"

"What’s the difference between not overtaking and shooting off the track?"

"In my view, both are losers!"

In fact, Briatore knew exactly what the track record was, and his mention of Alonso running at 300km/h was simply a random fabrication.

He didn’t care if Chen Xiangbei would shoot off the track; only cared whether he could beat Trulli.

The HRT Team’s number one driver could definitely not be this "rival" he went to great lengths to kick out!

"Team leader Odetto, I believe we can’t do it this way."