Car Racing without Money-Chapter 584 - 229: The Legendary Drift Cornering (Part 2)

Chapter 584: Chapter 229: The Legendary Drift Cornering (Part 2)

"But if you give up this gamble, you have at least a ninety percent chance of finishing in the top six."

"My goal is to be in the top three."

Perhaps outsiders think Chen Xiangbei’s pre-race comments are just boasting, but he himself never considered it as just talk!

Chen Xiangbei hopes to stand on the podium and even on the champion’s spot, listening to the national anthem resounding in the F1 Paddock, showing the world the rise of Chinese drivers.

Even if it can’t be done temporarily, he will strive for it.

"Have you thought it through?"

"I’ve thought it through."

"Good, then prove to me that you can overtake successfully."

After Odetto finished speaking, he directly hung up the team communication system.

He was never a conservative member; instead, having witnessed the crazy era of Senna and Schumacher, Odetto yearns more for aggressiveness and adventure within the paddock.

Since Chen Xiangbei made his decision, Odetto, as the team leader and chief race engineer, would not oppose it.

Adults should be responsible for their own choices.

Of course, Odetto also has another expectation in his heart, that he too wants to see Chen Xiangbei stand on the podium!

After the call ended, Chen Xiangbei coldly looked at Weber in front, ready to play it to the limits.

At this moment, Chen Xiangbei stepped on the accelerator to speed up, once again using slipstream to stick close to the car in front, Weber. The two cars seemed to be on the verge of colliding, clenching very tightly!

The rain curtain stirred up by Weber’s car tail completely enveloped Chen Xiangbei’s car number 13, with visibility dropping to an exaggerated extent of less than ten meters, countless raindrops sliding down the helmet visor.

"Is the Chinese guy planning to attack again?"

"Driver Bei is really persistent, hasn’t he had enough of the exhaust, likes drinking dirty water so much?"

"You’ll never overtake Weber, remember, never!"

The local Australian audience at the circuit are very arrogant, this kind of fast-following to prepare for overtaking scenes have played out almost every lap, they have long become numb.

The result is the same every lap, the Chinese rookie ends up soaking wet without any hope of overtaking at all.

On the Albert Park Circuit, the local driver Weber has a dominant advantage!

In the face of the taunting and arrogance of the Australian driver, in the past, Chinese fans and Chen Xiangbei’s supporters likely had no confidence to retort.

Now the situation is somewhat different.

Defeating championship contender Kubica, winning against potential racer Rosberg, surpassing world runner-up Masa, what is Weber that he claims forever?

"Chen Xiangbei, knock out Weber in front, prove that you’re the strongest driver!"

"Chen Xiangbei, let these Australians see the strength of Chinese drivers!"

"Go for it, driver Bei, I believe you can definitely ascend the podium!"

Fans on both sides clash head-on, unwilling to concede, filling the stands with tension.

Meanwhile, Chen Xiangbei has already entered the long straight, following Weber closely as they arrive at the braking zone, the turning point of turn T15 hairpin, where the speed needs to be reduced to 80 km/h in second gear to smoothly turn the car head.

Such speed in F1 is already considered extremely slow.

Precisely because the speed is too slow, along with the narrow track, turn T15 hairpin has only one racing line, nearly impossible for overtaking.

Weber is extremely familiar with the corners of the Albert Park Circuit; he sees Chen Xiangbei shifting to the inside lane through the rearview mirror, feeling not the slightest panic, instead showing a hint of "mockery."

The Chinese rookie is really putting on a show; making an overtaking maneuver at turn T15 hairpin, does he think I’d fall for it?

Overtaking on the inside is equivalent to turning directly; normal speed simply cannot complete the steering unless reduced to an exaggerated slow speed.

Thinking about overtaking at this nearly stopping speed?

Undoubtedly, Chen Xiangbei’s overtaking maneuver is meaningless, at most a way to vent his frustration from trailing behind for dozens of laps or possibly self-comfort for not giving up.

But the upcoming scene is somewhat different from Weber’s imagination.

At the traditional braking point, Chen Xiangbei didn’t slow down to brake, using a faster pace than his own to enter the corner, very simply completing the overtaking action, estimating the speed above 120 km/h.

Is the Chinese kid crazy? With this speed and route, trying to navigate through turn T15 hairpin?

Adding the factor of wet and slippery conditions from the rain, even if Chen Xiangbei plans for hard braking to slow down, tire grip won’t be enough to support; not even able to lock the tires under normal circumstances, only with a chance of running off the track!

Could it be that Chen Xiangbei plans to "take the risk," replicating the torpedo style line capturing seen in the opening race?

Thinking about this possibility, Weber reveals a slight sneer.

I’m definitely not like Rosberg, that rookie, trying to use aggressive means to force me to give up the racing line. It just means the Chinese kid picked the wrong opponent.

Without any hesitation, Weber slightly taps the accelerator to speed up, keeping his car head in the position of Chen Xiangbei’s side pod.

If the Chinese kid intends to change lanes and steal the line, Weber will unhesitantly ram the opponent out of the track!

"Driver Bei’s attack point on the track this time is chosen at turn T15 hairpin, and he delayed his braking point to enter the corner, with speed obviously beyond normal range, almost unable to achieve a standard racing line. This is a very dangerous maneuver."

"Has the young man finally lost his patience?"

Commentator Red is not a racer, but his many years of experience in race commentary have made him clear that turn T15 hairpin cannot be negotiated at this speed. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Chen Xiangbei’s forced high-speed entry to overtake is just as self-destructive as drinking poison to quench thirst.

It seems there is hope for overtaking, when in fact, despair is what awaits next!

The final result will only be running off the track.

In fact, not only does Red think this way, but the tens of thousands of spectators in the stands and thousands of racing professionals in the pit all don’t favor Chen Xiangbei’s overtaking approach.

This is the typical reckless operation of a young driver, proving that Chen Xiangbei’s psychological pressure capacity is not as strong as imagined.

But on the track, Chen Xiangbei’s subsequent actions proved the outside’s perception wrong!

As Chen Xiangbei enters the corner, he steps hard on the brake and sharply turns the steering wheel, with the rear wheels instantly skidding and drifting, the entire car completing a sharp turn with a drifting maneuver.

Even more astonishing, Chen Xiangbei managed to come out ahead of Weber, meaning he completed the overtake!

This incredible scene appeared, leaving countless people in the paddock dumbfounded: can F1 cars really drift around corners?

In fact, F1 cars can indeed drift.

Or rather, as long as the horsepower is sufficient, any car can complete drifting. The retirement ceremony at the end of the F1 season involves drawing "donuts" on the track, in a way, is also drifting.

Back in the 1986 Hungary Grand Prix, champion Piquet to defend against Senna’s overtaking performed a drift into the corner, which became one of the most legendary defensive maneuvers in F1 history, being repeatedly featured in numerous F1 documentaries.

However, the drift overtaking scene by Chen Xiangbei is unprecedented!

"Wait, can F1 cars drift and overtake in this way?"

"Is this filming a movie or acting out a comic book, how did Chen Xiangbei manage this?"

"The Chinese rookie’s luck is a bit outrageous, is he blessed by the gods?"

"Luck my ass, this is driver Bei’s skill!"

Various voices of confusion and cheers erupted on site, with many still not reacting from the shock. This drifting overtaking method completely exceeded their understanding.

Indeed, it is quite outrageous; F1 drifting overtaking highly emphasizes the timing, location, and personnel readiness!

Under normal conditions, F1 drifting is entirely a losing endeavor, not to mention the exaggerated speed loss, drifting means tire "lock," which unmeasurably impacts tire lifespan, directly costing a pit window!

Chen Xiangbei dared to do this precisely because it’s a rainy day!

The wet and slippery surface greatly reduced car grip and tire friction, avoiding severe loss during drifting, this is the timing!

The location is the characteristics of turn T15 hairpin, which drastically slowed Weber’s car speed, otherwise, no matter how you drift on the standard corner, it would pale against the racing line.

As for the personnel readiness, there are two points: the first is Weber to increase his cornering speed, utilized the width of the corner to go outside, leaving ample drifting space for Chen Xiangbei.

The second is that Chen Xiangbei holds rich rally car drifting experience, something other F1 drivers cannot match.

F1 challenges the same corner thousands of times, WRC crosses thousands of corners once.

Faced with extremely complex and unknown situations, rally racing gives Chen Xiangbei superior instant judgment and insight.

When timing, location, and personnel readiness all align with Chen Xiangbei in this lap, he can perform a miracle!