Car Racing without Money-Chapter 586 - 230: I Choose to Challenge the Limits (Part 2)

Chapter 586: Chapter 230: I Choose to Challenge the Limits (Part 2)

Full-throttle acceleration greatly wears out the tires, and Chen Xiangbei’s drift cornering exacerbates this.

Even though the wet race track during the rain race won’t directly cause the tires to reach scrap-level wear like locking up the tires would.

It still affects the peak grip.

This is why Sawano Hiroyuki truthfully informed that the hope of catching up is faint.

"It’s all about determination."

Chen Xiangbei replied with these four words, then released the voice communication button, doing his utmost to increase his speed and close the gap to Schumacher in front.

Thirty laps, thirty-one laps, thirty-two laps...

The lap count gradually increased again, and the gap between Chen Xiangbei and Schumacher narrowed from the initial 10 seconds down to 7 seconds.

However, as the tire grip further diminished, Chen Xiangbei already felt noticeable slippage driving on the wet ground, especially needing multiple corrections when cornering to maintain the racing line and vehicle stability.

"Xiangbei is still tirelessly chasing the car ahead, Schumacher. I can even feel his desire for the podium."

"Honestly, this never-give-up spirit resonates with me, but it’s a pity his opponent is Schumacher; sheer will alone can’t overcome such a powerful opponent!"

Prost described Chen Xiangbei’s current state with a tone of regret.

As a four-time champion driver, he can fully understand Chen Xiangbei’s dissatisfaction, having surpassed several formidable opponents to come fifth, with the lead drivers just ahead yet unable to catch up.

Competitive sports are like this; determination earns sympathy but not results.

Fifth place might be Chen Xiangbei’s final ranking for the second race.

"Xiangbei’s performance in this race is truly outstanding."

Commentator Red nodded in agreement. If there were a post-race evaluation, with fairness and impartiality, Chen Xiangbei would definitely rank in the top three.

"Given the current tire wear, the lead drivers will have to pit once more to change tires. Let’s see which team might make a mistake; this could turn into an unexpected opportunity."

Red thought of a potential way for Chen Xiangbei to overtake, namely a pit stop error.

Upon hearing this, Prost’s face showed a faint smile.

"Even if mistakes occur, the HRT Team’s mechanics have a much higher error probability than Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes."

"Don’t forget, they’re newcomers."

To this, Red could only shrug and spread his hands, saying, "Alright, it looks like only a miracle is left."

Indeed, a 7-second gap in everyday life might be just a fleeting moment.

But in an F1 race, 7 seconds is an insurmountable barrier!

Recall that F1 timing standards are precise to thousandths of a second, and yet identical qualifying scenes have happened more than once.

For example, at the Canadian race of the 24th season, Mercedes driver Russell set the pole position time, only for Verstappen to match the same lap time on the final lap, with completely identical thousandths!

According to the rules, whoever set the time first wins, and that’s how Russell thrillingly claimed pole position.

No miracle occurred; Chen Xiangbei couldn’t close that 7-second gap.

The race progressed to lap forty-three, with the lead drivers’ tires mostly worn down to the limit.

Yet no one was the first to pit because such a close margin makes tactical undercutting during pit stops very likely.

Imagine the hard-earned ranking, inexplicably falling behind competitors after rejoining from the pit stop; it’s hard for anyone to accept it.

This is the moment a driver needs to break the deadlock, potentially causing collective pit stops and tire changes on the circuit.

No one expected the deadlock to be broken by Vettel charging off the track!

Relying on Red Bull Racing’s unparalleled performance, Vettel, who ranked second in qualifying, held onto pole-sitter Hamilton while fending off Alonso’s attacks.

Yet the Vettel we see now has not become Red Bull’s four-time champion; neither his skills nor mentality has reached the dominant level of crushing others.

No matter having undergone last season’s championship contention, he still falls short against Alonso, a "Red vs. Blue rivalry" victor!

The continuous pursuit over dozens of laps, akin to the crushing pressure of a looming mountain, kept Vettel’s mental state highly tense, leaving no room for defensive errors.

He knew well that once Alonso spots a weakness, overtaking is certain!

Fortunately for him, Alonso also had his old rival Schumacher behind him, needing to split his focus on defense, unable to attack with full force.

But nerves always snap at some point, especially as laps increase and tire grip declines, making handling increasingly difficult.

In the forty-fourth lap, Vettel made a pressured mistake, as his car skidded off into the runoff area, ending up stuck in the rain-soaked muddy grass, unable to rescue himself, and had to regrettably retire from the race.

At the same time, at the instant of his loss of control, Alonso made way to avoid collision, yielding the racing line to Schumacher, who seized the opportunity to overtake, reaching second place in extremis.

This is a showdown of masters, not tolerating the slightest error!

"Xiangbei, yellow flag on the track, pit for tire change."

The pit stop instructions were issued almost simultaneously to all drivers as the yellow flags waved outside the barriers.

Chen Xiangbei hesitated not a moment before diving into the pit lane. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Meanwhile, Odetto’s gaze was locked onto the satellite cloud map displayed on the screen.

It showed the rain clouds moving away from above the Albert Park Circuit, with rainfall reducing until stopping in a minute.

"Xiangbei, the rain will stop in one minute. Now there are two tire options: continue on intermediate tires for the entire distance, or switch to soft red tires to chase. The choice is in your hands."

At the first pit stop, Sawano Hiroyuki had helped Chen Xiangbei decide on intermediate tires, a choice proved correct.

Now, with the second tire change, Odetto gave this significant decision to Chen Xiangbei to make.

Many times, race strategies are collectively decided by the strategy group, with drivers mostly following instructions.

But truly top-notch drivers often learn to make their judgments!

The reason is simple: strategy group members can only see virtualized data from various monitoring devices.

The actual track condition can only be felt by the drivers themselves.

"I choose to challenge the limit."

Without any hesitation, Chen Xiangbei made his decision.

The gap between slick tires and wet tires is a crushing advantage, with single-lap speeds usually being two to three seconds faster.

Of course, grip differences in wet environments are equally vast.

After Schumacher’s successful overtake, there was currently a 7-second gap between Chen Xiangbei and Alonso in front.

Comparatively, the erratic old Schumacher was in a deep state of decline, while Alonso was at his peak, being the strongest driver in the current paddock, bar none!

Chen Xiangbei couldn’t even catch Schumacher, let alone surpass Alonso.

The soft red tires were the only hope for a turnaround.

Apart from fulfilling pre-race promises and the thirst for results, Chen Xiangbei had a more direct reason: his driver identity!

A driver should aspire to chase the freedom of the wind and challenge the limits of speed.

If even during the most passionate rookie stage, one isn’t striving to challenge the mighty in an extreme way, then after years in the paddock becoming a savvy veteran, one would never possess a championship mindset.

Senna became many people’s idol because of his speed and desire for victory.

Verstappen can become the next GOTA successor, surpassing Vettel and Hamilton.

Because he always maintains a sense of "youthful spirit."

Just like the purity of the young world, Verstappen is extremely dedicated to the sport he loves, albeit sometimes outsiders label him a "giant baby."

But what does that matter?

The pursuit on the track is for speed and thrill, for the pleasure of outperforming opponents, for the accomplishment of podiums and even championships!

If there is a plan to surpass the opponent placed right before him, Chen Xiangbei wouldn’t hesitate, nor would he consider a second option.

An intense thirst for victory is his championship mindset!

"GOOD."

Responding simply with one word, Odetto turned and looked toward the pit lane at the approaching number 13 car, his eyes filled with admiration.

The reasons for following Chen Xiangbei from Super Aguri to Dreamworld, and now to HRT, extend beyond talent or driving skills.

These two elements, within the F1 paddock, are commonplace; every driver possesses them.

But it was Chen Xiangbei’s inherent fighting spirit and tenacity that touched Odetto.

He knew early on that the true essence of the Chinese Kid wasn’t conservatism, but with his own blood and aggression.

Facts proved that Chen Xiangbei remained consistent since entering F1!

Talent is the foundation, driving skill can be honed, but the path of challenging limits is a driver’s personal choice!