Free Web NovelChapter 824: Chapter 337: First Taste of Fear (Part 2)
This means Chen Xiangbei’s car is losing grip on the ground. Even if Alonso doesn’t overtake him, he’s likely to end up crashing into the wall himself.
"Team leader, Mr. Xiang Bei’s tires can’t hold anymore. Should we call him in for a pit stop?"
Mizutani Sho asked worriedly.
Currently, Chen Xiangbei has reached the pit window for the tires. If he really can’t compete with Alonso, there’s still the option to pit and avoid the battle, theoretically without losing much speed.
But that’s just theoretical.
Whether he can enter the pit needs to be calculated based on the positions of other cars on the track and whether he will be stuck in traffic after exiting.
Regrettably, based on the current car positions, if he exits in about twenty seconds, Chen Xiangbei will be caught in the lower group’s traffic.
Of course, this is not because Chen Xiangbei is slow. On the contrary, it’s because the frontrunners are so fast that they have already completed laps over the tail-end cars in just twenty laps.
Monaco Circuit has always been a prime circuit for lapping. Sometimes the fifth or sixth place on back has already been lapped by the frontrunners, even multiple times is not uncommon.
Although according to race regulations, the lapped cars must yield to faster cars behind, otherwise they will face FIA penalties.
The problem is that yielding requires the right timing and space, and many sections of Monaco Circuit don’t even have space for two cars side by side. How can the front car yield for the rear car to overtake smoothly?
They still have to follow behind slowly.
Moreover, there are three chances of delay in yielding; only after the race committee waves the blue flag three times will the blocking car face penalties.
Chen Xiangbei is not well-liked in the paddock, even being called the paddock’s public enemy or a big villain. The entire yielding process will be filled with unexpected situations and unforeseen risks.
This is why, even though it’s the pit window period, Odetto watched Chen Xiangbei’s struggling defense without giving the pit stop tire change command!
In response to Mizutani Sho’s inquiry, Odetto contemplated for a moment, then pressed the communication button on the headset.
Just when the team thought he would give the pit stop command, they heard instead.
"Bei, speed up."
[Speed up?]
The issuance of this completely opposite command left the strategy team members dumbfounded.
Chen Xiangbei’s tires are sliding and losing grip, telling him to speed up is like asking for his life?
"Odetto, the leader, he can’t speed up anymore, Bei risks crashing into the wall."
Sawano Hiroyuki immediately stood up to stop him, as he’s Chen Xiangbei’s race engineer, he should withstand the pressure for the driver.
"Sawano, I don’t want to argue with you about risk, just ask you one question."
"If you were Bei, would you choose to avoid risk or pursue the championship, maybe even the world championship!"
This time Odetto didn’t assert his authority as a leader nor emphasize the natural risk-taking attitude a driver should have.
He simply asked Sawano Hiroyuki to put himself in the same position.
Upon hearing this, Sawano Hiroyuki’s eyes instantly became complex.
He’s not a theoretical racing professional; on the contrary, he himself was once a top Japanese driver who retired and transformed into a strategy team member.
No one understands better than him what a driver wants to pursue.
If Sawano Hiroyuki were to choose, let alone the chance to become Monaco’s King or world champion, even just a qualification to enter the F1 paddock, he would be willing to risk his life for it.
In this life, people strive for some things and not for others, mediocrity is never a driver’s choice.
The driver’s spirit is to rather shatter into pieces than slow down!
"Got it."
Right then, Chen Xiangbei’s response came through the headset, he had already made his choice.
With an increased throttle, Chen Xiangbei’s entire spirit and attention reached a high concentration, even falling into a state of high pressure.
The peak Alonso’s line-taking, overtaking timing, and the oppressive pursuit far surpassed any other driver on the track. Even when facing Schumacher, Chen Xiangbei felt slightly inferior.
After all, Schumacher now has lost some of the sharpness and edge of his peak.
Currently, the strongest is indeed the strongest, not only technically but also in momentum!
The sharp increase in speed and the pursuit from Alonso from behind created such intense pressure that Chen Xiangbei even felt his hands starting to numb.
He knew very well this was a negative feedback from the heart racing and blood pressure rising, something that could be described in a more straightforward manner.
That was "fear."
Indeed, Chen Xiangbei was once again feeling the feedback he felt before the fatal accident in his past life; it was a natural physiological instinct for self-protection.
Most ordinary people would retreat in the face of this physiological instinct causing fear, but as a top professional driver, it is Chen Xiangbei’s destiny to overcome fear and all physiological instinct reactions.
Just as Chen Xiangbei first came to European tracks, overcoming his "conservative" instinctive reactions and the muscle memory of driving flaws!
Feeling the acceleration of Chen Xiangbei’s car, Alonso following behind showed a peculiar look in his eyes.
Is this Chinese kid crazy?
Is he planning on shaking me off with acceleration?
Alonso didn’t understand Chen Xiangbei’s control intentions, but these things weren’t important.
However fast the Chinese kid goes, Alonso with the slipstream and tire advantage will only be faster.
Weak newbie, you’ve chosen the wrong way to respond!
This time, Alonso didn’t plan on playing cat and mouse with Chen Xiangbei anymore, it’s time to determine the winner.
Watching the two cars visibly leaving the others behind, sitting lazily in the VIP observation room, Kimi Raikkonen finally sat up straight with a look of interest on his face.
"Kimi, the Chinese newbie plans to play it all out."
Said by Saub Team’s founder, Pete Sauber, one of Raikkonen’s mentors.
Sauber considered one of the paddock’s old brands, but in 2005, sold most of the team’s shares to BMW Group, with founder Mr. Soper retaining only twenty percent of the shares and acting as team consultant.
However, after BMW withdrew from F1 in 2009, Mr. Soper bought back the team’s shares, again commanding the team back into the F1 paddock.
Raikkonen’s arrival made Mr. Soper very happy, with the two watching the race together in the VIP room while catching up.
"Against others maybe, against Alonso impossible."
Raikkonen answered concisely and clearly, Chen Xiangbei’s gambled risky play is bound to lose.
"Impulsive young man."
"By the way, why did you decide to run a rally with Bei?"
Mr. Soper curiously asked, knowing Raikkonen has always gone his own way, the two didn’t look like they would voluntarily race a rally together, which is somewhat contrary to the Finnish Ice Man’s character.
"He’s very strong."
The answer is still simple and straightforward, Raikkonen has watched Chen Xiangbei’s race footage.
"With Bei’s current speed, perhaps this rally won’t happen."
Mr. Soper’s tone showed slight regret, he already foresaw the accident scenario for Chen Xiangbei.
Indeed this is true, the speed increase has exacerbated the tire grip decline, plus Chen Xiangbei’s need to defend Alonso means he can’t take the best and most stable line through the corner.
In several corners, visible line deviations and body movement have already appeared.
Luck will not always favor a person, if Chen Xiangbei persists with this speed, a crash is only a matter of time.
"Senior Sawano, Mr. Xiang Bei can’t hold on."
Watching the frantically alarming race data, Mizutani Sho reminded Sawano Hiroyuki again.
Drivers have a strong desire to win and pursue championships, that’s correct.
Provided it’s built on safety and success.
A sure loss gamble cannot be called a bold gamble!
Listening to Mizutani Sho’s words, Sawano Hiroyuki glanced at the data on the monitor screen.
He didn’t answer Mizutani Sho, instead pressing the headset communication button and said.
"Bei, improve by 0.5 seconds more, this way you can achieve the best pit window timing, ensure exit won’t be stuck in traffic!"
Usually conservative Sawano Hiroyuki, this time chose the most aggressive plan!
