Car Racing without Money

Chapter 827: Chapter 339: This Is a Genius Driver

Over a dozen team technicians surrounded Chen Xiangbei’s car, methodically performing the tire change and front wing replacement.

In public perception, an F1 front wing seems like a carbon fiber appearance part. Theoretically, changing four tires and screwing bolts takes just over two seconds, so why does replacing a quick-release component on the car nose take 12 seconds?

In reality, the front wing isn’t just an aerodynamic component; it includes systems such as the driver’s drinking system, front tire temperature control, speed sensor system, and even the on-board camera.

Many might not understand why the driver’s drinking system is placed inside the front nose wing.

In fact, the earliest driver’s drinking system was placed behind the seat, but it quickly became apparent that being close to the engine caused the water temperature to rise significantly.

The driver already loses a lot of water due to high heat during driving, and giving them hot water to drink would surely get them angry.

So, engineers changed the strategy, placing the driver’s drinking system inside the cavity of the front nose wing, far from the engine and body heat sources, and able to receive cold air for cooling assistance.

There are so many integrated systems, which means numerous pipeline connections.

Even though the car design initially considers quick replacement, it still can’t match the simplified steps and coordination of tire changes, which explains why replacing the front nose wing takes as long as 12 seconds.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5...

The numbers on the millisecond timer flashed rapidly, Liang Chi and the team engineers hastened their actions.

When the timer showed 9.17 seconds, the green light allowing release lit up; the jacks weren’t fully lowered before Chen Xiangbei’s car tires were already free-spinning, eager in the competitive atmosphere.

"Mr. Xiangbei’s actual ranking fell to eighth."

Watching the No. 13 car drive towards the exit of the pit lane, Sawano Hiroyuki said gravely.

The time to replace the front nose wing wasn’t compressed to eight seconds. Compared to practiced tire changes, it’s clear the team technicians’ focus is limited; they can’t go crazy practicing for rare occurrences, naturally lacking proficiency.

Nonetheless, 9.17 seconds is still an excellent result.

Even so, the theoretical 20-second pit stop window plus the extra time for the front nose wing replacement meant Chen Xiangbei’s entire pit stop took around 28 seconds, and his position fell significantly.

Besides, the Monaco Circuit has always had a tradition of performance disparity. Although the race is only over twenty laps and not halfway through, drivers beyond the fifteenth place have already been lapped, and the midfield group is fiercely defending for positions in the points zone.

"It’s okay, he can catch up."

Odetto replied casually, his tone full of trust in Chen Xiangbei.

Even with a damaged front nose wing, this kid managed to hold off Alonso for several corners, showcasing a fighting spirit beyond technical factors.

With that kind of resolve and spirit, Chen Xiangbei will always have a chance at the championship!

Returning to the track, Chen Xiangbei switched to the hardest white tires. This set not only needs to run the remaining fifty laps but also handle the unknown defensive and attacking battles on the track; only the hard white tires can withstand the wear.

If Chen Xiangbei had led smoothly in the front, he would have mounted the neutral yellow tires.

The hard white tires offer durability but have disadvantages such as slower temperature rise and relatively weaker grip.

But for Chen Xiangbei, it’s as if none of these matter.

After entering the main track, he sped up madly, overtaking the lapped Virgin Team’s Glock, Renault Team’s Petrov, and Lotus Team’s Senna Jr.

Perhaps there was no competitive interest between them, or Chen Xiangbei had little interaction with the rear-span drivers all season, so there were few grievances or vendettas; the slower cars’ yielding process was surprisingly smooth, even beyond Chen Xiangbei’s expectations.

However, after overtaking the lapped slower cars, the situation changed dramatically when he encountered drivers trailing normally in the midfield group.

They’re all competitors in the same lap. Even if temporarily falling behind without direct positional conflict, one less front-row driver means their position can advance by one.

Why should I let you pass?

Especially the driver currently blocking Chen Xiangbei at the front is an old veteran making a comeback, named Heidfeld.

This name may be unfamiliar to many fans, but just remember he’s a tough guy.

During his rookie period with Prost Team, he directly engaged in internal conflict with team veteran Alesi, resulting in two crashes over five races in one year. Perhaps crashing on the track wasn’t satisfying enough, so both engaged in a brawl at the driver’s lounge, causing the team to implode.

Immediately afterward, this guy transferred to Sauber Team, consecutively defeating then-rookies Raikkonen and Masa. However, Heidfeld’s limitation also became apparent, leading to his exit and transfer to Jordan Team.

Over the next few years, Heidfeld repeatedly left and returned to the arena, experiencing positions at Williams, BMW, and Mercedes as a test driver. In mid-2010, he replaced de la Rosa to return to the arena and rejoined Sauber Team.