Car Racing without Money

Chapter 848: Chapter 348: A Talent So Terrifying

Not to mention Chen Xiangbei is a cross-border "entertainment" F1 driver running a rally race.

He’s really a tough guy!

If Anderson is gripping the roll cage tightly, then Emily is clutching the paper and pen in her hands vigorously.

For a navigator, the roadbook is equivalent to their steering wheel, and Chen Xiangbei similarly places his life in his own hands. If it drops from his hand or there’s an error in recording, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Even in a regular car, it’s very difficult to bend down to pick something up while wearing a seatbelt, which is why many car accidents are caused by drivers bending down to pick up mobile phones.

Race cars use a five-point or six-point seatbelt, securing the crew as firmly as a child safety seat, making it impossible to bend down to pick things up.

If you undo your seatbelt while the vehicle is speeding, it’s akin to giving up the support and stability of your body, and in the event of a drift or tailspin on a curve, you could easily get thrown out.

Therefore, in many races, navigators tie the roadbook to their wrist with a string to prevent such incidents.

The problem now is that Emily didn’t anticipate that Chen Xiangbei would be so crazy and fast in a regular track reconnaissance, so she didn’t prepare to tie a string in advance; she’s entirely relying on her willpower and usual training to persist.

Chen Xiangbei also noticed this situation, but he didn’t slow down his speed to let Emily catch her breath.

The reason is simple: the relationship between the driver and the navigator is one of mutual "life trust," and although he knows Emily is a professional driver with a family legacy in racing, it’s still unknown whether she meets the standards.

Chen Xiangbei wouldn’t entrust his life to someone incapable, even if she’s Staler’s granddaughter.

If she can’t even hold the roadbook, he’d demand a change to a top professional navigator in the official race.

In a sense, this is a test for Emily.

"Suspension data."

After another jump, Chen Xiangbei didn’t care about the impact on his body and immediately asked Emily.

"The rebound data on the shock absorber is weak, probably due to the weight.

Emily glanced at the data on the computer and immediately replied.

Normally, rally cars have only two people; today, there’s an extra "passenger," Anderson, in the back, which naturally increases the impact on the suspension.

"Are the chassis and fluid pressure normal?"

"Normal."

After a brief conversation, Chen Xiangbei revved up again, the car’s lonely headlight cutting through the night on the Monte Carlo Circuit like a meteor streaking across the sky.

It wasn’t until they reached the end of the first timed segment that Chen Xiangbei braked sharply and asked, "Total time?"

"56 minutes, 33 seconds, and 9 tenths."

Hearing this number, Chen Xiangbei frowned slightly.

"Too slow."

[Too slow?]

Faced with this response, Emily and Anderson looked at each other in amazement. This was the first track reconnaissance and with an extra passenger, yet they were only three minutes slower than six-time champion Leb. This can’t be called slow; rather, it’s astonishingly fast!

"Looks like we need to re-calibrate the car and fine-tune the roadbook data."

After speaking, Chen Xiangbei executed a perfect handbrake turn and headed towards the WRC camp at the foot of the mountain.

The camp was ablaze with lights, with teams and drivers having completed track reconnaissance during the day, spending their evenings adjusting roadbook data and making car adjustments, relatively relaxed.

Moreover, while this was Chen Xiangbei’s first reconnaissance, for the other drivers it was their second, allowing them to be more composed.

In the Citroen Junior Team’s camp, Raikkonen was standing with his arms crossed, watching the lone headlight on the mountain road from a distance. He knew it was Chen Xiangbei’s Ford coming down the hill, maintaining his silent and indifferent demeanor.

Standing beside him was a French driver named Sebastien Ogier, destined to become a future eight-time WRC champion and the only man qualified to challenge Leb’s "King of Rally" title.

Although at this time, he wasn’t quite unknown, his fame and status were far from those he would later hold, not even able to compete with the cross-border Raikkonen within the team, currently serving as a second driver.

Of course, it wasn’t due to lack of skill, but rather insufficient fame.

An F1 World Champion naturally stands at the pinnacle of the motorsport world, so even if Raikkonen is a WRC rookie, as long as he’s willing to race, he is naturally the number one driver; only someone like Leb could possibly compete.

At this point, Ogier wasn’t qualified!

"Kimi, the fact that you proactively challenged Driver Bei and helped him get through the event procedures, won’t this turn into a farce?"

Ogier, known for his proud nature, hints at his personality.

This statement drips with sarcasm, clearly showing the young and fiery Ogier’s refusal to accept Kimi Raikkonen, nor Chen Xiangbei, a cross-border F1 driver who has never run a WRC rally.

Do they really think that F1 is the aristocracy of the car world, and anyone can swagger into the WRC?

Raikkonen leveraged his reputation to help Chen Xiangbei get through the event procedures. At the same time, the Ford team principal, owing to a personal relationship with Staler and the cooperation established with the Huali Group regarding Volvo’s acquisition, as well as promoting their WRC team, all contributed in giving Chen Xiangbei a driver seat and event support.

If the Chinese Kid screws up big, Ogier is quite curious about how these people will manage the aftermath.

Anybody else might have responded to Ogier, possibly even leading to an argument.

The "Ice Man" Raikkonen simply wasn’t interested in engaging, continuing to gaze at the approaching light.

In reality, it wasn’t only Raikkonen who was paying attention. The "Road Dominator" Leb from the Citroen Total team, along with the entire Ford factory team, also had their eyes on Chen Xiangbei’s car.

As two significant motorsport events happening concurrently, Leb naturally noticed F1’s Monaco Grand Prix and witnessed Chen Xiangbei’s performance.

Many might not know, but back in 2007, Leb once swapped cars with Renault Team’s Kovalainen, test driving on the track.

In 2008, he even drove a Red Bull RB4 to Barcelona for an F1 winter test, almost becoming the first rally driver to cross into F1.

It’s evident that becoming a nine-time WRC champion, dominating an era, makes one an incredible talent.

Even without experience in lower-tier formula racing, Leb ranked eighth among all drivers in his F1 winter test debut!

Although winter test results don’t fully reflect a driver’s true ability, and the Red Bull RB4 was a fast car, achieving eighth still demonstrates an astonishing level of natural talent, especially considering Leb was nearly thirty at the time.

Having experienced F1 racing firsthand, Leb understood the significance of winning on the Monaco Circuit as a rookie.

He never underestimated Chen Xiangbei but was instead curious how formidable this F1 genius could be in a rally.

Quickly, the Fox RS pulled up in front of the Ford garage, with management and engineering teams stepping forward to welcome Chen Xiangbei. Even a playthrough by an F1 driver for a timed segment brings immeasurable exposure and influence to the team.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Ford might secure a few million US Dollars more in sponsorship next year.

For Ford, the attention Chen Xiangbei brings is like a goldmine!

After greetings, Ford’s team leader, Jones, asked Anderson, "How was the track reconnaissance feeling?"

Jones didn’t even ask about the score or speed, just the feeling.

This indicates that subconsciously, he didn’t expect much from Chen Xiangbei’s night reconnaissance, believing that the new F1 Monaco king needed only to acclimatize to the rally’s rhythm.

However, his question piqued the entire camp’s interest. Truthfully, other teams were also curious about what kind of report card Chen Xiangbei would present with his reconnaissance, and whether he could seamlessly adapt like Leb or Raikkonen, thanks to his monstrous talent.

"The total time for the first segment was 56 minutes and 33.9 seconds."

Upon hearing Anderson’s answer, the previously jovial and noisy camp fell silent, followed by countless gasps.

Truly worthy of being a historic newcomer to F1, his talent is truly terrifying!