Car Racing without Money

Chapter 855: Chapter 351: Nuclear Bomb-Level Performance in the Racing World

"Oh my goodness, did the broadcast timing screen malfunction? Did Chen Xiangbei complete SS1 faster than Leb?"

"That’s impossible. Even if the F1 drivers have an advantage on the asphalt roads at the foot of the mountain, Driver Bei shouldn’t be faster than Leb."

"Yeah, Raikkonen is also an F1 driver, and he’s slower than both Leb and Bei."

"It seems the timing device will soon correct the data, otherwise this F1 newcomer from China is just too exaggerated."

The spectators at the service park were also discussing. Compared to the shock and disbelief of the team staff, they felt less impactful.

The reason is simple; the data is too unrealistic, a bit fake.

Think about it in reverse. It’s similar to Ogier, a rising star in his own field, crossing over to the F1 Paddock for a qualifying race and directly leading the peak Schumacher in the first timed segment. The audience’s reaction would likely be identical to the current one.

When something unusual happens, there’s usually a problem; it’s likely the equipment or data is faulty.

However, they waited for a long time, and the SS1 timing did not change. In fact, when the second segment time appeared, fans listening to the race via FM broadcast were even more astonished.

Chen Xiangbei went from leading Leb by 0.12 seconds to expanding the lead to 0.19 seconds.

Conversely, Raikkonen seemed to have found his groove or changed his approach, slightly shortening the gap to 0.15 seconds.

This data caught people off guard and indirectly indicated that the timing mechanism and data display had no issues; Chen Xiangbei was indeed faster than the premier WRC driver Leb in consecutive timed segments!

Is this the talent of a historic F1 rookie?

The crowd was silent, but Chen Xiangbei remained fully focused on driving.

At this moment, he didn’t know he was exceeding Leb’s speed. To be honest, even if he knew, Chen Xiangbei wouldn’t be too surprised.

Compared to his previous life when he fell at the doorstep of F1 racing or couldn’t achieve a stage win in WRC, this lifetime has seen a qualitative leap in Chen Xiangbei’s talent.

Life is often cruel; just because you strive hard doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll receive a corresponding reward.

Especially in motorsports, countless talented drivers fail, with few making it to the end, and even fewer stepping onto the champion’s podium.

Hard work can secure the bottom line, but talent determines the upper limit.

Top-tier talent, along with a god’s-eye view and currently the most suitable asphalt road surface, left Chen Xiangbei wondering what Leb could do to compete. Being faster seemed only natural.

However, as the track’s elevation rises, and with the upcoming challenges of muddy and snowy roads, the competitive situation will reverse, entering the comfort zone of top rally drivers like Leb.

The one who laughs last is the true victor; Chen Xiangbei understands this point and definitely won’t celebrate prematurely.

Chen Xiangbei isn’t curious about the timing, but someone couldn’t resist asking the team. That was Ogier from the Citroen Junior Team.

"Team, how much am I leading by now?"

The young and eager Ogier was filled with confidence in himself, feeling his start and track control were perfect.

So he didn’t ask for the time but rather confidently asked for the lead!

"You are not leading; you are not the driver with the shortest time of the segment."

The Junior Team leader knew Ogier’s personality very well, and his response was straightforward.

"So who has the shortest time?"

"Driver Bei."

Driver Bei?

Upon hearing this name, waves of emotion surged within Ogier’s heart. If Leb had the shortest time, he wouldn’t be surprised, perhaps merely teasing him slightly, but surprisingly, it was the cross-border driver Chen Xiangbei.

To know, throughout the time spent as teammates with Raikkonen, Ogier’s overall performance slightly led, building his confidence against F1 drivers and believing that this group, claiming to be the most powerful drivers at the top of motorsports, was not that impressive.

Now, Chen Xiangbei’s speed somewhat slapped him in the face. As a cross-border rookie playing around, surpassing him was one thing, but was Leb also running slower?

"With SS3 completed, Driver Bei still maintains the shortest time, holding the top position—something many might not have imagined before the race. This young Monaco newcomer from China not only can defeat Raikkonen but can also do so quicker than Leb."

"Also, from the monitoring data, overall driver speeds have improved compared to last year. Clearly, after communicating with the team, the speed of the Chinese newcomer inspired the rally drivers, as they wanted to counterattack and prove their strength!"

Red continued narrating the track situation, his tone growing more excited and passionate.

In recent years, there have been quite a few F1 drivers crossing over to rally racing, yet none have truly managed to defeat the strongest rally drivers.

Chen Xiangbei’s speed undoubtedly gives hope!

"Bei is indeed very fast on asphalt roads, but the segment will soon enter muddy terrain, with icy roads further down—a complex, unpaved racing environment that’s completely outside the comfort zone of Formula drivers."

"Bei doesn’t possess the inherent ice-handling skills of Finnish drivers like Raikkonen. I believe the ranking will change quickly."

"There’s another vital point: Leb’s co-driver, Daniel, is a native of Monaco and knows the track like the back of his hand, unmatched!"

Allen’s tone was filled with confidence as well. Similar situations have occurred in other WRC events, with Raikkonen often leading Leb on asphalt or concrete roads through grip techniques, only to be surpassed on complex terrains like dirt roads.