Just as Chen Xiangbei was about to head to the paddock lounge to change into his racing suit, a Renault staff mber approached him with paper and pen.
Chen Xiangbei was puzzled by this gesture; did signing for a race car require a signature?
"Xiangbei, I’m a fan of yours, could I have your autograph?"
When saying this, the Renault staff mber’s eyes revealed full anticipation.
A fan?
Chen Xiangbei was taken aback.
In his past life, before reaching the F2 races, he didn’t have any fans or followers.
Even in the F2 events, when soone asked for a photo or signature, it was basically the overseas Chinese and student communities, no foreigners ever made such requests.
Now, as a novice running in the Renault series, he already had a fan asking for his autograph?
"Oh, sure, no problem."
Regaining his composure, Chen Xiangbei agreed, then wrote his na on the notebook.
"Xiangbei, I really like your confidence and flair, good luck with this race!"
"Thank you, I will."
Chen Xiangbei nodded with a smile.
This simple episode made Chen Xiangbei realize the cultural differences between China and other countries. In his past life, the reason he was so obscure wasn’t just because his performance wasn’t good enough, but also because his personality was too reserved and low-key.
Think about it, even as an F1 Driver, if you’re running in the middle-to-back group, the whole race would barely have cara ti counted in seconds.
Let alone F2 races; if your competition broadcast lacks visibility and there’s no buzz in pre-race or post-race interviews, attracting attention is as unlikely as seeing a ghost.
Without attention, there are no sponsors, and Chen Xiangbei is increasingly conscious that stumbling at the F1 threshold in his past life wasn’t coincidence, but sothing bound to happen.
As Chen Xiangbei changed into his racing suit, Liang Chi and the team of technicians had already completed the inspection of the Renault car.
At this mont, Sawano Hiroyuki approached Chen Xiangbei with a tactics board and explained, "Xiangbei-kun, the terrain of the Donington Park Circuit is very special, not the conventional oval layout, but more akin to a diamond shape, resembling a road circuit, aning the turns will be very complex."
"Since the history of the Donington Circuit dates back to 1993 when it last held an F1 Grand Prix, it hasn’t undergone widening or renovation. Therefore, it possesses all characteristics of an old circuit, such as narrow, bumpy, uneven surfaces, etc."
"Judging by the driving experience, it’s very similar to the Suzuka Circuit you’ve raced on, only overtaking is harder, emphasizing the importance of qualifying results."
"I understand."
Chen Xiangbei nodded; he had already morized the track data.
"Okay, now let’s proceed to the initial setup of the racing car."
Without saying much more, Sawano Hiroyuki led Chen Xiangbei to the Renault racing car.
"Because Donington Park Circuit is similar to Suzuka Circuit, to cope with high-speed turns and undulating road surfaces, we will adopt a dium-high downforce setting to ensure grip in the corners."
"The suspension has been modified, opting for a soft front and hard rear setup to enhance turn-in responsiveness."
"Brake bias is adjusted to 55:45, with the front brake force heavier, this is to prevent rear wheel lock-up when braking downhill into turns."
At this point, Sawano Hiroyuki added, "Xiangbei-kun, last ti at Silverstone Circuit, tire wear was extrely severe, post-race inspection found it was on the verge of blowing out."
"Many parts of the Donington Park Circuit road and curbs are rougher than Silverstone Circuit, with the sa degree of wear here, a blowout is certain, you must consider tire managent strategy for this round."
Sawano Hiroyuki’s tone was very formal; a blowout is an extrely serious issue, not only affecting performance but also potentially jeopardizing the driver’s safety.
Chen Xiangbei couldn’t gamble on luck at this point; preserving tires was a necessity.
"Understood."
Chen Xiangbei did not question; although luck is also a form of skill, the heavens cannot always favor you.
"OK, get ready for practice."
As Sawano Hiroyuki issued the command, Chen Xiangbei seated himself in the cabin of the Renault Formula Racing Car, igniting the engine to comnce fluid warming.
Odetto, wearing headphones, sat before the monitor screen; he was no longer exhibiting the cool deanor he had at Silverstone Circuit, instead, his expression was quite serious.
The reason is simple, not only did Chen Xiangbei lack experience on this track, but Odetto did too.
Bear in mind, as early as the seventies, Odetto joined the Ferrari Team as a director. Nearly forty years have passed, how could he still pay attention to a circuit holding only low-level formula events?
This is why Odetto only has data from the 1993 circuit, the entire Ferrari Team, before the training academy was established, only participated in it once!
But this does not an Odetto would lower his expectations for Chen Xiangbei.
On the contrary, since there’s only race data from an F1 Driver, then Chen Xiangbei will be held to F1 Driver standards.
Only by overcoming obstacles can we create the impossible to win the championship!
Take Senna for example, simply based on the number of championships, he’s not the highest-achieving driver.
Why do people refer to his lap at Donington Park as the "Circle of God"?
It lies in his courage to use his speed to challenge the domain of the divine; this is the reason for Senna’s greatness.
With the roar of the engine resounding, oil temperatures on the dashboard quickly reached operational levels, and Sawano Hiroyuki issued a start command.
With a tap of the accelerator, Chen Xiangbei drove out of the pit lane onto the track to begin warm-up laps.
"Xiangbei, the air temperature is currently 20 degrees, ground temperature 12 degrees; pay attention to the grip difference brought by tire temperatures."
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