Not only that, from the screen, it can be seen that the arc "drawn" by Chen Xiangbei is clearly larger and smoother than before, aning the lines are more perfect.
It is the combination of these three factors that has resulted in an overall speed improvent.
"Xiangbei-kun is serious this lap."
Indeed, compared to before, when grip and setup were factors, Chen Xiangbei’s fastest lap could be described as cautious, not daring to have too much confidence in the car’s chanical performance.
After returning to the pit to change the tires and adjust, both the grip and suspension paraters are now at their peak state.
If he cannot push to a breakthrough speed this lap, then maybe Chen Xiangbei’s limit at Donington Park Circuit is just that.
Besides, there is another hidden factor.
That factor is that Chen Xiangbei saw the lap ti of Kobayashi Shuji, and he’s planning to surpass his teammate!
No driver is willing to be subordinate to another, even if that person is their teammate.
Famous wingn like Barrichello weren’t always willing to play second fiddle, once expressing after retirent that at least one of Ferrari Team’s five world championship trophies should belong to him!
Chen Xiangbei believes this mindset is not exclusive to himself; Kobayashi Shuji has it too.
Otherwise, this guy wouldn’t have changed his routine and training intensity. It’s clearly driven by competitiveness, wanting to beat the champion teammate who leads at Silverstone Circuit!
The long straight and T1 corner were negotiated smoothly, and Chen Xiangbei quickly reached the T2 and T4 combo corners. Previously, because of downhill acceleration causing the center of gravity to shift forward, the car understeered out of T4 and eventually lost control.
The sa mistake, Chen Xiangbei will definitely not make twice.
This ti, his entry into the corner and line control were extrely precise, using a faster yet safer thod to navigate the turn.
Odetto’s words were true; losing control, and even crashing, is not terrifying. On the contrary, only by experiencing such scenarios, can you know where the edge of the track limits is.
Otherwise, if you’re always exploring within the safe zone, you’ll never achieve the fastest lap ti!
Seeing this scene, Odetto subconsciously nodded lightly.
Looking at Chen Xiangbei’s track practice today, it might seem on the surface that he occasionally skids and lost control twice, almost causing accidents, appearing not as good as his performance at Silverstone Circuit.
But in the eyes of true professionals, Chen Xiangbei perford extrely well!
This kid not only has top-notch car control but also shows excellent track adaptation and learning abilities.
The sa corner and line, Chen Xiangbei made a mistake once and could learn the lesson, correct it, and even improve speed-wise, which is indeed surprising.
It’s important to know that Odetto has seen rookies with poor psychological resilience in his early years, who after having an accident at a particular track corner, would develop a psychological barrier, becoming timid, and not daring to push the limits again.
This is why, after Chen Xiangbei experienced loss of control, Odetto kept urging him to take high-speed corners under pressure.
A driver who doesn’t have an absolutely strong ntality will still collapse at so point, even with top-level talent and car control skills.
If Chen Xiangbei is going to collapse, Odetto would rather he does so now, rather than falter at a crucial future mont.
That would simply waste his effort and emotions!
After all, given Odetto’s age, Chen Xiangbei is likely the last generation of young drivers he’ll ntor, what is called a "final apprentice" in Chinese.
A truly top-notch professional driver is a monster who won’t be crushed by pressure, and Odetto hopes Chen Xiangbei becos such a person.
As corner after corner passed, facing the expectant gazes from everyone in the paddock, Chen Xiangbei’s lap ti appeared on the monitoring screen.
minute 08.853 seconds!
"Senior Sawano, Xiangbei-kun has surpassed last year’s pole position ti this lap."
Mizutani Sho exclaid on the spot, able to sense that Chen Xiangbei wouldn’t be slow this lap, but couldn’t imagine that he slightly surpassed last year’s pole position.
It’s worth noting that Chen Xiangbei’s previous fastest lap was only 1 minute 09.976 seconds, improving by more than a second in one lap—it’s simply unbelievable!
"Not just fast, this lap you can clearly feel that Xiangbei-kun is no longer rusty, he is truly familiar with Donington Park Circuit and this Renault car."
Sawano Hiroyuki could understand this change in Chen Xiangbei, like a seasoned driver suddenly driving soone else’s car; based on experience there’s no problem at the start, but compared to one’s own car, there’s always a sense of discomfort.
During Chen Xiangbei’s first practice session, it was very noticeable he was probing the track and adapting to the car’s setup.
This lap, Chen Xiangbei drove seamlessly, not only fast but with an indescribable smoothness!
"Sawano, what’s my lap ti?"
"1 minute 08.853 seconds, Xiangbei-kun, you were very fast this lap!"
Sawano Hiroyuki responded to Chen Xiangbei with an excited tone.
However, the team radio call was soon followed by Odetto’s voice.
"NO, it’s far from fast enough, rember the pole record is 1 minute 08.433 seconds."
"Challenging Ricardo’s pole record could be a bit difficult."
Chen Xiangbei casually replied, being fully aware of Ricardo’s early-stage strength; he is definitely a driver capable of achieving super nerve-racking lap tis.
"What? Say that again?"
Odetto’s inquiry, filled with gunpowder in his tone, ca through the headset, making everyone in the paddock very surprised.
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