Car Racing without Money

Chapter 681 272: Changing Team Atmosphere

"Blair, have you ever thought North would become a race winner?"Watching Chen Xiangbei seated on the shoulders of Vettel and Alonso, Renault Sport manager Nelson asked the team leader a question.

Back when Renault Team still had the legacy of the "Three Royal Families," they were the first to discover Chen Xiangbei's talent and potential during rookie testing and even extended an olive branch through connections.

Unfortunately, they ultimately bet on Kubica, hoping this championship contender who could rival Hamilton would lead Renault Team to revival, returning to its seat among the "Three Royal Families."

Kubica certainly wasn't bad, yet he faintly couldn't outshine Chen Xiangbei's brilliance.

Blair was unsure whether it was a gap in racing cars or in people.

At least in several encounters, Chen Xiangbei had the upper hand!

Nelson's question undoubtedly carried the subtext of asking if he regretted it.

Just as someone once asked Sir Williams if he would sign Chen Xiangbei if given another chance.

As a team leader, he couldn't admit fault over things that were beyond redemption.

Doing so would only harm the drivers and the team, with no meaning whatsoever.

"Never thought about it."

Blair gave his answer.

He then added with a bitter smile, "Who would have thought a rookie from China with no foundation would genuinely become a race winner after just three events?"

"Even Hamilton never achieved such a feat back then!"

Indeed, people like Sir Williams, Ross Brown, Blair, and others sensed Chen Xiangbei had great talent, but couldn't have imagined it was this significant.

Hamilton, who broke countless historical records, achieved only a podium finish in his rookie season debut and nine consecutive podiums, with his first race win coming in the second half of the season.

As for Kimi Raikkonen's historic "triple jump," his first three races as a rookie were far below par.

Yet Chen Xiangbei, a Chinese kid, achieved it.

Unless one had the power to foresee, no one possessed a god-like prophetic ability.

"Actually, I did think about it."

Nelson responded with a similar bitter smile.

"I've never seen a rookie, whose preseason testing speed was so fast, North might truly become a legend in the racing world in the future."

"Is that so? Then let's wait and see."

Blair didn't refute this time, curious about how strong Chen Xiangbei really is!

On the podium, Chen Xiangbei was put down, and the announcement for silence played over the broadcast, followed by an exceedingly familiar melody.

At the same time, a gigantic red flag appeared on the LED screen behind Chen Xiangbei.

As the national anthem played, Chen Xiangbei instinctively mouthed the words "Arise," while his eyes dampened slightly.

Why national team events often captivate more than club ones.

It lies in the fact that you're representing not just yourself, but your country behind you.

F1 is a commercial event, and Chen Xiangbei belongs to the HRT Team.

But at the moment on the podium, he represented a Chinese driver!

As the last note faded away, the traditional awards ceremony began, with a highly ranked dignitary as the presenter.

In the past, Chen Xiangbei could only see them on TV, but now they gently patted his shoulder with encouragement.

The trophy of the 2010 Chinese Grand Prix was distinctive, with a ring-shaped main body and flame patterns, reportedly inspired by Nezha's Wind-Fire Wheel from mythology, fitting the imagery of F1's high-speed rotating wheels.

Unfortunately, Chen Xiangbei wasn't very adept at art and couldn't see the resemblance to the Wind-Fire Wheel; before he could warm up to the trophy for a closer look, a spray of champagne was aimed at him.

Vettel and Alonso couldn't hold back, proceeding with the champagne spraying celebration.

Seeing this, Chen Xiangbei didn't stay idle either, directly tossing a bottle of champagne to the team members below the podium, inviting them to join in.

This action of tossing champagne to teammates was once a traditional F1 celebration for old school drivers, becoming forgotten with their retirements, with Alonso being the only one who would occasionally indulge in it.

At that moment, there was no longer any rivalry on the track, just pure celebration remaining!

The revelry lasted for quite some time, and by the time it all subsided, night had already fallen.

Fatty Wang and Glasses Zhou and the classmates left early; unlike Chen Xiangbei, they're still in their sophomore year and have to rush back to school for classes after the weekend.

His mother Zhao Yumei was entrusted to Sister Xiaoman by Chen Xiangbei, being a local from East Sea and furthermore a woman, who could escort his mother to explore, and witness the splendor of the "City of Magic."

Hoshino Yoshi departed alone after the race, true to his typical style.

Though he relayed a message through Sawano Hiroyuki, that he hopes their next meeting will be at the pinnacle of the racing world!

Qin Lianjie left after greeting Cao An.

Originally, Qin Lianjie intended to hang out with Chen Xiangbei, but the team faced sudden circumstances, and following the Chinese Grand Prix was the back-to-back South Korean Grand Prix.

The equipment packing for transfer allowed no time for Chen Xiangbei to spare.

The East Sea International Circuit at night was still brightly lit in the HRT Team's garage, with Chen Xiangbei and the engineering team gathered around piles of racing engine components.