During the defense, he didn’t hold back at all, but Chen Xiangbei indeed went through easily.

Alonso knew that this kind of anticipation and familiarity surely bore Briatore’s mark.

But to successfully implement the plan, it required the driver’s control skills!

The Chinese rookie was far stronger than the team’s management realized, and it wasn’t because Alonso underestimated him and "let" him through.

However, Alonso’s pride and arrogance made him unable to admit that he was overtaken by a freshman on a technical level. Just like in later years, when his performance declined, he habitually complained about the car’s performance for failing to achieve results.

Thus, Alonso nodded with a grim face and said, "This race he won’t see my taillights."

"GOOD."

Domenicali was very pleased with this response; Ferrari signed Alonso at a high cost this season precisely to return to the pinnacle.

Similar conversations echoed in the P rooms of several other teams. The F1 Paddock has always been a place of fierce competition, and the rise of the HRT Team and Chen Xiangbei is bound to affect the interests of other teams.

The media center interview continued, yet the topic gradually shifted to Chen Xiangbei’s personal life and experiences.

After all, this special interview was not meant to incite emotions, but more to let the audience, both on-site and in front of the TV, understand Chen Xiangbei, to know how the first Chinese F1 driver was born.

As the countdown to the practice session approached, the short pre-race interview came to an end.

When Chen Xiangbei walked from the media center towards the pit lane, the track director aimed the camera at him and gave a close-up shot this time.

When Chen Xiangbei’s figure appeared on the big screen at the track again, it was like the effect of a mysterious guest appearing at a concert, instantly reigniting the emotions of the hundreds of thousands of spectators that had just calmed down.

The young, slightly naive-looking face had the label of the world’s strongest driver and also carried the courage to compete for the championship.

"Chen Xiangbei~~! Chen Xiangbei~~! Chen Xiangbei~~!"

No one knows who started calling his name first, but in just a few seconds, it resonated throughout the entire track.

This wasn’t the first time Chen Xiangbei heard his name being chanted, but it was the first time he heard the same sound from hundreds of thousands of people, bringing unparalleled shock and impact.

Schumacher once said that only at the Monza Circuit could he hear the shouts and cheers from the spectators through the thick helmet and the loud roar of the car engine.

Chen Xiangbei once couldn’t understand or imagine this, but now he felt it. This thunderous cheering and shouting could break through the barriers of helmet and engine—this was the true home atmosphere!

Imagine what scene would appear when the 200,000 spectators all gathered for the main race?

When returning to the pit, Chen Xiangbei’s car was undergoing start-up warm-up, while Trulli’s No. 14 car next to the garage was still being adjusted, as if encountering some difficulty.

Chen Xiangbei came to the "fully armed" Trulli and asked, "Is there a problem?"

Chen Xiangbei was well-acquainted with the various tuning schemes for the East Sea Grand Prix, so giving Trulli some simple help and suggestions wasn’t an issue. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

With the positions of the team’s number one and number two drivers now clear, the two were no longer competitors but more of a shift towards teammates.

If the second driver lagged far behind, just like Red Bull Racing Team in later years, the first driver would find himself in a "lose-lose" situation, fighting alone.

This is also one of the delicate and fragile points in F1 balancing teammate relationships; a clear skill gap between the number one and number two drivers is essential to minimize losses from internal conflicts.

Yet the second driver mustn’t be too weak either, or it would be like missing a person.

The issue is if the second driver becomes strong, they wouldn’t be content to be a mere wingman and would inevitably challenge the first driver’s position.

It’s practically a vicious cycle.

That’s why in history, suitable pairings of second drivers are few and far between.

Even the golden duo like Schumacher and Barrichello didn’t have a great relationship privately because it’s tough to maintain that balance.

"The medium downforce setup isn’t quite suitable for East Sea International Circuit. I’m hoping to find a tuning balance point."

"Then why not follow the conventional medium-low downforce setup?"

Chen Xiangbei countered.

Actually, when Odetto mentioned that Trulli adopted a medium downforce setup, Chen Xiangbei was already puzzled as this wasn’t the conventional setup for East Sea International Circuit.

It’s just that his relationship with Trulli was somewhat awkward, making it unwise to ask or meddle rashly.

Otherwise, even with good intentions, it’s often not accepted by others and more likely to be misunderstood as instructing or showing off.

Now the topic came up, it was just right to clear up the confusion.

Facing Chen Xiangbei’s inquiry, a look of embarrassment appeared on Trulli’s face.

Admitting, as an F1 driver, that you’re unable to handle new upgrade kits, especially when Chen Xiangbei achieved excellent results, is especially damaging to one’s self-esteem.

Previously, Trulli would never acknowledge this truth, even if it meant enduring the pretense of being overconfident.

But now, after hesitating for a moment, he spoke, "I’m not used to oversteering."