Car Racing without Money-Chapter 429 - 173: The Future Heroes of China

"Chen Xiangbei has defeated Schumacher!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, I can hardly believe this is true. The new rookie F1 driver from China, Chen Xiangbei, has defeated the reigning champion with the legendary title of King of Cars, Schumacher!"

"Without a doubt, this is a miracle!"

Commentator Li Bing practically screamed these words, abandoning the composure and calmness expected of an event host.

To be honest, this result overturned his decade-long understanding of Formula event commentary. Even when Schumacher lost to Alonso in the "Red-Blue battle," most outsiders thought it was due to car factors.

It should be noted that even in the 2006 season-ending race, where suspense was absent, Schumacher still contributed twelve brilliant overtakes throughout the event.

With such performance and skill, who could think of him as a god on the decline?

Based on impressions before retirement, no one expected Schumacher to lose in this showdown with Chen Xiangbei.

Even though both were driving vehicles other than Formula cars and on a track more familiar to Chen Xiangbei, the possibility of changing the outcome remained nonexistent.

When the final results appeared, and Chen Xiangbei emerged victorious, everyone on-site felt surreal, as if waking from a dream.

"Holy crap, he actually won~~~"

"No wonder Chen Xiangbei can skip levels and enter F1; it seems it’s not just the media’s report of it being due to payment factors."

"There are plenty of pay drivers, but Chen Xiangbei is the only one who truly has this absolute skill!"

"Nothing is predetermined in this world; Chen Xiangbei is that variable."

"Perhaps, in the future, we might prefix ’God of Cars’ before his name, Chen Xiangbei!"

Countless spectators cheered and rejoiced, with applause ringing endlessly from the audience.

Schumacher pushed aside the helmet visor, glanced at the lap times displayed on the large screen during the return lap, and beneath his expressionless face was a heart filled with shock.

Only he knew well that he didn’t underestimate Chen Xiangbei in this event, playing at least ninety percent of his strength!

Before this event, Chen Xiangbei had already defeated the newly crowned world champion Button, as well as Australia’s V8 world champion.

Yet he still lost...

Recalling the conversation with his old buddy Ross Brown during the comeback, he felt regret for not signing the Chinese driver Xiangbei.

At that time, Schumacher didn’t fully grasp Ross Brown’s intent. Even if the Chinese rookie exhibited some skill and potential, it shouldn’t have made Mercedes, a factory team, regret.

Today, Schumacher could vaguely understand that Chen Xiangbei indeed could be considered a genius driver and passed the strictest European standards.

This kid, even if unable to shine in Formula racing, could dominate in touring cars!

However, despite his shock, Schumacher soon composed himself.

Throughout his lengthy career, he had seen and experienced all sorts of challenges. From debuting against the car god Senna, to defeating Finland’s King of Cars Mika Hakkinen, teammate Damon Hill, and many others, he had overcome peak after peak.

Right now, Chen Xiangbei could barely be considered a bump on the road, certainly not reaching the level of being a formidable rival to Schumacher.

Just as the two drivers returned to the circle lap, the giant screen above the track displayed the total times of the Chinese team and the German team.

Even though Chen Xiangbei defeated Schumacher, Han Han still lost by more than three seconds, culminating in the overall defeat of the Chinese team.

Despite the final outcome, the applause resonating in the Bird’s Nest did not cease.

The spectators present were well aware that, considering the prowess of the two Chinese drivers against the reigning champion German team, reaching this point meant they truly did their utmost.

Even for Han Han, who lost, he remained true to himself.

The team deemed as a one-round exit by pre-game predictions not only won a minor round but also consecutively defeated the British team and Australian team, only falling before the mightiest German team.

To put it bluntly, without Chen Xiangbei appearing out of nowhere, the achievements of Chinese racing wouldn’t even surpass the national soccer team, which is widely mocked by the public.

Yet, despite such a weak foundation, achieving results equivalent to the "World Cup" semifinals - isn’t that satisfying enough?

"The results are in; let’s congratulate the German team on winning the race and making it to the ROC National Cup finals again."

Commentator Li Bing spoke these words with a bittersweet tone.

Victory and defeat are common in the military, and as a commentator, it’s vital to maintain professional spirit, congratulating the winning team despite a loss.

"Additionally, let’s once again applaud the spectacular performance of the two drivers from the Chinese team. They showed us the unyielding spirit and bravery of Chinese drivers, and made us see a promising future!"

While Li Bing uttered these words, his eyes unknowingly became teary.

Losing a match isn’t truly frightening; no one even expected Chen Xiangbei and Han Han to defeat the German team and advance to the finals for the championship.

Sometimes, what’s feared is seeing no end in sight and never glimpsing any hope!

Let alone Han Han’s performance today, at least Chen Xiangbei defeated Schumacher, indicating he reached the world’s top driver standard and is likely capable of establishing himself in the F1 paddock.

Pay drivers can afford entry into the F1 paddock, especially during the financial crisis era, where the future challenges weren’t as significant.

To illustrate with the simplest example, in this era, even possessing the talents of Leclerc or Piastri might not ensure victory over "cash skill" competitors like Latife or Mazepin.

Teams often await the sponsorship funding from pay drivers as crucial lifelines.

However, crises will eventually pass, and for teams to gain more sponsor favor, they can’t continually keep pay drivers at the bottom for long periods.