ABT ### Chapter 0094: Don't Say It's Useless!
Alonso’s assessment of the two drivers wasn’t finished yet: “That kind of cornering technique is essentially betting one’s life and others’ lives. While I admire his determination to win the race, I think such a driver will not develop well in motorsport.”
The speed of go-karts compared to F1 is like drizzle. If Li Fanyu were to use his full-throttle straightaways and sudden brake-drift cornering in F1, it would inevitably result in wheel lockups, car wrecks, and injuries.
Chen Chen’s skills are solid, but his ruthless, win-at-all-costs mentality in critical moments is not wise for a professional driver. The most crucial quality for a professional F1 driver is making trade-offs. For example, sacrificing speed to reduce tire wear and aiming to minimize pit stops. Or giving up position to a teammate to ensure the team's strategic layout. Also, making judicious decisions about whether to overtake based on their assessment of themselves and their opponents.
Few drivers would gamble their lives for the victory of a single race. So, from a logical standpoint, Alonso’s words were indeed valid.
Li Fanyu agreed with Alonso’s evaluation of himself. Due to his specialization in driving and his previous work as a stunt driver for movies, he had developed a drifting style for cornering. Competing against professional drivers like Alonso, he realized that drifting was not the right path in racing. Hence, he accepted the “unconventional” label.
However, he could not agree with Alonso’s evaluation of Chen Chen. He had overheard Chen Chen’s conversation with his father before the race. So, he knew how important this race was to the kid.
Moreover, Alonso’s status and position could very likely ruin Chen Chen’s future with his words.
“That’s not ‘not knowing his limits.’” Li Fanyu grabbed the microphone in front of him, interrupting Alonso.
The post-race speech was supposed to be a solo session for Alonso. The reporters had intended to throw a few questions at Li Fanyu at the end, expecting him to express his excitement about racing alongside a top driver like Alonso. But no one expected this relatively unknown kid to rudely interrupt Alonso’s speech.
“On the contrary, that kid knew exactly what he was doing. This race was about more than just winning or losing; he didn’t even care about the glory of defeating Alonso. What he cared about was that winning the race was essential to continue pursuing his dream of becoming a racer, nothing more. Before the race, I overheard his conversation with his father.”
Li Fanyu described in detail the conversation between Chen Chen and his father.
“So, you see, this is about dreams. And how can dreams be measured by limits? Although I also think his approach was indeed unwise, I respect the choice of driver number 16, Chen Chen. And I hope he will get the support of sponsors so he can continue on the path of racing.”
Alonso was somewhat angry at being interrupted, but after hearing Chen Chen’s story, he fell silent.
“Perhaps my earlier words were a bit too harsh, but I still stand by my opinion. I hope that kid will have a good future, but I definitely don’t want to race alongside such a driver on the track,” Alonso said, shrugging.
That’s the way Spaniards think: right is right, and wrong is wrong. Even if you have a valid reason, I still don’t like it. This very attitude is why Alonso’s relationship with his teammate Hamilton completely broke down over yielding issues, leading him to transfer away.
Li Fanyu felt uncomfortable. You’re a two-time F1 world champion. If you keep talking like this, which sponsor will be interested in him? Don’t you know people have a hard time? Is there no phrase for “people have a hard time” in the Spanish dictionary?
“Mr. Fernando, people can change. I think Chen Chen acted that way only because this race was too important for him.”
“No, no, no, I’ve heard a Chinese saying that goes, ‘A leopard can’t change its spots.’ Such a person is a ticking time bomb on the track. Today, he can break his rib to win a race. Who knows if he’ll crash into others to win a championship on another track?”
Li Fanyu squinted; damn it, don’t you Spaniards know the meaning of ‘people have a hard time’?
But ‘A leopard can’t change its spots’? Who told you that?
“Mr. Fernando, I can’t agree with your viewpoint. People can change, and I don’t think you were born driving like you do now.”
The reporters were speechless, watching the increasing tension at the post-race speech.
“Habits are not so easy to change! Just like your awkward cornering technique, it would take a very, very long time to correct it!”
“No, you’re wrong, Fernando. I can correct it right now.”
“Ha! That’s the funniest joke I’ve heard today!”
“In that case, I formally challenge you. Let’s race again with the same car and use the same cornering technique as you. How about that?”
Wow! The reporters’ eyes lit up; there’s news!
Alonso was stunned, then took off his hat and threw it on the table. “Alright, I accept your challenge!”
The reporters went wild, standing up and bombarding with questions. But neither Alonso nor Li Fanyu said another word.
Alonso is usually an easygoing person, but he was stubborn about this issue due to his racing experience. Coming to China, the domestic media had touted him as the King of Racing. But Alonso knew that the title of King of Racing was still far from him.
On the track, Alonso is a unique driver. He has no obvious technical weaknesses and is not overly demanding of the car. Even when the car is not in good condition, he can still race at his own pace. Moreover, he rarely makes mistakes during races, often forcing his opponents to make repeated errors.
But such a driver is most afraid of reckless opponents. He missed out on several championships due to the aggressive driving of his opponents. This involved elements of luck and the characteristics of his own driving style.
Upon witnessing Chen Chen's driving style, he immediately labeled him a scourge and developed a deep aversion to him. Because of this, he grew extremely annoyed with Li Fanyu's constant defense of Chen Chen.
Alonso suddenly stood up, gestured for Li Fanyu to follow, and started walking towards the track. However, Li Fanyu grabbed his arm and, in a low, deliberate voice, said, "I hope this is a private competition, not to be held in front of the media and audience."
Alonso exaggeratedly furrowed his brow and brushed his hand away, "Why? Are you frightened?"
Frightened? What a joke!
Li Fanyu touched his nose, "Uh... not really, I'm just worried you'll be embarrassed..."
Alonso just wanted to use a crushing race to teach Li Fanyu a lesson. But he thought for a moment; the purpose of this event was to raise funds for charity, and now his goal was clearly achieved. This was, after all, in China, and he had heard that people here were sensitive and had deep sympathy for the weak. Even though, in his view, the current situation was entirely this kid's own doing, he was still young, and if Alonso suppressed him too harshly, it might negatively impact his public image.
So, after considering Li Fanyu's request, he said, "OK, suit yourself."
He then instructed the staff to dismiss the media reporters and led the way to a training track. This track was usually used for testing, so it was far from the stands and closed off.
The staff had already prepared two identical cars, and Alonso had regained his composure. He looked at the eager Li Fanyu and asked, "Buddy, I don't want to embarrass you. Are you sure you want to race me again? You should know, if it weren't for me driving a car with poor acceleration earlier, you wouldn't have had any chance to beat me."
Li Fanyu snickered to himself; if it had been earlier, I'd never dare to challenge you one-on-one!
Though he was standing up for Chen Chen, Li Fanyu had another little motive—practice. Just now, Xapp had notified him that the driving skills awareness had been fully copied. It was time to test the results. Mwahaha!
Li Fanyu made a sword finger gesture and pointed at the track, saying, "Fernando, don't say anything useless. Let's go!"
Alonso was amused by his mix of Chinese and English taunting, shook his head with a smile, and got into his car.
The track was usually closed, so even the traffic lights were off. Alonso signaled a countdown with his fingers, and as soon as he curled them into a fist, both cars took off simultaneously!
Alonso had no intention of holding back; he wanted this arrogant kid to understand what it meant to be a world-class driver, what world-class standards were!
On the straight, since the two cars were similar in performance and the track was wide open, they were neck and neck. Soon, they approached the first turn. Alonso glanced at Li Fanyu from the corner of his eye, raising his chin slightly to remind him of his earlier words.
Li Fanyu saw it and nodded in response, though he was smirking wickedly inside his helmet. Because he realized, his awareness had gone into overdrive! He could clearly envision his current speed, track conditions, optimal route, the best speed for the current situation, and even the perfect timing for gear shifts!
It was like having an Alonso-brand track analysis system implanted in his brain. Wow, this is amazing. Mom never has to worry about my racing again!
As they took the turn, Alonso felt a twinge of doubt. Why is he taking my line? Did he study my race footage and learn my habits? But soon, after several turns, Alonso was filled with shock. The same cornering angles... the same acceleration habits... the same evasive maneuvers... even the little tricks used against opponents in races were identical, damn it...
And the most crucial part; this guy was inexplicably faster than him at top speed!
Holy Mary... it was like racing against a turbocharged version of himself!
Watching Li Fanyu leave him in the dust, Alonso's hands trembled; if... if he learned all this from me, what kind of monstrous learning ability does he have?
Oh my God, he must be the archangel you sent to punish me!
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