Drivers like Cheng Congfu and Ma Qingye, in their teens, were still racing in lower categories like BMW and Renault in Asia. Even Chen Xiangbei had to wait until he was eighteen to have the opportunity to go to the Suzuka Racing School in Japan.

It's normal to praise one's own people, yet this Hong Kong commentator seems to have a different mindset, even subtly criticizing Chen Xiangbei.

"The driver from Mainland China, Chen Xiangbei, although he has the title of a test driver for the Brown GP Team, his lap time is only ranked 17th, trailing behind Kokumoto Keiyo by almost three seconds."

"You should know that the Grand Prix has a tradition of knockout qualification rounds, only the top 15 drivers will qualify for the main race. The speed and skill Chen Xiangbei is currently displaying seem disproportionate to the title and fame he's been given."

The East Bay Circuit is one of the narrower street tracks, making it impossible to accommodate 26 cars racing simultaneously.

Decades ago, the Grand Prix had already adopted the knockout system, allowing a maximum of fifteen drivers to advance to the main race. Based on Chen Xiangbei's current pace, having completed seven or eight laps with a best rank of 17th, he might get eliminated during the qualification rounds.

Luo Feng is somewhat baffled, wondering how someone of this level could have snatched the title from Fang Junyu and is considered the next Sato Takuma in Asia?

"Teacher Luo, the practice session results don't mean much, Chen Xiangbei might still be in the process of adjusting and adapting,"

said Li Bing in defense of Chen Xiangbei.

He recently started following this rising Chinese star, and from the professional records, Chen Xiangbei's acceleration through the ranks isn't much less impressive than Fang Junyu's.

The so-called CKC championship title, can it really fool the motorsport insiders on the Mainland?

Huasi Sports has already gone bankrupt and didn't even organize the 2008 CKC events!

Which means, barring any surprises, Chen Xiangbei's go-kart record is likewise non-existent.

A driver without go-karting experience, with just a few months of training in Japan, went to Europe to drive in the Renault Formula, securing consecutive championships and breaking track records, and is now touching F3 cars for the first time.

Not placing last, in Li Bing's view, is quite commendable; the talent ceiling Chen Xiangbei shows is worthy of being called the next Sato Takuma!

"Teacher Li, are you saying that an F1 test driver needs time to adapt to F3 cars?"

Luo Feng mocked lightly in response; understanding slowness is one thing, but claiming he needs to adapt seems laughable.

Facing these words, Li Bing was at a loss for words.

Chen Xiangbei's "rise" was so rapid that even domestic F1 commentators like Li Bing hadn't heard of him before the Sports Weekly report, nor did they know the process of his signing with the Brown GP Team.

He wanted to defend Chen Xiangbei, but lacking understanding, he didn't know where to start.

Theoretically, Luo Feng wasn't wrong; signing with an F1 team as a test driver shouldn't involve adjustment issues with F3 cars.

The commentary drew more audience attention to Chen Xiangbei's lap times.

"The practice session is halfway through, and Chen Xiangbei is driving much slower than expected."

"Yeah, shouldn't an F1 test driver be leading by a mile?"

"How did he sign with the Brown GP Team with such speed? It feels off."

"That's absurd, surely he got the deal through sponsorship, right?"

The doubts and sarcasm grew louder; not every spectator was a supporter of Chen Xiangbei.

Especially in the Hong Kong and Macao Region, there are many who hold a strange sense of superiority.

A driver who should be displaying dominance yet fails to show expected skill is bound to become controversial.

"Odetto, what's the tire wear level?"

"The front tires have about 12% left, the rear tires around 31%."

Compared to the entry-level Renault Formula, the F3 cars have many more sensors; at least now there's data on tire wear percentages, eliminating the need to judge based on team experience.

However, F3 only provides a rough average wear value for front and rear, whereas for F1 cars, every tire can have precise data, making adjustments more convenient for team engineers.

After all, modern F1 cars have over 700 sensors!

"Odetto, how long until the practice session ends?"

"Less than 20 minutes."

"Requesting a pit stop for adjustments."

"Received, prepare for pit stop."

After saying this, Chen Xiangbei drove into the pit lane on the next lap, where Sawano Hiroyuki, Liang Chi, and others were poised in the pit area, ready to alter the car's setup in the shortest possible time.

Just this time entering the pit, Chen Xiangbei saw Odetto standing with the front jack at the front of the car from afar.

The major rule difference of F3 compared to the Renault Formula is that it operates as a simplified F1, meaning car setups cannot be changed after the practice session without risking penalty times or demotions.

This time, the Super Dream Team arrived in Australia with a severely under-staffed crew. To save adjustment time, even the team leader Odetto had to multitask as a pit technician.

And he chose the most dangerous front jack position!

Chen Xiangbei's previous Renault car adjustments were done at the garage entrance, allowing the technicians to push it into the pit; unlike F1 races where changes happen right in the pit area.

This means Chen Xiangbei had never experienced formula race car pit training!

Don't think that a formula pit stop is simple; for split-second gains, speed control and precision demands are high. The standard 80 km/h speed limit requires a stopping error margin of less than three centimeters.

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