The setup: PC, patch 11, Logitech Momo Racing Wheel
Mode: Career, second year, Mercedes AMG, balanced path, two upgrades: reduced drag, engine wear
Testing: 3 laps in Practice, Fuel mode 2, fuel for 10 laps, primes, no KERS, no DRS I picked 5 of the setups posted here. Tested initialy. Then with custom gearing: 124/151/181/209/240/278/323 km/h. Tom Endres and Manalys setups came on top. With these setups and the custom gears laping at around 1:26:XX. The difference was about 0,2s (from here on is the custom gearing)
Additional testing: 3 laps Practice, Fuel mode 3, fuel for 10 laps, options, no KERS, no DRS
Tom Endres setup: 1:25:339
Manalys setup 1:24:431
The surprising part for me was that Manalys setup generated slightly less tire wear.
So on with Manalys setup with the custom gears:
After the "It should be easy ... don't push ..." and 3 tries on primes with lap times in upper 1:24's when the simulated top cars were in the upper 1:22's I gave up and changed to PRO AI. Fuel mode 3 of course.
Q1: 1:25:062, 7th, primes, with only DRS and sloppy, but good enough.
Q2: 1:23:404, 1st, options, with only DRS
Q3: 1:22:475, 1st, options
Since this was by far the best I change back to Legend AI. Q3: 1:22:261, 5th, options This was surprisingly good result so I continuoued on. 50% race, cautious fuel strategy. After 10 laps Rosberg as leader was lapping at middle 1:25's, Button who was infront was lapping at middle 1:26's and I was lapping in the upper 1:27's at 3rd. Hamilton was behind me, but not on my back.
I probably could've finish this disently, but I restarted the race on PRO AI. And I had probably the best race in 2012 so far. I was driving at the pace of the top cars. At the latter stage of the race on primes Hamilton was lapping at the middle 1:25's and I at around 1:26 (exactly as in the testing). I actually was able to pull the fastest lap at 1:24:918.
If this helps someone I'll continue to share my testings.
