Hi. The race was fun. I have qualified 12th, based on the fact that there were 29 cars starting, I think it is my best qualifying to date.
Really glad about that.
I usually start very well, taking 1-2 positions, which I loose in the first corner because I brake too early, just to not hit anybody in front
) An early incident took me on 6th position I think, and after some laps, I end up behind
@BP and in front of
@ChikiWaki or behind ... or smth. You were there too
I enjoyed so much to chasing Brandon, I was actually laughing and smiling the whole lap. I was passed by
@Anders Jensen with a Verstappen move like in the Austrian GP, but I guess that's racing
) Glad I didn't spin and thanks for waiting that 3-4 seconds until I regained speed.
My setup choice was a real problem. I went for too much downforce because I couldn't keep the R8's back comfortable enough through the hill chicanes, so I lost so much on the straights. I barely kept the pace even with the slipstream effect, and my superior speed into the corners was actually nothing on this track because it was so narrow. I thought about this in the practice, but I thought: maybe others will have the same problem with traction? But nooo, they went for aero 3 (
@JoelK ). I had 7
ups
My first stint pace was somehow a lie because I started with soft and fuel only for 14 laps, so I might have been a lot lighter than others. Around lap 13, I've entered the pits. I've put meds because the soft wouldn't have lasted (or would have been red, and I wanted to avoid that), but meds took too much to get hot so I messed really bad in the chicane and damaged the front wing. I've had lot's of understeer so I had to reenter the pits for repairs after less than one lap
.
The second stint was good, I had the pace to overtake some, some missed the brakings, I've ended up on 15th, which is good because I was on 21st after my second pit-stop
@JoelK Sorry for letting you pass in such a dangerous spot. I have learned my lesson. Also, in the closing stages, when
@steen skov Laursen was closing in, two of the lapped cars spun on the uphill turns and I barely avoided both of them, which was crazy scary.
@dg222 I would like to recommend that on the straight, do not brake if the car lapped is behind you. If you want to aid the overtake, just release the throttle a bit and after the pass get to speed as soon as possible. I tried to do some slipstreaming behind you and then you just braked and fortunately, I had the time to avoid it, seeing the brake lights in time. Just be careful and be predictable. No one is expecting a brake in the middle of a straight. But don't worry, I was lapped a lot and I still am. I still try to get over that fact that I have to be predictable and sometimes I change my lines to exit on the interior and let the other use the exterior but you have to be careful and see if the faster car didn't already make the move on the inside. We all learn, I have still to learn and we just have to enjoy this
And as a tip: I was struggling at the back as you and since two weeks or so, it just clicked. I really like the R8 and I feel like I can push harder and harder, so it takes some time, but when you find the feeling of driving, you just become faster.
Sorry for writing so much, I really enjoyed the race and I wanted to say all the things here
Sorry for speaking too much at some time, someone asked me where I was, and I've responded. I am sorry for the inconvenience of the others.
Thanks,
@JoelK and
@Craig Dunkley, for organizing those events. The way you combine the cars and tracks is astonishing.