@HF2000 you know as much as I do about overtaking, easy when you have couple of seconds a lap over those around you, very difficult if you have a few tenth's.
( funnily the front runners are better placed than me for this question, it is probably more predictable but on the other hand far more difficult, technically speaking, only small imperceptible mistake to rely on ).
Overtaking.....
Difficult this one, it is to a large extent a personality thing.
I really enjoy my battles with
@Medilloni John, gives me the benefit when I am in front, thus he is on the back foot so to speak.
By that I mean I automatically know that I have the edge on him in choosing my line which he gives me.
But not easily, he is a tough negotiator, therefore as I enter the corner I am driving on the spotter app, but having the advantage of knowing what I am going to do and what John is trying to do in advance.
Others, it is not so straight forward, I never know their intentions, cannot predict the outcome, becomes an instant thing. ( when your traveling at a virtual speed of 120 feet per second )…..???? is it any wonder that it can be troublesome.
When some one is trying to overtake me and I am not wanting it to happen; I try and make it obvious to that person, we’re they are allowed to be from my perspective.
Sounds a bit pompous, example, if it is at the end of a long straight, it is a right hand bend, very early on I am moving far right so they know that only leaves the left for a overtake.
Usually, not always, I make the decision, how many laps, how much faster is he, how easy a circuit it is for defending, how easily am i controlling this car, who is it, what’s in it for me.
This is the rub, psychology, different impulse thinking, bad thought processes, a car that has turned me into a hooligan. All this things can scupper the best laid plans.
I am from the school of thought, the single MOST important thing to me is not to ruin his race, not always easy.
So easy for me to dive bomb a gap, maybe put my cars nose just so that if he turns in he is off, then say I did nothing wrong.
So if I am chasing Han for example, I want to see how much quicker I am, usually there is not anything in it for me, ( and vice versa I imagine ) maybe a few tenths a lap, that makes overtaking difficult, I can if I want, but I am in big risk territory, then if I do get by, then what. I now have the stress of Han following me, not having enough pace to get away, and then usually prone to making mistakes in that position; Just brought myself a load of problems.
Certainly more than if I had stayed on his tail, knowing my best option is to wait for a mistake.
It is not really about the overtake, more about the space it gives me if I get by though a mistake.
Han and everyone it seems have got good, generally speaking of late, people now make very few usable errors. There was a time I could make good progress in race department club races just on mistakes, it is not the case now.
Unless you have really good pace like the front runners, overtaking back and mid fielders has become much more challenging.
Sorry to be so bleeding obvious, just thought I would have one of my rambles.