04-03-2019, 09:17 PM
The Nordschleife. What a track. Driving it is unlike anything else. It washes over me and each corner presents itself and some subconscious process takes over. There are some corners that I think of in advance, like the flugplatz-schwedenkreuz-aremberg section, and Pflanzgarten II (the drop where [USER=581]@Bruce[/USER] didn't want to lift) but for the most part the length means you don't have the opportunity to overthink.
Given the admins had extended the length of this race I did a bit of preparation (afternoon nap and a bit of calf stretching) and it paid off. The race was uneventful in terms of position changes, but [USER=10]@DJCruicky[/USER] was on my tail for the whole race and kept the pressure up relentlessly. He had a higher top speed by about 5kph so I knew I was vulnerable in the long straight (Döttinger Höhe) and he was quicker than me between Hohe Acht and Brünnchen, but in Schwalbenschwanz and Galgenkopf my car seemed to find loads of grip and I got a great exit onto the straight so he never got the tow. We both pitted after six laps and I think the pit gods were kind to me with a 21second stop which opened a bit of a gap, but [USER=10]@DJCruicky[/USER] had reeled me in pretty much by the time we reached the old track. It was fascinating how the different cars and different driving styles seemed to predictably be faster and slower in certain sections. I'm definitely favoring right foot braking now with the brakes on minimum sensitivity, and manual shifting with the right hand.
The memory of driving this circuit in the Porsche 917 championship is still strong, and it was quite an eye opener how fast Lee Russell managed to go. That car had almost no downforce but these F1 cars certainly do, and that helps keep things under control, if you can manage the huge compressions and low polar moment. It's been a while since I've driven the Brabham or McLaren but I get a sense the March turns in better but is less stable.
[USER=471]@J-P SImard[/USER] , don't hate this circuit, just drive it more when not under pressure. I spent about a year or so driving it most evenings in Assetto Corsa, just turning up on the Bandito server in a Lotus Exige or Corvette ZR1 and having fun and it became quite an addiction. There's also the imminent release of the laser-scanned studio-397 version.
Very pleased with the result but catching [USER=471]@J-P SImard[/USER] in the championship is not really going to happen.
Given the admins had extended the length of this race I did a bit of preparation (afternoon nap and a bit of calf stretching) and it paid off. The race was uneventful in terms of position changes, but [USER=10]@DJCruicky[/USER] was on my tail for the whole race and kept the pressure up relentlessly. He had a higher top speed by about 5kph so I knew I was vulnerable in the long straight (Döttinger Höhe) and he was quicker than me between Hohe Acht and Brünnchen, but in Schwalbenschwanz and Galgenkopf my car seemed to find loads of grip and I got a great exit onto the straight so he never got the tow. We both pitted after six laps and I think the pit gods were kind to me with a 21second stop which opened a bit of a gap, but [USER=10]@DJCruicky[/USER] had reeled me in pretty much by the time we reached the old track. It was fascinating how the different cars and different driving styles seemed to predictably be faster and slower in certain sections. I'm definitely favoring right foot braking now with the brakes on minimum sensitivity, and manual shifting with the right hand.
The memory of driving this circuit in the Porsche 917 championship is still strong, and it was quite an eye opener how fast Lee Russell managed to go. That car had almost no downforce but these F1 cars certainly do, and that helps keep things under control, if you can manage the huge compressions and low polar moment. It's been a while since I've driven the Brabham or McLaren but I get a sense the March turns in better but is less stable.
[USER=471]@J-P SImard[/USER] , don't hate this circuit, just drive it more when not under pressure. I spent about a year or so driving it most evenings in Assetto Corsa, just turning up on the Bandito server in a Lotus Exige or Corvette ZR1 and having fun and it became quite an addiction. There's also the imminent release of the laser-scanned studio-397 version.
Very pleased with the result but catching [USER=471]@J-P SImard[/USER] in the championship is not really going to happen.