29-10-2013, 09:15 PM
Had practiced a lot for this event, mostly offline, but varying the setup so much that I ended up having about 7-8 different ones.
In the end I chose to go for the one that I felt the most "forgiving" and comfortable with.
My strategy for the races was clear: crossing the finish line.
To do that, I planned to keep a very comfortable pace, and to me that was around 1:32, 1:33. Anything faster than that, and I could significantly risk mistakes.
My PB before the event had been around 1:30.3.
Qualification started. I waited for a couple of waves of drivers to go on track, and I came in to be about 20-30 seconds ahead of the first ones.
Again, very clear strategy also for qualification. Try to set a decent time and go back to the pits waiting. At 4th lap I set my PB at 1:29, so I was more than happy and stopped right there. I fell back to 14th position I think when everyone ended Q.
Race 1 start was good. By T1 I was in 11th position. Managed to avoid some wreckages here and there. Was super happy to be in lap 3 and be in the race with a decent position, when at the left hander just after the climb in sector 1, Fergus Carroll's FL tyre bumps into my RR, sending me into a spin and final crash into a nearby pole.
At that point I thought "NO, NOT AGAIN!". Managed to move on quickly, even if damaged, and shortly afterwards I heard several crashes involving cars behind me, including Fergus, Edwin, Giorgio, and probably others. Not pretty. Luckily for me, I was already moving on, trying to think what to do. Called pits immediately and decided to repair and change tyres too and continue the rest of the race (21 laps) with the new set of tyres.
At lap 9, me and Vittorio almost crashed into each other, he was stuck just after a narrow corner. Passed him with no harm, and he managed to get me again a few laps later. Around lap 19 most faster guys lapped me, David Coyne first, and that brought me back to 9th position.
Several other faster drivers passed me and I feel I managed to respect all my blue flags nicely. So ended up 9th I think. I really couldn't fight with Coyne even if I wanted, he was so much faster than me.
Asked to start R2 at the back, 19th, I'm glad I did. Few seconds after start, DJC sends Nikos in the guardrail, and frozen like an ice cube, I just slowly move to the left, and in 2nd gear I approach T1, where it's already clear a carnage is in the making. I see a couple of cars pointing to the sky, ready to liftoff :-) plus a few others blocking the track. I slow down at around 50 km/h, but I can't come to a full stop before bumping (I believe lightly) into R.Hedlund. He passed me one lap later :-) At left hander on top of the hill, I see Coyne spun, and I manage to avoid some haypiles. Tough 1st lap :-)
I'm already 9th or so, really good start. Passing the pitlane on lap 2 I see many fast guys repairing. On lap 3 I let my team mate Bart pass me, and I see a car wrecked in front of me, stopped at the side of the track, just after the left hander following the deadly chicane. Can't manage to stop in time, because as replay showed, I got some debris under the car (again like at TWS, damn). I hit Hedlund again. He must have been damaged already, I hope I didn't do worse.
Too late in the lap to pit, so I do lap 4 at around half speed to reach my pit and repair. I'm 4th at this point! Crazy. I get around 150s of repair time. Meanwhile, Vittorio also pits, probably damaged too. I restart before him, and I'm in 9th position now.
Pretty much an uneventful race from there onwards. A small mistake of mine around lap 12 after the hairpin entering start straight, but I recover quickly without damage. Around lap 13, Mel is on my back, determined to pass me, but he's (temporary) victim of the deadly chicane.
A few laps after, David Coyne, again much faster, passes me without even blinking, taking the 6th position. I'm a happy 7th.
I wouldn't have bet on me getting points both races :-)
A bit disappointed at R1 accident I had. Could have been totally avoided (again).
All in all, an awesome event.
In the end I chose to go for the one that I felt the most "forgiving" and comfortable with.
My strategy for the races was clear: crossing the finish line.
To do that, I planned to keep a very comfortable pace, and to me that was around 1:32, 1:33. Anything faster than that, and I could significantly risk mistakes.
My PB before the event had been around 1:30.3.
Qualification started. I waited for a couple of waves of drivers to go on track, and I came in to be about 20-30 seconds ahead of the first ones.
Again, very clear strategy also for qualification. Try to set a decent time and go back to the pits waiting. At 4th lap I set my PB at 1:29, so I was more than happy and stopped right there. I fell back to 14th position I think when everyone ended Q.
Race 1 start was good. By T1 I was in 11th position. Managed to avoid some wreckages here and there. Was super happy to be in lap 3 and be in the race with a decent position, when at the left hander just after the climb in sector 1, Fergus Carroll's FL tyre bumps into my RR, sending me into a spin and final crash into a nearby pole.
At that point I thought "NO, NOT AGAIN!". Managed to move on quickly, even if damaged, and shortly afterwards I heard several crashes involving cars behind me, including Fergus, Edwin, Giorgio, and probably others. Not pretty. Luckily for me, I was already moving on, trying to think what to do. Called pits immediately and decided to repair and change tyres too and continue the rest of the race (21 laps) with the new set of tyres.
At lap 9, me and Vittorio almost crashed into each other, he was stuck just after a narrow corner. Passed him with no harm, and he managed to get me again a few laps later. Around lap 19 most faster guys lapped me, David Coyne first, and that brought me back to 9th position.
Several other faster drivers passed me and I feel I managed to respect all my blue flags nicely. So ended up 9th I think. I really couldn't fight with Coyne even if I wanted, he was so much faster than me.
Asked to start R2 at the back, 19th, I'm glad I did. Few seconds after start, DJC sends Nikos in the guardrail, and frozen like an ice cube, I just slowly move to the left, and in 2nd gear I approach T1, where it's already clear a carnage is in the making. I see a couple of cars pointing to the sky, ready to liftoff :-) plus a few others blocking the track. I slow down at around 50 km/h, but I can't come to a full stop before bumping (I believe lightly) into R.Hedlund. He passed me one lap later :-) At left hander on top of the hill, I see Coyne spun, and I manage to avoid some haypiles. Tough 1st lap :-)
I'm already 9th or so, really good start. Passing the pitlane on lap 2 I see many fast guys repairing. On lap 3 I let my team mate Bart pass me, and I see a car wrecked in front of me, stopped at the side of the track, just after the left hander following the deadly chicane. Can't manage to stop in time, because as replay showed, I got some debris under the car (again like at TWS, damn). I hit Hedlund again. He must have been damaged already, I hope I didn't do worse.
Too late in the lap to pit, so I do lap 4 at around half speed to reach my pit and repair. I'm 4th at this point! Crazy. I get around 150s of repair time. Meanwhile, Vittorio also pits, probably damaged too. I restart before him, and I'm in 9th position now.
Pretty much an uneventful race from there onwards. A small mistake of mine around lap 12 after the hairpin entering start straight, but I recover quickly without damage. Around lap 13, Mel is on my back, determined to pass me, but he's (temporary) victim of the deadly chicane.
A few laps after, David Coyne, again much faster, passes me without even blinking, taking the 6th position. I'm a happy 7th.
I wouldn't have bet on me getting points both races :-)
A bit disappointed at R1 accident I had. Could have been totally avoided (again).
All in all, an awesome event.