2021 FIA Series Race Discussion

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Zorz
I suppose I might as well join the people who've looked back at their Manufacturer season. In terms of DR and average points per contributing race, this is by far my best to date. No S rank, but it seems like the competitiveness for that across all manufacturers has skyrocketed over the last couple of seasons and Mazda is much more popular than Mitsubishi! With that in mind, coming 24th for Mazda in EMEA? Very happy with that.

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I've been kicking myself the whole season though, due to this:

Never go full Atenza. At least not right now. I had no idea the VGT was considered so strong when the season began, completely missed the memo on that one. I think I tried using it previously for a Nations race at Catalunya and found it a bit too tail-happy for my liking with the way I drive, so I immediately discounted it after just a few laps. When I locked in and then discovered it was considered one of the most OP Group 3 cars following the BOP changes... oh dear. I guess I did Mazda hard mode. ;)

The win at Bathurst was completely unexpected, especially with that being the second highest scoring lobby I'd ever been in at the time. When free practice first rolled around for that after Spa it took me about 20-30 minutes to do a lap without binning it at the top of the mountain or screwing up the downhill, no lie. I also can't help but feel like I've put myself right in the crossfire of the lasting debate of whether the Nissan or Mazda Gr.4 is worse that @Famine and @stpatty have been having by pulling that off with stpatty in the race. :lol:

The win was also a welcome pick-up for both me and my dad, as my mum passed away back in late February. Coming away from a race feeling that exhilarated did wonders for my mood as I had not long returned to work from bereavement leave and had been struggling. My Glasgow Rangers liveries this season were dedicated to my dad who has some interest in motorsports; primarily F1 but he also enjoyed watching the GT Sport world finals when I introduced him to that a couple of years ago. He likes watching my races from time to time, so seeing one on top of the podium with the victory screen was a happy distraction for him too.

I'm definitely taking a break from the 4WD Group 4s for a while now and considering Chevrolet for the main 2021 season as I haven't done that one before and it's back into my normal comfort zone of FR power cars. The stability 4WDs have is nice but they just feel so stiff when trying to get the car to rotate, especially once the tyres start to go.

Now I just have to see how I fare now that my DR is in the upper half of A for the first time after Tokyo Expressway. I still remember going crazy when I managed to score 100 points from an FIA race for the first time, and now here I am in the DR range where lobbies could potentially offer double that. :D
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Sorry to hear of your troubles, and that makes your successes all the sweeter. Rangers did the business too. :cheers:
 
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Speaking about Ford?;) I think I mada a mistake chosing Mustang in gr3
 
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RacingGrandpa
57 and runs for Ford.
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Kinda fun to learn how old everyone is... you interact on here with a lot of good fellas but hardly know anything about them IRL. Cheers, @mobilmasher and @GTWolverine, too. :cheers:

47, here. And working with Ford, GM, and “Stellantis” every day here in Detroit, but happy to join the even more aged GTS players as Porsche fan in the game. Of course, I work with them, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, VW, and Audi, too, so loyalty isn’t so much a thing, but I’m really comfortable in those Porsches.
 
So it seems like a player can get to the world series by placing in either of the two world series showdowns. Typically the same players would be able to top both events so I wonder if they'll exclude the first showdown finalists from the second showdown, or fill in the remaining slots (after duplicates removed) with the highest scores from either series.

Source 1, Source 2

Currently none of these playoff events seem within reach of my skill level but I'm always planning on reaching the top—not if but when. In the meantime I'm interested in how it'll shake down for the current top players.
 
05XR8
You can fix that, by running with Ford, add Pontiac badges and transform the front to a Trans Am. ;)
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Spent way too much time on this trying to be funny. Missed the dang first slot by 5 minutes.
EyW0FkoU8AMvXKY


If you look real close with your nose to the screen, take your glasses off and squint with your eyes shut, can't tell the difference between this replica T/A and the real one.
EyWz91IVcAME5aZ
 
Another final round of FIA and another shark tank of aggression. I commented after Saturday's round that I hadn't seen that kind of aggression in Nations. Well it showed up tonight.

I screwed up the start, and got shoved wide a couple of times as people have to win the race in the first couple of corners. But I'm recovering nicely and moving back up when I get a nice run on someone out of the corkscrew, make a pass on the inside at the next right (leaving them almost all the track as room) and then they promptly punt me off at the final turn that lap.

After my own mistake next time I am dead last, but catch the car ahead. They make a mistake, I pass them heading to the final turn, they cut the corner and ram me wide on exit.

Game over. I give up the race. Those morons can have it. And that was lap 7.

I was pushing to race hard but clean, holding passes and runs until the right spots where I had time to complete them. Nope. Others sending everywhere the track was wide enough and bumping their way in.

I might run next slot, but wish everyone else here a cleaner smoother ride than that.
:cheers::scared:
 
Redneckchef
Another final round of FIA and another shark tank of aggression. I commented after Saturday's round that I hadn't seen that kind of aggression in Nations. Well it showed up tonight.

I screwed up the start, and got shoved wide a couple of times as people have to win the race in the first couple of corners. But I'm recovering nicely and moving back up when I get a nice run on someone out of the corkscrew, make a pass on the inside at the next right (leaving them almost all the track as room) and then they promptly punt me off at the final turn that lap.

After my own mistake next time I am dead last, but catch the car ahead. They make a mistake, I pass them heading to the final turn, they cut the corner and ram me wide on exit.

Game over. I give up the race. Those morons can have it. And that was lap 7.

I was pushing to race hard but clean, holding passes and runs until the right spots where I had time to complete them. Nope. Others sending everywhere the track was wide enough and bumping their way in.

I might run next slot, but wish everyone else here a cleaner smoother ride than that.
:cheers::scared:
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I had this same issue at Tokyo in the Manufacurers Cup Final. People simply aren't prepared to be patient and give room.
 
Oceania slot 1. Only my third Nations race of the season and only need to do better than 80 points to improve my current points score.

Door 15 running the Cayman. 3 Corvettes in the lobby. A finish of 12th or better will get me extra points.

First out for qualifying but couldn’t put a good lap together and qualified 11.

The packed grid is quite an experience. I missed the start slightly but that turned out to be a blessing as p13 moved to my outside into T1. I braked early for T1 and that was when all hell broke loose. Cars diving, sliding, pushing and punting. I stuck it tight to the apexes and, apart from a nudge from behind mid corner, emerged unscathed in p10.

Over the next couple of laps things settled down and some good clean racing on the part of those around me saw us bridge the gap to the p5 led pack. A mistake into turn 3 on lap 7 saw me drop 2 spots to p12 and last in the train behind p5. Lap 8, and a serial dirty driver clearly shoved the wrong car and suddenly p5 and 6 had gapped the train. Meanwhile, the “Akademic” was pushing and shoving everyone in sight and slowing down everyone from P8 back.

4 more laps of good racing and a mistake by p10 and 11 at the last turn saw me jump to 10th heading into lap 13. 2 more laps holding it together and I enter the final lap happy with the prospect of a top 10 finish. But last lap madness ensued as the nudger constantly made contact at every opportunity, eventually pushing 2 off at the corkscrew. I get past one of them and the other is carrying a 0.5 second penalty and dirty tyres. Exiting the final turn I catch the slip of the penalized P8 and finish hot on his bumper for an 8th place and 144 points.

One and done and my advice would be to try and stay out of trouble through turn 1 and beware the desperate last lap divers.
 
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I ran a second slot after my first round disaster and instead of door 18 was door 7 this time. Neede p9 to improve my points and hopefully finish ahead of someone who punted me lots last calendar year. There were some friendly drivers in there along with a few serial barge passers and @D_Dragline buddy from his first slot.

Qualify p6 and make a good start, although it looked like our buddy punted the pole sitter, not sure if intentional or just sloppy turn 1 as par for the course. Settle in as p4, then p3 when our boy spins out.

Then promptly get a track limit penalty 2 laps in a row. Dropping me back to p4 and close to the pack. I end up running wide out of turn 3, save it and keep going, but get passed and dropped into it around p7 or 8. From there it was impatient barge passing, taps to push you off line, and 1 guy who ran up the inside of the fast uphill left to run me off.

Back to p16 and next to last. But I am close and fight my way back slowly by nursing my tires. Lap 11 I just start pushing and instantly close. Very quickly driving my way up to p11 with 2 laps to go. I end up overcooking turn 1, 2 and 3 to settle back and realize whil I can see p9 I'm not gonna get the 4 seconds I need to get there.

Still messy, but mostly own my own mistakes and choosing not to be an aggressive 🤬 like a large number of the drivers. So I can live with that. Was close, but my "smooth" punting nemesis will remain ahead of me for the season. Didnt have enough skill and luck mixed in to get more points, but it'll have to do.

Good Luck all and hope you get some clean lobbies.:cheers:
 
Dude in 16th calling me dirty for punting him off. Should have seen the stoopid stuff he did from the start. Divebombinmg and impatience. Replays coming up.
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Lucky I finished where I did.

Here is the dude. He actually had a fine first two croners. Then it starts.


Next, knocks off gtp. Gets wobbly and I extend another courtesy. At the end of the lap, instead of looking ahead, he divebombs and tries to squeeze inbetween me and the C7.


I'm catching the C7. I give it some room so I can set up a possible pass. Never happens because I almost get taken out by another car. When I recover, me and dan make contact and I can't stop into the Corkscrew.


I race by myself for the next 15 minutes. Catch up to the car that baulked my qualy.


This speaks for itself.


Dan extends the courtesy. Big blow up post race.
https://twitter.com/SpacedustDaddy/status/1379768027214831622?s=20
 
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Bumper cars in all three timeslots. Started 16th but got through the field quickly and was on for 3rd or 4th in Slot 1, then messed up a couple of times towards the end and dropped down to 9th. Got pole in Slot 2 - a big surprise considering it was a 200 point room - then promptly got punted at turn 1. Finished 16th. Slot 3 was the best in the end, 6th place after qualifying pretty badly. Still not enough points to move up in the rankings.

05XR8
Next, knocks off gtp. Gets wobbly and I extend another courtesy. At the end of the lap, instead of looking ahead, he divebombs and tries to squeeze inbetween me and the C7.
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GTP here - long-time lurker on the forum, finally decided to join in. First time I've ever seen this guy, but honestly, his driving was just stupid all race long. Luckily I only got hit by him once or twice but I could see what was going on whenever I looked back. Got what he deserved in the end though, and glad to see Dan gave you that spot back.

Hoping that we don't see this guy around again, or if we do, that he cleans up his act...
 
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@05XR8 yeah, that guy is a loose cannon. I came across him twice this season. At Maggiore in the Nations Cup and again at Sardegna in the Manufacturers Cup.

His signature moves include brake check those that slip stream in qualifying, move under brakes at random to cause contact, dive bomb way too late and my personal favourite (happened at Maggiore in qualifying) run wide under the bridge, overshoot the right hand entry to the chicane, drive at full speed straight across the runoff area, rejoin directly in front of you and then slam on the brakes.
 
watto79
Do you like grid starts though? Or only having hard tyres perhaps?
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I'm a big fan of grid starts, although if anyone uses a Corvette in my race I'll be sure to stay out of the way.

Hard tyres are fine but this car reminds me of the last time I drove a Porsche in this game, which was a Gr.3 race at Brands Hatch long before I got a wheel. When the tyres start going off and the fuel's going down it feels like the car isn't gripping the road at all, it just sort of floats around and you can't properly make it do... anything. Not a good feeling on a track that's lined with as much gravel as there is here.
 
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stpatty
I'm a big fan of grid starts
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Same. I think it's the Brit in me. We just don't do rolling starts. The only time I've seen it was in the Carrera Cup. It made it the worst and most boring of the BTCC support races. They have since gone to grid starts and the races are much better. Last year was quite the enjoyable watch. (Though that was mainly down to Harry King. Remember the name race fans.)
 
OJBrit
Same. I think it's the Brit in me. We just don't do rolling starts. The only time I've seen it was in the Carrera Cup. It made it the worst and most boring of the BTCC support races. They have since gone to grid starts and the races are much better. Last year was quite the enjoyable watch. (Though that was mainly down to Harry King. Remember the name race fans.)
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My first ever FIA win (in my 4th race) was from a grid start. That was at St. Croix where the track is a mile wide, the walls and gravel here are something else.
 

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