Round two at SpaTA. I did some qualifying laps with the Viper, couldn't beat my R.S.01 time without a 0.5s penalty, but I did beat it with the penalty, and optimum was 2s faster than my qualifying time.. apparently I'm capable of a 2:40.xxx
. Went in with full wets, and started P4/17 on a mixed grid of DR/D and C. 3 x Porsches in front, another couple scattered further down. I was the only Viper.
Race starts and once again I'm stupidly in the middle of the chicane
. I manage to dribble round with the merest fraction of throttle then mashed that down as soon as I could see I wasn't going to end up on the astroturf
. Clean getaway and enough of a gap to take T1 without getting rammed. I was short shifting not so much to conserve fuel but more because it seems to be more stable. Picked up a 0.5s penalty at Raidillon, passed the guy in P3, then lost the position entering Les Combes because I forgot this wasn't D1 (and the judges say "one more time!"). Then Things went a bit pear shaped exiting, and I lost control, veered across the track, side slammed the wall (but no 5s penalty), kept it going and dropped another position.
There was a bit of a tussle with the Supra in P5 for a large chunk of the lap after Peuhon, and on to the second lap. By tussle I mean we were trying *not* to hit each other often side by side. Another second penalty at Blanchimont, so when I hit the penalty zone, off the Supra went
. The chase was on! Having caught up to the Supra, I stayed behind him, but the draft sucked me in and I didn't brake early enough. I tapped the Supra, and the guy behind me tapped me. The Supra recovered and went on his merry way, I was spun out and dropped back to P9
.
Back to the chase! I soon caught up to P8, who cracked up under the pressure and went off. I was right up the rear of P7 doing the same thing. They chose to pit and it's only the end of lap 3! Someone else spun out on the start finish line and I guess another had pitted too, I found myself in P5 going round T1
.
I maintained P5. The gap in front and behind meant that it was unlikely to catch P4, and P6 was far enough behind that I could just focus on not spinning and staying on the track.. Then P6 I see yellow flags and I pass P4, then he teleports off the map... I guess he rage quit. Then it was just a matter of making it through the last laps without coming off or spinning out. Bizarrely, the last two laps of the race were also the fastest
.
Here's a screen shot just as I'm exiting the chicane to give you an idea of fuel usage and tyre wear. Tyre wear was heaps better and more even with the Viper than the R.S.01.
SR blue, DR went up 800+. Another day above DR 1
.
