First up, Dragon Trail Gardens. The V8 Aston feels very much at home on this circuit, and I managed to qualify 4th with little effort. All the practice from last week’s Daily Race paid off, however, given the Aston’s tendency to understeer, I did miss the manoeuvrability of the 458 Italia and the Huracan just a little bit. But the lights went out and I went for it, going head to head with several Nissan GT-Rs. The first placed H&R BMW literally drove away with 1st place, but I held onto 4th, making several attacks on 3rd, and then inevitably having to defend against the advances of the GT-R behind me.
But the Aston had the upper hand, powering out of the tight bends and hugging the line, where the GT-Rs ran wider and wider as tire wear set in. I managed to grow the split between us from 0.2 to several seconds by the end, and crossed the line in 3rd
Now, Spa. One of my favourite circuits, but the Gr.2 Super GT cars are a handful to say the least, especially when driven on a circuit with significant changes in altitude. So how I managed to qualify on pole I’m not sure - perhaps everyone else was holding back so as to not be first through La Source. Not that I was first for long - despite running mediums for maximum grip at launch, I stuffed it. The traction control system was overloaded, and my Motul Autech GT-R went nowhere. I was in 3rd before the first braking point, but I held my place, and slowly made ground.
Admittedly I did nearly cause two accidents in the chicane, one on Lap 3 where the back end slipped out under heavy braking, which I turned into a bold overtaking manoeuvre, and another on lap 6 as the GT-R in front slowed early to pit. But no one died and no points were lost, and having pitted for fresh tires on Lap 7, I was in first, surging ahead to an 8 second lead.
Only that “surging ahead” came at the expense of fuel economy, which I had neglected until I noticed a certain red warning light blinking through Pouhon. I was a lap from finishing, but with only 0.5 laps of fuel left. I gambled on a second pit stop, for a squirt of fuel to get me over the line, and emerged with just 2 seconds of my lead remaining. The GT-R behind me rounded Turn 1 as I passed the secondary pit entrance. But I had the pace and the tires, and crossed the line for my first victory in an FIA series race.
. Karma got me later when someone shoved it up the inside at Stavelot, pushing me over the curb and onto the astroturf, which resulted in me spinning from 10th at the time. I was 14th when I threw the car into the wall at the final chicane on the last lap in frustration before limping the car across the line in 16th. Happily the car that was a victim of my stupidity earlier in the race finished 7th. Based on my practice time, I had the raw pace to get a decent finish, but ultimately I either ruined my own races with poor qualifying, or getting caught in the Turn 1 mess (and once causing it myself...) Hopefully I can drive the Gr. 1 cars somewhat competently around RBR next Tuesday. Gr. 1 is always one of my best categories, but RBR is another track where my stupidity tends to take over and my inner Pastor Maldonado makes himself known.
