With the number of times I've run the Red Bull Ring this FIA season, I'm starting to get a hang of it now I think, and because we had the 3-tire-choice/2-required-tire option for this round, I was feeling like I could get a good result. I was matched up with
@Jwptexas and a couple of other familiar faces, so I knew it was going to be a good race.
For qualifying, since the Red Bull Ring is a power circuit, I tried to get a draft for my first lap. Unfortunately, the person in front wasn't the quickest and I caught up to them, and also my unfamiliarity of braking points while under the draft didn't help, but I still set a time that was around my lobby sim times on Softs. I went out again for solo runs and cut a few tenths off that time, which in the end only put me in 10th, but this was fine as I decided to start on Mediums, giving me the option to 1 or 2 stop.
Race start was a bit embarrassing. I set the Fuel Map to 6, but because I haven't messed with the Fuel Map in a while, I pressed the D-pad in the wrong direction and ended up starting the race still in Fuel Map 6. By the time I got it back up to 1, the Alfa behind me was breathing down my neck and making a move on me into T1. Luckily for me though, the Atenza ahead of me got T1 all wrong and the Alfa behind me overshot, letting me keep 10th. I'm forced around the outside of Remus and Schlossgold by the Atenza, with an AMG GT pulling alongside, trying to get a move done into Rauch. However, I'm able to defend. The Atenza goes into the pits and it turns out they were on Hards. From the pace of the cars behind me, I could tell they were on Softs. I didn't want to defend too hard and lose too much time, but at the same time, if I could hold some of them up for a bit, it could help me for my Softs stint.
Coming into Remus on Lap 2, it's clear I'm a roadblock. I end up getting bump drafted, but thanks to the stupid penalty system, I get an SR down. Luckily though, I don't get a time penalty, and I'm able to keep defending my position up until Rindt when the AMG GT gets a good pass done on the inside, which I didn't defend against. Furthermore, the pack I'm in was catching up to the pack ahead that contained 3rd-8th, because they were fighting a ton. Watching the replay, it turns out there were a few Medium drivers in their pack holding up the Soft drivers as well.
I tailed the AMG GT for Lap 3, with another Soft driver closing quickly. Turns out they didn't need to do much to pass me though because I braked too late into Remus and got a poor exit, letting them go by without incident, leaving me in 10th place. After that, I'm able to begin opening a gap to the people behind while also not losing the pack ahead, even when I do get a 0.5s track limit penalty on Lap 6. This does, however, let an M6 get in striking range of me, who I have to defend against for the next 2 laps.
I dive into the pits at the end of Lap 9, throw on Softs, and take a splash of fuel, coming out 13th and in clean air. Time to put my head down and get some fast laps in. I pass 2 people coming out of the pits by Lap 12, and after someone ahead serves a penalty, my fresh Softs allow me to easily outbrake them into Schlossgold, putting me back into 10th. I'm now at the back of a pack containing 7th-9th, turning into 6th-8th as we pass someone pitting. I'm stuck behind them until the final corner of Lap 14, where an NSX ahead gets it all wrong and I sail by. Furthermore,
@Jwptexas ahead has an unfortunate incident coming into the pit lane which dumped him back out onto the track with only 0.2 laps of fuel remaining, but the auto-drive feature shoots his car back onto the racing line. I swerve to avoid his bot-controlled car and take 7th. I claim 6th easily as a person ahead gets loose at the exit of Remus and goes into the grass, and it's down to me hunting 5th place. I get a track-limits penalty that I serve on Lap 16, but I'm back on 5th place's tail by the end of Lap 17. They go wide into T8 and get a 1s penalty, so although they defend Remus and get a better exit, I'm able to pass easily. I dive into the pits for Hards at the end of lap 18, as does everyone immediately behind me, and come out in 6th.
I cruise on home to take.... 5th, as the leader ended up not taking Hards and got slapped with a 1 min penalty, meaning I finish with 171 points, which helps add to my point total. I felt I had good pace, and I got the strategy right, leading to a good result and a good points gain. While I feel 4th was easily an option if I didn't make the mistakes nor get the penalties, 5th is still a good enough result for me.
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