Again, after extensive testing with both Ferrari and Huracan I'm clearly in the Moose club and then some, because with my gorilla inputs front left is gone on lap 11 with the rest laps until stop in the range of 1:55s.
So two stop strategy is the only way for me: going as much error free as possible and hoping that low B lobby is not populated with tire preservation masters.
Chose Ferrari because of my many Manu seasons experience with them and I truly felt the 458 is turning better than the Lambo.
GT2, first US slot, lowish B lobby, 88 points for the win
I managed to snatch the pole by a whisker (3 thousands) with time of 1:46.6, a whole flotilla of Huracans behind me.
Started well and as expected gained few tenths on the Huracans by the first corner.
First laps I was alone with a gap of 1.5-1.9 seconds to the following car, but swiftly one Huracan started to break from the bunch and slowly but surely gaining on me. I was faster in sector 2 and first two corners of sector 3, but what they were doing in the rest of sector 3 was astonishing because they were gaining 3-4 tenths regularly.
So by the lap 7-8 the Huracan was on my back with about 0.5 seconds gap, they even tried to pass me at the first corner but it was too far away. With full fuel tank my front left was very much used, so I decided to pit on lap 9. The Huracan stayed out.
Fortunately I exited on empty track, within a lap caught and passed someone struggling with used tires. The leading Huracan pitted on lap 11 and got caught up in the traffic on the way out, that gave me 2-3 seconds of calm. After few laps they started to gain on me again, my advantage slowly bleeding out.
I pit on lap 19 for the last set of softs and the Huracan (now about 2 seconds behind) pitted after me.
Bad luck for them on the exit as more traffic came after I went out. Suddenly the chasing Huracan dropped in the group (something must have happened there) and I slowly built my advantage over the bunch.
When the chasing Huracan emerged in the second place I had 6.5 seconds advantage and 7 laps to go. You might think, that is enough, but I saw bigger gaps vanishing in a strip of clipped grass, so I was 100% focused on doing the best lines I could.
The advantage was getting smaller but in the point of 3.5 seconds and just ahead of the last lap I think the Huracan surrendered and I arrived first on the line with over 4 seconds.
Most drivers at the front were on 2 stop strategy, the few one stoppers were further back with quite poor pace.
A hard fought win and 88 points are very good after Red Bull disappointment, let's see how I will fare with the formula on Saturday...