F1 Fanatic

Is there an open spot left? I would love to join. My Gamertag is El Timuel

Race Report:
Qualifying: Pretty average session, not great in AUS in the wet so 6th wasn’t bad, found traffic quite a pain, but managed to get a fairly decent lap in towards the end. 6th

Race: Had a great start from 6th and came out of T1 in 3rd, really made my race I think. Someone in 4th was backing the pack up a bit, and the front 2 were running away so for once I had a nice calm first stint, pumped in some fairly decent laps up to my 1st stop, staying close to the front runners, but not really challenging them. Very quiet race for me really, was always in some space so was able to keep the lap times consistent, had a few encounters with @infernojim and @mrgrieves. 3rd

Very pleased to make the podium, had a good start and a quiet race to claim some big points for the team, a shame @ljkobrien couldn’t make it, as the McLaren 1-2 means a big points gap in the constrictors championship! Well done to Lemon and OK!

@Mr-Rossi

You able to join us next week? You haven’t missed out as we will just count yesterday as one of your two lowest scores – everyone’s lowest 2 scores are dropped to make it fair for everyone, as it would be impossible for all to attend all 12 races over the summer.

Let me know if you are still interested!

probably the most eventful grand prix yet for me…. Quali was wet, and so I was completely unprepared, so just had to go out and try to get a feel for the track…I did my first run on inters to test the waters (no pun intended)…obviously as everyone got a feel for the track the times came down quickly so on my second run I took a gamble on the full wets, feeling like the track was pretty sodden but that came to no avail as it seemed somehow the track was good enough for inters.. so I knew I had to get back on to inters but with 1:24 seconds remaining on the clock as I left the pits I knew I had to cornercut my way to the line! and did so, crossing the line as the clock hit 0 seconds there must have been probably 1 tenth of a second in it…I did an ok lap on the inters albeit with my dry setup which got me third….

The race started pretty terribly I got to second after the second corner but was given an unjust ten second penalty and was then put in the gravel at turn 3….got back on the track in 8th place and had alot of work to do…..I had good pace though and began to work my way up the field, making a few good overtaking manouvers and one or two over zealous dives up the inside into closed doors… had a nice fight with snake also… when I came to second it was clear kevin in first was going to be a bit harder to catch. Nevertheless by the first set of stops I maanaged to bring the gap down to around just over a second… kevin stopped on lap 7, but knowing fresh primes take a lap to warm to full temperature I thought I’d stay out another lap and try to jump him in the pits..a reasonable in lap allowed me to come out of the pits (on primes) 2 seconds ahead but with fresh tyres, a need to save some fuel and kevin going full revs (at least thats what my engineer told me) I had to push pretty hard to keep him behind…as my tyres came up to temp though I managed to build a gap and started to try and think of a way to finish more than ten seconds ahead of kevin because thats what I needed to win…My tyres seemed to be lasting out pretty well even after a series of consistantly fast laps and as kevin pitted around lap 17-18 (cant remember exactly) and I saw him over 30 seconds behind me I thought to myself…’There’s no way I can lose 20 seconds in 5 laps’ so I stayed out and was in the complete unknown having planned to do a two stop…my tyres held up pretty well losing only a couple of seconds up until about lap 21…but by lap 22 and 23 they were off the cliff and I think I lost ten seconds in two laps to kevin.. with maddogmolly and snake unlapping themselves…but I finished with 15 seconds in hand over kevin…

In Qualifying I was up by 0.4 Sec on strunks time I think it was just 1 min before the end but I ran out of fuel on the last corner. :D
As you can see I just couldn’t match Lemon’s pace. I wasn’t to happy with my gear ratio’s either.

BTW: Great move by Gameprotage in turn 3^^.

Seemed like a good race, don’t worry @McWoblin, come Monday it’ll be the black and gold of the Lotus’ taking P1 and 2 by the end of the race ;)

Well the first race of the season didn’t go exactly to plan.

Qualified in 7th. Was around 2 seconds off the pole man. Maybe a bit too cautious. 

I n the race, I got to 4th by turn 3 managing to avoid the madness around me. Went side by side with Snake going into turn 13 (Ascari). Coming out of that turn he suddenly went to the left and I had nowhere to go but hit the wall. I think he was just using the racing line (I’ll be worried if he actually meant to punt me into the wall!). Loss a position to Rocker and then lemon passed me before the end of the lap. Was back in 6th. Tried to pass lemon again going into turn 1 but noticed Strunk making a late lunge down the inside! I managed to avoid him as he went off.  

Got a penalty for trying to pass Rocker through the fast left right of 11/12. Didn’t realise I knocked him. Even looking at the video it looks like there was no contact. Apologies Rocker!

The next few laps I  Made  a few mistakes by braking too late a couple of times into turn 15. My teammate made a Move on lap 6 but he managed to spin off and retired. 

After first stop stayed around the 8th/9th mark. Had a good battle with Strunk but I know I wasn’t particularly quick on primes. I then got another penalty for cutting too many corners .

Fairly quiet after that. Got up to 5th before my final stop where I crashed into the ghost of y2j in the pits. Came out 9th on options where I was lapped by Lemon. Had a bit of a fight with snake and unlapped myself but ultimately finished 9th after penalties.

Driver of the race – Lemon! I can’t believe he won after ending up in the gravel in turn 3. Would love to see his charge through the field :-)

@kyle

Enjoyed, your video, particularly your second stint, where the gab to me goes down nicely, lap by lap, until I ultimately pass you just before your 2nd stop.

The only down side is that I should probably have pitted at the same time – don’t think I had many of those stupid penalties at that point either!

Looking forward to China! Looks like we may have a 16 man grid for the first time ever! Mental!