F1 Fanatic

@raymondu999 I have AIs on level 3/4, I will turn it up for next season but I don’t want to ruin my statistics – also because I started with level 3/4 and I was rubbish, then I got better and better but it makes no sense to change level halfway through the season otherwise my results would seem unbalanced.

India
I always struggled immensely at Buddh, but I found a very good setup which allowed me to battle with the others. In Q1 it was near impossible for me to set a good lap as I continued to mess up the twisty sector 2, but when I did it got me into Q2, with hard tyres. I got into Q3 after a number of laps, and managed to set only one lap in it to save my tyres – I was 3rd, just 0.145s off Hamilton’s pole position, which made me a little upset because I could have had pole with a perfect lap, but as the team were aiming for 3rd I was satisfied.
The race was rainy, and we run on intermediates. As expected, I took the lead and to my astonishment I was a second per lap quicker than my closest rival, Hamilton. I pitted for new intermediates on lap 6 and I continued to run away from the others. I set the fastest time on the last lap, as I reached the backmarkers. I won, Alonso was only 6th and Liuzzi 22nd.

Season 1 – HRT #22
Poles: 2 – Wins: 7 – Doubles: 2 – Grand Slams: 0

Australia – 15th + 4th
Malaysia – 11th + 5th
China – 10th + 5th
Turkey – 7th + 4th
Spain – 10th + 8th
Monaco – 1st + 1st
Canada – 12th + 3rd
Europe – 8th + 2nd
Great Britain – 4th + 1st
Germany – 3rd + 1st
Hungary – 6th + 1st
Belgium – 4th + 2nd
Italy – 6th + 3rd
Singapore – 2nd + 1st
Japan – 6th + 2nd
South Korea – 1st + 1st
India – 3rd + 1st

Despite being so far into my season I got bored – and I restarted my career! :P

I chose Williams again with Legend difficulty. I skipped free practice – as is customary of me when there are no development runs to do. I don’t know how; or why – but the car felt fabulous. The balance was ther e- the grip was there; I could really carry speed through; I could brake massively late; etc. I don’t know why. I qualified 7th.

With a 40% race at 23laps in Melbourne – the race was an intermediate start. I put on my intermediate setup changes – basically what I do is just add 1 front wing to the front and 2 to the rear for intermediate setups (I usually have 1 more front wing than I do rear, for dry) and go off.

I braked massively late into Turn 1; and as cars were squabbling closer to the racing line I was on the inside; and got my car turned well to miss the squabble and get a good exit. I was 4th by the apex – but alongside 2nd placed Vettel as I exited. I took up Webber (P1)’s slipstream as I was there – and dived into T3. I almost ran wide on the exit; but saved it by dapping a touch of full throttle while I had lock on – enough to just spin the rear around; giving me a straight entry into T4. From there I turned the engine down to Mix 1 to preserve it (for future races) and drove a calm race. I knew I was mega on the brakes – so I just managed the car on traction; and not taking too much out of the fronts in the high speed. I relied on my brakes for defending; and on selective use of KERS.

By virtue of my race engineer’s recommended strategy being stopping on L7 and L14; I thought the AI would pit on L7 and L8. They always seem to pit on the recommended lap; and recommended +1. On Lap 6 my tyres were still in great shape (for tyres that were supposed to be changed on Lap 7) and I turned the engine back to standard; and I gunned it starting from the fast chicane. From a constant 0.3s gap behind me; Webber went to 1.3s behind me at the startline; and I stretched the gap to 2.1s in the next tour. I stayed out on 7. I pitted on Lap 8 – and came out in P1. Which was relatively satisfying.

I did my usual trick of tyre management and judicious KERS use; and while the AI pitted on L14 and L15 – I gunned it from Sector 3 of L14 – and produced 2 and a half very good laps. I stayed until L16; because that way my last stint would only have to go through 7 laps. I pitted; and stayed ahead – which required me pinching myself. I was actually leading the first race of the year in a Williams on Legend difficulty. I usually am able to do that on other circuits – but never the first few races of the year.

I just continuously managed my tyres, ready to do my usual “gun the inlap” strategy – except that would mean the final few laps rather than inlap. At the end of L18 I saw cars slowing on the main straight on my mini map – and I thought they must have pitted. I waited until one was moving already – and I checked the race director. A select few of the midfield had pitted and gone for options. I called up the quick menu and asked for options – and gunned it into the pits. I came out 3 seconds ahead Petrov – who was now in P2 with Perez P3 – having undercut everyone except me. That was end of L19 – meaning I had 20, 21, 22, and 23 to go. 4 laps.

Very worryingly for me – I actually never managed to get the tyres fully up to temp until the race ended. On the car temperatures screen they were always a blueish green color; but never full green. Thankfully though that was enough to keep pace with Petrov – and I won the race. A hell of a feeling; knowing you won the first race on Legend, in a back-midfielder car. Best part? The closest “contender” was Alonso in P6 – with midfielders in between me and him. That would help me in the points a lot.

Brazil
I qualified 6th, without particular difficulties though, and took 2nd place at the start of the race. Vettel, ahead, ran away easily, and Massa passed me on lap 4. A couple of laps later, Alonso was through as well. I pitted on lap 6 and after the round of pit stops had finished, Vettel lead from Alonso and Massa; I was 4th, ahead of Kobayashi. On lap 12 I lapped Glock, but apart from that nothing happened and I finished in that position, ending my 13-race podium streak. Alonso, as said, was 2nd, and Liuzzi 22nd.

Season 1 – HRT #22
Poles: 3 – Wins: 8 – Doubles: 3 – Grand Slams: 0

Australia – 15th + 4th
Malaysia – 11th + 5th
China – 10th + 5th
Turkey – 7th + 4th
Spain – 10th + 8th
Monaco – 1st + 1st
Canada – 12th + 3rd
Europe – 8th + 2nd
Great Britain – 4th + 1st
Germany – 3rd + 1st
Hungary – 6th + 1st
Belgium – 4th + 2nd
Italy – 6th + 3rd
Singapore – 2nd + 1st
Japan – 6th + 2nd
South Korea – 1st + 1st
India – 3rd + 1st
Abu Dhabi – 1st + 1st
Brazil – 6th + 4th

Drivers’ Championship
1. Me – 344
2. Alonso – 280 (Rival)
3. Hamilton – 209

Constructors’ Championship
1. Ferrari – 415
2. Red Bull – 384
3. HRT – 344

I’m considering re-starting my F1 2011 career, it’s a bit too easy and unrealistic at the moment!
I’ve been a driving/racing gamer for years, but I’m still not *that* good.
Started on Virgin/Marussia for a 7-season career.
First race I had it on easy, with assists except manual gears. 20% short weekends.
Qualified 5th, ended up 5th, a great race, had a bit of a train behind me, Rosberg was in front about 5+ seconds and pulling away.
For the next, I decided to take off some of the assists to make it a bit more difficult, and more realistic. Qualifiying wasn’t as good, I think it was about 9th, ended up on the podium. So again, next race I took off more assists and added more realism with the tyre/fuel sims. Ended up winning!
It seems the more ‘realistic’ I make it, the easier I was finding it, so when I got to the Monaco GP I deliberately ‘binned it’ with a DNF so I wouldn’t be running away with points.
A Virgin 1st place with 90+ points at the moment? Meeeh.
I’m currently at Valencia, but like I said, I’m considering restarting, maybe going for a shorter career and going for a midfield team with a higher difficultly and see what happens.
Love the game though! Seems a tad easier to get the car around the track than F1 2010 though, or is that just me?

Turkey
Once again, all three qualifying sessions were wet, and I set the 4th fastest lap behind Schumacher, Massa and Alonso. After the race started, Massa took the inside line and Schumacher the outside one; I was in between both, ran a little wide on the kerb but took the lead ahead of the Ferrari driver.
I was constantly under attack in the DRS zone, but I saved all my KERS for that straight and, taking an inside line and braking late, always kept my position. I had started on hard tyres, and pitted on lap 7, one lap after Massa and Webber, my closest rivals. Webber and Schumacher overtook Massa, and although Webber reduced his gap from me I kept the lead, despite it being only a few tenths. I ran wide at turn 6 and Webber was through, but I stayed in his tow and passed him in the DRS zone which had given me so many problems before. I set my personal fastest lap, which was later improved by 4 tenths by Vettel, and kept going, winning the race ahead of my nearest championship rival. Massa was 5th, and Buemi 17th.

Season 2 – Toro Rosso #1
Wins: 2 – Poles: 0 – Doubles: 0 – Grand Slams: 0
Australia – 12th + 5th
Malaysia – 3rd + 2nd
China – 2nd + 1st
Turkey – 4th + 1st

Canada
I always struggled in qualifying in Canada, and I could only manage 8th place. I knew my race pace was slightly better but if I left someone ahead of me they would get out of sight quickly, so at the start, after a quick but thorough examination of the different options, I decided to take the inside of turn 1, which was left rather empty, and then the inside of turn 2, and that put me in 2nd place. I had to pass Schumacher as quickly as possible to prevent him from running away, so I used all my KERS to prepare my attack that came at the hairpin: I was on the inside and into the lead. As I was slowing everyone down, the field was very compacted, and Massa passed Schumacher. I pitted on lap 6, as scheduled, and Massa did so on lap 7. I was ahead of him, with Vettel leading the race and the two HRTs between me and him. On lap 8 Vettel mysteriously retired, promoting Liuzzi, who pitted on that lap, to the lead. I re-took the lead and struggled to keep Massa behind, especially in the first of the two DRS zones. Perez and Alonso were immediately behind followed by Schumacher.
The last of many attempts went badly for Massa: on the last lap he attacked me going into the final hairpin, but I resisted on the outside, and he probably slipped on the kerb, because Perez, Schumacher and Alonso were now ahead of him. I won the race ahead of Perez and Schumacher completed the podium, with the two Ferraris right behind. Webber was in 24th place, retired, and Buemi was 12th, whilst Liuzzi was 9th.

Season 2 – Toro Rosso #1
Wins: 4 – Poles: 0 – Doubles: 0 – Grand Slams: 0
Australia – 12th + 5th
Malaysia – 3rd + 2nd
China – 2nd + 1st
Turkey – 4th + 1st
Spain – 8th + 2nd
Monaco – 5th + 1st
Canada – 8th + 1st

Great Britain
I entered Q2 by being 17th, and Q3 by being 10th, sending my team mate out by 2 tenths. In a wet Q3 I led the timesheets, but when I entered the pits I was 4th. I had time for two more laps, but the first was bad. Then I crossed the finish line with less than a second left in the session and that lap improved me from 5th (Vettel had beaten me as well) to 4th, 0.111s from pole man Webber, with Alonso and Massa in between.
At the start I wasn’t faster than the others, but they left a gap down the inside which I used to take the lead. Being on hard tyres, I had to wait until lap 6 to pit; Alonso did so on lap 4 and Massa on lap 5; Webber had spun just after passing me in the DRS zone.
Alonso didn’t use his two extra laps to pass me, but instead was passed by Vettel. Massa also couldn’t pass me after my pit stop, and from then on I administrated the race to take my sixth season win ahead of Vettel and Massa.. Buemi was 15th, and, as Webber was 13th, Massa has now taken the runner-up position in the standings.

Season 2 – Toro Rosso #1
Wins: 6 – Poles: 0 – Doubles: 0 – Grand Slams: 0
Australia – 12th + 5th
Malaysia – 3rd + 2nd
China – 2nd + 1st
Turkey – 4th + 1st
Spain – 8th + 2nd
Monaco – 5th + 1st
Canada – 8th + 1st
Europe – 8th + 1st
Great Britain – 4th + 1st