F1 Fanatic

Well done to @jamiefranklinf1 for becoming the first British Collantine Cup champion!!!

congrats @iamsa8 and the new champion @jamiefranklinf1 !

anyone have any penalties they’d like to contest with video evidence?

So far in the Collantine Cup both season finales have produced inaugural winners, so I’d say the pressure is on @electrolite to keep this trend going.

@commonmonsoon I can’t when I took a photo of the results as I was trying to do it quickly, I took the picture as I was moving the camera (iPod) so the pic was blurry. Fail on my part.

I think @aus_steve was talking about having the finale next week, but I’m not sure. I wouldn’t mind doing it then if everyone else is okay with that.

Great to have Steve back on top of the podium!

Congratulations to @JamieFranklinF1 . Incredibly consistent, quick and cool headed all the way through the season…and glad you’re bringing the cup to the UK :D

@Commonmonsoon also needs a mention as he’s driven better than ever this season – infact, better than the year he won the thing!

As far as today’s race went, I must apologise whole heartedly to @bradley13 for my stupid move which was nowhere near worthy of a Collantine Cup driver – Grosjean 2012 esque, even. Coming up to the Degners on the first lap, and I was gaining on him at such a speed that instead of holding back and waiting for a straight, I went on the the grass, and then backed out way too late and we both went flying…What was I thinking?

Qualifying: 3rd (Promoted)
2nd was the aim, as I knew Damon would have the edge over me – which I held for the majority of the session until @aus_steve and Jamie both pipped me! Jamie had an (apparantly unfair) penalty which promoted me to 3rd.

Race: 3rd
My aim now is to cement my 3rd position in the championship, and today I went about doing that. I had to do a recovery drive, but this time through my own doings. I battled my way up the field, stopping once (a lap after everyone else I think?) and Steve was just in front of me for a about a lap beforehand.

I had an epic battle with @sato113 and waited patiently before overtaking him. JF and @Alfie had a bit of a faff up ahead which allowed me to overtake Alfie (trivran). I then had JF to pass, and we were both pulling away from trivran. It was pretty much a dead heat to the end apart from one slip up of mine, with him in 2nd and I in 3rd.

I recall some pretty epic overtakes into the first corner (@sato113 and @slr I think?) would be great to see it from your end!

Great race – I can do next weekend no problem.

Quali – 14th
Went out on primes to see how my pace fared compared to everyone else. Realised quickly that I didn’t have the pace on hards, so I came in for options, just before I saw @CommonMonsoon post a 1:33.6xx. My first lap on options, and I was immediately 3 tenths up on Damon in the first sector, though I messed up the second degner. My second sector wasn’t quite as good, but I was still in with a shout of provisional pole with a tidy final sector. However, this was when I encountered a slow moving McLaren in the form of @Brooksy007 (No hard feelings, mate :) ) and had to come back into the pits, as my lap was compromised. Even better though, was that I was handed a 10 place grid penalty (Which turned into +20 for some odd reason). My next attempt wasn’t quite as good. I was 4 tenths down on Damon in the first sector, with his new time, though I gained quite a bit back in the second sector, surprisingly, but it was only enough to put me in third…and then 14th.

Race – 2nd
I have to say that this was one of the best races I’ve ever had. A lot of fun battles, and although there were a couple of mistakes here and there, and collisions, it was still absolutely great.
I overtook three cars on the start line as I headed into turn 1. I tried to keep my head with a lot of cars around me. I think a few cars made some mistakes, because I was up to 7th as we came up to the end of sector 2. I had a tow on @Sato-113 and I certainly have to commend him for his driving here, I went around the outside, and managed to secure the place, but that would not have been possible without his fair driving. I hope he enjoyed that tussle as much as I did!
Jonny made a mistake into turn 1 on the second lap, allowing me through into 5th…something I certainly hadn’t expected so soon!
I set about chasing @Alfie, who would be a thorn in my side for a long time :P. I was right up with him on lap 3, and he went wide coming out of the esses, which let me through on the inside going into the first degner. I think I was braking a little earlier than he was into the second one though, as I got a bit of a shunt straight into the gravel, and back down to 5th :P
I caught back up to him by the end of the second sector on lap 4, thanks to another mistake, and with a tidier chicane, a double helping of KERS and DRS, I was able to pass him on the straight!
I set the fastest lap whilst chasing down Shyguy, and caught him in the esses going pretty slowly, which was then he vanished and disconnected, but not before getting a penalty and almost spinning out (You’ll see why in the video). This then let Alfie back through lol, but what was worse was that Damon had disconnected as well :(
I was still right up with Alfie going into the hairpin, but coming out of it, he turned in on me and spun me into the wall, which then let @Sato-113 through (Thankfully my car had ghosted). I caught back up to him and passed him at the beginning of lap 8 with kers and drs. I then pitted on lap 10 for primes and set about catching Alfie…again.
By the beginning of lap 16, I was back with him, but couldn’t quite pass with the DRS, but I was able to get passed on the ‘straight’ after the hairpin. However, on lap 18, I made a mistake at the second degner, which allowed Alfie back through, then after the straight, I was down the inside and then the Ferrari just went crazy, and vanished, I slowed down and tried to wait for him and allow him back through but there was no sign of him, and all of a sudden I had to worry about @Electrolite.
The rest of the race was just about keeping clean and making sure Electro didn’t get DRS, and I was able to set a couple of fastest laps on the way :P

Like I said before, great race! Congrats to Steve as well :D

I believe this puts me 26 points clear of @CommonMonsoon going into the final round, which is a little bittersweet, but I’m absolutely thrilled!

VIDEO COMING SOON!

I’d also just like to add a big thanks to everyone involved in organising the Collantine Cup, my sponsors, my fans and pretty much everyone here. It’s a pleasure to race against all of you, so to come out as Champion is just a huge bonus, and one that I am really, really happy to achieve. I’m a very competitive person, so even though it’s virtual, it still feels pretty damn great :D

And @CommonMonsoon – Part of me feels that you deserve this even more so, I think since races 3 and 4 you have been absolutely incredible. I’ve raced some pretty quick drivers, but you are certainly an astonishingly quick, and consistent racer and I really hope you can make the last race, and we can have a nice on-track battle!