PC Round 9 - Austrian Grand Prix [10/12/17 8:00pm]

[TheEpicSnowWolf]

I can't get over the fact that every time I'm away from home it snows in Germany. Last week I was in Dublin - Snow in Germany. This week I'm in bloody Stockholm, no snow here, but guess where. Hope there's a little bit left when I return tomorrow.

 

[acerees]

Well that’s my qualifying over

 

[SexySpudflaps]

This is why I don’t practice much/at all anymore. Glad I didn’t waste any of my time this week when some people have no clue how to drive. This wasn’t the Austrian Grand Prix it was the “Take evasive action” Grand Prix. Bloody ridiculous

 

[acerees]

Congrats @Kiinako great win. Wished I had been able to qualify higher than 10 and then maybe I would have given you a race!

 

[winchy33]

Well done @Kiinako, dominant win
Buzzing with P4! Best finish for me for sometime. One stopped, stayed out of trouble and just drove fast.

Was following @Neil Bywater early on, hoping to catch him into P8 and jump him in the pits. We both went through the field and before I knew it that battle earlier was for P3. Finished a fair way behind but still, well done to you sir.

Since moaning about not scoring a point all season, now scored 3 consecutive point finishes. Think a move to F1 is in order for me

 

[Partyfuchs]

Qualyfing was pretty close but still happy for P5.
Start went somehow good for me. Was battling @michal_miletin for a long time until he braked a bit early and i fcking ran at the back of him and damged my front wing.
After my pit stop i was chasing @Neil Bywater the whole time until i overtook him at turn 1.
Unfortunately i slipped the gas on rich mix and slammed the wall. Stupidity must be punished!

Sadly no points but a fun race with nice battles.
Podium was more than possible for me but it didn't happen

 

[Putttee]

have to agree with you Spud. If it would have been last 2 seasons I would have launched a few cases but just cant be bothered this season

 

[Kiinako]

This one was almost surreal.

In Quali I memed myself and spun in the middle of the session which basically rekt my chances of getting another hotlap in, but I still was very happy with P2

Even if I basically was P1 every lap, I still had fun provided by all the people who I had to overtake after my first stop, and holding off @Rienk ven Droon was pretty suspenseful.

 

[LolFish42]

Q:
Bottled my first run, by cutting the penultimate corner, in which I was purple in S2. Had a meh second run, then ran out of time going to go for a third. P13 for the grid and quite disappointed.

R:
One stopped. After a good launch, I went cautiously into one, and collisions happened around me, no damage though. Had a few major-ish chokes in the first few laps, ending up in P16-ish. Fought my way back up into P10, went into the back of @Nasom , who I was fighting for around 6 laps, and got yellow front wing two laps before stopping. After the stop, there wasn't much battling on my part, I just gained places by not pitting twice. I was P7 going on to the final lap, then @LukeBin010 got a puncture and I passed him in S2 and finished P6, then got elevated to P5 due to corner cutting penalties.

I was elated across the line. Cheers for a good first race and I hope to be needed again soon!

 

[Rienk]

and holding off @Rienk ven Droon was pretty suspenseful.

Believe me, being behind you just waiting for a chance to overtake is not for the faint of heart either.

Qualy:
Not that great. Could've improved a lot. Still P4 though.

Race:
Got off to a great start, and found myself in P3 immediately. After a few laps of chasing down @Poetic D, I got past him in turn 1. Then it was on to chasing down @Kiinako. I felt I had the pace to catch up, but since my tires were wrecked after qualy, I had to do a 2 stop whereas he could do the 1 stop. After my stops, went on to overtaking some people. I had a bit of a slide-out on @Jay, but I backed out before anything went wrong. Then trying to overtake @winchy33 (I think) in the last 2 corners went a bit wrong, but I noticed it on time again and moved out of the track to avoid an accident. Only downside to that is that @Kiinako was in front of me again now. All other overtakes went pretty cleanly, including a successful side-by-side through the last 2 corners with @Smu3l3y, which was quite exciting.

Then, all went to ****. I was sitting behind @LukeBin010 for a few laps, who was obviously having some troubles on his old SS tires, but I could not find an opportunity to get past safely. Then... @LukeBin010 slo-mo spun coming out of the Rauch corner. I noticed it, but he was basically at a 90 degree angle to the track, right in the middle. There was nowhere to go, I crashed into him and broke my front wing. I obviously don't blame him, and I'm not mad at him for it happening, but I was quite mad at the way it happened during the race. After pitting for a new wing and some more SS tires, I was P11 behind @yoan97222. He seemed way too far away. He was battling a bit with someone else, so with fresh tires I was catching up about 1-2 seconds a lap, but it wasn't enough.

Finished P11, but missed out on a highly likely P3 and a very possible P2. Now that's one way to lose out on some points.

Congrats to @Kiinako on the win. I was really hoping to join you on the podium once again, but it wasn't meant to be

 

[Neil Bywater]

Well done @Kiinako on another win and @acerees on 2nd.

I was happy with 3rd after compromised qually with apparent cold front tyres breaking for hairpin.

Anyway tip toed around outside at turn 1 dropping back to 14th ish, then picked my way through incidents at T3 and got to 10th then dropped back to 11th after a tank slapper out of T1.

Plodded along till lap 13 on US with @Jay on my tail in SS. I came out and clawed up to @Jay again in 5th before he pitted, so knew that was one in the bag.

Had a battle with @Partyfuchs sorry for the slight nudge at T2 before I overtook you. The you came back later on and I got a poor last bend and decided to let you take me tight into T1 and braked early for a possible cut back, but you threw it into the wall all by yourself which made me have a little smile.

Then thinking 5th was in the bag but with @winchy33 keeping me honest, but knew he had a time penalty.

As mentioned in post race chat, I couldn't believe my luck when @Rienk ven Droon came together with @LukeBin010 at T5/6 and gifted me the last spot on the podium.

Generally pretty happy with my days work and it didn't rain.

Now is it Silverstone?

 

[Kane Jr]

My qualifying was a let down.Missed some apexes and was .6 off the time I should have gone.

My race went down the drain on lap one, turn one as a certain flipping idiot attempted to ram me up the asshole and pile drive his way into P1. Not the first time this has happened, either. You know who you are. Get your common sense back and keep in mind turn one at any track is going to be congested and brake early. Your idiocy is ruining other peoples' races.

 

[winchy33]

Then trying to overtake @winchy33 (I think) in the last 2 corners went a bit wrong, but I noticed it on time again and moved out of the track to avoid an accident.

That was me that you was alongside (at 36:00 below) But I admit I should have been on the inside as I was coming in the pits that lap, however I didn't want to cut across you so stuck to the outside. Sorry if it put you off line, unlucky for you to run wide.

My race is here btw

 

[Rienk]

That was me that you was alongside (at 36:00 below) But I admit I should have been on the inside as I was coming in the pits that lap, however I didn't want to cut across you so stuck to the outside. Sorry if it put you off line, unlucky for you to run wide.

No harm done man. It was a bit of a misunderstanding, and it wouldn't have helped much in the end anyways

 

[Nasom]

Q:I destroyed every lap I did so P20 with no time on the board!
R:Starting P20 I knew Softs was the only choice really!1 stop at Lap 19 and let everyone battle each other and me cruise away happily!I did have a nice battle with @LolFish42 for P11 and I was able to hold him off on my soft tyres which was nice because it was a good battle!After my 1st stop I went on Super Softs and had a nice battle with my teamate @LukeBin010 and at the last lap I was able to get passed him and finish P5,tho I could tell his tyres were destroyed by the last 3-4 laps!Anyway finished 7th due to some dumb penalties I got but I will take it!Oh and I made an incredible divebomb on someone on Turn 2 Lap 1,dont remember who, which in fact was not a divebomb......i just lost my braking point and found a small space on the inside,IT FELT AWESOME!So P20 to P5.........not bad

 

[Steve Jackson]

Q: 15th

Was actually 16th but for @Clint58's penalty that promoted me one place. I was aiming at a 1:07.5/6 so I was about a half second off where I wanted to be; I've always seemed to struggle with qualifying. The wrong track to be off it, very close. We must be doing something right for mistakes to mean a lot in this league. Starting so far back I was worried it would be chaos into the turns on the first lap.

R: 6th (SS/US 21)

Really threw a 'Hail Mary' with the strategy starting down the field. Had not tested this permutation, but banked on the US lasting once the fuel load had gone down. I seem to be good at tyre management but it made it hard for me to stay on the pace early doors. As the race settled down I got into a better rhythm but because everyone else's strategy was different I really had no idea where I would come out. I knew I would rise up the field staying out and get a decent track position before pitting. I was alarmed that everyone who was faster was seeming to make their way past by about L16 and I had yet to pit! However, I was hopeful that with about +2 laps of fuel left to start the stint I had to push on after the stop and luckily I had clear track when I needed it.

So, pitting from 4th place I came out 9th and only really benefitted from 1 retirement and took @LukeBin010 on the line (he had a puncture) and @Nasom had time penalties so 6th feels pretty rewarding given the start.

Great debut for @LolFish42, Austria is the kind of track that can really be quite intense (I found it draining TBH; rinse, lather, repeat) as I was OK racing him for a few corners, the only other defending I really did was against @Rienk ven Droon & @Kiinako pretty much blasted past but overall despite the lack of real racing I was pleased that the strategy paid off as I'd done stints on the S and found it lacked any kind of pace.

 

[Neil Bywater]

My race

 

[LukeBin010]

First of all congrats @Kiinako and sry @Rienk ven Droon, i feel You but nothing for me to do there to avoid stopping in the middle of the track, i tried both breaking and accelerating but obviously nothing happened, i was a passenger!

Q: very frustrating, don't know why couldn't find the feeling and i made a 1.07.0xx (that allowed me to start P6, not the worse) while in free practice i got a 1.06.0xx. So! 1 second slower, very sad. Must be my rly bad real life day that affected that, i don't know, because the race wasn't a lot better.

R: quite a good start, passing @Partyfuchs in P5, that in the first lap touched me behind several time. Then my fkin doggy starts jumping on me and screaming......... You understand that distracted me a lot and in laps 4-5 i was like 10th. So i decided to try something different and I changed my US tires into some SS instead of S thinking to see how these could go in terms of times and deterioration, and start managing the tires trying to extend their life more than i could. That revealed not to be the best choice because i got stuck behind @acerees who was in P2-P3 that had the S tires, i was clearly faster, tryed to pass him but got a huuuge lock up and from there the cathastrophe. The car starts not feeling good at all, and I drifted during all the Rauch corner, lost it and @Rienk ven Droon crash into me, that was not my fault I think but i still waited for him to pass but don't know why he didn't start immediately and I lost other 2 positions. I kept thinking that i could go trough the end with my SS predicting a final 70-75% on the tires but on the last 3-4 laps my times fell down and with these my tires, on the last lap i had 79% on all the tires, still in P5, @Nasom passed me then got a puncture and lost other 2 positions.
Final toughts: I think if i didn't get stuck behind @acerees and managed to not lock up I could avoid the drift and i could quite safely go through the end with the SS. But still happy to get some points with my P8 after all of that. Again very sorry for what happened to you @Rienk ven Droon.

 

[Rienk]

I think but i still waited for him to pass but don't know why he didn't start immediately

After the crash I was in the gravel on the side of the track the wrong way round, and I saw that there were cars quickly approaching, so I waited for them to pass so I could rejoin fairly safely.

 

[Neil Bywater]

After the crash I was in the gravel on the side of the track the wrong way round, and I saw that there were cars quickly approaching, so I waited for them to pass so I could rejoin fairly safely.

34:05 of my video, the sad aftermath of it.