07-03-2016, 08:41 AM
A very frustating event.
Qualy went well, after the hard work done the previous week on the setup I managed to feel competitive again. Being just 2 tenths from the pole was a good feeling (the previous races gap was higher than a second)
Race 1 - Started fine without trouble. The first laps I was quite cautious trying to get the feeling of the car behind Rik and Robert. By the end of lap 6 I decided to go for an early pitstop. If things went well I could gain a position, if I got caught in traffic I would remain third, so I had nothing to lose.
I had a bit of traffic so I got surprised when 2 laps later I was ahead of Robert when he got out of the pits. I had to manage this set of tires for 10 laps so I new Robert would catch me and put me into trouble.
I was able to defend for 2 laps but about 4 laps to the end we met John Cook and Nikos in battle at the end of the lap. Getting to the main straight I was right behind John's slipstream when suddenly I say his brake lights turn on mid straight. I had no time to react and crushed into him and went straight into Robert and the wall, damaging the car.
Having lost my second position to Robert I just wanted to make it to the end of the race. I later met Nikos and we just didn't correctly interpretate the other on where to move and we both went in the same direction crashing again and losing 3rd to DjC. (as Nikos said later we should talk about lapping overtakes and how to make them safer)
So that was the end of race 1.
Race 2. I should be starting in 7th place on the rubbered side, but instead I found myself in 8th place on the green side.
Starting on the green side I almost lose my position to Robert. We went side by side in turn 1 and then to the next lefthander. It was not me trying to outbrake Edwin, but me defending from Robert. Anyway I touched Edwin, that was my fault.
Getting out of the hairpin cars ahead started to touch eachother and took me to the grass and wall damaging my car and losing big seconds. Again rejoined the track and again cars crashed and took me to the wall.
I was already like 30 seconds from the lead, in frustration and thinking I was already the last man of the race I rejoined the track not looking behind. In my mistake the new guy who joined us (sorry I don't remember the name) was coming fast and crushed into me, my apologies.
I then continued my unlucky race.
A few laps later I reached Santiago who had the bad luck to make a mistake in front of me taking me against the wall (getting even more damage).
I continued racing and met another driver who also made a mistake in front of me but fortunately we only touched sides not losing time in incident.
By lap 6 I was approaching Harri Mac, so to avoid losing time battling him I went for my pitstop. The remaining laps were more comfortable with little traffic. The next driver was S. Flynn (can't remember well, sorry) 17 seconds ahead. I calculated that at the pace I was driving I would catch him by the final lap. And so it was, beginning the final lap I was 1.5sec behind him. I was quite happy and forgetting about my frustration of the previous incidents.
To make the great finale Windows also wanted to take part in the race. 4 corners to the end a sudden "Installshield" notification appeared on my task bar minimizing rfactor2. Just heard my car crashing against the wall trying to bring rfactor2 back to work which happened a bunch of seconds later (at least I managed to exit pressing the Esc key)
Anyway, a disatreous weekend, just hope Targa Florio gets better.
Qualy went well, after the hard work done the previous week on the setup I managed to feel competitive again. Being just 2 tenths from the pole was a good feeling (the previous races gap was higher than a second)
Race 1 - Started fine without trouble. The first laps I was quite cautious trying to get the feeling of the car behind Rik and Robert. By the end of lap 6 I decided to go for an early pitstop. If things went well I could gain a position, if I got caught in traffic I would remain third, so I had nothing to lose.
I had a bit of traffic so I got surprised when 2 laps later I was ahead of Robert when he got out of the pits. I had to manage this set of tires for 10 laps so I new Robert would catch me and put me into trouble.
I was able to defend for 2 laps but about 4 laps to the end we met John Cook and Nikos in battle at the end of the lap. Getting to the main straight I was right behind John's slipstream when suddenly I say his brake lights turn on mid straight. I had no time to react and crushed into him and went straight into Robert and the wall, damaging the car.
Having lost my second position to Robert I just wanted to make it to the end of the race. I later met Nikos and we just didn't correctly interpretate the other on where to move and we both went in the same direction crashing again and losing 3rd to DjC. (as Nikos said later we should talk about lapping overtakes and how to make them safer)
So that was the end of race 1.
Race 2. I should be starting in 7th place on the rubbered side, but instead I found myself in 8th place on the green side.
Starting on the green side I almost lose my position to Robert. We went side by side in turn 1 and then to the next lefthander. It was not me trying to outbrake Edwin, but me defending from Robert. Anyway I touched Edwin, that was my fault.
Getting out of the hairpin cars ahead started to touch eachother and took me to the grass and wall damaging my car and losing big seconds. Again rejoined the track and again cars crashed and took me to the wall.
I was already like 30 seconds from the lead, in frustration and thinking I was already the last man of the race I rejoined the track not looking behind. In my mistake the new guy who joined us (sorry I don't remember the name) was coming fast and crushed into me, my apologies.
I then continued my unlucky race.
A few laps later I reached Santiago who had the bad luck to make a mistake in front of me taking me against the wall (getting even more damage).
I continued racing and met another driver who also made a mistake in front of me but fortunately we only touched sides not losing time in incident.
By lap 6 I was approaching Harri Mac, so to avoid losing time battling him I went for my pitstop. The remaining laps were more comfortable with little traffic. The next driver was S. Flynn (can't remember well, sorry) 17 seconds ahead. I calculated that at the pace I was driving I would catch him by the final lap. And so it was, beginning the final lap I was 1.5sec behind him. I was quite happy and forgetting about my frustration of the previous incidents.
To make the great finale Windows also wanted to take part in the race. 4 corners to the end a sudden "Installshield" notification appeared on my task bar minimizing rfactor2. Just heard my car crashing against the wall trying to bring rfactor2 back to work which happened a bunch of seconds later (at least I managed to exit pressing the Esc key)
Anyway, a disatreous weekend, just hope Targa Florio gets better.
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