SR4L Fun Event Rnd 5 Sebring

[1959nikos]

Report from the back.

All week I had terrible battles with technology.
If using paddles was not enough, I had to understand how this antistall thing worked and what DRS is.
Turned out DRS was the easy part, I just assigned it to the left button of my G25.
Antistall was a mystery and to make things worse I decided mid-week to go for left foot braking.
I had done it before, at my Rally sims, I guessed it would be easy to adapt again, no, it wasnt.
Except the new tricks and the old dog, G25 pedals are not really suited for it, not much space for two slippers side by side there.
Slippers off, better now, still habits cannot be forgoten, comes a bend, I press brakes with left foot and step on left foot with right foot as I was not really sure what was happening (oh, at the same time I pressed the DRS button just in case).

Come Sunday I made the obvious decision to go for auto clutch and this helped.
I also assigned pit limiter to right button of wheel and I hoped my brain cells wouldnt explode with so much new info.


Quali

Quali went good, I did an early decent (for me) 1:44, went for puff puff, only to find Neela in front (its turning into a habit of hers).

1st Race

Very sad moment, Vittorio just left race at the start and didnt come back, I thought I had good chances of taking him, he seemed he didnt have much practise on Marussia.

Took off well, braked for T2 as cars were pilling up dangerously in there, then I was airborne from a big slam from behind, chaos everywhere, I got upside again with bend steering.
It wasnt terrible so normally I would make half of distance with it, but then I remembered I had fuel for all race so I decided to pit and take my chances with the tyres.
Rest of race was not really good, I wasnt concentrating, so I made lots of mistakes, sorry if I bothered anyone.

2nd Race

Good start again, too much brakes at the chicane, spun off, and nightmare trying to get back on track started.
When car stopped I was already pressing the brakes hard with left foot, thinking it was the clutch so I wouldnt stall. Trying to get off, car wouldnt, why should it, I was still braking hard.
I pressed throttle more, pressed brakes more, I saw a thermometer appear at left top of screen, I realised I was frying the engine, suddenly brain cells opened to let info in and I was in the track again.

Things started going smooth, I went into pitstop after Neela, exited after her and I saw her slowing down at right side of T1.
Momentarily block of info through the brain cells, I thought a good chance to pass mrs Ferguson, I rushed into T1 to have my mirrors full of mr Ferguson, I suppose a lot of @#$$%^&$#*(( were thrown to my dirrection for good reason.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XYfStRuVJE[/youtube]

(yes, I know)


2nd half was the best for me, I was following Paul Swire and had some good battles in our own way, he spun, I was in front, I spun, he was in front, he spun I was in front, etc.
At some point Alex who was in front and was getting away fast, had some bad moments and got 17secs behind me, that was 3 laps before finish, I guessed that was a safe margin if brain cells stay ok, they did, I had a cool 10th, feels nice having points

A very satisfying race, big attendance, many finishers, we met a new fast guy too, Mickael (btw is he sr4l?).

Btw, I would gladly give DJ's left nut to learn how to take chicane properly...