Round 5 Mugello - Sun Mar 8, 2020

I installed new track version (after purging old stuff....including the Vmod and manifest just to be safe)
Got on without issue after installing new version, so should be a simple process to update for today.

...now, practice time

 

Made a couple of mistakes, running wide, whilst under no pressure due to lapses in concentration (which certainly contributed to Barrett closing the gap on me), but spent most of the race in my own space. Happy with the end result though. Shame though that there seems to be getting fewer people competing on race day.

 

Well I had a very fast setup great for one lap but not much good after that. Pole was unexpected. Started the race well but after 5 laps my times began to fall away and Jason was all over me. I never pulled out more than a second from him. When the gap did open slightly it only took him a few corners to get back on my tailpipes. Had to defend more and more but by 30 minutes my tyres were toast and the inevitable happened. I made a mistake into T1 went wide and Jason was through. By the time I got back on track Jason was 5 seconds up the road. The win was gone I had no tyre life to fight back. Towards the end of the race I was worried that Gert would close the gap as it was coming down by nearly a second a lap. Only just held on to 2nd another lap and I wouldn't have.

Well done Jason

 

I had the same issue too

 

After you ran wide you first pulled away again from away from me before I noticed I was closing in again... I already knew that my setup would result in oversteer after half of the race. My main focus was not to make big mistakes and lose the podium... In the end I was really getting close but I think would need at least two more laps.

 

Race review:
I qualified in 3rd with a good lap... After the start in the 1st lap Jason and Paul were fighting for 1st where Jason ran wide and I could pass him. Half a lap later I ran wide and Jason could retake 2nd... The following few laps I struggled getting into a rhytm and by the time I found it Jason and Paul had dissappeared in the distance. At that time I could do faster lap times also because the tyre pressures and temps have gone up. I could pull a small gap to the guys behind me and was able to drive steady and stable... Near the end my tyres really were dead and I had to catch the rear stepping out some times... In the end I was closing the gap to Paul but also had to take care not to make a mistake because Jens was only a few seconds behind me...

In the end I was happy with my performance and glad to be on the podium again...

CU later on track

 

No major mistakes actually. It's just incompetence.

I can't figure out what's going on with the tires. I did Q on full race set and it all felt good. Go to race and i had what seemed like a significant loss of grip. Even as i was trying to preserve my tires and minimize heat build up they were wearing down and getting slicker as if i was doing a full press.

At half race, Nuno had dropped out so there was no reason not to change the tires just to try to have a little more fun. The car felt significantly better after that and the tires were just starting to go off in the last couple laps.

So, WTF? I dunno. But i love the feel of these cars and the race was fun, nevertheless.

~b

 

Well, this was a really fun race and I meant to get back in here and post a race report days ago. Been a bit busy so it didn't happen.

I didn't have much practice, felt the car was not where I wanted it. Quali showed that. I just couldn't get a good lap in and Paul put down a smoking hotlap and that was that. Started P2, quickly fell to P3, only to regain it a few corners later. I knew I had to stay on Paul, create as much pressure as I could. And, for once, it worked out.
I followed him many laps...probably the first half hour. We were nose to tail most of that time.

Eventually, Paul made a small mistake and ran off the track after using up the tires (it's obviously always easier to follow than to be that lead car forced to defend constantly...easier on tires too...hehe)
After that it was just keeping my head in it. This car can get away from you in a hurry and I was determined to make sure that didn't happen to me this time around. A few scary moments, even when trying to be patient and just drive. Tires were faded and it was a bit slick out there.
Managed to hang in there and get it done though. Thanks for the congrats and I'm really looking forward to the final round. Hope to see you all there!