Richard: Search for "thunder fix" "race 07". It loads new thunder sounds that take less memory. The original is a bit too long for some soundcards.
How my event went..
Qualy: first decided to skip it cause there really is no difference if you start from 16th or 22nd. Except the latter is 100% safer. Well, temptation won and went for it. Not a bad lap, not my pb but managed to kept myself out of traffic.. Oh karma you morbid bitch...
Race: I had perfect wet setup. Just wonderful, stable, enough turn-in to dance on the throttle. Recounted everything that's learned this season, gentlemen start your engines and go. Kept my nose clean in the opening laps. had to go wide to give more room,
Valter April parked his car in front of me and my braking lifted the rear that was on curb anyway.. Lost places but was actually happy to be demoted "honorably" at the back with a hey-ho spin.. Gained those places back on the next corner..
Then it was just driving in line, no real chance to pass, just tried to find where the grip is and where it isn't. First pitstop came as a surprise, even considered changing to 1 stopper. But no, i had a feeling that the weather is the key, overheated 87% wet tires are 2 secs slower than a fresh set. This time i had prepared pitstop presets for exactly this scenario.. Except i had forgotten to activate tires, and fill up gas on my "short wet stop".. It took two laps and lost about 6 seconds dialing the correct stop.
Not a good stop but i didn't care. Had some lappings and then a real real good battle with Valerio. Even waited when he spun a little, didn't want to pass like that in the final race. I had pace advantage at that point. Then we fought, i won that (i simply had better grip, it was obvious..) I couldn't escape far either. Started to see more rear of cars that were one lap further ahead.. hmm...
Second stop was easier, just 4 liters more fuel my head calculator said. Good work, mate. Went on T1 and checked rain percentage.. 36%.. it was 37% just a second ago.. It was my scheduled stop. Quick change to slicks. Out of "general sync", went to the pits. Good stop, nothing wrong there. Right foot had vibrations, you all know the twitching... Tried to keep calm and find the dryline. Then..
Lapping cars.. ****.. Not now. I knew that i can keep my wet pace but once those tires started to find the groove, temps rose, grip improved. Temps rose, grip improved. But i had to let basically everyone from P13 up pass. At the point when the top 7 had reached the pack and was passing them. Fck.
I lost over 30 seconds letting everybody pass. It basically went like this. Straight out of pits: had to let people pass in T1.. Managed to keep up with the pack and knew that my pace will only improve. But people at the midpack were slower than me. So i catched 1 guy, had to trail behind him until leaders came. Another round of letting pass then hanging on the midpack, next leader.. That was EXCRUCIATING! I checked the laptimes and Dino was 0.07 second faster on my first semi clear lap.. Once i had free air, i was 0.5 faster. Don't know how long that lasted, stopped looking at laptimes, it was time to freaking go!
Ditched Julius, pretty brutally (sorries at the appendix III). I had been a good boy for 10 laps and ruined my race. I just went for it. My braking on dry path was miles better but couldn't attack on wet part. One after another, just couldn't be assed cause i just knew that:
- close in on last turn
- Keep up in the straight, prayed that someone would defend (why would they?)
- Slot back inline, on dry path or take a long braking on wet.
- Take the apex and take it easy wheel to wheel or
- if still behind, stay in dry line, use grip to release full torque on 2nd gear and pass on uphill.
- Take the only dryline apex at T2, use it turn around and keep it with force if necessary. Sorry to all but you didn't make this easy... I was really hoping that one would've noticed that it was me, i was not in the same race, no threat and let me pass. I was 2 seconds faster.
- Make 0.8s gap in the next straight.
- Profit?
I wished i had taken that tactic earlier. I was aiming for second round with Vale. With all the time i lost it was impossible. Unfortunate 30 seconds at the pits at the exactly right time in the weather window meant catastrophic traffic. It's nobodys fault but mine. 10 seconds earlier in the race would kept me out of firing line.Still felt a little bit "why are you racing me?" feeling. I had some minor scrapes and bruises, feel a little bit bad but also felt like i was left without a choice. Maybe in the future, people check unlappings cause they might happen. The differences are not that great between the last and the first over one lap. Weather, tires, fuel, they can add 3 seconds. My gap to the top was 2.5 in the qualy. Same happened in Monaco once but that is Monaco and one can't simply let anyone pass (and it was for 5 laps and no positions to gain after disastrous first stint. Now it was closer to 18 laps. Almost half of the race is way too long.).
Gutted, happy, exhausted, in bliss. Season review later..
But it's not at all bad way to end the season. For a few glorius seconds i was the fastest man on PrestoGP race. Never thought that was possible, albeit it was because of conditions and luck, both good and bad. Karma, you mother... Was planning to pass Reik when he spun. Few seasons ago, i would've not dared to disturb the Meister but now i was ready to scalp him! Let's hope i can keep this level for the off-season.
I'll congratulate the Champion later, don't even know who won