I was really pleased with qualifying and found a lot of time. Unfortunately, everyone else found even more time.
As usually I didn't wait to the very end to take advantage of the most rubber on track. Instead I prefer to get some late laps in on full fuel so I am ready for the race start.
I made an ok start but Jonathan made an awesome start from a few rows back and so I had to stay inline and got a bit boxed in. So I lost three spots up to turn 1. Still Frank had said be careful on lap one so I was a good little driver and behaved myself. It was still scary coming into the jump and expecting to find someone sideways across the road. The main danger of starting so far back. It was all ok though and I just had to be patient until we reached the 'straight' up to the forest.
At that point my main focus was getting back past Jonathan through the fast forest section as he was looking very quick through the twisty sections. He past Honza's 2l Gordini into the first tight right hander before the 'Big Rock' complex and was flying. I had a look at the same Gordini approaching the actual ‘Big Rock’ corner but thought better of it on lap 1. That proved to be my first bit of luck for the day as Mark had spun and was just starting to clear the track as we approached. As I wasn’t side by side with Honza, I had room to get past Mark’s car.
My second bit of luck followed on from that. The confusion had caused Martin to be slow at the start of the hill, which let Jonathan and Honza get a run on him. He powered back alongside them both, which boxed them in and allowed me to take advantage and follow him through. Back to p24 where I had started.
Martin pulled away from me through the forest but I was able to close in through the cobblestones right hander. I had good traction out of there. Unusually for me, I'd locked the diff as much as possible for this track and, in particular, the cobbles. As we picked up speed, Martin started to pull away but I was able to hang onto his slipstream.
Coming into T1 again, I stayed cautious in case there was carnage ahead and so Martin pulled a small gap. I gradually closed up again through the twistier sections while I expected him to get away again through the forest. I was helped gain though, this time by Rhys who had gone off. He came back on sensibly but Martin caught him as they approached the first fast right hander into the forest and so might have had to ease slightly. Whatever the reason, I was still in contact with Martin on lap 2.
At that point I thought we had a race on our hands. I felt he was slightly quicker over the lap but that I would gain time on pit-stops. Soon after I realised I was wrong on all counts. Firstly, it soon became obvious that my fuel calculations had been based with fuel burn still set at 3 or 4 times as per Spa (doh!), so no-one would actually be stopping here. Secondly, and more sadly, as we came around to the jump again, Declan had just lost it, and there was no way for Martin to avoid him. It was a big impact with wheels flying loose. Lady luck stepped in once more to save me and I squeezed through a small gap.
For a while I thought that was basically the race sorted. I was too slow to catch the cars ahead and seemed to be safe from the cars behind. Funny how things turn out...
Ending lap 3 through the cobbles and I saw Toby had spun. He was back ahead by the end of the straight but I closed up through the twisty section. Only for him to pull away again through the forest. Meanwhile Mark was recovering from his earlier spin and catching me quickly. I was the filling in a Johnson sandwich! The pressure soon eased though as I saw Mark go off in my mirror as we reached the cobbles again.
Ending lap 5 and more luck as Filippo had lost it coming into the cobbles and I squeezed past without contact. Into lap 6 and saw Frank had had an off in the forest. Somehow I was now P19. Into lap 7 and I was able to lap Krzystof through the forest. He made plenty of room and the Bristol had a big top speed advantage.
At the time it felt like I was back to the lonely race I expected from earlier. In reality it was only 3 laps of peace before Nico’s monster Lagonda lapped me through the forest. He was so much faster I only had to have a slight lift so I could safely take a wider line and let him through under the bridge.
Lap 12 started to get interesting again. A recovering Filippo was catching me and the leaders were also coming through to lap us. Tom was first and I had to have quite a big lift so he could get through between corners. Isi also took the opportunity to jump through. Letting them through had cost me time to Filippo who passed me down the main straight. But it’s the same for all of us getting lapped and he would have caught and passed me sooner or later. Or so I told myself at the time
The main thing I reminded myself of was that I'm not fighting the 3+l cars. I did lose a lot of time through the following twisty section though. I stayed behind Fillipo then had to make way for Robin and Niklas. I even had half a look at Fillipo into the big rock corner. All day I felt as quick as anyone from the jump to the Forest with the possible exception of Tom and his Slideia.
For the next few laps I tried to hang on to the Ferrari to help my concentration. I had a bit of a slide into the Michelin van left hander, which made me question that decision. But ending lap 15, on the cobbles, I got passed Filppo again who, I guess, had had a moment through or out of that tight right hander.
No time to celebrate though as Martin was catching to lap us. I eased up to let him through as we approached the Michelin Van again. Petr didn't need any help as his Jag flew by in the forest. Then so too did Filippo. I clung on though and fancied a chance at getting him back in the twisty section, if I could get some slipstream down the straight.
Unfortunately, a recovering Mark missed his braking and tapped me into a half spin at the tight right hander of the cobbles, which also nudged me into Filippo, and left me sideways by the barrier where, thankful, Liudvik was just able to avoid me. I hope I didn't do any damage to Filippo's car. I had some small aero damage that cost me about 8mph on the straight but I didn't think it was worth stopping in case RF2 decided to take 5 minutes over hammering out some dents. Mark apologised after the race and explained he hadn't had much time to practice for this one. He stuck with it though to pick up a very creditable 2nd.
Half way, I was still running ok and still in 14th place. That soon became 13th with Bruno chasing me down. And he was quickly past. Then Erwann lapped me as we came into the tight right at the top of the hill after the jump and tunnel section. Again I tried to make it easy by easing up and leaving him the racing line.
That was a sobering moment. Lapped by a fellow 2l after 20 laps.
The Bristol shouldn’t have been so much slower than the Masserati here. I need to work harder.
2 laps later and it was Mark's turn to lap me. I moved well out of his way into the big rock corner. Soon after Nico, Lari, and Isi also lapped me. As I had no-one to race in front or behind by now, I tried to make things as easy as possible by lifting between corners. Sorry to anyone where it didn't work out.
Lap 26 and someone must have had a moment because I was back to 13th, quietly driving along on a Sunday and waving to cars as they lapped me. Then 12th on lap 27. Just cruising to the flag. Lapping Krzysztof as we started lap 28.
Lap 30 (only 4 to go after being lapped twice) and I had a sharp reminder not to relax concentration. Into the jump I found a piece of suspension and loose wheel. A sudden swerve to avoid would have likely caused a crash so I closed my eyes and went over the top of it. Phew, no impact that I noticed. Lady Luck is still with me. But where there's a wheel there's a way. No hang on, that's not right. Where there's a wheel, there's usually a slow-moving sparking 3-wheel car nearby. So I was extra careful. Fortunately Sebastian was keeping out of the way and so there was no drama.
Lap 32 and I had another very tiny moment where the Brissle's mighty rear got a little loose on the cobbles.
I caught Jonathan right at the end and we cruised over the line together.
I was fairly happy with that. I found this a challenging track but had consistent (if slow) pace, and I didn't make any notable mistakes. My biggest problem (apart from pace) is still being too cautious while being lapped. I lose a lot of time and am in danger of catching people out.
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Subject: Re: 1953 Round 5 - Grand Prix de Suisse 
Sun 12 Mar 2023 - 16:24
Unfortunately I had a CTD in the first lap though I managed to re-join. Even more unfortunately I had a second CTD; and, when I re-joined, my car had been damaged beyond repair. Looks like I need to figure out how to avoid the CTD! I suspect it had to do with the number of cars on track. I have a RTX3070, single 1080p monitor, and 11th gen Intel with plenty of RAM. My PC should be able to handle it.
