First impressions about the tracks

I spend my all WE to test the tracks we used this year. There are my impressions.

Suzuka: Great track. I particulary love the esses. There are the key to a good time and the best test for testing the balance of the car. Overtaking will be very difficult I think.

Magny Cours: What an ugly track. Graphically it's not pretty. For race I don't like it at all. I don't understand it and I'll be very slow on it. And the track seems to be rather narrow. At first glance only one spot to overtake (as on the real track).

Jarama: The twickiest and trickiest track of the year. It'll be more difficult to reach the checkered flag there. It'll be hard to master it. But's a rather fun track for his oddity during the season. Overtake...well with many luck there is one point. But his trickiness can push you of the track very easily.

Brands Hatch. I'm found of the tracking. Buit graphically it's rather ugly compaired to the Brands Hatch for GPL. The big problem will be overtaking. It will be difficult at best (Perhaps at Druids?). But what a fun to drive on it.

Donnington: Ugly graphically. It's also the national racetrack shorter and far less interessing. The downhill section remember me of the esses from Suzuka. Seems to have to spot to overtake.

Spa: Only one word: marvellous. Second to none this year on all aspects. Can't wait to drive on it during a race. At least three spots to overtake (La source; Combes and Bus stop.)

Mexico: the shortest of all in lap time. Flat desesparilly flat and insignifiant. I don't like it but I do not dislike it either. It offers many opportunities to overtake yet

My classing:
1.Spa
2.Suzuka
3.Brands Hatch
4.Jarama
5.Donnington
6.Mexico
7.Magny Cours

Suzuka: Haven't raced here since the first season of WOSEC in 2005, but I had a quick little test yesterday and it's every bit as challenging as I can remember.

Magny Cours: Another blast from the past, this, and I don't really have any vivid memories of whether I found it awesome or not. Watch this space.

Jarama: Not tried it yet.

Brands Hatch: Ran in the second and final season of WOSEC. Intense, no time for rest, hardly any real overtaking spots. A real challenge.

Donington: Not tried it yet.

Spa: Speaks for itself.

Mexico: Purgatory. The esses are just plain torture. Especially when you've been through them more than a few times during an endurance race!

Suzuka: Love it. Challenging and featuring a wide selection of corners.

Magny-Cours: Don't like it much, but still it's raceable. Quite cool

Jarama: Very twisty and slow, quite nice to drive on the limit though.

Brands: I love it as well, a real blast to drive on, very few overtaking opportunities it's gonna be a hard attrition-race.

Donington: My favourite. Ultra fast sweeping corners all around the place. We'll have to use the national version as it's the only one that has been realeased on NR. I personnaly don't mind at all, as we get rid of the boring last part

Spa: A blast, enough said.

Mexico: my least favourite. Boring and hard on tyres.

So for me it is:

1-Donington
2-Spa
3-Brands
4-Suzuka
5-Magny-Cours
6-Jarama
7-Mexico

I just tried some tracks a bit seriously last night and today.

We (Antoine, Martin and me) were lapping in 57s at Donington. The track is fun and not that ugly. But it's very intense, you always have to stay focused, very hard race to come here for sure. And the track is narrow, it will be hard to deal with traffic

Jarama, another hard track lots of slow turns, and the Toyota doesn't really like them. Quite strange when you drive on it for the first laps, but finally it's pretty challenging and has a nice flow. My best lap was 1'22'3, but I think I can hit 1'20 in a good lap.

Mexico, flat, boring, but it's very wide and should provide a good race
Very safe track, lots of people should see the checkered flag there. My best lap was 1'10'8.

I tried Suzuka too, but my best lap is so miserable that I won't say it until I improve it by 4 or 5 seconds

Gave a further try to Magny-Cours last night and actually had great fun. Ok the track is extremly narrow, but it's challenging and should provide some great racing if people train a little before the race... My best was a 1.29.6 but there must be room for much improvement

Well I'm not so far behind at Mexico. I've done 1.11.6 at Mexico with a car far from perfect in setting.
For the other race tracks..well I've no time worth of anything at Jarama, Donnigton, Magny Cours or Mexico

My other time is at Suzuka with a PB at 1.55.8. So I guess our aliens will be in 1.54-1.53

Hmm I believe that Antoine did 1'51

yeah, and Damian will be under 1.50 for sure!

Bloody Alien whose detroyed anyone hope How could I go as fast as that . Well that's endurance test. Being faster never means winning at the end (one make himself easy as he can to see a podium during the season )

Sorry for you Ludo.
They go fast,
and they NEVER make any mistakes.
NEVER !
Eventually, if needed, they go even more faster

No chance for us.

(I make also 1'55"7 with my sauber .but, i am just at the beginning of the training. I will probably race in 1'53"-1'54". We will see)

Edit : 1'52"9 yesterday . I keep on discovering the shifter effect on my lap time. It could be interesting with a setup adapted to me

Well Manu they sometimes (it's unusual but it happens) do mistakes. I've won at the Ring this year in Cups because two aliens made one mistake each which take them out of race.
So we can pray and hope during the race

I did some laps at Suzuka with my Mazda. Best of 51.3, but there's a lot of room for improvement. A sub 50 isn't impossible.

EDIT: 49.6. There is a lot in it left.

The model of the track Suzuka is not so bad. The elevations are well done

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smx-4fW4tH4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FHaMa4HReo

for fun :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk5HS9qnMhk&feature=related

The best one :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8-zbfdPfRg&feature=related

Mon temps au Suzuka ave le C9 est 1.55.234,top lent au comparasion avec les temps que j´ai regardez pour ici


My best time at Suzuka with C9 is 1.55.234,very slow in comparision with I´ve seen around here

Now..with a new setup (thanks Esbe) my new lap record is...1.53.526


I wish you a happy new year 2009 from Spain
Feliz año 2009 a todos

Totaly out of reach of anybody. I'm not better than 1.54.5. Sounds not very good for finding some interests in race with all jets drivers here

Could you upload a replay of your quickest lap? I'm sure I could give you some pointers

Yeah don't give up Ludo, learning GTP can be tough but it's very rewarding when you get it right!! 8)

I never keep a trace of my laps Esben. So it will be difficult for me to send it to you

Save your next PB

I've to learn how I've never saved any PB ever. Just hope I don't forget to do it next time

New lap record with C9: 1.53.073

Nice improvements, I am sure you can brake into the 52s or even the 51s