Well, now that was awesome!
Without any real setup knowledge about the GT's (except knowing that the Porsche would have been the better choice, but as I had to race both cars once, there was no choice), I spent all of qualifying changing tyre pressures up and down and up until I eventually found a good compromise... Came down the grid order as time progressed, but on my very last lap I got a whole lap of slipstream which changed everything and gave me P4...
Had a good start going past 1 car, slotted in P3 or P4 I think behind Clyve, Tristan and Axel while also frequently exchanging positions with Alain. This constellation stayed consistent until Clyve and Tristan collided, forming a gap between me and Axel who from now were the only cars directly fighting for the lead. But somehow Tristan managed to catch all of that back up and turned it into a three-way scrap. At one point I got a punt by Tristan in the rear, sending me flying into the wall at Curva Grande, which didn't damage the car though, and also only cost me a second which I obviously caught back up within no time given the nature of the car-track-splistream combo.
Then a few laps later I moved towards the inside before Lesmo 1, doing a bit of a dummy on Tristan, but I was never gonna really send it. Yet he broke late, seemingly lost the rear and from then on I never saw him again in pribluda...
So now here were only me and Axel left since the next group of cars were about 600 meters or something similar back, and well, it was a really good battle up until a point where I've got to watch the replay back, yet it was most likely my fault and I knew that from the moment it happened. We both went airbourne, and when I landed, I tried to continue without resetting to realize that the engine was broken, so I had to stop again to take the reset... Which cost me a lot in the end, I could've remained at the top in the battle with Axel, but now I had to slot in behind the Porsches of Alain, Phil and Clyve.. Alain managed to break away from the group, then Clive somehow made contact with Phil and so Phil and I fought for the last podium position. An epic, awesome and fair battle which you deservedly won in the end, Phil. I was handicapped because of the fuel load after the reset, but nonetheless you drove so well and especially clean when being wheel to wheel. After your little mistake at Parabolica in the penultimate lap I thought I might have had you, but to make a comeback on the backstraight like that surely deserves a P3.
Well done to all the finisher and special congrats to Axel, Alain and Phil for the first three places, and commiserations to Tristan, Doni and Mark.
But most importantly thank you to everyone for such a spectacular race with so many battles, overtakes and a high driving standard, it was a pleasure once again.
@Axel gleich mal ausprobiert und den hätte ich nicht nur bei unserem Zwischenfall gebrauchen können, wird ab jetzt nie wieder entfernt, danke ^^ und sorry natürlich noch mal, glücklicherweise konntest du schnell weiterfahren und das Ding noch holen... Hoffen wir mal einfach, dass mir das nicht wieder passiert D: