Congrats Axel and Clive! Good drive from Axel until he risked it all on the last lap.
I thought I could qualify well but I didn't know how well. I did think I could place myself on the track in front of a few to several of the drivers and put them on pole if I wanted. I tried to help Bob, thinking he was the faster of my teammates.
I worried a little that I could be slow on the start. I forgot to try to set 1st gear to get off the line well. I was surprised I started as well as anybody.
It was a long fight with Axel. I didn't try to put much pressure on him early in the race but I stayed close. For a while, I tried to pass on the main straight thinking I was a little faster through the Lesmos. Axel would repass me before Parabolica.
I was a little nervous entering Curva Grande, the Lesmos, and Parabolica while leading. I never really ran those turns well with Axel behind me until the final lap. The Porsche is such a good car that I can wait longer to brake without wrecking. It's tempting to enter the turns going too fast but it's not the fastest way around the track. Axel gave me a lot of practice running a wide line through most of the turns.
I screwed up on lap 13. I was losing it entering the Lesmos. I tried to save it but it got to the point I was going to have to slow so much, I thought I'd wreck Axel, so I spun it out of his way. It was difficult catching him. I could gain a few tenths if I didn't make any minor mistakes. If I made a minor mistake, I'd gain a few hundredths. Axel put up a good fight to keep me from catching him, but once I got within 4 seconds the tow allowed me to close quickly. I didn't take it easy on Axel then. On the last lap I was fortunate to make a good run through the Lesmos. That opened a little gap. With a small gap I was able to make it difficult for Axel to pass me before Parabolica. I stayed on the right to make Axel pass me on the outside. I was a tiny bit too fast into the final turn. I was totally focused on my line. When I slid a little wide I thought I may have bumped Axel into the sand trap. Had I held the inside line in Parabolica I would have continued on to the win, but thinking I may have bumped Axel and how dirty it would have looked to win that way, I waited for Axel at the finish line. I had no idea Axel had waited too long to brake. Even with all my focus on my line, I still didn't run the line I had intended. Either way I got a little lucky that I didn't cause a collision at the end.
Nice drive Axel. You were consistent with few mistakes and maybe none that were worse than slight, except the finish. It was fun and good to see you drive so well.
Thanks guys. That was more intense and more fun that I thought it would be.