Grats to Hristo for a fine and thrilling victory! Great job.
Kudos and sorrow for Paul who was right in the thick of it til Stavelot. That wasn't bad luck. That was atrocious luck!
Grats to Tim for a fine P2 to make it a Honda 1-2 at the flag.
A little luck...no, a lota luck...for me to waltz in for a P3 finish in the P83.
I was pleased with my laps in Q to shave off several tenths from a previous PB to set a new standard. Off the start, I was little concerned that I was angled somewhat due to my grid slot and feared going up in smoke and spinning the car. Luckily, I managed to get away cleanly.
HORRORS! Down into Les Combes on L1 and I'm shocked to see Fulvio skipping off into the grass on the right. It looked for a moment as I approached at speed that he might just be able to save it and get back onto the roadway or worse, come arrowing across to the left directly in front of me. Only two options here; lift and pray or keep the throttle down and pray. I elected to keep pace and was relieved to get thru without contact. This left me getting into Les Combes rather hot and I got very sideways indeed but managed to save it at the last dog. Pure luck that...I thought she was a goner. I dropped a lot of time thanks to this gaffe but thought I was close enough to the pack to likely be able to pull back in later in the lap on the straights. A slight bobble by Dave exiting the Masta Kink delayed he along with Clive and Tim to let me get a firm tow and get back into the hunt.
Coming up to finish L1, I discoverd Mike's Cooper recovering from an off the far side of Blanchimont. I was just able to slide by for the position in time for La Source. Coming off that hairpin and making for the S/F line, I saw Tim, Dave and Clive just ahead but then got a major shocker to see both Ferraris...Dave and Clive...collide and skip off the road! Lordy! Tim split the two crashing cars. I just kept on the power and hoped that neither of them would come rebounding across the road into my path. Made it! PHEW! Finished L1 in P4! Who wrote this script?
On the run down to Les Combes on L2, MB dived right on approach and I let him go without a fuss. Up at the point, Paul was looking to romp home an easy victor with a considerable lead.
I didn't get the best of passes thru La Carriere...one of the most difficult of all corners in GPL, imo...on this lap and Dave, recovered from that appaling shunt earlier in the lap, pulled out to pass comfortably on my right going up the hill. However, I was still nicely in line with Tim and Mike up ahead and benefited from a tow to re-pass Dave on the run into Blanchimont. Now this corner, too, is one that I find hair-raising and approaching it off-line on the left isn't something to give me a full degree of confidence. I managed to get enough room on Dave on final approach to make a good entry, however, and made it thru OK. Only then did I see that Mike just up ahead was raising the dust on the right verge and doubtless struggling to save the car. So very easy to lose control there. I checked up a bit to read the situation letting Dave scamper back thru on the low side for the 2nd element of Blanchimont. That might have been a little tense for Dave having to make a pass like that in difficult circumstances. Good read, Dave. I finished L2 in P6 still nicely in touch with Dave et al to gain the slipstream again. A long way to go yet.
I appreciated the fact that I left lots of engine speed in reserve for top gear along the main straights. I was pulling close to 11k R's with the slipstream that really saw major gains. From my replay, I note upwards of 194 mph on occasion. HooWee!
At La Carriere, Dave bobbled on the exit to lose exit speed and allow me re-pass with ease up the hill. I was getting a fine tow from Tim's Honda to seal the deal. Coming into La Source to finish L3 not far behind Tim and starting my braking on my normal approach, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Dave was rocketing in there way, way faster than I. I'm not the best at hard braking from high speed into such hairpins; my Logitech G25 pedal system doesn't offer quite the stiff feel that I would prefer. Fearing that my early and cautious braking was catching Dave by surprise, I veered ever so slightly to the right changing my trajectory to give him room on the left in case he overshot. Dave: that was not an attempt to block any thoughts you may have had at passing; it was my effort to avoid a possible collision. Sry if it got a little too close. Finished L3 in P5 still in good contact with Tim and Mike.
Starting L4 with my run into Eau Rouge, I took the initial uphill corner too hot forcing me to ease off a bit for the leftie over the crest with a resultant loss of pace. This set the stage for an easy pass by Dave on the run down to Les Combes. I backed out of the throttle way early signalling Dave that he was free and clear to take the spot. Coming onto the top of the Masta straight, I was surprised to see what appeared to be a Cooper floundering in the grass on the right. Mike? Yup. Tim, Dave and I were by in a flash, of course. Up front, Paul had apparently lifted to let Hristo get in touch to set up a battling duo until the very late stages of the race.
L5 and running P5 just a short distance behind Tim and Dave and still getting a grand tow, I saw Dave lose his Ferrari in the kink upstream of Burnenville and go rocketing off into the barriers and retirement. Bad luck, DR.
This left Tim and I alone with only a small gap between us and I thankful to be able to benefit from his slipstream since I just knew that overall, he was faster. Mike, after recovering from his wild ride earlier, was some seconds adrift and not able to get a tow. It would be tough to pull in anyone on your lonesome.
I started L6 in P4 less than 2 seconds down to Tim and 5 up on Mike. Looking good. Still in with a chance on Tim and Mike out of it. I found, tho, that it seemed that the best I could do was hold the gap to Tim and not gain. For sure, I was catching the breeze from his Honda but his inherently superior speed was carrying the day. Then, a grievous error. I fell off in Blanchimont and that sticky verge bled off all manner of my speed. Indeed, I was lucky to hold onto the car at all; so many times, a wheel onto the verge there will cost you a spin. Getting back onto the roadway safely, I could see Tim disappearing into the distance. Adiós, Tim. My thoughts were now of Mike who would certainly be reeling me in hand over fist.
As expected, Tim began to draw away and I could see Mike getting larger and larger in my mirrors throughout L7. Sure enough, going into La Source to finish the lap, MB has charged right in to cover my tail on the pass thru. Rocketing down the home straight, I lead him over the line by just a couple of tenths. I set up for Eau Rouge as per normal catching a glimpse of Mike in my mirrors just off my tail. I take more or less a normal pass thru Eau Rouge but am shocked to hear the tone of his Maser engine fall away rapidly and the disappear altogether.
Dear me! Have I short-braked ol' Mike knowing that he was doubtless way faster thru there than I and I've caught him out? No, it seems that MB fell back a couple of lengths probably in anticipation of getting a faster exit speed over the crest and in making the right-hand portion, the car just got away from him to crash into the bank on the left. Bad luck, Mike. You surely would have been thru for position on the run over to Les Combes.
Realizing that Mike was now not likely to be a factor in these closing stages even if he survived that off, I lifted my speed somewhat over the last 2 laps and let Tim get away comprehensively. There was certainly no question of my reeling him in on speed. I finished L8 down 6 seconds to Tim and noted that Mike was still in the game but 9 seconds in arrears. I wasn't sure how much fuel to put in the ol' P83 for this event and in hindsight, may have come up a little short for safety's sake. Part way 'round the last lap, I switched over to the F10 'Chase View' to get a reading on my fuel pressure and noted that it was falling from the optimum 79 psi. I felt pretty sure that I'd outlast Mike to the S/F line and that's how it played out. In checking GPLRA later, I crossed the line with just 24 psi on the dial. A little too close for comfort!
8-1/2 out of 10.