Moderator's Report
A first win and third consecutive podium for Natan brings him within two points of the lead, and with Rouen the next track Lotus could be at the front again. The season wasn't intended to have two divisions- and so many Coopers- or I would have restructured it, with the top division as pro level. However, UKGPL team drivers can count on my favour when it comes to chassis...
If you regard Spa as merely an entertainment for the side-to-side penalty experts you might miss out on an early contender for best crash of the season, Burt's Bonfire Special. A previous attempt at Eau Rouge having disappointed his fans, he came back with a rolling midair explosion that featured his front wheels dropping off at the zenith. Some time after he landed they bounced over the fence together, in a satisfying coda.
Server replay time: 0h00m01s
Start
John gets a flying start in the Cooper and gets past Geoff's Honda. Though Geoff isn't catching the car ahead he moves to the outside and there is warp contact between Geoff's front right and John's left rear that sends Geoff spinning into the armco. Geoff's car rebounds and there is a low speed side-side contact with Bucket's BRM which the collision resolution system transforms into flight...
Server replay time: 0h07m07s
L2 between Stavelot and Carriere
Juaha has pulled out from behind Lorenzo but isn't fast enough to put more than a wheel in the way as Lorenzo negotiates the kinks- there is contact between Lorenzo's left rear and Juaha's front right. Clive Gardner is caught up in the collision and is allowed a free reset. Juaha should have performed a stop-go for his.
As it is Juaha's first race with ukgpl I've waived the yellow card points for this incident.
Server replay time: 0h19m33s
L5 Source
Clive Loynes loses control at Source, so Clive Gardner joins in.
Server replay time: 0h19m56s
L6 L'Eau Rouge
Cometh the hour cometh the man. Steve Bucket, already the idol of the crowd as the innocent victim of the start incident, bravely fighting back from last, catches teammate Ian after Source when Ian is slowed by the Clives.
Bucket leads his teammate into the corner, where his left rear is cruelly caught by the right front of the other BRM and he is forced into the armco and loses control. Clive Gardner avoids the first BRM but crashes into the wreckage of the second before Bucket can quit, and is allowed another free reset.
However, by the request of Reed Racing the only penalty for this incident is the cheers of the crowd for the retiring driver. Loot has also summoned Bucket to the mansion and warned him not to risk dodgy passes on faster teammates placed at a temporary disadvantage.
Server replay time: 0h23m59s
L7 Burnenville
Hristo is catching Nicky into Burnenville and disappears from his mirrors to the inside. Nicky continues on his usual line resulting in wheel-to-wheel contact at the sharpest point of the corner. This would normally be a penalty for Nicky but Hristo has exercised his right to waive it.
However, drivers should be clear about the rules on passing. The passing car does not have to appear in front of the other car to claim half of the track- if a car was closing and disappears from your mirrors you should consider it to be alongside.
Once a car is alongside you can no longer take the 'racing line' and must stay within your half of the track. If you maintain the racing line, as Lorenzo did in the first of these incidents, and the overtaking driver has more than the first half of his car alongside, you are risking a penalty. However, Lorenzo was in the right- though it might not be much help to have the other driver penalised when you lose places yourself. Also, you won't be allowed a free reset.
With the second incident Steve Bucket has a clear lead into the corner but this isn't apparent to Ian until he turns in. Ian is very much on the wrong side of the track, though he still won't spot Bucket until just before contact.
Likewise, though Nicky can't spot Hristo unless he uses his side view, he should expct him to be alongside. There is a limit to how long a passing driver can remain in a blind spot and if Hristo had stayed where he was until the second element of Malmedy then there would be less sympathy. However where Nicky crossed the centre line isn't even a braking zone, and it is usual at Burnenville to expect the lead car to keep to the outside half of the track if he isn't sure about a car on the inside.