Everyone was extremely well behaved on the first laps and I was hanging back, just waiting for some free places.
Nothing happened so I had to start driving faster!!!
The Honda was great through the bends but just lacked basic grunt on the long straight.
As the race progressed I picked up a couple of places, as cars found the sticky hay bales, until I caught Jani and his BRM........ The rest of the race was an absolute blast. I was definitely faster on a clear lap and could make up any gap to Jani quite easily.
The slipstream from the BRM was great along the straight, until I pulled out to make a pass and I could only get alongside as the increased drag just stopped the poor Honda dead. I tried every trick I could think of to get my nose in front, absolutely confident that if I could make the pass at the end of the straight I could pull a gap through the Esses on the run back to the S/F line.
But Jani always held the racing line into T2 and the braking rights, Then a recovering Robert joined the battle, just to complicate matters!!
Apologies to Jani for the last lap suicide move
, but it was just about the only place that I might have had a chance of stealing the place from you. It didn't work!! and it allowed Robert to pick up 2 cheap places.
Grats to Tristan on a fine record lap and to all finishers.