So. Had it not been for flinching at Jeffery appearing alongside me into T1 then I reckon Operation:Eco-Warrior might have pulled it off
Although I had several options ready I choose the no-pit option in the end. It's slower but the times everyone was putting in during practice suggested they were all going for the flat-out approach (They can't all have been running a different setup like I was just to throw everyone else).
The plan was to get off the line, go flat out for a lap so I can avoid any L1 unpleasantness ( I forgot about my own stupidity here
) then settle into the routine I'd put together and drive to a number. If anyone caught me they'd be given a free pass and then drafted for as long as my fuel number allowed. Had I pulled this off and been able to draft a front 4 car without smashing my own Aero up I think I'd have still been able to put in high 1:19's without eating into my fuel number.
Sadly I trimmed the hedge in CG and re-joined behind Mark in a second-hand looking 962.
I actually seemed to have some pace on him when I caught him so I went for a pass into Parabolica - which worked - and he then drafted back in front of me towards CG.
I couldn't get drawn into a fight so I just accepted his pace and used him as an in-flight refueller. By half race distance I already had saved enough fuel to maintain my pace even after Mark pitted and easily see the finish.
Then unfortunately Frex span in front of us into my path in Lesmo 1 and I clipped him (Sorry, even watching the replay and knowing it would happen I can't see how I'd have missed you).
After that my aero was knackered, and worse, Mark had got away a bit as a result of my hit.
I spent 2 laps gambling that I could still re-catch him driving flat out to gain a tow again, this showed me how bad the aero was as I was way down on top speed and had some odd handling at lower speeds.
Luckily I regained Mark and proceeded to use him to 're-fill' the tank again. He pitted about when I had broken even
From there on I just had to drive as fast as I could and as cleanly as I could while still conserving fuel. All the while watching Jeffers slowly catching me after his pitstop.
I was trying to calculate where the leader was on track relative to the 40 minutes running out by this point, and decided he wasn't too far from being able to start a final lap.
This scuppered me as I was right on the limit of my range at race pace and I couldn't fight off Jeffery while conserving it - had I known the race
was going to end when it did I could have done the last 2 laps flat out and held him off
But that would have stopped me trying a really inadvisable passing move on him into Para on the last lap, which would have been great had it worked!
I hope we have a few more 'tricky' races like this in the series. I loved the fact that potentially 4 of my 5 setups for the race could have given me a podium spot and I just had to pick the one that no-one else did.
Proper strategy at work for this round.
Thanks to all for the race, and a hello and welcome to Thomas - very well driven I thought when you were a lap down.
We had 2 white cars this round, I'm not sure Ed has a skin which could explain him - but I guess Thomas' wasn't assigned yet on the server? I know I have it installed as I'm also rather fond of it
