Well.............what can I say
I DO NOT like these cars, never have and I guess I never will, I just find that they require too much precision in braking /turn in point/application of power at each corner. I am more of a throw it at the corner then point and squirt
On the other hand I do like Monaco ( well I prefer the older version as per GPL) and the challenge that it presents.
TBH I was sure that Geoffers, and possibly a couple of others, would just be more comfortable with these cars and disappear into the distance. I ran plenty of laps pre race on full fuel to be sure I was understanding how the car would behave ...maybe?
Monaco is a difficult place to make a pass so I was determined to hold onto my 2nd place into St Devote if I could, and then just see what would happen.
Looks like there was a paint exchanging group meeting behind on lap 1 because suddenly my mirrors were clear. But my windscreen was full of Geoffers and he is right about me clipping the barriers and losing ground. Actually I found that a relief because with that gap I could now clearly pick my braking points and apexes but then......rounding St Devote there was Geoffers parked??? probably gone to buy an ice cream??
So, there I was in 1st place
, several drivers had obviously not read the same script that I had, because I was never meant to be here!!!! Ok so just keep it smooth and safe because Geoffers has 25+ laps to reel you in and he is quite capable of closing the gap. A glance at the positions as I crossed the S/F line showed Dominick in 2nd spot?? with Geoffers behind him.....well that works for me if Dom holds up Geoff a little. Apologies, but of of course I had not anticipated that Dom would actually be quicker than Geoff and eat into my comfort cushion
I had actually eased off a little and was playing safe because I thought I had a comfortable lead, but as Dom said he could see me, well I could see him too in my mirrors!! and he was getting bigger......then he was gone again and the gap was back up to 6 secs. I was trying to control my panic in a car that I did not feel entirely comfortable in, whilst keeping the laptimes quick on tyres that were beginning to complain too.
I had to force myself to ignore the HUD positions and concentrate on the track 100% whilst I was hoping that Dom and Geoff were having to push hard to close the gap...hopefully a little too hard? Then of course they would have to find a way past
and I might not be inclined to make that too easy.
As Dom and Geoff have already said, the small mistakes were costing them the precious seconds that prevented them catching me and I was soooo grateful for that and for the gentlemen who allowed me to lap them without too much drama. Well there might not have been drama in their cars, but I can assure you that there was much buttock clenching in mine!!!
I just could not believe it when the race ended as I had been so concentrated on each corner that I had lost any sense of where I was in the race.
I always feel that at Monaco your biggest opponent is the track and not any car, so grats to everyone who beat the track and finished the race.