An evening of screw-ups probably best describes it..
Most screwed up qual - ever - I think. 1st on track as usual. Screw up jump, rolling car. Restart, now last. Fighting with Clive for position, which helped neither one. Abort, restart, screw up jump, abort, restart behind Geoffers. Waved through when he lost momentum, realize gearing is all wrong; too short, abort. Puzzled, as right setup is still loaded. Restart, finally a good lap. Just time for one more, exploded car left black cloud, lost orientation, cut corner, lap void. Still, despite all this, I shaved a full sec off my pb in the one good lap - only to find Geoffers 2 secs quicker... bleedin' impossible...
Dan got ahead at the start (of course). Can't say if it was due to being too close behind him, underestimating lack of grip on cold tyres, or just general driver ineptitude, but I strayed too close to the left bank after T1, and it promptly grabbed the car, whirling it round. Apologies to Clive, whom I caught in the process. Only realized that when looking at the replay. Ended up on my roof, on the wrong side of fence. Had to smash through, got going, wheel outside track, clipped bank and spun 180º
With the Aston's refusal to spin its wheels, I couldn't whip it round under power and had to reverse, pausing to let an approaching car (Clive) past.
Thus seriously last when I finallly got going. Slowly worked my way through the field, to 2nd place. Geoffers was more than 30 secs ahead and still increasing the gap, as if to mock me further. With such a gap, it was almost certain he would change tyres. I could have gambled and not done so. However, had done a 10 lap stint in praccy, saving the game. Reloaded repeatedly, trying to continue without changing tyres, but every single time I ended with a wrecked car. Thus didn't dare not changing them. Had to repass Roger after the pit stop, as he skipped the tyre change and slipped ahead again. Geoffers still some 30 secs ahead. Did close the gap a little in the 2nd half, but only due to Geoffers cruising slowly round. Had I been closer, there's no doubt he could just have turned up the wick.
Grats to Geoffers on the win & Championship
and to Roger for filling the podium.