UKGTR Season 5 GT1 Sprint - Estoril (GP) - Apr 24

[picnic]

Best race for me in GT Sprints. I had literally done less than 10 laps in GTR2 round here in a GT car, and they were all while installing and testing the new server last night  I had downloaded a setup from the online files and the guy claimed a 1:36 for the qually setup. I couldn't get close to that and then got really worried when I heard people talking 1:33's.

Plan B go back to my Anderstorp setup and try that. 1:34 thank-you, will do nicely

In the race made a few places really because of others slight offs and caught up Shark. I was comfortable-ish following. When I made a mistake or two I had the pace to catch up but I knew if I got passed I would then try and overdrive the car so was more than happy to follow. The early tustle with Enzo following me was a bit intense but my setup seems to work well out of the last corner so it was a question of no big mistakes. Bad luck there at the last corner.

Good racing all, I had better do a bit more practice for the endurance on Sunday 

[Zacari]

What a battle that was!

Took 0.2 off my PB to grab 2nd on the grid, great pole time from Jon!  I modified my race setup after quali but I trimmed too much off the front AR-bar, which made for a very lively car

Second lap I threw the car into the tight left-hand turn 4, the front gripped rather than slid and I had to correct it- sliding off on the outside.  Jeff and FreQ slipped by, I managed to hang on infront of TT for 4th.  After that I caught FreQ fairly quickly, but despite being very fast at the end of the straight I couldn't find any way past, I lost too much time out of the slow chicane!

That battle went on for about 18 laps, sometimes being very close under braking but no contact.  It was great stuff!  Around lap 20 my tyres, especially the rears, (which were always around 120C out of the final corner despite being meds), started to really suffer and I was getting some really vicious snapping oversteer which should look great on the replay and I came under increasing pressure from TT in the final 4-5 laps, especially under braking for turn 1 despite braking as late as I dared!  Despite some massive slidey moments I managed to hang on for 4th.

Grats to Jeff and Jon for a Shark 1-2, hopefully next time I can join you on the podium!

[linco24]

Another exciting race. Really happy with my qualy lap of 1.35.1 even though it was way off the very fast pace. The 550 feels very stable for me and suits my drving style but i'm not sure its the fastest when things get twisty. Had some great battles tonight, the racing was very close and very clean. MJ spun into the chicane and I had nowhere to go. Sorry for hitting you mate. A lister then collided with both of us which forced me to pop it into reverse and re-join in 16th. Tyres started to become an issue in the last 10 minutes and I had to endure the pressure of Gizmo for a few laps.

Good race all round and I look forward to watching the replay. Well done to TS and TSJ.

Colin

[Simon Gymer]

I think that was my best qualifying spot all season and was quite pleased, but not happy about the setup. Didn't quite know what would happen in the race, but it turned out that not a lot. I once again never over took anyone and had Picnic biting at my heels the whole race and I'm quite happy to pick up the nice 8th. Bernie powered past me at the start in his F550, but other than that I just had to control my spiking wheel that was spiking on the two straights, sometimes bigger spikes than other times and the whole time I had to point my wheel slightly right to get the car to go straight. Not sure what's going on there, but I suspect a reboot will fix it.

What I'm not happy about is the way my car handled in the race. It was dire. Terrible understeer meant the last corner in particular was terrible. Could not get heat into the front tyres and had hardly any wear at all. Throwing the car around didn't heat my tyres up it just made me slower. So I just gave into doing the pace the car was capable of on that setup.

So, after the race I went off for some practice off-line and sort out the setup properly. Boy oh boy am I now kicking myself. Fixing my problems that I learnt about in the race I've just done a 1:33.0 with a big change in setup. Damn! That would have put me top 3 in qualifying and should have translated to top 5 in the race. Oh well, I'll use that as my base next time I think, you live and learn.

Well done podium and nice points Team Shark! We can beat those Junior boys I'm sure of it.

P.S. I like Estoril, always a fun circuit and quite challenging with a variety of corners, bumps and undulations.

P.P.S. No stutters at all tonight, which does make me wonder more about this changeable weather in the endurance having adverse affects.

[Truetom]

... and I was getting some really vicious snapping oversteer which should look great on the replay

You bet!    It was so funny looking from behind, you were throwing your a$$ around like a fat bitch! 

and I came under increasing pressure from TT in the final 4-5 laps, especially under braking for turn 1 despite braking as late as I dared!  Despite some massive slidey moments I managed to hang on for 4th.

Qualified 5th, finished also 5th.    I was between the two pairs the whole race - Freq&Zacari in front and Eccles&Backo behind. For the first 35 minutes we were all within 10 seconds. One mistake would mix it, but nobody made a mistake. In the last 10 minutes Eccles and Backo were going a bit slower, obviously their duel was slowing both of them down. That gap increased to 7 seconds. In front it was evident Zacaris tyres were runing worn and I closed the gap. No probs through the corners, always close. On the straight: even with better exit speed his F550 pulled away and I couldn't even get into slipstream. Caught him again on breaking and that was the pattern to the end. A few more laps would make it more interesting, though my tyres were also feeling a bit tired.    So: good performance of my car, only needs a few more kgs off. 

TT

[Joss]

That race was quite tense, but a shame with the lack of action. Hardly any overtaking at all 

Saying that, I'm pleased with 3rd, slower than Jon and Ruskus (in fact I had quite a slow ultimate pace....Picnic who finished 9th had a faster best lap!!), but extremely consistant. In the first dozen laps my first 2 sectors hardly changed by more than + or - 1 tenth. Without the consistency I'd have struggled a bit
Once I got into a rhythm it was nice and easy to drive the car, and even though I tend to lock my wheels under braking (I seem to do it everywhere), the smoothness everywhere else helped the tyres stay cool and meant I didn't suffer much wear. That helped at the end

Good close dicing with Zacari, we were glued together for the entire race and only towards the end did a small gap develop. Funny as we were fast in totally different parts of the track, he'd pull closer from the straight and most of the first half of the lap, then I'd pull out all of it again in the twisty bit at the end and then it would start again!

Now a long break till the enduro, so I'll kick back for a bit 

[Mark J]

What a fantastic but ultimately frustrating race i had.

Had a top 6 qually in me as was twice on a 1:33 lap only for someone up ahead to spin in front of me costing the lap  Qualied a respectable 8th.

Even in race setup, car felt very quick and knew i could challenge almost anyone on track to a good battle.
Then what did i do...stupid git, i outbraked myself up at Parabolica interior on about lap 3-4 and dropped from 8th to 14th  :'( I was so annoyed with myself, especially as i had already pulled out a 2-3 second gap over the chasing cars

Then fought my way back up thru the traffic until i caught Bernie, who i then had a fantastic close battle with for about 10 minutes which left me on the edge of my seat and drenched in sweat. Apologies for one apparent wild lunge down at T1 Bernie, on about the 5th time we came down that straight together you braked earlier than the other times and it so caught me out i had no choice but to jink hard right and hit the anchors for all they were worth  , fortunately you had the grace to merely cut back inside and stay in front ! That 550 has so much more power down the straights i couldnt even stay in your toe despite being right up your jacksy out the final turn each time.
Anyway eventually got tapped up at parabolica and half span but the other guy was cool and allowed me to stay ahead as i kept it together, so thanks to him, but unfortunately allowing bernie to get away.
Then several laps later had a crap low speed spin at Gancho and dropped about 3-4 cars again, i was livid and gutted.
Fought my way back again dicing with the 550's of aagramn and Colin HInes getting past one and assaulting the second only to get another bastard slow spin at gancho again on worn tyres  ... i lost the position to 3 bloody sharks including Dave G with literally about 3-5 mins remaining.
 Just trudged around in absolute disgust for the remainder finishing a shite and un-deserved 16th  :'( 
Felt completely done in at the end, though must say it was a cracking race. 

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

That 550 has so much more power down the straights i couldnt even stay in your toe despite being right up your jacksy out the final turn each time.

Strangley I had the opposite experience - where at Silverstone the 550s had been waltzing away, the few I raced against in Estoril were clearly faster, but not so much that I couldn't stay with them in the tow.

[Truetom]

I had same experience in both - F550 driving away like a Ferrari.    I must say I prepaired MC12 for this, especialy in Estoril. I had a good exit speed from the last corner, but it didn't help. Strange was that Eccles behind me never managed to catch me on the s/f straight with his F550 but that might be due to Backo molesting    him from behind, or a different setting up the car, as I was clearly faster through the last corner.     How much wing did you have, Dave?

TT

[Dave 'Gizmo' Gymer]

How much wing did you have, Dave?

Same as Anders and Silverstone - 8.

[linco24]

I was running an 8 rear wing but to be honest I wasn't pulling that far ahead as you say Dave. You proved that in the closing laps.

MJ, you were very fast in the Maser and I was hoping for a repaet performance from Silverstone. Real shame you spun at the chicane. Looking forward to the GT2/C sprint!

Colin

[Simon Gymer]

Looking forward to the GT2/C sprint!

Perhaps time to get the inflatable bouncy castle that is the SEAT out on track? 

[Mark J]

Blimey 8 rear wing ?! I was running 10 in the Massa and even that meant a fair bit of oversteer in places. It would explain why i was all over any 550 in the final sweeping corner only to be then left for dead even if i was glued to their rear bumper at the start of the s/f straight. I noticed i could then brake much later than the Fezzas at the end of the straight, which enabled me to take Colins 550 and close right up on Aagramns too on the following lap.
With the amount and variety of corners at Estoril i thought more wing was the way to go, though obviously at cost on the 2 straights.

[Simon Gymer]

With the amount and variety of corners at Estoril i thought more wing was the way to go, though obviously at cost on the 2 straights.

I think it is Mark. I've always found at Estoril that taking off the wing for the one big straight just isn't worth the extra time you can make up in the corners. I was running 10 in the Lambo. In GTR1 I ran 11. I would think the optimum is between 9 and 10, but I guess it depends on how you drive the car and the cars characteristics. Massa with it's funny wing is slightly different from the other cars anyway.

Unless the wings are RADICALLY different the F550 will still power away from any other car down the straight. I now think you're better off just setting up the car to get the fastest lap time than for trying to keep with Ferraris down the straights as it ain't gonna happen.

[Jeffrey]

I was running9, which is the highest amount of rear wing I've ever driven with. But still at elevation changes the Saleen was slippery, but giving it more wing to prevent that will just cause massive understeer and very low top speed.