Moderator's Report
Zeltweg proved a popular choice and the recent update made it a reliable choice that will no doubt return.
The long straights suited some more than others, and some decided to make them a little more exciting by changing their line along them, but did they do it in a sporting manner within the rules? The thick plottens......
There were some great and close battles up towards the front with several drivers running in close proximity, but did it all stay as friendly as it looked?
Server replay time: 0h01m00s
This incident starts on the approach to T1 as karliss gets on the grass on the inside of the braking zone, he then strays across track and is lucky not to collect anybody as he veers all the way across track through T1.
He then touches the grass on the outside but does not lose control and begins to move back across to the right.
He can hear cars around him but not see them and he strays towards Blito who moves right to avoid him and in the process collects Nigel Smith.
Blito could hear a Honda but may have assumed it was Karliss not Nigel who could only briefly be seen in his mirrors at 0h01m04s.
Karliss points out that he did not make contact with Blito on his replay, and nor did he on the server replay, but this is not a case of making contact or not.
The incident could have been prevented by either Karliss sticking to his own side of the track or Nigel Smith backing out of his overtake, but I feel it would be harsh to penalise Nigel even though this is a Lap 1 T1 incident where we always ask drivers to take extra care and not attempt a pass unless they can make it cleanly. I think it was reasonable for Nigel to assume that both Karliss and Blito would stick to their lines and leave his line clear.
I would offer advice to Karliss that it is important to stick to your own side of the track and not move across unless you are sure that it is clear, perhaps even using the side view where possible. This is particularly important in Lap 1 Turn 1 incidents where the cars are bunched together, and as he had already swept from one side of the track to the other already.
- karlisss — warning — Marginal Side by Side — also, 1 place lost for penalty points
Server replay time: 0h01m20s
Fabio enters Dr Tiroch kurve much faster than AlBaldwin in front of him, and though Al leaves room on the inside Fabio slides outwards into him.
Neither driver had lost control, Fabio just did not allow Al enough room.
Server replay time: 0h01m55s
BadBlood approaches the accident between MHunt and Karliss, and despite slowing on seeing the incident occurring he has nowhere to go and hits MHunt
Racing Incident
Advice: After such a big collision on lap1 when resetting fuel and tyres won't matter too much, had I been BadBlood I would have taken a free SHIFT R as he was blameless.
Server replay time: 0h03m10s
MHunt and Fabio both take a Stop n Go at the same time and this demonstrates the importance of taking a Stop n Go in the correct place, i.e. within half a car width of the stalls as neither driver was impeded by the other.
Advice for all.
Server replay time: 0h05m37s
Ross loses control in Bosch Kurve and NHance spins in sympathy and blocks the track as Ronnie approaches.
Despite seeing the spin and slowing down Ronnie has nowhere to go and hits NHance
Mike sees the incident and slows but has nowhere to go as Ronnie sets off in front of him.
All of these are racing incidents though Ronnie should have been aware he was heading back on to the racing line.
Server replay time: 0h09m20s
Blito and Karliss meet at T1 again
Karliss has a spin on his own and Blito hits him as he straddles the track.
Blito slows and aims towards the inside expecting Karliss to continue to slide outwards but the 2 collide.
Server replay time: 0h12m15s
MHunt takes a SHIFT R with no Stop n Go.
He later retires while in the pit lane so I will offset this ommission.
Server replay time: 0h15m15s
Gilles27 moves twice and blocks RogUK as he attempts a pass.
Server replay time: 0h16m00s
Gilles27 moves and blocks RogUK as he attempts a pass.
Server replay time: 0h31m40s
BadBlood is being lapped by Nigel Smith and the 2 collide and spin.
BadBlood had already let lappers through and knew Nigel was there but lost control exiting Schikane and in correcting his slide he moved across the centre line.
Had BadBlood not been out of control this incident would have been penalised, but as it was caused by his loss of control which we do not generally punish, it is a Racing Incident with advice to be extra careful when being lapped.
BadBlood took a Stop n Go for this incident but did not need to.
Server replay time: 0h43m10s
Ronnie makes a move across the track to break the tow he would be giving to Ross
1 move off the line and 1 move on to the line again.
See my final comments below.
Server replay time: 0h44m00s
0h10m30s Gilles27 drives down centre of track
0h13m10s Gilles27 drives down centre of track forcing roguk to lift and back out of attempted pass
0h14m05s Gilles27 drives down centre of track
0h14m20s Gilles27 drives down centre of track
0h15m05s Gilles27 drives down centre of track
0h41m15s Gilles27 drives down centre of track
While not covered under UKGPL rules, this is covered under our etiquette guidelines as below:
"Persistent driving down the centreline of the track in order to make passing difficult is not acceptable. The moderators will take a sensible approach in enforcing this; the idea is to stop blatant centre line driving, not penalise every possible case. For most drivers this rule should make racing safer as well as more fun."
These incidents will be unpunished in this instance as the driver has accrued penalties elsewhere which are deemed sufficient, but centre line driving will be punished in the future for any driver.
Server replay time: 0h44m00s
0h12m10s Gilles27 takes unusual line but sticks to it
0h40m20s Gilles27 takes unusual line but sticks to it
These two incidents are Gilles27 moving off the racing line and taking an unusual line but sticking to it to either break tow or defend a line into a corner. These incidents are fine and are allowed providing the leading driver moves before the following driver and does not block.
0h08m30s Gilles27 attempts to break tow
0h12m30s Gilles27 attempts to break tow
See my final comments below
Server replay time: 0h45m00s
FINAL COMMENTS
These comments relate to drivers moving off the racing line once and moving back onto the racing line once on the same section of track.
While not technically against the rules, and while permitted in real world racing, we have debated the issue in the past and will no doubt do so again, but the risk of doing this in online racing is greater than in real world racing as the end result is that the car following also moves across track to stay in the tow, then the next car moves to stay in his tow etc etc
So the end result is a line of cars weaving across the track on the straight, so nobody ends up managing to break a tow at all, and this is potentially inviting warp incidents and makes planning a clean overtake very difficult and unnecessarily risky.
Obviously there is a difference between weaving to break a tow, weaving and blocking, the latter 2 being against UKGPL rules.
The moderators will view each tow breaking incident on its own merits and there is no rule to ban it as such, but I would strongly recommend that the Novices drivers respect each other enough to race in as clean a manner as possible and to race in a gentlemanly and sporting manner.
