Belgian Grand Prix - Race Reports

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Before the race i came up with the plan that i would start on the prime tyres and with a qualification of 5th or 6th (can't remember) i didnt think that was a bad effort, however the race was a wet race and that seemed to be a wasted qualifying session as i could have used the option tyres to get further up the grid.

I got a descent launch off the line but with all the spray i had to hang back a bit for the first corner so didn't overtake anybody, but just after the pit exit there were 2 spinners that allowed me to get up into 3rd position. For the first few laps i took it easy trying to fing the right braking points and trying not to spin, but once i had got my eye in i overtook the 2 infront to take the lead and was continuing at a steady pace for a few laps. when the rain stopped and i took the decision to go to the intermediates a bit earlier than the 2 people chasing behind me (this would prove a bad decision). I spent an awful long time on the inters and they were starting to wear thin but i thought i could make it to the end however with two laps left i got a puncture and had to pit this put me in sixth but with people going slow down the field i overtook 2 people on the last lap to give me a respectable finishing position.

On behalf of Genarel

Q - 8th

Really hate this torro rosso, so slow, i gave it my all but still 3 seconds slower than what im capable however my teammate got pole with a great lap, well done mate dunno where you find the pace in that car.

R - 1st

Had an ok start think i past a car in turn 1 and on the run down to eau rouge a ferrari and force india were doin syncronised flying ready for the olympcs this week so i moved up some more places.
I was now running either 4th or 5th and i was doin decent laps and the guys in front werent really pulling away.
Ash dropped back to 3rd and i caught, passed and pulled away from him and i was now 3rd, dunno who was 2nd but he pitted early so i was now 2nd and chose to stay out as long as i could.

Dunno what lap i came in but pitted for inters as the track was still to wet and my engineer said light rain was on the way.
Put some good laps in and had a great battle with jackerie who i was catching every lap until going into bus stop chicane he breaked slightly earlier than i was expecting so i slammed on the breaks but locked up and just touched a little but he spun, soni waited and let him be on his way.
I might of panicked him a little bit as he now started to pull away and it was made even worse wen i overshot the bus stop and lost time and a lap or 2 later on exit of last corner i lost the back end and spun.

This alowwed luke? to catch up and he nearly over took me but i put it in rich amd pulled slightly away.
I now thought great a 2nd place on my debut with 2 laps left but then jackerie unbeknown to me had a puncture so i was now leading.
Last lap i had a decent couple seconds lead but my tyres were shot to bits so at the bus stop i took it very very cautious but nearly to cautious as luke? was right behind me but i held on for the victory.

All in all a great race and pleased it was raining, not bad for a reject!

Thank you mod :-)

Not bad considering im shite in the wet. Was almost the perfect two stop. Around lap 25 got into 4th and was pulling the first three in rapidly. Closed about a twenty second gap. Had one lapse in concentration at turn 7 and detoured in the gravel, cost me about 5 or 6 seconds and two places. Decided to try and see out race on 2nd set of wets. Got back into fourth, five secs off third ( and closing quick ), fuel light starts flashing, just over two laps left. Threw mix on low, tried to keep ashley behind, then he and jackerie got passed right at end of sector 2 on last lap, tyres were glowin Fuel lasted in end, finished 11 secs bahind winner. Would have been a podium if hadnt of gone in gravel . Still, closed gap to first place by 4 points, just 14 behind now COME ON MONZA

qualified fourth..not too bad... at the start of the race i went into the first corner real easy, stayed wide and hugged the left hand curb before accelerating towards the hill. Next thing i know theres contact from either behind or inside and im spinning round and around and around and around before splatting into the pit wall and seeing my front wing explode into atoms. Apparently Antonius has since accused me of destroying his race...hmmm oh really LOL..i dont see how.. with no one in front of me and i stayed left and began accelerating....so WHATEVER Antonius. i then found myself having to do do a whole lap with no front wing..Joy!! For the rest of my short(lol) race i was driving sooo angry and pushing too hard caused me to clip a wall and my car exploded like id driven into the back of the Ark Royal... i then proceeded to carry the bits of my car back to the pits in a tesco bag and consoled myself with a box of jelly babies! Ahh Belgium..gotta love it!

Couldn’t of asked for a better qually took such a slow outlap to keep the tyres in best condition possible and got a traffic free run and was able to do a perfect lap. Then when the race started and I saw it was raining and I felt gutted cause I knew I was not competitive in the wet, although I got great start and pulled a gap of two seconds to the car behind and managed to hold that lead until lap 7 when the cars behind seemed to find another gear and I just couldn’t find the pace to defend, So I lost 3 places in as many laps and struggled to keep pace, wasn’t any faster on inters probably could of finished 4th but I decided to pit again and put on a new set on inters then came out in 6th with about 8 laps to go managed to keep within 2 seconds to Stopper until the last lap I had closed the gap and he went wide in turn 7 and was to pass on the inside then i ran out of fuel on the back straight which let Jackerie back pass and just finished in front of stopper for 5th.

Quali
Qualified 7th. Was more than a 1.5 sec slower than in practice.

Race
Start - With the conditions wet approached the first corner with caution. Managed to get pass all the drama and moved up to 6th
To me the Mercedes struggles on high fuel load and had to ensure I managed until the car adapted to the conditions.

Lap 11
Moved up to 4th after two cars pitted 2 seconds behind Rob Lee.

Lap 13
Not sure what happened on this lap could be down to lag. Rob had a spin and lost his front wing. He had slowed down so I passed him then returned to the racing line to make the corner (well that was from my view). The team have since apologies for the incident. Was handed a warning for dangerous driving which I was a bit surprised by but accepted.
At this point was in 3rd 14 seconds behind leader General Dread.

Lap 14
Pitted at the end of Lap 14 for a set of primes and rejoined in 6th 1.2 sec behind Ashley. From here managed my pace as I want to go to the end of the race on these set of inters and with rain due in a couple of laps it was possible.

Lap 15
Passed Stopper who spun and moved up to 5th.

Lap 19
Was now 3.8 sec behind Ashley and was getting a bit worried as the track was now drying out. WHERE IS THE RAIN? And bang at the beginning of Lap 19 it started raining again. Passed LukasF1Soegel for 4th (he pitted).

As the track got wetter began to haul in Ashley.

Lap 22 –25
Was now 1.5 sec behind Ashley. The gap was between 2 and 1.5sec between lap 22 and 25

Lap 25
At the end of lap 25 Ashley pitted and I moved up to 3rd. Was 11 seconds behind General who was in second place.

Lap 27
Lost the backend of the car but managed to avoid a spin but lost a place to LukasF1Soegel .
Tyres were beginning to give up on me.

Lap 30
LukasF1Soegel was now 4.5 sec ahead and Stopper 7.0 sec behind and catching me.

Lap 32
Passed Jackerie who had pitted (puncture) and moved up to 3rd.

Result
Finished 3rd 6 seconds behind the winner.

same as chaperal way slower in qualifying than in practise n nt only that i neva practised in wet conditions (i shud av nown its SPA) lol any way finished 10 dnt wana talk bout it as i was alone pritty much all race ha ha