Plenty of practice for the first two rounds got me only 11th and 14th. So of course I asked myself why bother for this third round in Malaysia... why prepare for any race at all when my max effort can't even get any points? Looks like its back to the party hardy for me. I got no hope at all against a grid this fast. The result; only 16th after starting 14th against 18 runners. Way off the pace and one of the few times I finished lower than my start position, but at least I didn't hit anything.
RacerScott sits on pole for Round 3 of the 2011 FiHS F1 World Championship in Sepang, Malaysia.
Ricardo "Speedy" Gonzalez jumps the start. I had a bad start myself; it was hard to see the lights from way back and I was waiting for an audible signal that never came. Nak spun behind me trying to get around my slow start.
Some incidents at Turn 1 and lap 1, something a rear gunner like me usually avoids.
I reverted to 2010 HRT livery. With my pace, I look like I am driving last year's slowest car anyway.
Sebastian Scott in the Toro Rosso suffers an engine failure whilst in the pits. Pete (the championship points leader) in the Force India overcame a long pit stop after lap 1, chased the whole race and overtook me near the end, and finished ahead of me.
A brief battle with JeffO in the early goings makes me eat my tires. I was able to complete a 2 stop race simulation during practice sessions, but fighting for position against a faster driver compromised my plans.
"Kinda a lonely race for me," says RacerScott, winner of FiHS GP of Malaysia. Will it be a hat trick in China?
Next up Shanghai, a race track I care for even less than Sepang. Tilke-dromes with their smorgasbord of corners are like tall drinks mixed with all sorts of liquor... no more taste really, just the alcohol. A Tilke designed track usually means a long lap filled with different kinds of technical corners that seem to focus more on testing car capabilities rather than driver skill and confidence. I dunno, some drivers like the track I think. Sure, I like a long straight (some time to think and check the car and stuff) but for some reason Shanghai is probably the most boring long straight there ever was.
With my enthusiasm for testing lost and another uninspiring track coming up, plus the fact that it is only a 1 week break between rounds 3 and 4, the prognosis for China is not good.
