failing forward

 

It should have been another back-to-back races weekend with ORL Bahrain 2 Hours and F1 CWC Round 2 in Brazil, but with no solution to the lag issues with F1 CWC server I've had to leave the F1 series. Gonna miss that Minardi, and I was starting to get comfortable with the car, too.

Meanwhile, the ORL Race was just another so-so event for me. Although I got the pole position in GT class, it was only because Balint Borkovitz made a mistake in Qualifying. He was clearly the fastest GT package throughout the whole event. I was able to stay within 3-5 seconds of him during the first hour, when we were on the Medium tire and heavy fuel load. But when I switched to Softs and lighter fuel load, I pushed too hard to make up the gap and made some mistakes that let him pull away. On the final stint I just got tired and couldn't push anymore, ending up more than 30 seconds behind by the checkered flag. I did get 2nd place in the race and that moves me up to 2nd in the Series Standings, however Balint's 3rd consecutive victory means he has sealed the GT championship. Even if the final round in Le Mans were double points, he can't be caught.

induced seismicity

F1 Classic World Championship 

F1 2000 Series - Round 1 Melbourne

The good news: Out of 10 drivers, I qualified 7th and finished 5th. Not bad considering the tough time I had learning the car. It reminded me a bit of those nightmare Racin Nexus mods, at least until I conceded and switched on the TC and the ABS. For a moment in the race, I even had a thought to finish higher, even get on the podium, as two drivers ahead of me made some big mistakes. But as soon as I caught up with them, they would pull away again. They were definitely faster, and I would make some small mistakes myself.

The bad news: I experienced some lag issues, including warping and blinking cars, particularly during the start, when the cars were bunched together. They're gonna give me another chance in the next race in Brazil, but if there is more lag it looks like I am out of this series. Too bad this league doesn't have a dedicated server. Classic F1 cars are a favorite of mine and the race schedule that mirrors an actual F1 season is just perfect. Reminds me of when I was running in FiHS league a long time ago. 

Deep time

Formula 1 - Classic World Championship League: F1 2000 Season Preview

After driving a Porsche 911RSR the past few months, across two different series / leagues, I am now having a difficult time adapting to the Minardi M02. There is just so much power! Acceleration, steering, braking... everything is just heightened compared to lesser cars. Control inputs require a deft touch or otherwise you will lock the brakes, swing the tail out, or go off the line. There are setup tricks that can mitigate this situation somewhat, but it slows down the car too much and it becomes useless for competition.

So, I give up and switch on the TC and the ABS. The car is helping me get through the laps now. But everything is so damn fast! I keep missing my reference points and I am unable to put in a consistent string of laps. I think back to the old rFR League, when F1 was the only thing that we raced. How did I do it back then? Well, I was a backmarker during those times. I just wanted to stay out of trouble and make it to the checkered flag. 

What a shock this return to Formula One has been. Apart from needing to level up in the skills and fitness departments, I need an attitude adjustment as well. I don't think I'll even sniff the podium at all in this series, with 12 drivers already signed up. It will be a mirror of the real F1 2000 season, with 17 races total which will take us into next year. There will be a few chances to get a good result. Anyway, practice is its own reward. 

F1 CWC - F12000 Series (the dates are wrong) (from F1CWC Discord)

Formula Action International League

Online Racing League WEC Series - Round 3 : 2 Hours of Monza - I was a bit better prepared for this race compared to the previous rounds. I started 3rd in GT class, got punted off by an LMP early and lost a lot of time, but recovered to finish 3rd in GT class. I was on a 2-stopper while the guys ahead did only 1 stop and were generally faster than me. It didn't get dark this time, but I did get tired towards the end of the race. 

Meanwhile, I just signed up for Formula 1 Classic World Championship - F1 2000 Season. I am back in the Minardi! Yes, nice! I was able to do some practice laps on the server and unfortunately, I am way off the pace. It's been a while since I drove an F1 car and I have to relearn some stuff. Everything is coming up faster and I have to concentrate more to hit my marks. The tail keeps swinging out and I have a lot of setup work to do. My throttle input is just terrible after driving a GT car all year. There's still some time before the opening race and I think I can get up to speed if I can just get the reps in.