F1 CWC Season 2002 Round 3 Interlagos - After 2 DNFs due to disco's, I finally finished a race in this series. I was lucky to get 2nd place after the two drivers ahead of me ran into problems on the last lap. But I was also unlucky to get tangled up with EcoWarrior again early in the race.
We had a heated battle during a practice run for this event. It got so bad that they actually asked me if I had a problem with them, and to stop racing them so hard. And they even threatened to reciprocate my aggression if it happens again. (We also had a controversial clash at the Monaco race of the previous season.)
But this shouldn't happen really, I mean EcoWarrior is normally faster than me, and they even got the pole position and the fastest lap of this race. I should be eating their dust during any race. But it happened again same as in Monaco; they were running a long stint, and their car was heavy with fuel. At that point in the race, I was quicker but was stuck behind them. I had to overtake as soon as possible or otherwise I would compromise my own race. With only 35% Grand Prix race distance there is little time to be patient.
And it seems EcoWarrior has not learned that long stints are not a viable strategy in this particular series, because the fuel consumption rate is at 4x. You will lose so much pace even if you run just 1 extra lap due to the considerable amount of fuel (and its corresponding weight) needed to run longer. Also, I think EcoWarrior is a gamepad or keyboard user and their steering movement can be jerky at times. It can be hard to predict their behavior and to trust them in wheel-to-wheel situations.
I have been sim racing many years, and I've always been a slow guy. It is unusual for me to have to fight for position. If I make a mistake in such circumstances, it is nothing personal and not because of malice or forethought. Anyway, I only got a warning and not a penalty for the trouble I caused in this race, but maybe the strategic decisions of the other driver involved contributed to the incident unfolding. And if I wasn't so aggressive during this brief exchange, I would probably never have been in a position to inherit 2nd place at the final stretch to the finish line.