I got a podium finish in Shanghai after starting down in P8. And I also got the Driver of the Day award. I didn't have the pace of the frontrunners, but I managed the tire wear better. With one less pitstop compared to the fast guys and some overtakes early in the race, I was able to move up the order. An encouraging result, especially after I had to sit out the previous round in Sepang due to connection issues.
I gave up trying to figure out the setup for my car in this series and turned on the Stability Control. Instantly the car behaved as expected, I could use the kerbs and take on the bumps without any fear that the car would slide or spin out. And then I felt relaxed, and I could go for the limit and do a hotlap.
But even with the Stability Control helping me, in race trim I was still around 2 seconds slower per lap compared to the Esperantes. They are just plain faster, having more horsepower and with lighter weight. Even in my test sessions with AI drivers, the Panoz was consistently faster than the other available cars.
Not making any excuses though. I know I can win a race in this series if I do my best and get help from circumstances. I mean, I did lead a few laps in the race, but only because the two guys ahead of me on the grid botched their starts. It was only a matter of time before I would get overtaken, but if I drove better and maximized the car's capabilities, I could have kept the lead for longer. In the end, I finished more than 1 lap behind the winner.
