Week 13: Recovering From RBR (Red Bull Ring)

Slowly but surely I'm catching up to my backlog of Week 13 races.

Week 13 this season has been...tough. A lot of missed opportunites - and one golden opportunity taken.

Red Bull Ring (Spielberg) was another of those missed opportunites.

Before I go on, I'd just like to say happy 3rd Birthday to the Lamborghini on the iRacing platform - 3 years ago, you blessed our hearts!

Week 13 - Red Bull Ring (8/12/2023)

(Midnight Pratice: 1st/Only class), 1:27.513

(Qualified: 4th, FL - 1:28.401 (-1.27 Off Pole)

(Race: 4th - In Class) Race AL: 1:30.868 (Average Lap)

Personal FL: 1:28.217

The Race

Whilst I was starting down in 9th, I only had three cars ahead of me I needed to worry about.

After a MEGA launch, that turned into two.

The leader then spun at Turn 2 (Remus), putting me in second.

The very next corner (Schlossgold), the driver ahead of me out-braked himself and flew into the gravel. I now had the lead...but only temproarily.

Heading into Würth - I had both P2 and a low-starting Lotus 79 on my gearbox... in a split second lapse of concentration, I took Würth in 4th gear - all day I had been taking it in 3rd - despite lifting (as I would in 3rd), after touching an early apex, I would understeer off, out of the second part of the chicane, skimming the gravel, which pitched me around.

In avoiding me the Lotus 79 jerked left, straight into the path of P2 (who started a row ahead of me on the grid) - both were taken out.

The driver who started 6th/9th went from 6th to 1st in just half a lap followed by 5th-place started Langford and Buck who started on the back row of the F3 field (second to last)

As for me? I went from 1st to 11th (3rd to last) in a matter of less than 15 seconds.

I had a long race ahead of me.

By the end of the following lap, I was back in 6th, with the car ahead of me missing a rear wing.

starting the next lap, I made this pass, myself returning to the top 5.

Due to the multiple incidents throughout the race, the pack was very spread out and positions were hard to come by.

Progress would halt from there and I'd only pick up a further position on the final lap

"May The Fourth Be With You"

(16/08/2023) (Ringmeister, Aston Martin Vantage GT4) (S3, 2023)

Race 1:

Q: 4th

R: 4th

Race 2:

Q: 1st (Only qualifier)

R: 4th

(11/09/2023) (Week 13 Ferrari GT3 Challenge) (S3, 2023)

W6 @ Okayama

Q: 4th

R: 6th

(13/09/2023) (S4, 2023, W1)

(FalkenTyre Sports Car Challenge @ Le Mans)

Q: 4th

R: 4th

05/12/2023 (Week 13, Battle Of The Small Wings)

W1 @ Oulton Park

Q: 6th

R: 4th

06/12/2023 (Week 13, BOSW)

W2 @ Okayama

Q: 4th

R: DNF

07/12/2023 (Week 13, BOSW)

W3 @ Mugello

Q: 4th

R: 2nd 08/12/2023 (Week 13, BOSW)

W4 @ Red Bull Ring

Q: 4th (Class)

R: 4th (Class)