12th for me, which is about where I seem to be at the moment. Not too bad but not great either, and I don't know how to get any better.
Qualifying done, I'm 4th on the grid, which means about 7th by the end of the first lap judging by my recent starts! I don't think my strategy is too great, as I've since thought of lots of better things to have done, but hopefully I can come away with a couple of points. If I can beat my rival for 3rd in the standings, then I'll be happy wherever I finish. How was quali for everyone else?
18th for me, about where I am at the moment. I did quite well in Q1, but I am too heavy for Q2. I'm not stopping for rain tyres, seeing if dry tryes are OK, like they were in Indy.
Well I was spot on with my prediction off the line! Surprisingly though on a track which is meant to be hard for overtaking, 6th place jumped up to first off the start!
My problem is that I am just qualifying terribly at the moment so I start right near the bottom and although my race pace is not as bad I can't make any progress because I am stuck near the bottom because of crappy quali.
This game is so random, one minute finishing 1st, 3rd, 1st, then suddenly no race pace, period. Milfune - I would try forcing my way to the front for a race to try and make up the ground
Finished 10th overall, i pitted for rain at the end as did most of the field so it didnt cost me anything much.
I am a million miles away from scoring points and staying in amateur so I think I am just going to risk it and spend **** loads improving my car and just hope that it will help me snatch some points and also that I can keep out of debt for the rest of the season.
I'm about the same. Scoring a single point is a distant dream at the moment. Last race went pretty much the same as the last few. Wasn't that quick, and didn't do anything exciting.
Looks like I'm another member of the winners club! My first win, so I'm rather happy! The rain came perfectly for me, as I would have had to pit anyway. Relatively poor finishes for my rivals is an added bonus too. Looking on to Kyalami, the weather looks horrible, I've really no idea what to do about it at the moment.
Looking ahead to the next race, how long do people think the rain will last at the beginning? I've no idea what to do. Based on quali from others, theres a suspicious 10 second gap in the field, which I'm guessing is between those on wets and those on dry tyres, as their Q2 times are horrendous. Clearly these people are gambling on the rain drying up almost immediately, but I'm not so sure what to do. If I start on wet tyres, and really low fuel, I should be able to secure pole or close to it. If the first lap is wet, I should be 10 seconds clear of those on dry tyres by the end of lap 1. After 2 laps, 20 seconds, and 3 laps, 30 seconds. After 3 laps, thats a pit stop in your pocket over those starting on dry tyres, giving you a clear advantage when it dries up, but will the rain last that long? Even if its only wet for the first 2 laps, it'll probably be worthwhile. Can anyone remember if it's possible for the race to start wet, and be dry by the end of lap 1, so you'd pit if on this strategy?
Well done on your win. Yeah do not know what to do about strategy at the moment for the next race, I am going to start on wet tyres though.
DHCanary - Congrats on the win Strategy wise, I have no idea. I like the idea of starting on dry tyres but it will be painful if it doesn't clear up for 10 laps because you will find yourself over a lap down. Starting on the rain tyres with low fuel is tempting and probably the safest bet and most people will do this.
I think I am going to start on wet tyres with about 65lts of fuel and just have that as my only fuel load so I fill up with it every time I pit so it gives me flexibility for the weather. I think I am going to put it so I pit straight away when it stops raining, and stay out as long as possible if it starts raining.
I've no idea how long the rain will last, but I'm not taking a chance and will play it safe on wet tyres for the start. I've noticed that there is a huge difference in time in Q2, but it can't all be from people running Q2 on dry tyres, because you can change what tyres you start on. Some people either had a great lap, or are running with almost no fuel.
What are people doing about their race setups? Are you keeping them as full wet, full dry, or compromise? This race is going to be a big lottery in terms of strategy.
I've just finished qualify (P2), and I've gone for a compromised set-up for the race. I really don't think you can tell how long the rain will last, in the middle of the race, and if it isn't that long the dry half hour at the end could be irrelevant. I've averaged a wet and dry set-up in the hope that I can be relatively quick in both conditions. For strategy, I know I've gone with way too much fuel, to try and reduce pit-stops, so I'll be curious how it works. I've fuelled for the max tyre life I think I'll get, so I shouldn't have to make any fuel stops other than when the weather changes. It's all a big gamble though really, fingers crossed it works!
That is basically what I've done except i've gone for a three quarter wet set-up as I think it will be mostly wet than dry. Too much fuel could hinder pace but boxing just for weather change is where it will pay off massively.