Great fun for me this one
, although it's my second DNF of the season
(and my aim is to finish races).
Qualified 18th/20 OK lap, but not enough to get higher.
I got a good start and gained a couple of places.
I think in the 1st banked turn I almost smashed somebody, very very close. I knew I had one car behind, I saw a blip in one mirror, tried to give space at that side, then I saw a bloody full car appeared on the other mirror!, I moved back to the other side thinking he had switched, and I realized there were two. From outside it must have looked like I was defending
a la Schumi, sorry. After this split second pinball both Valerio and Kurt overtook me.
Then I started to slowly get back to Kurt, until I overtook him.
Something like 15 laps! of awesome fight for that position followed. He could gain back the place here and there, but then I would take it back. He was all over my mirrors turn after turn, I think on a clean lap he was faster than I, but when I had him behind I was just faster in the good turns to overtake.
On lap 17, I believe, he had a semi-spin, and lost track of him. But I pitted in lap 20 and when I got out I had him 3 seconds behind and gaining. Another batch of laps sweating for me, until I I saw him going sideways in my mirror in turn 1. I did not feel any contact, so I hope it was too much throttle and not my fault.
With 5 minutes left, and Kennett rather stable 8 seconds behind, I just had to bring it home. But while being lapped by Reik + somebody else we had a quite bad misunderstanding about what side to take, contact in the penultimate corner and unfortunately I went head on to the concrete corner, losing a wheel. I will comment that one in the incidents, fortunately I think I was the only victim from it.
Still, the rest of the 57 minutes were glorious, thank you Kurt. I hope my defense was fair for you.