Hated the track tonight and never gone well here so was not expecting much.
Quali 1: Never got a clean lap in and was P3.
Race 1: Poor start and was run wide at turn 1. Settled into 4th behind Mohan, who I got past early on. Chased down Ferry and Andreas and reached the tail of the battle just as Ferry spun off the track on lap 5. Andreas looked a bit shaken by it and I pressurised him into a mistake in the last corner but he kept the position into turn 1. He then messed up the exit of turn 4 and I could go past before the entry to turn 5. Andreas dived down the inside of turn 4 though but I cut back and kept the lead. Martin came out of the pits on lap 9 just behind us and I'm sure had fun watching the battle unfolding ahead. Andreas was slow around the hairpin just before the long straight so I had that safety buffer but he would catch up to my rear by the end of the straight. Lap 11, Andreas pulled off an amazing manouevre around the outside of turn 1 to take the lead after I got a slow exit from the last corner. I tucked in behind but misread his line into turn 5 so had to taking avoiding action by cutting the corner and using the outside of the exit to get back going. Martin got past and I was about 2 seconds behind and we were on the penultimate lap. Martin ran a bit wide a few corners later and I must thank him for allowing me through at that point.
I pushed as hard as I could to close the gap and starting the final lap there was just over a second in it. By turn 11 I was on his tail. I knew I was quicker around turn 12 and 13 that led onto the long straight, but I also knew he was faster in a straight line. I got a good exit from the corner and got in his slipstream, but I could not drive past him on the straight as he moved to cover the inside. I noticed he braked a bit late and ran wide at the hairpin so I cut back and got my nose in front. He managed to keep the speed up and pulled along the inside of me heading into the final corner. I gave him room on the inside of the corner, he tried giving me room on the outside but I had to take to the run-off and I just pipped him to the line. It was my best ever lap at Shanghai to end an epic race.
Quali 2: On my only clean lap, I was 6 tenths up but overshot the hairpin so was only 4th.
Race 2: Made an Ok start but lost the rear in turn 2. A couple of cars got past but I kept it on the tarmac. Going into turn 11 I looked up the inside of the Dallara ahead but he moved over to overtake the car infront of him at the last moment. I turned right after seeing Georgios in my left mirror earlier on the straight just to avoid the Dallara but Georgios was now on the right and hit the side of my car (apologies). Into the turn 14 hairpin, I was between the Williams and the Dallara but the williams overshot and hit both of us. I was carrying some damage now and spun at turn 3 allowing most of the field through. Down in 17th, I slowly picked my way thtough the field to get back up to 5th at the end, one more lap and I would of had 3rd.
Thanks to Lee, RD, and all those who raced
Quali 1: Never got a clean lap in and was P3.
Race 1: Poor start and was run wide at turn 1. Settled into 4th behind Mohan, who I got past early on. Chased down Ferry and Andreas and reached the tail of the battle just as Ferry spun off the track on lap 5. Andreas looked a bit shaken by it and I pressurised him into a mistake in the last corner but he kept the position into turn 1. He then messed up the exit of turn 4 and I could go past before the entry to turn 5. Andreas dived down the inside of turn 4 though but I cut back and kept the lead. Martin came out of the pits on lap 9 just behind us and I'm sure had fun watching the battle unfolding ahead. Andreas was slow around the hairpin just before the long straight so I had that safety buffer but he would catch up to my rear by the end of the straight. Lap 11, Andreas pulled off an amazing manouevre around the outside of turn 1 to take the lead after I got a slow exit from the last corner. I tucked in behind but misread his line into turn 5 so had to taking avoiding action by cutting the corner and using the outside of the exit to get back going. Martin got past and I was about 2 seconds behind and we were on the penultimate lap. Martin ran a bit wide a few corners later and I must thank him for allowing me through at that point.
I pushed as hard as I could to close the gap and starting the final lap there was just over a second in it. By turn 11 I was on his tail. I knew I was quicker around turn 12 and 13 that led onto the long straight, but I also knew he was faster in a straight line. I got a good exit from the corner and got in his slipstream, but I could not drive past him on the straight as he moved to cover the inside. I noticed he braked a bit late and ran wide at the hairpin so I cut back and got my nose in front. He managed to keep the speed up and pulled along the inside of me heading into the final corner. I gave him room on the inside of the corner, he tried giving me room on the outside but I had to take to the run-off and I just pipped him to the line. It was my best ever lap at Shanghai to end an epic race.Quali 2: On my only clean lap, I was 6 tenths up but overshot the hairpin so was only 4th.
Race 2: Made an Ok start but lost the rear in turn 2. A couple of cars got past but I kept it on the tarmac. Going into turn 11 I looked up the inside of the Dallara ahead but he moved over to overtake the car infront of him at the last moment. I turned right after seeing Georgios in my left mirror earlier on the straight just to avoid the Dallara but Georgios was now on the right and hit the side of my car (apologies). Into the turn 14 hairpin, I was between the Williams and the Dallara but the williams overshot and hit both of us. I was carrying some damage now and spun at turn 3 allowing most of the field through. Down in 17th, I slowly picked my way thtough the field to get back up to 5th at the end, one more lap and I would of had 3rd.
Thanks to Lee, RD, and all those who raced
