VIR - 11th of September 2025 - Round 8

[Olaf Lehmann]

track.ini: http://race.eolc.de/Olaf_Lehmann/trackiniVIR.zip

[snafu]

Shouldn't the thread title say...
VIR - 11th of September 2025 - Round 8?

Thanks Olaf, I've had little time to practice around here I'm afraid and unless I can find about 3 seconds a lap I'll post a slow time and start at the back.

TTFN
John.

[André Jahren]

Server is updated

[André Jahren]

A good qualifying. Was chasing a 1.53 lap. I knew I had it in me but didn’t get a clean lap in.

After a good start I quickly built up a gap back to Bjørn.

I planned for a non stop, and it work out well. Happy with the pace and consistency.

Congratulations to John and Bjørn for joining me on the podium.

See you all at Salzburg.

[snafu]

Well, I don't really know what to say about that one. To say I'm a happy bunny doesn't cover it. I was so far off the pace that I just decided to practice with race fuel and see how the tyres held up over race distance. I knew I could stay under 2 minutes even at the end of the race and the loss over a lap for the 2nd half of the race still put me ahead on time if I factored in a pit stop. (Which itself could have gone horribly wrong).

So the plan was clear, don't crash or even go off track which would increase the tyre wear.

Got a good start and managed to jump Olaf before T1 and then put as much pressure as I dared on Seb's Lotus. I felt I was faster then Seb's early race pace but equally Olaf was faster than me and was filling my mirrors all around the lap. Eventually Seb ran wide at "South Bend" and I seized the opportunity. Decided to push the tyres a bit more than I wanted and managed to pull a gap over Olaf.

Then a quick glance at Pribluda and I found I was 2nd. Not watched the replay so have no idea how I found myself ahead of Bjorn. From then onward Bjorn was taking chunks out of my lead until eventually the gap stabilized but it was a very nervous last 10 laps and I knew that the slightest mistake would lose me the position.

So, both happy and amazed to grab a 2nd place here as I was totally lost right up until the actual race.

Congratulations to another amazing drive by Andre who as usual was on another planet compared to the rest of us and to Bjorn for keeping the pressure on right up to the flag.

TTFN
John.

[Olaf Lehmann]

Code: Select all

  PITSTOP LISTING

  30:18	 28.0s	B.Finnestad	Tire change/Refuel
  32:54	 28.9s	R.Alpen		Repair
  37:14	 26.2s	O.Lehmann	Tire change/Refuel

Once again, I was safely in last place and my mood got worse and worse the longer the race went on. I thought it was stupid and arrogant of me not to drive the Lotus this year – especially since I'm such a bad and slow driver...
Half a lap before the end, my mood suddenly and unexpectedly improved when I realised I was going to finish fifth after all.

Congratulations to André
My condolences to Seb!
BR Olaf

[Bjørn Finnestad]

I often miss the first corners on this track, they are tighter and longer than they look. Regardless of the car, it tends to understeer. The brake tracks are a bit too short here, the opposite of normal. We had a race two years ago and I drove the Brabham then too. I now made the setup better, more rotation without making the car more unstable. During testing I couldn’t drive more than a few laps, but it will be more on the limit then.

Not sure if it would go well, I was surprised that I qualified so well, and that from the very beginning. The start was good and right on the limit with a bit of wheelspin, had to defend the position and get into the ideal track preferably as early as possible.

A pit stop was planned for me this time, I went in early. Was well, John passed, and I came out right in front of Rainer. I had to drive what I could with cold tires, they were new anyway and I eventually managed to make up some distance. On the next lap Rainer went into pit. I got closer to John after a while, but that was as far as I could keep up. The gap increased when I made several small mistakes that lost me time. Impressive driving from John, a really good performance. I managed to finish in third place. I am very happy with that, better than I expected before the race.

Congratulations to André for a superior victory and to John for second place!

Overall, a good run

Thanks for the race, everyone!

See you all next