What can you do! I have a weekend where I finish 2nd in both my races but still end up losing out valuable points to both Jack and Will! I didn’t make any major errors all weekend but that seems to be par for the course in this years Roadsport championship. Not only can you not make errors, but you also have to be right on your game all the time, or you’re nowhere.
I am endlessly proud that I can even keep up with the guys and girls on the grid, let alone compete right at the pointy end. I’m far too close to the whole thing to really offer an unbiased opinion but I strongly believe that history will eventually show just how fast the young guns at the front of this grid are when they ultimately go on to even bigger and better things.
Rockingham is unusual for Caterhams, in that the tow is pretty irrelevant for 3/4 of the lap. It’s therefore harder to make up ground.
In the car, I was very pleased with my qualifying effort. A couple of missed lap opportunities, but I improved on testing times by 0.7s. However, this left me down in 6th. However, there were only a few 10ths between 2nd and 6th and the split grid over the weekend would mean I’d start 3rd for my first race.
Race 1 was exceptionally hot. I lost a place to Max off the line and by the time I’d managed to get back passed, Dan and Henry had a gap. Rockingham is unusual for Caterhams, in that the tow is pretty irrelevant for 3/4 of the lap. It’s therefore harder to make up ground. For the first half of the race, I treated the tyres gently – trying not to spin up the rears or scrub the fronts too much. At the half-way point, I started to push hard and managed to reel in Dan bit by bit. With 2 laps to go, I was able to get past and then drew out just enough to protect the place.
I was really happy that I’d got the most out of the car and myself. My lap times were consistently within a few 10ths of my quali times.
I could see that Jack was down in 5th at that point, so I tried to make a break. However, it was never going to last.
Race 2 put me up against Jack. A soaking track 30 mins before the race started saw me make a bad tyre choice. I was on wet tyres and the track was almost completely dry by the time the race started. I finally made a good start off the line and held first all the way down to turn 1. However, a mega move by James around the outside of the first hairpin meant I was in second for the first lap. Into lap 2, I had a run out of Yentop and managed to sneak the lead through Chapmans. It’s not a normal overtaking place but a slight mistake by James gave me just enough momentum to pull it off.
I could see that Jack was down in 5th at that point, so I tried to make a break. However, it was never going to last. Jack’s pace was around 1 second faster than me during the race and it didn’t take long for him to cut through the field and pass me for the lead. I tried everything to keep up and felt I was getting a lot out of the car but I just couldn’t hold on and had to watch as he disappeared up the road.
I have to say that a clear 2nd is a great result, but I feel disappointed that I wasn’t able to compete in that race. The tyres didn’t help, but I certainly don’t think they were the whole difference in pace. Jack dealt with the damp areas better, so there’s more to learn there.
Time to re-focus and get ready for more great racing in a few weeks time at Brands Hatch. I really hope that we don’t have another split grid there. We’ve already proved that we love a good close battle and chopping the grid in half meant that we didn’t get that full fun factor.
What a weekend. Well, nearly a week by the time you take into account travelling and testing! Now that we have the pre-requisite National A licence, we can race abroad and Caterham take full advantage of that by offering up one European round each year.
This year, we went to Zolder in Belgium. It’s a track with oodles of history and the place echo’s of past glories. Very few of the drivers present at the weekend would have driven the circuit before, and certainly none of the Roadsport brigade.
There was no doubt about a podium spot – just which one would it be!
I thought that this would lead to a spread out grid – but how wrong I was! If anything, the gaps were smaller than ever. Numerous drivers ended up top of the times through testing and it quickly became clear that it wasn’t clear who had the ultimate pace!
That would all be sorted by the time Qualification arrived. My banker lap was good enough to hold onto the top spot for nearly the whole of qualification, but it was bettered on the final lap by Jack Sales who was suffering from a lack of tow until the final seconds. Will Smith was in 3rd having chosen to go it alone out front and didn’t even need a tow!
Come the race, the three of us pulled away from an extremely hard fought 4th place, who tripped themselves up enough for a gap of 14 seconds by the flag.
So, apart from the possibilities of a stupid mistake or a safety car, there was no doubt about a podium spot – just which one would it be!
It was a race of 2 halves. Off the line, Will shoved it down the inside of Jack and myself. I was able to make it past Jack into the hairpin and then we proceeded to go flat out for lap after lap. Will made a suitable sized whole in the air out in front and I was able to keep up and even make up a little ground on him. Jack was just behind. The gaps yo-yo’d as small mistakes here and there happened. But the pace was fast and consistent. No quarter given! From the outside, it probably looked routine. But in car, it was anything but – with every last bit of grip being screeched out of the baking tarmac.
Just after half way, and just before my little toe finally blistered from the heat in the foot-well, I made a small mistake out of the final chicane and Jack took 2nd place going into turn 1 up the inside. By the end of the lap, I’d got the spot back when Jack locked up his rears going into chicane no. 2. The place swapping meant that Will got a small lead that we never managed to pull back. So, the race was going to be between myself and Jack for 2nd. Another slight error saw Jack pass me round the outside of turn one.
Into the final chicane on the second last lap, I was able to re-pass Jack but the lack of speed out of the corner meant that we were side by side into turn 1 again. This time, I returned the favour for Jack previous move and held on around the outside.
Just the last lap to hold on then! The longest lap of course! I was able to defend all the way to the last corner. However, an over cautious approach and exit saw jack along side out of the corner and on the drag down to the line, I had no idea who had crossed first. In fact, I believed that Jack had nicked it. However, come the podium, I had held on by 0.009s!
Race 2 was a very different affair. Starting from P2 again on a circuit which had just had a soaking meant that nobody knew what the conditions were going to be like. I was on a completely dry setup and, as it transpired, the rear end was very lively with the lack of grip!
Jack took the opportunity to shove it up the inside of turn 1 off the start, leaving Will in 2nd and me in 3rd, defending from a hard charging Henry. I wasn’t able to hold Henry back for long and so slipped into 4th place – looking forward to a drying track which would hopefully come back to my car setup.
However, a nasty accident through turn 1 between Tommo and Christina saw Tommo’s car catch fire dramatically, and a safety car was rightly deployed. With fuel and coolant on the exit of turn 1, it took a long time to clear everything up. The majority of our race was therefore behind the safety car, but the hard working marshals got everything ready just in time for a one lap blast to the flag.
A nasty accident between Tommo and Christina saw Tommo’s car catch fire dramatically.
I made a poor restart but was able to pull back Will through the early part of the lap. I was alongside into the first chicane, but not enough to make a move stick. Into the second chicane, I was again alongside, although the inside line was still very damp and there wasn’t the grip to make anything happen.
Unfortunately, the last move saw me compromised on the way out of the chicane and that meant Max was tight on my tail, looking for a way through. I defended hard for the remainder of the lap and held onto 4th place over the line.
I was pleased with my weekends work. Unfortunately, I finished one place behind Will in each race, and that saw me lose the championship lead. However, I’m only 2 points back, and I quite like the idea of chasing a championship for once!
It was an expensive weekend for some, with 4 cars heading back home in varying states of brokenness. However, for many, it was a great trip across the channel and certainly an experience!
The next round is Rockingham – so it’s time to lay some demons to rest. Feels like time for a win again!
It’s been a while since my last post. I liked the fact that this blog was a great record of what it’s like to enter and go through your first years racing with the Caterham Academy.
However, that year is now past and a fair few people have asked whether this blog will be updated any more! Well, I can confirm that I will indeed be keeping my blog up to date with race reports and videos post races.
I’ve been testing the new car over winter and trying to work out how to use the extra grip from the tyres and the stiffer setup options available. Not easy when most of the testing has been in the wet!
I would say that it’s gone fairly well. Not stella – but I’ve still got pace and should be able to keep up at least!
Let’s hope that 2014 is as successful as 2013 was. I know whatever happens, it will be another roller-coaster.
Oh, and good luck to all this years Academy entrants. I’ve met some of you and will be keeping an eye on the others through the season!
