Round 17: United States - Circuit of the Americas (01Aug18 @ 8:15pm AEDT)

[AaronWebb85]

Last Season's Results:
1st: danirox88
2nd: dreglar
3rd: El_Majacko
Pole: El_Majacko (1.33.598)
FL: Maznat87 (1.36.710)

1. With both championships sealed last week in Suzuka, and gaps starting to develop for other positions in the standings, what will your final objectives be this campaign?
2. With COTA being added to the F1 calendar relatively recently, is there any other American venue you'd rather be racing at?
3. Only a month remains before F1 2018s release. Have you pre-ordered it yet?
4. It is usually around this time that the silly season kicks off. Which teams might you be interested in joining for next season?

 

[El_Majacko]

1. With both championships sealed last week in Suzuka, and gaps starting to develop for other positions in the standings, what will your final objectives be this campaign?
There is an interesting set of statistics that with 4 rounds remaining, I have 4 more wins and 4 more podiums than Maz, while he has 4 more poles and 4 more fastest laps than me. I'd like to sway the latter of those two a bit towards me if possible.
2. With COTA being added to the F1 calendar relatively recently, is there any other American venue you'd rather be racing at?
I've never been a big fan of Austin. While Indianapolis isn't the greatest circuit, I'm sure the USA has a better circuit than COTA, be it Mid Ohio, Road America, Road Atlanta, Long Beach, VIR, etc.
3. Only a month remains before F1 2018s release. Have you pre-ordered it yet?
No.
4. It is usually around this time that the silly season kicks off. Which teams might you be interested in joining for next season?
I'm waiting to test each one of them before I make any decision, but I'm particularly interested in McLaren, Williams, Force India and Renault.

 

[stewartmckenzie2]

1. With both championships sealed last week in Suzuka, and gaps starting to develop for other positions in the standings, what will your final objectives be this campaign?
I would really love to be able to fight for 3rd in the championship heading to Abu Dhabi. It's been a really hectic up and down season and to finish 3rd would be really good heading into S11
2. With COTA being added to the F1 calendar relatively recently, is there any other American venue you'd rather be racing at?
To be honest, i would really like to see F1 heading to somewhere like Sebring, or Long beach, or maybe even tracks that Jacko has mentioned
3. Only a month remains before F1 2018s release. Have you pre-ordered it yet?
Yeah, i've preordered it. I can't wait for the new game.
4. It is usually around this time that the silly season kicks off. Which teams might you be interested in joining for next season?
Up until this point, i haven't really put much thought into it. I would really want to drive either the Toro Rosso, Red Bull, or Force India.

 

[El_Majacko]

Q: 5th
Very disappointed with my time here. It was a bit of a mystery as to where my pace went on the day including build up practice. Should have been on the front row which would have changed the race massively.

R: 7th
Got a decent launch, but being on the outside was a compromise in the wet. Contact at turn 1 didn't help as it looked like a might follow dani around the outside where the traction was to 2nd and 3rd. However we both got hit into a sideways movement and worse yet onto the exit curb, meaning stewart and chremma were ahead. An early battle with chremma ensued including a move at the hairpin that he probably should have readdressed but didn't. From there I caught dani and she let me through. Unfortunately, stewart was 7 seconds up the road. I closed that down to 4.7 before he pitted. At this point I was leading as Maz had also pitted. I decided dani should follow the safe strategy as she needs to consolidate her 3rd place in the standings while my point situation no longer matters. I decided to stay out as long as I could and gamble on dry weather. I held Maz off for as long as I could but it was all for nothing when he slipped up the inside, escorting me wide too which allowed stewart through at the same time. From there I was stranded. I had already been drastically undercut and it looked like slicks would be viable at any moment. This never really arose and when I pitted for ultras off 84% inters I was losing copious amounts of time until the end. I left the pits in 5th, so 4th was on the cards if I chose inters again, but instead I slipped back to 7th, albeit with a maiden fastest lap of the season to commiserate with. Congrats to the podium achievers!

 

[El_Majacko]

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