Time for a new report !
TL;DR :
- Q : P4 / 35
- R1 : P9 / 35
- R2 : P17 / 35
Unfortunately, this event could be summarized with two words :
Underperfomance and Disappointment
Granted it was my first race ever while using antidepressant and I could definitely feel the effect of the pills. While I was still able to clock fast laps, as shown in my Q runs, my racing instinct was muted, sort of. I wasnât able to be aggressive when I needed to be and I was just all over the place, making very bad moves and getting bullied in both races. While I know the pills donât help, I am still very disappointed in myself as I missed my first potential win/podium.
Qualifications :
The track was green as it was raining for the last two days or so, but dry and it was really slippery at first, but the track was getting faster lap after lap and it was very important to get in a good spot. I started the Q in a small group of fast drivers, trying to get in the rhythm. People in that group were getting worked up though and I decided to sacrifice 2 laps to get some space and clock in 3-4 fast laps
Unfortunately I got a bit held up on my fastest lap and I missed pole for .070s
Thatâs P4 for me, which is pretty good nonetheless. The kart had a really good chassis and the engine was good enough, I think I had the kart to be in contention for the win in race 1.
Race 1 :
Oh well, I messed up. As I said before, I wasnât able to race correctly. I got demolished in the start, losing multiple spots in a couple of laps. Looking at the video legit makes me cringe seeing how bad I was. I decided to play the waiting game, betting on my raw pace in order to get some spots back. Unfortunately, I was dragging the drivers behind me which meant they were able to compensate their slightly slower pace with the draft.
But to be fair, my race was lost in the first couple of laps. I was not faster than the people on front (I was not even able to match their pace as the track rubbered in). I could have finished P7 if I was a bit smarter, but that is P9 for me.
Race 2 :
Ugh. That race was bad, really, really bad, for many reasons. As for the first one, I am not doing great mentally. But now, because they swap karts between races, I get a worse engine. I was losing on people in the main straight while being tucked in the draft. Only one other driver in front of me had a worse engine than me. That is a shame, the chassis was really good, but in that track configuration, the engine is far too important. Well, it is how it is
The worst part though was the mindset of the other drivers. People were getting worked up over anything, being mad at the first bump and retaliating on track. I guess those drivers were in contention for the championship win, but still.
So I was following that guy with the bad engine, passed him in the straight and he decided to fight back, to which I answered by a bump in the heaviest braking zone. That made him slightly understeer and I was alongside him for the next turn. He was inside, I was outside, so he had the upper hand here. Still, he decided to not turn in and to push me wide into the grass, losing a spot in the process. To top it all off, I got a warning because of the bump, despite the retaliation. It is just a warning, but I was fairly unhappy, especially because TWO TURNS AFTER, I GOT SEND IN THE SHADOW REALM, LOSING 6 SPOTS AND THE DRAFT. The dude who did that was getting vengeance for a small bump I gave him a lap before, that didnât even made him understeer or lose time. In fact I was compensating a small mistake he made.
Needless to say, my race was done. Or was it ? I was actually faster than that group and I was planning to catch up after a few laps, until the guy behind me decided to send in the shadow realm in the same turn, making me lose all hopes to get back in the top 10.
I donât have the full video for this one, but it wasnât interesting anyway.
Conclusion :
That is probably my worst rental result ever. I underperformed like crazy and I am really disappointed. I also feel people are getting very worked up as it is the end of the championship and it is really close at the top. Maybe I should also self reflect and I shouldnât bump as I am doing right now, even if I feel it is normal to do so. Maybe people are getting mad at me, but how can I know if they donât come and talk to me after the race ? I felt like there was no respect whatsoever in that race 2 and maybe it is me getting karmaâd but still.