After two hours of tweaking and finding out how to tune to GT5's quirky system I got a tune a like with an acceptable amount of degradation.
I think in terms of strategy it'd be best to do a longer first stint and aim to end your race on the best tires possible.
It took me a while but I think I've finally gotten down some key techniques you need to know in order to go fast here.
First of all is that sharp, almost hairpinish, turn 1. It pops downhill so I was spinning out so much from trying to attack. I learned to take it easy and now that turn is cake. I like to use that little concrete rumble strip on the left hand side before the kerb starts as my aiming point on exit.
Turn 2's pretty easy and you should be able to go flat out and hit about 70mph as soon as you exit getting up to the kerb leading down to T3.
T3's where I had trouble. This is one of those series of turns you have to sacrifice entry for. Go in slow to set up from a good line going through T4. I go down to about 46mph and hold it til I have a good entry for T5 and just slam it down all the way through. You should hit 60 on exit through to T5
I still don't really have T6 down all the way. I can hold about 48mph going through it but since it's a downhill turn with a weird apex I can't feel comfortably fast. but I'm happy as long as I hit about 52mph when I'm on exit up against that huge kerb on the left (why's that one SO huge?)
Anyway, 7's easy enough. T8 seemd straight forward at first, I would let off and let the car go down to about 74MPH. But I was off throttle for a bit too long. After I learned to feather the brake on entry I was able to attack it more and get through a lot faster. I increased my average speed going up to the Veedol chicane up to 108mph, and that's as soon as I'd brake to go into T10.
Brake early setting up for the last turn and hold 60mph through out and you should be getting there.
My best was a 1:48.566 in my little power hour so I hope to get it up a little more with a little bit more tweaking and patience.
Off to work now, ohhhhhhhhhhhhh man.