There's not much I want to say here because I've said quite a bit in a few places.
- At this point, they have to start adjusting the BOP in Manufacturers to the combos they will run at live events. Some Manus have the advantage of having solid cars in both groups and given the current format, that's a big advantage.
- The solo Manu races are too short. Needs 2~4 more laps and with less wear.
- Why is the refueling rate much lower at live events? Fuel saving isn't the most popular thing and it only gives it greater weight. Hurts far more in Manu where you can't do much if your car is a guzzler.
- Hyundai scored zero points total. Time to replace F for respect with H until further notice.
- Would've preferred Spa for the final Manu race over Interlagos but only with a corresponding BOP change.
- Are repercharge races are going to be all gimmicks from now on? Not to say the race itself wasn't a spectacle to watch. It's just about the most random way to choose the remaining drivers.
- Andrew Brooks finally reached a Final after being so close to being eliminated in the first race. Well done.
- All the goodwill Nik had built up in NYC went away in one move.
As for the big controversy with the Eau Rouge move, I watched the part in the stream showing the actual replay along with the inputs. From what I saw, Igor began lifting (to about half throtttle) approaching the complex, went brief full throttle, half throttle to halfway up the hill before going flat out the rest of the way. Based what I've been told, Eau Rouge is flat out in the Red Bull, even on hard tires. Now, I am well aware that deliberately slowing down through a corner is a tactic used in real racing. I've done it myself in GT Sport (the Gr4 RCZ forces you into this, even if you don't want to sometimes). However, there's a greater degree of risk involved when the cars used are quite high in speed - cornering and straightline - and a specific corner is expected to be taken flat every time by a competent driver. If Mikail was a lot closer to Igor, then Igor could've made this work with far less controversy. Mikail would've saw the speed reduction sooner and realized that based on the closing speed, the pass would have to be done mid-corner. Cheeky but clever like his tactic the prior lap. Since it didn't line up right, Igor should've continued through Eau Rouge at full speed.
Instead, Igor decreased his throttle input again while going up the hill. The speed differential between his actions and a normal approach is large enough that it has the same effect as a brake check. Worse, it's much harder to notice that speed differential from behind because of the elevation change and the corner's general profile. The end result is Mikail got to Igor's rear near the top of the hill and he had to hit the brakes to avoid a collision. Under those circumstances, Igor's actions crossed the line and warranted a penalty.
Now, I've already heard the counterarguments that it's not a penalty becuase the lead driver has corner rights, lifting is not brake checking, it's done in real racing and so on. I must disagree because:
- If you're going to argue that his amount of lifting was acceptable, then with that logic, completely lifting off the throttle would've be okay too. Might as well start allowing some brake checks mid-corner since it's more efficient. It's a box that shouldn't be allowed to be opened.
- In real life, there aren't that many cars that could take Eau Rouge flat out at those speeds with that level of consistency, if at all. Someone tries to slow down by that much and it goes wrong, the consequences are far greater than just blocking someone.
- While the leader is given options to defend, limitations remain on what actions are allowed. Although stewarding standards for these live events have been quite lacking, they at least decided that on this occasion, it was not okay. Feels like the bar has inched upwards for once.
- We all make fun of the sportsmanship videos but if Gran Turismo places such an emphasis on it, then what unfolded today was against that spirit. These live events are supposed to bring out the best about racing and yet, here we are discussing about how it brought out the worst.
So much for keeping it brief. It's not even a full day yet and I'm already worn out by all of this.
