GT World Challenge Europe Season 2022

[gert]

FCY #7 at 15:25:56 to go for the Renauer Porsche
Green at 15:04:37 to go

[gert]

FCY for #107 (sector 1) and for everybody's hero Mr Rossi (sector 2) at 14:42:48 to go

And Red flag now why we are shown 'highlights' for the 29th time.
What for?

[tux]

Car #16 off at Blanchimont

[gert]

Originally Posted by tux

Car #16 off at Blanchimont

Maybe. The commentators don't seem to have a clue either.


Red flag means free pit stops for all?
Oh boy, the SRO rule set is even more stupid than I thought.


All the stop-go in the action due to the numerous interruptions mean this race is almost impossible to follow.

[gert]

Cars leaving pits 1 by 1.
Ha ha ha, this is a mess.

The leaders will be around before half of the field has left.
They are already in Sector 3, and half of the field is still in the pits.


Yes, let's show those 'highlights' once more so we don't have to witness this latest incompetence.

[gert]

Cars on the grid, and being pushed around.

Cars still being moved from right to left, backwards and forwards.
That looks very professional, guys!

--

EDIT:

The "5 minutes till race restart" seems to have been a bit a bit ambitious.
Cars are still being shuffled around.

--

11 of the 5 minutes have passed, and they're still doing their sorting out.

The greatest GT race in the world?
Ha ha ha ha, this is such an idiotic sight

[gert]

We're now on the 4th of 2 safety car laps

Make that 5
... and 6


Maybe he meant 22 laps after the SC when he said 2 laps


... 7 laps, and we're going for 1 more

... and the SC procedure will be extended. Oh joy! SRO racing at its finest

[tux]

#221 Porsche retired under the SC with a drivetrain issue.

[gert]

Originally Posted by gert

FCY for #107 (sector 1) and for everybody's hero Mr Rossi (sector 2) at 14:42:48 to go

And Red flag now why we are shown 'highlights' for the 29th time.
What for?

Green at 13:18:18 to go.

That's another 1H 24m 30s lost

[gert]

FCY #9 for #5 at 12:01:04 to go

Lots of cars are doing their technical stop.
ROWE choses not to do it now.

Safety car (of course) ...

back to green at 11:42:01 to go.
That's 19 minutes and 3 seconds

... and we missed the restart and the next 4:30 because showing the 7 minute 'highlights' for the 56th time was far more important

[gert]

FCY #10 at 10:27:56 for #32

... and like every year we have the complete farce with the safety car picking up the wrong car - eventually realizing that - waving it by (10:07:30) - being parked on the track waiting for the leader for about 3 minutes - and then it turns out the car we waved by was the leader ...

oops ... 7 minutes lost
and typical SRO

back to green at 09:52:46 -- that's 35 minutes and 10 seconds lost
... and once again we don't get to see the restart because of the highlights package
that's typical SRO coverage

[gert]

drive-through for #71 for not respecting FCY speed.
See above why that is quite ridiculous

[Anyopenroad]

Sitting in the stand overlooking Radillon as dawn broke over Spa, I can tell you … there is no greater spectacle in motorsport than the Spa 24 Hours.

Just don’t expect an actual race. It’s not a serious sporting occasion, it’s entertainment. Awesome entertainment. But not an actual motor race.

[gert]

FCY #11 for #4 at 08:34:02 to go
a short one, for once

[gert]

FCY #12 for #34 at 06:49:29 to go

[spaced]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

Just don’t expect an actual race. It’s not a serious sporting occasion, it’s entertainment. Awesome entertainment. But not an actual motor race.

what do you mean?

[gert]

Originally Posted by gert

FCY #12 for #34 at 06:49:29 to go

Green at 06:33:33 to go.

[gert]

Originally Posted by spaced

what do you mean?

That the crap we are seeing is to be expected. That's what he means.
And he's right.

It's just worse than expected IMO

[gert]

FCY #13 for #24 at 06:27:34

[spaced]

Originally Posted by gert

That the crap we are seeing is to be expected. That's what he means.
And he's right.

It's just worse than expected IMO

just wondering what exactly it is? since something feels off to me as well lol the race direction particularly

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

Just don’t expect an actual race. It’s not a serious sporting occasion, it’s entertainment. Awesome entertainment. But not an actual motor race.

Sadly, this is what Spa has become. And it works for SRO's customers, so it will continue.

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by spaced

what do you mean?

You can’t win by having a faster car because it’s a BOP category.

You can’t win by strategy because of the stint and pitstop rules.

You can’t win by driving faster because the FCY->SC idiocy closes any gap you might build.

The only job the teams have in the first 23 hours is to stay on the lead lap. Then we have a single stint sprint race.

This is not an accident, it is deliberate. The whole point is close racing entertainment for the whole race. Sporting integrity is not part of the design.

It’s awesome, I love it. I have already booked accommodation for next year. It is spectacular and wonderful. But it is not a serious sporting endeavour.

[gert]

And things like the SC missing the leader ... and the extending of the SC from 2 laps to 9 after the red... that's just typical ... and nobody cares.

But if you're watching it as a race, it is very frustrating.

[gert]

Originally Posted by gert

FCY #13 for #24 at 06:27:34

Green with 06:14:21 to go

13 minutes and 13 seconds to get 1 single undamaged car out of the gravel.
That's SRO style racing for you

[Mike E]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

You can’t win by having a faster car because it’s a BOP category.

You can’t win by strategy because of the stint and pitstop rules.

You can’t win by driving faster because the FCY->SC idiocy closes any gap you might build.

The only job the teams have in the first 23 hours is to stay on the lead lap. Then we have a single stint sprint race.

This is not an accident, it is deliberate. The whole point is close racing entertainment for the whole race. Sporting integrity is not part of the design.

A very good summary. The only thing they get 'right' is not closing the pitlane during FCY/SC periods, but any tactical advantage here is removed by the pitstop/stint length rules.