Pippa Mann – Hungary
This weekend I was in Hungary for the next round of the World Series by Renault, and it was one of the most up and down weekends of the year. On the plus side the highs were pretty good, but on the downside they just didn’t come when it mattered.
Testing on Thursday started out tough, but as we completed more and more laps around the Hungaroring, the times got better and better. On Friday I finally broke into the top ten – which is the only time this has happened this year since Monza. In the afternoon session traffic problems meant we were only god enough for 16th – things were starting to look positive.
However, on Saturday morning there was a slight change in circuit conditions and unfortunately, with the narrow window our car has been operating in this year, and in the qualifying session where it all counts, we slipped back to about the 20th slot again. It was disappointing but as always, once the session was over there was nothing we could have done about it.
On Saturday afternoon the circuit conditions changed again, and after a great first lap I had my hands full with a luridly oversteering car. Pushing hard I made my first unforced error of the year in a race, infact since the pouring rain of Magny Cours last year. I spun, and dropped right to the back, losing all the places I had gained. Although I managed to come back to 15th place, the guys I had been racing earlier ended up inside the top ten… That was really hard for me to take as I am not someone who makes mistakes like that in races, and it lead to a very long meeting with my engineer about whether we could do something to make my car handle better for the following day. While there was no debating it was fast, I felt that the huge oversteer which compliments my team-mate’s driving style, was not complimenting mine. We agreed to make big changes for the next day, and I was looking forward to getting back out there for the second race, determined to bring myself home in the points.
Unfortunately, having made a great start I got myself caught up in a first lap shunt at the second corner. I had an even better launch off the line than the previous day, found a nice big hole in the traffic infront of me going into the first corner, and felt really confident I was going to come out of the first lap right the way up the order.
Unfortunately for me though, on the exit of the first corner I was pushed out onto the grass. This is kind of normal for a slow first corner on the first lap for a car going round the outside, and is a risk you take as a racing driver when you choose the outside line. This meant I had to lift off the throttle pedal coming out of the first corner, and immediately meant I was being swamped by the drivers I had just passed. I had cars inside of me, cars outside of me, and by that point it was an accident waiting to happen. I was hit hard by a car behind, which then pushed me hard into the car on the outside of me, ending both of our races. As we both got out, we looked at each other, and shrugged. Unfortunately in motor-racing these things sometimes happen, and it’s nobody’s fault. But it doesn’t take away the disappointment, and the frustration.
Now we have a big break in the summer, and P1 Motorsport is going to book a circuit in the break and go testing to try and dial my car better into my driving style. The times in the testing in Hungary showed that when we get in right, I can be just as fast at the others and regularly in the top ten. The testing will hopefully give us a chance to really work on this, and take the good parts away from the weekend, and hopefully turn up at Nurburgring at the end of the break, better, stronger, faster and more consistent.
Also the reason this entry is a little later than usual going on line is that on coming back to the UK from Hungary I went almost directly to Snetterton circuit in Norfolk for my first every run in a GT type racing car – a Porsche Carrera Cup car to be specific. The weather really restricted my time in the car and I only got about 30 laps in. I really liked the car and it was great fun – the team also thought I did a great job as a driver who had never done anything other than karting and single seaters before. I’m going to be racing for them in Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Oulton Park, Knockhill and Brands Hatch. It’ll be a completely new experience for me, and I absolutely can’t wait for the Oulton Park weekend to get here! Hopefully I’ll see some of you guys again there!
Yours Pippa