Living The Life: Valencia #2

[Part of a series of posts in which I detail the events that occur during my first championship season in Codemasters' F1 2010. These will be written in a diary-esque form describing my thoughts and reactions as I participate in each event. Today, part two of the European Grand Prix in Valencia.]

Saturday Afternoon, Qualifying, Cloudy 

I was a little more enthusiastic about Qualifying after the improvements made in P3 earlier this morning. I had no expectations, of course, knowing full well that my 10-spot grid drop penalty would seriously affect my ultimate starting position. Despite this I was still anticipating getting out there and attempting some Quali-style laps so overall the mood wasn’t as bad as I thought it might have been. Virgin, on the other hand, did have expectations, their desire for Valencia being 20th place or better. The team also added a new electronics update to the car between sessions, giving me that throttle map after my tests during Practice. 

As always, allow me to detail the events of each segment of Qualifying before speaking about the end result and my feelings towards it.

Q1

The first run of Qualifying was clean with no dramas, although I did have a slight brush against the wall on my third lap which was enough to cause me to abort it and come in early. No damage from the touch, though, so that was nice. 

The second run was a little more eventful, however, an issue with Pedro De La Rosa on my first lap being particularly frustrating as he blocked me on the bridge. It’s already incredibly tight and narrow on that thing -- not to mention so abrupt, too, since it is such a short section of the track -- so it’s definitely no fun when there’s a Formula 1 car in the way as well. I also almost lost the car in turn 13 on my third lap after sliding the car to avoid running up against the wall, but I was able to control it and continue with no real impact on the lap. Otherwise the run was good, yielding a time of 1:43.868 which was good enough for 14th and progression into the second segment.

Q2

Things happened fast in this segment, my first run being great with no issues whatsoever and a nice time delivered instantly. I didn’t want to go out for a second run to save my tyres and, more importantly, my engine, but I was forced to due to how my rivals were performing and as such I went out for a quick dash near the end of the segment. It didn’t result in any improvement, however, so my fastest time from the first run was all I could manage and, therefore, my Qualifying session ended with me in 11th place on a 1:43.220. Obviously my penalties ensure that I will actually be starting in 21st tomorrow, but I’m still satisfied with my time regardless because it was very close to being another progression into Q3, and I also exceeded Virgin’s expectations as well. That lap was my best of the weekend, too, which is a positive sign after starting Friday in less than ideal circumstances. 

As per Practice form, Vettel, Webber and Hamilton grabbed the first three positions for tomorrow’s race. Clearly Red Bull are on form here although it is nice to see that McLaren are giving them a run for their money, too.

An interview after Qualifying asked about my title hopes, which I thought was a little curious, as well as my thoughts on the session and how Virgin are faring with car setup for each circuit. I replied by suggesting that my championship hopes are probably non-existent this year given I am a rookie and in a brand new team; that I have been and will continue to give it my all with each Qualifying session; and that so far Virgin have been doing pretty well with car setup considering we have been punching well above our weight, something that is evident in rounds such as Turkey and Canada.

I may be starting at the back of the field tomorrow but, after today’s efforts, I have to say I am actually looking forward to the race. It remains to be seen if my decent results in recent rounds will continue, though.

Sunday Afternoon, Race Day, Sunny

I go into today’s race with little to no expectations, instead preferring to just do my own thing and be happy with whatever I can get. Virgin are approaching the race differently, however, expecting a position of 18th or higher in the race. I think that’s certainly achievable, especially given recent form, but there’s no denying that my penalties are already affecting my chances so we will just have to wait and see what happens. Despite not making Q3 and thus, not being required to start on them, Virgin have given me a fresh set of Option tyres to start the race with, no doubt hoping that I can use them to gain a few places early and start things off positively. Being a street circuit I’m not so sure that’s the right move to take but it is their choice, of course, and I will be happy to have good rubber under my belt to get things started, so I’m certainly not going to argue with them about it. Being Options, however, the grip will no doubt fade quickly so right now the strategy is to pit at around lap 18 or so and switch to the Primes. I guess it depends on the race’s pace this afternoon, and how much dirt and dust is hanging around off the racing line as well. Anyway, I have some sponsor commitments to attend to so wish me luck.

Race Start; 57 laps

Despite feeling like it was slow initially, that was probably my best start in Formula 1 yet, my quick thinking and success in taking advantage of the opportunities that were before me resulting in a nice advancement up the field whilst everyone else slowly -- to avoid collisions -- sorted themselves out. By the bridge and turn 10 I had made up 3 or 4 places and I took another position -- around the outside I might add -- by the end of the first lap. Not long after that I grabbed another one in the fast series of corners after the hairpin (turn 17) in sector three due to cars going slower than usual, yet again, as they sorted themselves out. As I commenced the third lap, I was already in 17th -- not a bad start given it is a street circuit. By lap 5 I had made it to 15th, where I stayed until my pit-stop on lap 18. On lap 10 my (Option) tyres started to go away from me which ensured that I ran wide a few times at various corners but Liuzzi, who was behind me, was unable to pass and I gained some time back in sector three where I appeared to be more comfortable and confident than some of the others. He came close a few times to be sure, but I was able to hold position for the first stint and even as I entered the pits, too, as he followed me in. Virgin even complimented me on the stint while I was driving down the lane because of how many positions I gained -- who said passing in F1 was impossible? 

I left the pits on lap 19 in 16th after Buemi passed me on the straight. I quickly received another compliment over the radio for a “perfect pit-stop” which was nice to hear and certainly wonderful encouragement for the rest of the race. I should ask Virgin to say things like that in every race. Anyway, I managed to get 15th back on lap 25 and then went on to have an eerily quiet few laps between lap 25 and 31, especially on the bridge and the subsequent (first) back straight. Like Bahrain and Turkey, the lap around Valencia feels somewhat like a journey, a feeling exacerbated by just how long the circuit is. Unlike those two venues, though, Valencia does stick close to itself so it was only in that particular section where things were rather quiet. The frontrunners began lapping me on around lap 32, and I had a small brush with the outside wall of turn 3 on lap 38. After that things were good, clean and consistent, with nothing in particular occurring and my driving remaining smooth and at a steady pace. On lap 55 I had a lockup in turn 2 that I couldn’t get out of in time as I had already committed to the corner, meaning that instead of running down the run-off area like I did a few times in Practice, I collided with the wall instead and lost my front wing. Naturally the team ordered me into the pits to get it replaced but when I heard the margin I had over Liuzzi who was (still) behind me, I decided to try and nurse the car home instead. This decision paid off as I kept my position and finished 15th, a decent result considering my starting position and the mistake at the end of the race. 

Despite that mistake and my woes earlier in the weekend, particularly with the penalties, I’m really happy with that result and that race as a whole, so much so that I think it has to be one of my best yet. That makes three consecutive races in a row where I’ve had a positive weekend with better than expected results so, right now at least, I’m really satisfied with my performances and how my season has progressed so far. I think Valencia is one of my better rounds because of the general consistency I showed throughout the majority of the race, and for my many passes during the first stint -- not many passes happen at the start of any race let alone on a street circuit, so to do what I did today was remarkable and something that I am definitely pleased with. Perhaps my love of street circuits is starting to show after all? 

Virgin was also happy as, obviously, I was three places ahead of their expectations today. They also seem pleased with how things have been progressing thus far, so it feels good knowing that my efforts aren’t just doing wonders for my development but for theirs as well. Interestingly, Valencia reminded me of a few of the street circuits I used to race at in America, probably because of the way in which the sunshine lit up the track. It helps, too, that the track is so modern and looks wonderful. 

Anyway, Lewis Hamilton won the race with Alonso coming second and Vettel rounding out the podium for third. Lucas Di Grassi, my team-mate, finished in 23rd. Without being cocky or arrogant, I think it is fair to say that I am performing at a much stronger level than he is right now, something that has been consistent for most of the season so far. Hopefully this works to my benefit later in the year but, of course, we will have to wait and see on that one. My result today means that I am still 21st in the drivers’ standings, while Virgin remain last (11th) in the constructors’. 

With the way things are going lately I’m beginning to think that a points-finish can’t be too far off, surely? Here’s hoping I’m right, first and foremost, and that it happens at the next event in Britain and the world-renowned Silverstone circuit. I have mixed feelings towards Silverstone which I will elaborate on when we get there. It’s undoubtedly a classic track but they have been making changes to it recently, too, so we will see how I feel in a fortnight’s time. 

Note: All images, save for the course map, are courtesy of Xbox Live friend and fellow F1 fanatic Rossa Au.

Living The Life: Valencia #1

[Part of a series of posts in which I detail the events that occur during my first championship season in Codemasters' F1 2010. These will be written in a diary-esque form describing my thoughts and reactions as I participate in each event. Today, the return of the story and part one of the European Grand Prix in Valencia.]

Arriving in Valencia this weekend for the next round of my first season in Formula 1 means three things: it’s a new venue that I need to acquaint myself with; it’s another street circuit which makes its learning curve difficult but more enjoyable, too, as I love racing so closely to the barriers and within tight chicanes and corners; and, on a personal level, that this round is interesting due to what it represents.

While this isn’t the first time that the Valencia round has been held in Formula 1, it is still interesting to consider because of what it means. Technically, this round is classified as the European Grand Prix because Spain already has a round in Catalunya and Bernie Ecclestone -- the head of Formula 1 -- doesn’t allow two rounds in the one country. Previously, the ‘European’ round has been held at tracks such as the Nurburgring GP circuit in Germany but since that now alternates with Hockenheim each year, the new round takes place here in Valencia and on the still reasonably new street circuit that was built along the harbour. This particular venue is also interesting because it represents what a modern F1 race circuit should be, with exceptionally smooth tarmac, wide corners and long straights; carefully placed marshal points and easily visible LED screens for when the track is under yellow conditions or there’s a red flag; and a unique visual style that screams modern rather than the well-worn appearance of classic tracks such as Canada or Australia, or even the still relatively young (but not compared to Valencia!) venues at Malaysia and China. It is almost an insight into where Formula 1 racing will be in the near future, if you will, but regardless of that it’s an interesting circuit to consider because it is visually distinct, and because it’s such a contrast to some of the recent rounds we have had. Naturally, it is even more impressive for someone like me who is new to the circuit and has only seen it on TV previously, so it should be fun driving those first few laps in P1.

Also notable this weekend is the presence of the press or, rather, how much more people there appears to be when compared to previous rounds. I have been asked for interviews and have had cameras following me around a lot more than any other round prior to this one, so is that something exclusive to this round only or are people starting to notice me after my great performances in Turkey and Canada?

Speaking of which, at the end of Canada I honestly thought that I would be kicking myself a little bit for some of the mistakes I made during the race and that, as a result, I might be feeling a little less enthusiastic for this weekend. Instead, I’m feeling fantastic and I can’t wait to get out there and tackle the street circuit for the first time -- am I maturing as a driver by having a much more relaxed, motivated attitude or am I just going through a decent and positive period right now? Either way, I’m going to enjoy it while I can.

Friday Morning, Practice One, Sunny

As seems to be the case every race weekend these days, I got some laps in early whilst everyone else was focusing on preparing their cars and running installation laps. This gave me a chance to get familiar with the track while it was quiet, which was nice, and to begin learning what makes it unique as well as what it takes to put a decent lap together around here.

Valencia appears to have a good flow but it is also incredibly busy -- there's a lot of corners,  25 in fact, and as a result the lap is rather long when compared to some of the other venues we've visited thus far this season. Even the straights, of which there are three main ones, feature steering wheel input of some sort as they turn slightly as you progress down them. These corners, including turn 1, can be taken flat out of course but it's still worth mentioning because there's little time or room to take a breath around the lap; it's maximum concentration, all of the time, and for a longer period than other venues -- exactly what a street circuit should be. The track looks sleek, too, despite our driving perspective being so close to the ground and the barriers obscuring the view. It's somewhat pleasant, in a way, to be driving along the lap and realising that you just passed a couple of luxurious yachts while doing so. I like the contrast of raw speed against blissful exuberance.

My initial laps weren't entirely perfect, though, the usual mistakes and run-offs that always happen when learning a new circuit occuring as you would expect. I also got confused in one corner (I can't even remember which one), taking it far quicker than I should have. This resulted in some front wing damage after I clipped the outside wall and was sent careening into the opposite one. This ensured some lost time in the pits, too, as the team got to work on fixing it.

Subsequent runs brought to light some issues with traffic, as well as personal problems with turn 2 -- I ran wide and off twice there while exiting the pits because it sneaks up on you so fast -- as well as turn 10 which is the hairpin coming off the bridge, and the final and very tight corner leading onto the front straight. I also ran wide at turn 4 and had to completely back out of things as I had to cut turn 5 in order to get back on track. No penalty, though, because I slowed right down. I also had some minor struggles with turn 17 at the end of the second back straight, as well as an amusing moment when I recovered from running off at the corner at one point: I had to let a gaggle of cars through upon getting back on the circuit and couldn't help but laugh at them because they have all the room in the world on this long track and yet they're all together like that? Why waste your potential behind other cars when you can find plenty of space if you just wait a bit? It didn't make sense and I chuckled as a result, but it is their weekend that is (or could be) getting affected, not mine, so it's not my problem.

My third run was about tinkering with the car's setup as well as taking care of Virgin's R&D requirements. They wanted a lap time of 2:12.622 to test for a new throttle map setting, another time that was easy because I had exceeded that well before I even attempted it, probably even achieving it on my first lap around this new (to me) circuit. That's fine, though -- I prefer lenient goals like that because it means I can get them out of the way and focus on other things, such as testing what the changes we made to our setup did to the car and, of course, it gives me a chance to learn the intricacies of the place, too, particularly important at a track like this. I took care of it within the first lap and went on to have a slow and quiet run as there were few cars out at the time, and I wasn't able to find any pace or develop a rhythm, only improving my time in minor increments. I also had a minor spin on the curb exiting the bridge (turn 10), and my final lap was impeded by a bunch of slow cars. On my way into the pits I was also given a 5-spot grid penalty for speeding in pitlane. This is the fourth grid drop penalty I've had in as many rounds and it was frustrating because I wanted to break that trend this weekend, but the penalty itself was fair as the reason I was speeding was due to the tricky entry pitlane has. Situated on the final hairpin turn, it's rather abrupt as you still navigate the hairpin, sort of, and then as soon as you have done so you need to hit the speed limiter because you are directly in the lane. Most other circuits have a bit of tarmac that preceeds the lane that gives you the chance to prepare for entry, but as it is immediate here it caught me by surprise and I was reprimanded (rightfully) as a result.

My fourth run was fairly lackluster despite my attempts to wrestle the car (on purpose) around Valencia as I tried to find some pace. I didn't improve my time at all and received another warning for corner cutting, too, on the brief right-hander before the final turn. There was also another minor spin at turn 12, the corner at the end of the first back straight.

I changed my setup again for the fifth run opting for lower downforce and higher top speed. This, combined with more grip now that some rubber had been laid down around the track, should have resulted in some improvement but ultimately didn't as I had some more issues during the run. I had to abort my first lap after brushing up against the wall exiting turn 3 and had my second lap affected by some slow traffic who were entering the pits just prior to it, ensuring a less than ideal entry onto the main straight to commence the lap. I was also still feeling uncomfortable, too, my efforts to find pace or push the limits resulting in no gains, despite how quickly I learned the track's layout earlier in the session. Unlike other venues my ability to learn a circuit quickly just wasn't paying off here, and it was definitely starting to affect my mental state for the weekend.

This continued into the sixth run, too, as I had to abort my first lap yet again due to traffic. I also had another spin in the corner at the end of the first back straight (turn 12) which was fine until, as I waited for traffic to pass so I could recover, I was given three warnings for illegal blocking by the stewards. I understand that it's tight down there and as such, I was close to the racing line, but what else was I supposed to do as my rivals approached? I didn't want to get in their way or block their laps while I was recovering, after all, so I thought it was best to just wait. Guess I was wrong, however, as these warnings resulted in another 5-spot grid penalty -- my second for the weekend and this session -- which I thought was unfair but the officials obviously deemed it to be unsafe. In frustration I threw the car around a bit for my final lap which, ironically, was faster initially but didn't yield any improvements as you'd expect. I finished the session 14th on a 1:45.731 which isn't too bad but I definitely felt as if it should have been better, too. It doesn't really matter now, though, with two penalties basically ensuring a race at the back of the field. Hamilton topped the time sheets and Button and Vettel followed him closely behind.

Friday Afternoon, Practice Two, Sunny

I had mixed feelings about the rest of the weekend entering the second Practice session after my guaranteed 10-spot drop. I wasn't feeling particularly motivated, and I was debating with myself as to how I'd approach things now that my chances weren't as positive as I felt they should have been. On one hand, as a response to my situation, I felt like approaching it lazily and perhaps being a bit blasé, but on the other I'm a professional race driver with a job to do and who should always be striving to do their best, so I was torn between a more relaxed attitude (with any decent results being a nice surprise) and doing what I'm paid to do.

Somewhat unusually, this was perhaps a little evident in my actions as the session commenced, as I went against my normal trait and sat in the garage for ten minutes letting the others do their thing while I waited. This was nice as I was able to watch the timing monitor for a while and see what the others were up to, but when I did eventually go out it meant that I was doing my first run with a busier circuit, with more cars on track. This meant that I had to abort my first few laps due to slower cars in front and traffic in general, an issue that was becoming particularly prevalent here in Valencia. I also made some mistakes and had another spin off the bridge (turn 10), too, which didn't help things.

My second run was fine, if a little lackluster, the only thing of significance being two warnings for corner cutting. The first of these happened at the final turn and the second at the end of the first back straight (turn 12), but since I have never actually been penalised for cutting corners (yet) I didn't mind too much and ignored the warnings, for the most part.

The third run was, once again, about fulfilling Virgin's testing requirements, a time of 2:12.755 (which is actually even more lenient, slightly, than P1's goal, interestingly enough) being the goal this time around. As usual I took care of it immediately then went on to find a little bit more pace throughout the run, despite still feeling a little unmotivated and as if I wasn't "in it" this weekend. I also got another warning for cutting the right hander that preceeds the final turn (turn 24), but like before I didn't take much notice. I did pay attention to the spin I had off turn 5's curb, though, as it highlighted to me that I just wasn't concentrating enough as I got front wing damage, once again, as I was sent towards the wall. Despite being minor damage overall this put a damper on the session -- not that it changed my mood all that much anyway, considering I was already feeling down -- and I went on hoping for the session to end so I could put the day behind me.

I had no time improvements in the fourth run and also had a somewhat strange issue where the team told me over the radio about yellow flags in sector three, yet every time I arrived (it probably happened about three times) there was nothing there. That was off-putting because I was intentionally slowing down each time to be ready for anything that might be there and nothing eventuated, which I found to be a little bizarre.

Virgin informed me to watch my revs in the final run as my engine was apparently showing signs of wear, news that added to my seemingly negative weekend as you might expect. The run also ended up being a non-event, too, as I got some wheelspin as I changed gear out of turn 3 and clipped the outside wall as I corrected it, sending me spearing into the opposite one and damaging my wing yet again. I recovered to the pits with no hassles but there wasn't enough time to go out again, so that was the end of the session for me. I finished 15th with a time of 1:45.215 which was faster than my P1 time but still average and off the pace. Vettel was on top whilst his team-mate Webber and McLaren's Hamilton were second and third respectively.

For someone who is supposedly good at and enjoys street circuits, my performance and circumstances thus far at both Monaco -- an abysmal round for me -- and here in Valencia have been terrible. Here's hoping tomorrow is a little better.

Saturday Morning, Practice Three, Sunny

I woke up feeling better today and a little more optimistic too, something that should and did help with confidence, concentration and enthusiasm during the morning Practice session.

It began with more R&D testing in the first run, a time of 1:55.842 being expected and something that, as always, was easily achieved on the first lap. Interestingly Virgin elected to keep my worn engine in for this session and, indeed, the weekend, opting to try and save some of our others (out of an allocated eight for the season) for future rounds. This made sense strategically considering that Virgin are a new team with limited resources but it was a little frustrating for me personally, because it could have affected our car performance for the weekend but didn't appear to in this session. Thankfully.

Like yesterday, traffic became an issue quickly and made itself known in my second run, as did my personal problems with turn 10 off the bridge and the final turn. My first lap was hampered by Adrian Sutil who was exiting the pits and decided to swerve abruptly to get on the racing line, as opposed to waiting for me to pass. This forced me down the run-off area behind turn 2 in a similar manner to my offs leaving the pits in P1, which was a little unnecessary. My third lap also had some drama with Karun Chandok causing Hamilton (who was also in front of me) to hesitate and thus slow, the two of them together blocking my path heading into turn 4. This was entirely Chandok's fault and Lewis even came up to me after the session finished to make sure I knew that he didn't mean to get in the way, which I thought was nice of him. While preparing for the next lap (still on lap 3), a slow Vettel moved aside at the last minute as I approached the final turn, forcing me to throw the car at the apex in order to make it. Naturally this caused me to cut and I was warned, but I accepted this warning in my stride as I didn't feel as if this particular mishap was my fault. The last lap of the run also saw another minor spin at the turn 10 hairpin exiting the bridge, but there was nothing to be concerned about with that one.

My third run was fine save for more traffic issues. Seriously, if someone is exiting the pits as you navigate the flatout turn 1 then that lap is basically ruined because no one moves out of the way or stays offline until you pass. It's so bad I actually collided with Sebastian Buemi on my third lap -- my front right with his rear left -- because he didn't see me coming and went straight onto the racing line. I didn't receive any damage but he didn't receive any penalties or warnings over it, either, so it was incredibly annoying. And what's with the traffic problems anyway? This track is huge and far wider than most other venues we visit. There shouldn't be a problem at all.

The final run was also fine save for the inevitable traffic problems, my plans to use the Option tyres (which I had finally switched to after spending the entirety of yesterday using the Primes) not coming through -- I did improve my time and progress forward as you would expect using the softer compound of rubber, but I couldn't nail any of my laps because of the aforementioned traffic so I didn't get to see their full potential. I finished the session 11th which was a nice enough improvement, on a time of 1:43.702, my fastest for the weekend. That was because of the Options, of course, but I also felt as though I found some pace and picked up my performance in that session, so it was a nice reward to see myself move forward after the less than ideal events of yesterday. Vettel was on top again and Webber and Hamilton rounded out the top three, repeating the front results of P2 yesterday.

An interview after the session asked if the team have been happy with my Qualifying performances so far, and how I have been coping with the testing ban. I responded by saying we’ve been doing okay with Quali so far this season, and we are dealing with the lack of testing the same as any other team, really. Now that things seemed to have turned for the better, I look forward to tackling Valencia under Qualifying conditions later this afternoon.

Note: All images, save for the course map, were provided courtesy of Xbox Live friend and fellow F1 fanatic Rossa AU -- thanks yet again man for all your help.

Red Dead Ruminations: Life In The West

Red Dead Redemption is a fantastic game. It was last year when it was first released, it continues to be now and, in a decade or so when people look back at important videogames (again, since we all love doing it so much), Red Dead Redemption will stand out as a significant and crucial release. The reasons for this are many and have been detailed plenty of times elsewhere, particularly last year when it was the focus of everyone’s conversation, but it is still worth pointing out anyway because games like this don’t come along very often, and deserve all the attention that they can get. That is why, over a year since it released, I’m still going ahead with my own series of posts about the game -- simply put, it inspires a lot of thoughts and discussion, and I’m certainly not excluded from that fact.

So, what do I think about the game? Well, as I’ve said twice now, it was my introduction to the Western genre, so it was especially interesting playing the game with that in mind, discovering and learning about the core qualities of that particular genre. Perhaps even more fascinating, however, was how I came to realise that Red Dead Redemption is an even better take on the old Wild West because it doesn’t specifically focus on the genre’s tropes or quirks, and instead treats them as mere details in a much larger, broader experience. Beyond that, my fascination with game spaces saw another intriguing game to consider, given how incredible RDR’s environment is -- both in scope, and in detail. Of course, being a Rockstar game the atmosphere and sense of place in Red Dead Redemption isn’t surprising, but it’s still very interesting to think about because, I feel, the game stepped it up another level again -- even over Grand Theft Auto IV, in some respects. Finally, I was interested in the game because it seemed like Rockstar were intending to continue their more mature approach to their storytelling, first seen in Liberty City and GTA IV. While some characters are questionable, for the most part it really came across as if Rockstar were trying to pioneer, yet again, with Red Dead’s narrative, and the end result of that is remarkable, depending on the context. I will address the game’s characters, general plot and my connections to both in future posts but, for now, let’s talk about my introduction to the genre, and the game’s interesting use of its environment.

Why hello, Mr. Marston

Entering into a game (or any entertainment product, really) that adheres to a specific experience with no idea of what to expect is, somewhat, surreal. Red Dead Redemption’s general adoption of Rockstar’s open world template, however, ensured that there were enough features in the game that were familiar to me whilst I learned about all of the elements that were foreign: I knew about their emphasis on atmosphere and a sense of place in an expansive environment; I knew how the game ‘felt’ due to its similarities to Grand Theft Auto; and I was also quite familiar with the game’s structure of cut-scenes, objectives, and then rewards. This allowed my attention to be firmly focused on everything that was new (to me), meaning that I was able to get engrossed a lot quicker than I initially expected to. What I wasn’t expecting, however, was how the Western status of the game took a back seat to the rest of the experience -- it is a videogame based in a Western setting, not necessarily a Western itself.

This was surprising to me because, before release, I was totally expecting the videogame version of a Western. That was how (I thought) the game was advertised throughout its hype campaign and the various previews and interviews, and that was what I wanted because, as I keep on repeating, I was new to the genre and wanted to use the game to see whether I liked it or not. And it did answer that question, too -- I did get to see what a Western entailed, and I did get to understand what my own personal stance on such a specific experience would ultimately be, but I acquired that insight indirectly as I engaged the whole adventure and not just certain aspects of it. On the surface, the tropes and incidental details that you’d expect from a Western -- duels, train robberies, cowboys saying “giddy-up”, etc. -- are present and accounted for but these traditional elements of the genre simply aren’t thrown in your face in Red Dead Redemption. Instead, they exist in the background: just like sheriffs and ranches do, like cacti and wolves, and, indeed, like the desolate landscape itself. They aren’t included in the game to ensure its authenticity to the genre or to inform its players that, yes, Red Dead Redemption is a Western; they’re merely details in a world full of them, and they give this world weight through their beautiful, delicate, coherency. Recognising that fact -- that RDR is a game with a Western setting, rather than one that is a Western -- took some time and didn’t occur until well after I had finished the game. But once I did acknowledge this subtle distinction, I realised that it enriches the experience in the same way that the little things do for other titles.

Attention to detail is one of Red Dead Redemption’s most significant qualities, but I think it would be fair to say that most people wouldn’t think about what it does or doesn’t do with the genre as one of the areas in which the game carefully creates its overall experience. I would argue, however, that this is why the game is so remarkable to begin with: it took a genre from another medium, adopted the essence of it for a new one, and masterfully turned it into something that wasn’t just unique, it was only possible as a videogame.

On The Lone Prairie

Not too long ago I wrote a post expressing my disdain with the notion that, eventually, Liberty City from Grand Theft Auto IV would be forgotten in favour of more impressive environments, perhaps even from another GTA. As technology and graphical fidelity continue to progress -- among other things -- I can see a future in which Liberty City is no longer considered a technical achievement or a sense of wonder, indirectly allowing for it to become a memory much in the same way that, say, the entirety of San Andreas has -- a particularly fond memory, undoubtedly, but a memory nonetheless.

Well, unsurprisingly, I feel the same way about Red Dead Redemption’s magnificent depiction of the Wild West. Like Liberty City, I believe that the game’s environment is one of the best examples we have yet of a world that feels like it truly exists; only this time the game’s particular setting ensures that we’re revisiting a bygone era, rather than a modern metropolis. The sense of place, life and, of course, atmosphere in Red Dead Redemption is unparalleled, and somewhat conveniently exists as the demonstration of what the opposite of Liberty City could and should be. Instead of the urban jungle we have an expansive piece of land which teams with wildlife, sporadic hints of civilization, and which features a surprising amount of variety. I will address that last one in a future post but the point is that there is simply nothing like Red Dead Redemption’s landscape, and the fact that it is so incredibly detailed and full of unexpected surprises is not only a testament to Rockstar’s prowess with creating these virtual worlds in which we get to inhabit, but to their ability to showcase some of this generation’s most significant technical achievements, too. Few other developers can pull off such a large environment that is full with things to see and do, and fewer still can also provide a place in which key, personal moments can occur for each and every player.

But it’s not about how impressive or special it can be; rather, it’s about how in the not too distant future I get the impression that, yet again, Red Dead Redemption’s landscape is going to be forgotten in favour of something else that is bigger, better, and certainly more beautiful. Right now that sounds absurd but we’re talking about a videogame, too -- the medium progresses at an insane rate and, as we’ve seen time and time again, it only takes a couple of years before a game is completely outclassed by something newer. Just look at the differences between The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for an example of what I am talking about: both games are amazing at the time of their release, but the inevitable iteration and technical advancements of the medium ensure that, eventually, they’re seen as less impressive and even, at times, ugly. As we reach and surpass the uncanny valley and photo-realism that problem becomes less significant but, right now, it’s still an issue and because of this I fear that, like Liberty City, Red Dead’s world will become nothing more than a memory for the majority of people because there simply won’t be any reason to visit it anymore. There will be better and, while I can’t wait to see what that might actually be myself, I also dread it because I personally believe that these environments that we already have now -- today, in the current generation -- should be cherished and even celebrated -- if not for their impressive coherency, than certainly because of all the resources, hard work and effort that went into making them.

Ultimately this disdain I feel for the (potential) future of these game spaces is a personal thing that I have developed alongside my passion for virtual spaces as a whole, and while important it doesn’t necessarily reflect how I feel about the future. I’m eagerly awaiting what might appear on the horizon, and already have some idea of what that future entails with games like BioShock Infinite taking us to places that, once again, we cannot go in reality. The future is very bright when it comes to virtual worlds, but I’m not going to jump up and celebrate their arrival if, as a consequence, what we already have now is left behind and forgotten. That’s not the kind of approach I want to take with a medium I hold so dear, and that’s why I’m a little more reluctant to proceed than the majority of gamers out there.

***

That’s some of my initial observations about Red Dead Redemption. A review, if you will, of some of the things that stood out to me upon the game’s completion. Naturally, being a Rockstar game means there is plenty more to talk about, and what I’ve covered above is only scratching the surface. In my next post I will discuss the opening moments of the game, and how they effectively set up the overall experience whether we realise it or not -- where better to start covering such a large game than the beginning?

Red Dead Ruminations: Overview

I wasn’t supposed to play Red Dead Redemption.

That’s the feeling I have after finishing it a few months ago, and after many instances where I almost gave up on playing the game because of circumstances (mostly beyond my control) that tried to ruin my experience with it. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the game -- quite the opposite, actually -- but, for whatever reason, various things tried to get in the way of what should have otherwise been an awesome time. Anyway, I’m past that somewhat bizarre mish-mash of extremely positive moments and strange, negative situations, so now it is time to actually talk about my time with Rockstar’s Western epic.

In my preview of the game I mentioned the fact that before Red Dead Redemption, I hadn’t experienced anything in or related to the Western genre, and that I was using the game as my first foray into this unfamiliar territory. Sure, I had heard plenty over the years about the genre and had a fair idea of what made a Western a Western, but it was still interesting to head into the game with no preconceptions about what to expect or how I should be feeling. Not only that, I wasn’t sure whether I would actually like the genre, so I looked forward to using the game to satisfy my personal curiosity.

Now that I have played it, I have a fair bit to say and this series will cover everything that came to mind during my time with the game. While originally I was playing it when everyone else was, I stopped after just a short time due to an unfortunate spoiler that essentially rendered the game, particularly its story, meaningless and irrelevant (one of the aforementioned instances that nearly ruined my enjoyment of the overall experience). The spoiler was so strong that it turned me off the game and it has only been recently, months after release that I was finally able to return to it.

It has been incredibly interesting experiencing my very first Western. There have been some great moments and some unfortunate ones, some things that have captured my attention and others that I found utterly boring. All in all I recognise Red Dead Redemption for the great game that it is and firmly believe that it deserves all the praise and respect it continues to receive, but it isn’t perfect (what game is?) either, and I’ll discuss both my positive and negative responses to the game over the next few posts. I hope you’ll enjoy what I have to say about something that was so new to me.

Living The Life: Canada #2

[Part of a series of posts in which I detail the events that occur during my first championship season in Codemasters' F1 2010. These will be written in a diary-esque form describing my thoughts and reactions as I participate in each event. Today, part two of my Canadian Grand Prix.]

Saturday Afternoon, Qualifying, Significantly Overcast

I really don't know how to feel about Qualifying this afternoon. On the one hand, we've had a great weekend which suggests that both it and the race will be pretty good, but on the other I don't want that good form to trick me into thinking that I'm going to have a glorious Canadian Grand Prix, either. It's been a great ride so far and, undoubtedly, topping the time sheets in all three Practice sessions puts pressure on us because people expect that to continue, but I really don't want to believe in something that might not exist. I said in my last entry that I was cautiously optimistic -- that's perhaps the best approach I can have, as I am optimistic that I can continue to perform well here (the track seems to really suit my driving style) but at the same time I'm cautious about just how far up the field I can get, because we are meant to be a backmarker team and because Quali is simply a different beast to Practice. With this in mind, I'm personally gunning for a position in the top ten, with the obvious incentive being the higher the better -- particularly as my grid penalty will automatically drop me five places regardless of where I end up. If I can qualify on top and repeat the performances of Practice (which I doubt but we'll see), then the impact of that penalty is very low because starting in fifth would still be a great result, but if not then anywhere in the top ten should minimise the impact that it might have over my weekend. I don't want to be starting at the back of the field, not after doing so well yesterday and earlier this morning, so reaching Q3 is crucial and is my goal heading into the session. Virgin, on the other hand, have set a goal of fifteenth for the session, which is including the grid drop from my penalty. I think that's a fair and accessible goal given our form in Practice, and it correlates rather nicely with my goal of reaching Q3. If I do, then I'll have met their expectations even with the drop, so again that is absolutely my focus going in. Here's hoping it pays off.

Q1

As always, allow me to detail the events of each segment before I discuss my final result.

Almost immediately, it was as if P3 didn't happen. I hooked up with the track nicely and put in a cracker of a lap in my first run to hit a personal best of 1:17.374. This was set on my third lap (second attempt at a time) and emphasised the run in general, too, which was also great. My first flying lap was also a corker until Schumacher forced me to change my line through turn 3 after he exited the pits for his own run. After hitting the track running I elected to stay in and not do a second run, to save my tyres and see what my opponents were up to. Sitting on top of the sheets again was surprising, even with Practice, because I honestly expected the big teams to show their cards, but it also proved to be the motivation I needed to focus in Q2, so I wasn't complaining. Interestingly, Vettel finally broke into the 1'17s with his lap, meaning that Red Bull were edging closer to my times but were still five tenths off.

Q2, Sunny

The clouds clearing for Q2, it was another great segment though once again I only did the one run -- only this time, it wasn't to save tyres but rather because I lost time in the pits after having to get my front wing replaced. Why did it need to be changed? Because, despite a great initial run that put me back to the top, I lost my front wing n-plate after getting turns 3 and 4 wrong on my third lap and clipping the wall. That made things interesting as I was kicking myself for making the mistake, but its impact was minimal as I still finished Q2 on top with a 1:17.683, so it was definitely mixed feelings. Vettel was much closer, on a 1:17.846, and Hamilton finally broke into the 1'17s himself by setting a 1:17.915 for third. Of course, these times get reset so it doesn't matter too much, but it highlighted that the frontrunning teams were closing in (as they should be) and that Q3 was going to be interesting as well. Speaking of which, by sitting on top for Q2 I met my goals of reaching Q3, pleasing Virgin and myself despite the small setback of that front wing mishap.

Q3

A disappointing segment, mostly due to things out of my control. I had an average first run which was affected by Mark Webber exiting the pits on one lap, and traffic in the final chicane on another, so I came in early instead. Usually I only go out for one run in Q3 because there's such little time to do anything, but because of the average run I went out for a dash to see if I could improve my time but, ultimately, I was unable to and had to settle for fifth. The provisional time I had set in my first flying lap of the segment. Had I not screwed up my first lap of the dash by running wide in turn 3 (and then having to cut turn 4, which I was warned about), things might have been different but I did and, because of the session ending, I didn't have enough time to 'fix' that mistake and set a faster time. Still, fifth place is still a remarkably decent effort for a rookie driver like me and a new team such as Virgin and, while that result actually means I start in tenth for tomorrow's race thanks to my penalty, I can still be proud of the session overall and my performances thus far this weekend. I know I could have done better, however, with circumstances not working to my favour, and Pole Position perhaps even being possible. It wasn't meant to be, though, so while it proves that timing is everything in this sport, it also proves that I do deserve to be here in Formula 1. For the record my time was a 1:18.369, nowhere near my best, whilst Vettel's was a 1:17.759 which gave him Pole. Button put it in 2nd which surprised a few people, himself included (I imagine), and Webber followed for 3rd.

A post-Quali interview asked if my performance in Quali gives me and Virgin a boost; how I am getting on with the car set-up for Qualifying; and if my title chances this year (being in a backmarker car) are over. I responded by agreeing that we do get a boost from this good result in Qualifying, that set-up has been exactly where it needed to be this weekend, and that I was unlikely to ever be competing for the drivers' title this year but you never know. Once again answers that, I thought at least, were measured and mature, and something that was reinforced when I got back to the garage.

Satisfied with my Saturday, for the most part, I now knuckle down and prepare for what I hope is a good race. I don't expect much from it, but it would be nice if this form continued.

Sunday Afternoon, Race Day, Significantly Overcast

Like the beginning of Q1 yesterday, it's rather overcast today which could be interesting. We'll see if any showers occur during the race but everyone is approaching it as if it will be dry, and we expect it to be too, so things are still going according to plan today. Virgin expect 12th or better which, going on the past two days, is absolutely possible -- hell, a top ten finish seems achievable after Friday and Saturday's performances -- but I'd still like to be realistic and, as such, I've personally set a goal of 15th. Starting where I am in 10th means that it seems like a somewhat lenient goal and relatively easy because of this, but race conditions are always different to the other sessions so, like Turkey, I'm just going to do my own thing and see what eventuates. I do need a good start, though, as it's still an area that I need to work on. I also hope to avoid any potential collisions in turns 1 and 2, which are notorious for incidents because of how narrow and tight they are. Get through those and I should be able to settle into a decent rhythm. Our strategy for today is to come in on around lap 22 or so, a reasonably early stop since we're starting on our slightly worn Option tyres from Q3 (as per the rules), but late enough that we can adapt our strategy on the fly if we need to due to weather. Even if the race doesn't go our way I think both Virgin and myself can be proud of our weekend so far, and happy that we've made such significant inroads towards being competitive and justifying our position in the sport. I'm certainly pleased with everything, that's for sure.

Race (70 laps)

Mixed feelings describe my thoughts on that race, the result itself being good and matching our previous best in China (more on that in a moment) but at the same time also featuring a lot of unnecessary mistakes. For whatever reason I just couldn't find a decent rhythm and continually locked my brakes, ran wide and even had a moment where I let someone through after inducing wheel-spin and having to catch it. It was my best race of the season, probably, but I definitely feel as if I could have (or even should have) done more with it, too, so definitely feeling a little disappointed with how things went. So how did they go? Let me explain.

Despite seeming slow and sluggish at first (with wheel-spin in 2nd gear), I actually got a pretty decent start and managed to keep 10th place heading into the first two corners. Everyone approached them cautiously and slowly, too, so we all got through and that was nice to see. I kept 10th all the way until my pit-stop, too, despite almost passing Rosberg up the inside of the turn 11 hairpin on both lap 2 and 3. He managed to find a rhythm not long after that and drove away while I battled with the two Force Indias of Sutil and Liuzzi, both of whom stayed on the back of my car by taking advantage of my slipstream on the straights. They never really made any attempts to pass, however, so despite feeling some pressure from their pursuit and also thinking that it might look like I was holding them up, I kept my position and ran my own race. The clouds began to clear at around lap 10 or so and, as scheduled, we pitted on lap 22 to switch to the Prime tyres. The pit-stop went well and we left the pits in 13th. Cold tyres saw me get some wheel-spin out of turn 7 which I had to correct, even going so far as to gently bump the outside wall, but I didn't get any damage and was able to press on. I made it to 12th on lap 24 due to Kobayashi pitting but the guys ahead, in 10th and 11th, appeared to be too far ahead to catch so 12th is where I stayed. Not sure what happened there but oh well. On lap 27 I was lapped by the leader Jenson Button, and from then on I was content in 12th place, moving aside as I needed to and running at a pace I was comfortable with. By this point it was clear that the car was behaving a little differently to the sessions earlier in the weekend -- perhaps because it was heavier, perhaps not -- and also that the conditions weren't suiting it as much either, but I was still quite glad to be where I was considering the differences, and that we could have been much farther down the field. On lap 50 Kobayashi had caught me, partly because of me having to move aside for frontrunners, partly because I was running wide and locking up unnecessarily. On lap 52 he got through thanks to me stupidly catching the curb of turn 8 and having to correct the wheel-spin that followed, confirming that I wasn't driving as well (or consistently) as I was in previous sessions and also that my tyres were starting to go off. I got warned for cutting the corner in that mistake, too, which was nice. Moments in turn 4 on lap 64 and again on lap 66 coming out of turn 1 confirmed the tyre wear issues, so I reacted by slowing down a little and maintained a steady pace until lap 69 where I finished the race, one lap down and in 13th place.

It was a good, solid effort, then, but as I remarked before also disappointing because I made some mistakes and just generally wasn't performing as well as I had been earlier in the weekend. I met my own goal of finishing ahead of 15th, which was nice, but didn't meet Virgin's goal of 12th which I felt guilty about after topping the time sheets in nearly every other session. 13th is still good, though, and matches our previous best in China. The reason I said it was probably my best race of the season so far is because, unlike China, we reached 13th legitimately and without rain playing its part on proceedings, but either way both races remain our highlights thus far, with Canada also having the added benefit of such good Qualifying and Practice sessions. The result is certainly higher than a Virgin (and definitely a rookie like me) is expected to be and puts us in good spirits heading into the next round in Valencia. Even though I stupidly let Kobayashi through when I made that error, I feel like the lack of consistency was my downfall today, my inconsistent driving and unnecessary mistakes (even if only minor) sending us down the field a little when, arguably, we should have been higher. Because it was my fault I can accept that the result is still good and certainly remarkable for a team like mine, but at the same time I know I will kick myself for not doing better, too -- especially after doing so well earlier on in the weekend.

Anyway, Button won the race, Vettel came in 2nd and Hamilton followed for 3rd. My teammate Lucas finished in 22nd, which is not bad for him actually, and I remain 21st in the drivers' standings whilst Virgin are still last in the constructors'. According to my agent some other teams are starting to express an interest in my driving -- namely HRT, Lotus, Toro Rosso and BMW Sauber -- so that's interesting; perhaps some contract offers will start appearing if I can continue driving well? Guess I'll find out soon enough. Overall I had a fantastic time in Canada and thoroughly enjoyed both my visit to the country, and my ability to have a great weekend and truly perform -- it felt good, I was in a great mood the entire time and, combined with Turkey, it seems like we are in a really good place at the moment as a team. I hope that continues in Valencia, a circuit I've never been to and another street circuit, too. I may have had a terrible time in Monaco, but I do still love my street circuits...

Living The Life: Canada #1

[Part of a series of posts in which I detail the events that occur during my first championship season in Codemasters' F1 2010. These will be written in a diary-esque form describing my thoughts and reactions as I participate in each event. Today, part one of my Canadian Grand Prix.]

Now that I have had more time to think about it, our previous round in Turkey was a lot better than it initially seemed. While the final result might not reflect it, Turkey felt like a turn around for us, particularly when it comes to our fortunes. On the back of two woeful rounds that really left us feeling depressed and unmotivated, it was great to turn that around with some positive progress in all of the weekend's sessions, be that Practice, Qualifying or, indeed, the race. Again, our 16th placing might suggest an average round, not a decent one, but Virgin and I came away very pleased with how the Turkish Grand Prix went as a whole, and personally I'm satisfied with my driving again after feeling pretty terrible in Spain and Monaco. I hope to continue this new, inspired attitude this weekend, particularly as it's in Canada -- a country I have always wanted to visit.

I can't really explain why but this country has always been appealing to me. Its beauty is perhaps the obvious answer, those gorgeous mountains and serene lakes and waterfalls making for some awe-inspiring scenery, but I don't know, I feel like it is more than that too. Every Canadian I have ever met, back in Australia before I was racing on the world stage, was a joy to talk to, their attitudes seemingly similar to that of our own. Culturally we also appear to be quite on par, though I will admit that something like that is hard to gauge when you've only met a handful of people. Whatever draws me to Canada and makes it appealing to me, it is great to finally be able to make one of my dreams a reality by visiting it, and especially doing something I love, too: racing cars. Speaking of which, that is my job and while I'm elated to be here, I'm not silly enough to neglect that fact, either, so I'm definitely focused on what needs to be done this weekend. I'm looking forward to it.

Friday Morning, Practice One, Sunny

A typical first Practice session, somewhat marred by some confusing warnings and yet another five-spot grid penalty, my third in as many rounds -- not a trend I want to continue. I had the usual, expected run-offs and moments of running wide as I familiarised myself with the circuit -- something that occurred a lot quicker than I expected it to -- and, as is seemingly becoming the norm, I also took the opportunity to run laps early in the session while my opponents played around with their set-ups and ran installation laps. I quickly learned the track, continuing my ability to get acquainted with new venues easily and with little hassle, and also learned that it was a very enjoyable track to drive -- both because it's quite picturesque, and because it's a challenging circuit with tight corners, a generally twisty feel and, of course, extremely close barriers. In fact, Canada reminded me instantly of a street circuit. It also reminded me of Australia and while that venue is more sweeping than Canada, it's an apt comparison because it actually is considered a street circuit (despite not always seeming like one). Leaves are a significant issue, however, with the low-hanging trees dropping their leaves all over the circuit and then wind (not to mention our cars speeding past) blowing them around everywhere. I think the walls that closely adorn the track are why so many of them are contained within; Australia had a fair amount of leaves as well but they always seemed to float up and over its walls, usually landing in the nearby (and gorgeous) Albert Park lake. It won't affect the progress of the weekend at all, but I did find it interesting and thought it was worth noting. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is also a deceptive little thing, its corners enticing you to brake late and accelerate early even though that might not actually be possible. It was this, mainly, which caused my little moments during the session but once I recognised that things weren't as they seemed, I was able to adapt and felt a lot more comfortable after that. I even felt like I could push, which was great because usually that doesn't happen until sessions later in the weekend and also because it suggested we were in for a good round, something that was later confirmed. But more on that in a moment; how did the session itself fare?

It went well, I have to say. The aforementioned warnings and penalty didn't help, of course, but overall I was happy with our progress, our pace and how quickly I eased into everything. Turns 2 and 10 were probably the trickiest to get used to, the two hairpins requiring maximum acceleration as early as possible but both also teasing you into pushing too early and causing wheel-spin. Turns 4, 7, and 9, not to mention the final chicane leading onto the main straight, were also tricky, mostly because you get back onto the throttle so quickly but do so as you ride the various curbs, too, which can also induce wheel-spin if you're not careful. Otherwise, the track was great and very enjoyable to drive. Not even my penalty or warnings could hinder my enjoyment, despite the latter confusing me somewhat and the former a silly and unnecessary mistake on my behalf. I got the five-spot grid penalty on my third run, coming back into the pits. I misjudged my entry and was unable to get the speed limiter on in time, so that was classed as speeding in pit-lane and I was subsequently awarded the penalty for my efforts. I could have taken it as a bad omen and gotten frustrated over it, but for whatever reason I took it in my stride and continued on as if it didn't happen -- an approach that, in hindsight now that the session is over, I'm very glad I did. But what about those warnings? Well, I got a few for cutting corners as I ran wide or off on some laps -- something very easy to do here as Canada's corners usually flow in the opposite direction to the one you just went through, a nice example being the final chicane -- but the confusing one was a warning for illegal blocking, as I cruised down the back straight preparing for a new lap. I was well off the racing line and was being followed by a Red Bull but, apparently, I was in the way and I got warned for it. It was confusing because I didn't impede on anyone's hot lap and the Red Bull was also cruising -- and that confusion went on to affect my concentration on the following lap -- but I got over it pretty quickly despite feeling it was a bit unfair. Traffic, too, played its part as it always does, some laps hampered by slower cars and/or bad timing, the most significant examples for this session being Felipe Massa starting a hot lap as I was approaching to pass him, as he was going slow down the back straight, and traffic in the turn 10 hairpin affecting my racing line at times.

Otherwise, the session was great, our choice to change set-up for my third run paying off nicely as it seemed to suit the track (and car) to a tee and allowed me to really get on with my job. Arguably, I did that too well as, at the end of my fifth run, I was surprised to see myself on top of the time sheets as I looked on the monitor back in the garage. At the time I put it down to the frontrunners having not found ideal set-ups or having not used the Option tyres yet, but I was corrected when, at the end of the session, I found myself on top after 30 laps completed. Yes, you read that right, I was on top of the time sheets. First. Number one. Ahead of the Red Bulls, McLarens and the Ferraris! I couldn't believe it -- I still don't -- and was definitely shocked to see that things went that well. I feel like maybe they weren't showing their cards yet or had struggled to find ideal set-ups, but either way I'm totally ecstatic that my name has topped the time sheets of a Formula 1 session, and seemingly so easily, too, as my time set on Primes would have been good enough, let alone the one I managed on Options late in the session. Speaking of which, that time was a 1:17.565, over a second ahead of Mark Webber in second on a 1:18.896 and his team-mate Vettel who managed a 1:18.904. Surely such a result doesn't reflect the weekend? I mean, how can it? How can my Virgin, a car that is supposed to be at the back of the pack, be more than a second ahead of a Red Bull? It can't be, so while I'm very happy with this result I don't expect it to be replicated in the next session. Guess I will find out later this afternoon.

Friday Afternoon, Practice Two, Cloudy

A mixed session, my good laps interspersed with the drama of little mistakes, traffic and a challenging pit-lane. All of my good laps continued to improve my times and lowered them enough to suggest that a 1'16 was possible (on Options), but ultimately I didn't manage it and settled for a low 1'17, instead. Which leaves the more negative stuff.

First of all, I made a lot more mistakes than I wanted to, locking brakes at inopportune times, running wide and either hurting my laps or having to abort them because I was off in the grass (even if only momentarily), and catching wheel-spin sporadically as I pushed the circuit more and more. For the most part these tiny errors are to be expected and are a by-product of trying to push the limits of a track, but I definitely felt like I was making more than I should have been and certainly more than P1, which is where these mishaps should be taking place. It didn't affect our progress too much (if at all), but it was noticeable enough to be concerning to me personally, and I didn't like it at all.

More concerning, however, was the traffic problems. Multiple laps of mine had to be aborted due to cars cruising, being in a different stage of their weekend to mine (for example, being on Primes while I was on Options -- the faster tyres) or because they simply didn't see me in time to move out of the way. One example of this was a moment with Kovalainen, who saw me at the last minute during my first lap of my second run and didn't move aside enough (in time), causing me to take a weird line to pass which sent me wide at turn 6, ruining the lap. I wasn't angry with the traffic problems -- Canada essentially being a street circuit means that I understand how narrow and tight it can be when cars are trying to find track space -- but it definitely played with the general progress of the session, particularly when opponents appeared to gloss over my (and I assume others') presence when they were driving slow. But, if my strange warning from P1 is anything to go by, I'm just as guilty of it as everyone else so it's not something I am complaining about, or want to dwell on for too long -- it was just simply an issue, and because it was a bit more prevalent here than other rounds, it bears mentioning.

Another issue, undoubtedly, is pit-lane. Both its entry and exit is awkward, and both cause troublesome moments depending on who is where on the circuit, and who is either entering or leaving the lane. Anyone who wants to enter, for example, has to do so by crossing onto the racing line for the final chicane. The approach to that chicane is from the left side, to allow for a straighter line through the brief double-corner, and quicker acceleration onto the main straight. Cars entering pit-lane, usually on the right side of the track if on an in-lap, have to suddenly cross over to find the lane, and it can be a problem if someone is on a hot lap and speeding towards the final chicane, only to have someone cross over at the last minute and get in the way. It's particularly bothersome because it's the last two corners of the lap; having a great lap ruined by such a moment is frustrating, and makes all of the work on the corners prior a waste of time. Despite this, I'd say that the exit of pit-lane is worse, simply because of how distracting it can be. There were quite a few times where my laps were ruined because someone was exiting as I was starting my lap and traversing turns 1 and 2. Whether it was getting distracted after turn 1 because cars were straight in front of me, exiting, or awkward moments as people tried to move out of the way as I was taking turn 2, the exit of pit-lane here is tricky and definitely an issue. I get that we all have to exit pit-lane and that it is up to us drivers to manage both ourselves and our competitors in a generous way, and that the way the Canadian venue flows makes it exceptionally difficult for it to be designed differently, but like the traffic woes it bears mentioning because it can (and does) affect people's sessions temporarily. A characteristic of the Canadian Grand Prix, to be sure, but an issue all the same.

Anyway, aside from those problems the session was great and mimicked much of P1. As I said above my laps improved, my confidence around the track developed with each decent lap and ultimately, once again, I ended up on top of the time sheets. Yes, despite thinking it was impossible I somehow managed to repeat my performance of P1 and put my name on the top again, even though it still doesn't feel right and I believe the frontrunners can do better. For whatever reason I seem to be really hooked up with this circuit here in Canada, even with those mistakes, and it's certainly being reflected with the final results. I'm still not going to treat it as a sign to come but it's definitely great to be able to put my name on that top spot, legitimately, and prove to everyone that I can drive and do deserve to be in Formula 1. Will this positive progress continue into tomorrow? Maybe, maybe not (probably not), but regardless of that it shows that I do have the talent required to drive one of these cars, and to compete at the level that I do. My time was a 1:17.552, only slightly better than the time I managed in P1, but still an improvement nonetheless. As I suggested before I felt like a 1'16 was possible but a combination of the aforementioned issues and worn tyres (I used the Options I used in P1 again) meant that it didn't happen. Once again I was a full second ahead of fellow Australian Mark Webber, who set a 1:18.598, and Vettel who achieved a time of 1:18.633 for third. How I can be quicker than the Red Bulls is beyond me -- am I dreaming? -- but I'll take it and, no matter how the rest of the weekend fares, I think I can be proud of my performance so far here in Canada. Bring on tomorrow!

Saturday Morning, Practice Three, Sunny

A bittersweet session, the final result reflecting the positivity of yesterday but marred by mistakes (again) and discomfort in the car.

I don't know, the session as a whole is really hard to describe as I just don't know how I feel. I'm very happy to be on top of the time sheets again (something I will address in a moment), but at the same time I am unhappy with either my performance, the car, or just the events that transpired. Maybe all of the above? Whatever it was, it was a disheartening session, sort of, but the result doesn't reflect that so maybe I'm seeing something that isn't there?

Anyway as I said there were mistakes in this session, a lot more than I would have liked, and perhaps even more than yesterday's P2 session. The session itself started off nicely enough, my form appearing to continue early as I reached second place quickly and decisively, but what followed was a lot of locked brakes, moments of wheel-spin that had to be caught, and confusion as to whether it was me struggling to find a rhythm or the car behaving differently to yesterday. I felt like I was running wide more than usual (suggesting understeer), I was having to back out of laps after catching the car from wheel-spin, and even missing apexes (even if only slightly) was putting a damper on the spirit I had for the session. Combined with the expected traffic woes I described in P2's write up, I just felt like the session was going nowhere even though, upon its conclusion, I was still on top. I only managed to do 17 laps, too, due to constant aborting and coming in early because of affected laps -- be it through my own mistakes or opponents getting in the way. Still, I suppose I shouldn't dwell on it too much because, as I said, I did top the time sheets yet again, continuing my remarkably positive weekend and hammering home the point that I belong here in Formula 1. I just feel as if the session could (and should) have been better than it was, so the impact of my name on top for the third session in a row (even if it is only Practice) is less than it was at the end of the two sessions yesterday.

Anyway I was ahead by a margin again today but it wasn't as big as it was in P1 or P2, Sebastian Vettel closing the gap as you would expect. I set a 1:17.884 (on Primes, which is why it's slower than my previous times) while he managed a 1:18.378, which makes Quali later today interesting if my form continues. Webber followed him for third, setting a 1:18.430, suggesting that it is yet another Red Bull weekend if I stop putting a spanner in the works and start falling to where I arguably should be, at the back of the pack. My team-mate Lucas is certainly there, finishing in 24th in all three sessions so far. I wonder how he is feeling seeing me up the front while he finishes in last -- it can't be good.

A post-P3 interview with David Croft asked how Virgin felt about my qualifying performances, if we're getting the best out of the Practice sessions (by testing new parts and etc.), and if I feel like Virgin is giving me 100 per cent. I responded by saying that Virgin and I are working well for Quali (an answer I thought was mature despite the great outcomes in Practice so far this weekend), that we appear to be on target in terms of new parts and general progress across a weekend, and that Virgin are doing the best they can (for me and themselves) for their first season in Formula 1. Virgin seemed to be happy with my answers, my engineer confirming that my level-headed approach to the weekend despite some great driving is probably the best approach, lest we become complacent, cocky or oblivious to the realities of the sport and our position within it. I agreed with his assessment, and not long after that we started to discuss and prepare for qualifying later today.

So, overall, I'm happy with how I have performed in the three Practice sessions so far but at the same time I do feel disappointed in how P3 fared. It wasn't inherently bad and the 'negative' niggles were minor at best, but something felt off in that session and contemplating what that might be definitely affected how I felt about the session as a whole. We're in a good position and topping the time sheets three times in a row certainly bodes well for qualifying, but I'm not stupid enough to ignore the fact that things change quickly in this sport and that what happens in Practice might not happen for the remainder of the weekend. The transition from our horrible Spain and Monaco rounds into the generally great Turkey one is the only example I need to prove this, so it's with a cautious sense of optimism that I now get ready to qualify. Wish me luck.