AL3 Season 2 Drivers' Champion - Season Review

Ok, Before we start, there is 1 race left (Brazil) but I kinda want to write this now, as the next race will be my farewell.

So, November 1st. The first race of the season was quite bland if I'm honest. Just from memory it was quite a boring race. The first stint had me and Richy battling it out but I knew he was going to win, and sort of gave up in a sense and the next 30 laps had to be the dullest experience ever. Of course after the race, I was not happy, and made a "Vettel-Esque" Statement about Richy...Even though I was stupid enough to forget that people do have their favourite tracks...With only 4 cars actually finishing, this wasn't a good sign.

Malaysia was next and I couldn't attend that race, but I wish I had. From no where, Aletdownofstate won the race and I was quite surprised after knowing the Pre-Season results..Can't take it away from Marc though, was a great drive as seen in his highlights. The uber-consistent Pagey came 2nd and Jaywhywhy managed an impressive 3rd.

So moving on to China and by this stage, I was knowing my pace within the league. I grabbed my first pole position of the season away from Richy, and due to only 5 racing, it was 50% race distance. The race was actually close for the first 6 laps from my perspective and going into the pits, Codies obviously wanted to annoy me. I remember locking my wheels going into Pit-Entry and I ploughed into the barrier. It looked as if I was going to get 2nd but then for some reason, the game has this glitch where If you enter the pits and crash, your wing isn't fixed. Naturally, I was quite mad when I came out of the pits and the car felt like a bus. Marc did persuade me to stay but I admit, I did rage quit. Looking back, that was a regret as those 10 points could've been needed.
With myself out of the equation, Richy managed to take his 2nd win followed by Pagey, Dastardly (Who managed a podium on debut) then Marc in 4th.

The Sakhir Circuit was next on the calendar. I do like Bahrain, however, the Kerbs are a nightmare. In provisional quali, I managed pole on Primes...this was later turned over due to 1-shot, So debutant Brain was on pole and to add to more misery, Richy managed to get back into the race after DSC'ing from the original lobby. (Correct me if I'm wrong)..Just from memory, I started from the back and worked my way up the field. At around lap 12 I think, Richy DNF'd just before the first DRS zone. This was later to be known that his controller broke..Which was unfortunate... I'm joking, but PS3's breakable controllers meant that I was back in the frame of the title. On a note though, That race could've been a lot different. Pagey was so quick at Bahrain and uber-consistent. I was waiting for him to make a mistake but he wouldn't let go. On a different day, Pagey could've got the win..but the Bahrain Kerbs were nice to me Note* Brian finished 3rd on impressive Debut

Spain was one of those races that I knew I had to win, and easily could. After reserving in AL2, I honestly didn't know that I was so fast at Catalunya..So to win that by 1 minute was a shock. That gave me some great confidence going into AL3. Now I had a problem. I'm not sure if you guys saw my POV, but my TV was broken and these blurred lines kept on popping up. It was a nightmare, and quite dangerous actually. I was lucky that they were sort of transparent. The race on a whole was quite a breeze. I reckon I lapped everyone and some twice. It was the most dominant drive of the season by far, and I was happy going in to Monaco.

The Crown Jewel of the F1 Calendar. Everyone wants to win, but of course, Only 1 shall succeed. Like Spain, I grabbed pole position which was key in a track that is nearly impossible to overtake. Now safety cars are frequent in leagues when on Monaco, but in AL3.. there was 2 in the opening 10 laps. The Mr. Consistent Pagey smashed his Mclaren into the barrier.. there was some shock inside of me. Then minutes later, Toms2000 lost the car as well.. With Drama at the start, Rain was on the way. It was quite Wacky if you asked me..Richy and I were battling for the lead until the Williams crew put the wrong tyres on his car.. This aloud me to breathe for a bit. Next thing I knew, I whacked the barrier after the Swimming pool section and lost my lead. Meanwhile, the track dried up and as I was behind, I needed a miracle to win.. And that's exactly what happened. For some reason, my team-mate brought out the safety car, just at the time I needed to pit...This enabled me to do 2 option stints for the last 28 laps...Richy opted for the Primes. This was key as on the Safety Car restart I was going to make my move. Up the hill towards Massinet and around Casino Square, Richy nudged the barrier, allowing me to have a run up to Mirabeau. This was for sure the best overtake i've done this season so far as I went into the lead. From then on, it was a case of keeping it out of the barriers, and I did. I claimed my 3rd win on the bounce with Richy 2nd and Brian 3rd.

Canada, the best race of the season so far I guess. This one had literally everything. Spanning from Lag right threw to Wet Weather Chaos. Once again, I was on Pole but I knew that Richy was quick. He managed to go from the back of the safety car group and into the lead after solving his internet issues. We had a great race and Richy was for sure the worthy winner. Down the field there were battles and I know Aletdownofstate could've got a podium had he made no mistakes. Safety Cars were here and there but for me, this is for sure a candidate for best race of the season. Do you agree?

Britain was next as the race before the Mid-Season break. The home track for many of us. However, I was surprised to see the new kid on the block, Clatty123, be so fast. He managed pole position after the one-shot quali which is always a positive for anyone on their debut. Myself and Richy were at the back, opting for the primes whilst my team-mate was on the front row for the first time since his win at Malaysia. Once again, Richy had controller problems and with this, I managed to open up the gap on the championship. It was a shame really as it could've been a good race. Through Pit-stops, myself and Clatty kept trading the lead. Due to tyre wear though, he had to make an extra pitstop which would grant me 25 points. The driver of the day was for sure Clatty. 2nd Place on his debut was a great result. Marc bagged a solid 3rd place.

After the break, The German Grand Prix was next fro the AL3 Drivers. With new recruits, such as Tykid, the grid was bigger than usual. Once again, the inevitable happened. 1-Shot quali in the pouring wet granted me Pole position. It was a clean start for most. Clatty and Brian got away with myself struggling on the prime tyres. Richy once again Disconnected which hampered the championship even more. Clatty and Brian had a bizarre collision before the last chicane.. This resulted as a penalty for Clatty due to him not waiting up for Brian. Battles carried on down the field. Pagey and Dastardly had another encounter which lead to some clean racing, as they know how to race Wheel2Wheel. A scare for myself when I was nearly out of the race due to a backmarker causing a collision with myself. I got away from it cleanly. Jaywhywhy caused a Safety Car incident which meant that only 4 cars on the leading lap could fight it out for the win. Once again, In fine form, I took the W away from the rest and bagged another 25 points in my title bid. Brian and Kla6su drove well to make up the podium. Clatty's penalty demoted him to 4th. Pagey and Dastardly took solid points from the race with Tykid doing well on his debut.

Hungary isn't a great track if i'm honest. I was quite sour to Disconnect from the race as I controlled the race from the front. Once again, Richy disconnected. I thought I had bad luck, but this was ridiculous. That meant that in his 3rd race, Clatty took his maiden win, followed by non other than the Pagey and Dastardly respectfully. Tykid managed an impressive 5th whilst Aletdownofstate finished in 4th, a race of "What If" I guess for my team-mate.

Another Jewel of the Calendar came to town, Spa..In a way, I wasn't mad that I didn't race as I was struggling but still, it seemed to be an interesting one. Lap 1 incidents caused Chaos as Marc was in with the mix up. Obviously, I wasn't there, but from what I heard, Richy took full advantage of my absence and took an impressive victory in Belgium. Clatty was making a name for himself in 2nd and the reliable Pagey completed the podium.

Monza - I must admit, This track is quite boring...With Richy absent, I needed to win. Lag problems however made me feel as if it was inevitable that I was going to disconnect. I didn't though. Clatty and I broke away from the leading pack and secured our positions about halfway through the race. The action was at the back. Dastardly, Jaywhywhy and Tykid had an eventful race as well as Championship contender Pagey who drove really well to yet again be on the podium. Marc's error at the Lesmo's may have cost him a podium but Mercedes were racking up the points in the challenge for the title.

Singapore, for sure, My bogey track. It's like Hell, 61 laps of utter torture...I'm glad I only managed 6 corners For most, a race to forget I'm sure. 4 Cars actually saw the Chequered Flag with Clatty back on the top step and Richy in 2nd. Dastardly was so unlucky to not finish the race, but he did score some points.

Onto Korea, when the championships start to heat up. The race was won by the dominant Clatty123 and it's safe to say, another contender for Drive of the Season. However, Controversy occurred when Clatty wasn't obeying the Rules. This resulted in a 5 point penalty to be given by the FIA. At Turn 1, Pagey and Dastardly had a coming together for the first time I think this season, Pagey gave himself a quali ban for Suzuka. Coming away from the carnage and a brilliant drive saw Pagey grab another 3rd place, just shy of 2nd.

Japan, This race didn't go well for myself at all. I suppose taking out your team-mate isn't such a thing to be proud of...Once again, another Dominant drive from Clatty made it 3 in a row for the Williams Driver. Recovering from Lap 1, I managed 2nd whilst Richy came 3rd when he could/should of got 2nd/1st had he not of waited for Marc and I after Turn 2. This turn of events meant that the DC wasn't over yet as I was missing India. *Note, Great debut drive from MisterFlash2. Did really well to claim 4th.

So, As I was travelling to Paris, the AL3 boys were getting ready for India. Like Spa, I wasn't there so do correct me if I'm wrong. On Pole was Richy followed by Clatty, the two had a close race which resulted in the Lotus driver winning for the first time since Spa. No idea how many times I've said this but Pagey claimed 3rd whilst Misterflash2, Aletdownofstate and Dastardly collected points.

After eating Snails for 4 days, I was ready for Abu Dhabi, my favourite track. 1 season ago, I made my debut in the Ferrari whilst doing my first ever 100% distance. That Win will always remain at the top of the chart, but I so wanted to make it Back-to-Back AL3 Wins. I had a 23 point lead in the championship so to win was a must. I'm glad to say that I did. For me, I drove a great race, Richy and I had some great battles but I managed to beat him. Clatty and Kla6su had a thrilling battle for 3rd which Clatty won. So with the win, I had a 30 point lead going to Austin, As well as a 59 point gap to Williams. Both Championships could be settled in Texas.

Austin..This goes straight in at No.2 for My best races in W2WR. 6 drivers took to the track...1 shot quali was needed. Clatty drove to pole whilst I was towards the back. The start was Inters, It took a while to get use to them, But once I did, I worked my way up. At Around Lap 12, It was time to box for Dry Tyres. I caught Clatty after he destroyed the inters, and I opted for the primes, whilst he chose Options. In truth, The primes were the better tyres and I managed to stay with him for at least 12 laps. Then I boxed for Options and caught him once more before he pitted on lap 41. I wasn't bothered about the win, and as The laps went by, I checked the gap to Richy, as it increased by the moment. Lap 44, Fresh Options and a 7 second gap needed decreasing. The phrase 'Go like the Clappers' came to mind as I produced the best 12 laps ever around the Circuit of the Americas. Lap 55, down the back straight; DRS assisted; I made the pass..I could feel my hands shaking as the controller vibrated. I was just 1 lap away from the title. Driving round, I could sense what I'd done..4 months of pure racing, came down to 1 minute, 40 seconds. As I crossed the line, I went mental...The fact that I won made it even more sweeter, as well as driving as well as I ever have.. But yeah, AL3 Season 2 Drivers' Champion!

Ok, So now I'm going to talk about the rest of the field's season from my point of view :-

RichytheRacer - This guy is quick, In truth, The championship stats lie. Scott has pushed me so hard this season and to be 40 points behind doesn't show the truth. All in all, I know that this could have been so different, Disconnections, Broken Controllers..You name it. Scott's had it. But what I admire most is that he didn't quit. If it were me, Hungary would of been it but no..Thanks Scott for the racing this season, It's been a blast, Enjoyed every second of it..Except for Singapore of course..Note* : To those in higher divisions, Richy is one to watch for sure. Cheers mate

Clatty123 - Where Do I start? The Kid's 11...That says it all.. I still question whether he is a robot as I wish I could of been as quick as Clatty when I was that age. There's been times this season where he could've avoided FIA action but over time, he'll get better..A future Champion for sure. Cheers for the racing too Dan, Stick at it.

Pagey_80 - From the start, I knew that Pagey was going to be as solid as a rock. The consistency level is outrageous. I'd say that Pagey would be the cleanest driver in the league in my mind, He's quick and is sure to win races next season. I still don't know how Pagey didn't win this season. Bahrain showed how good this guy is folks, be warned people of AL3, Pagey could be the next champion! Thanks as well for the racing mate, Been a blast.

D_Dastardly-00- : Like Pagey, Dastardly is a great, clean driver. The thing that I admire Dastardly most is that he'll finish the race, no matter where he comes. For example, Korea and Austin, Dastardly had quite a lonely race, but he stuck at it, and that's why I respect him for sure. Again, like Pagey, A great driver who may find himself winning next season. Thanks for the season Dastardly

brianjohnson43 - Brian had a great start to the season, 3rd in Bahrain, 2nd in Spain. Brian is another great driver and is very funny as well (Korea) The season could've been better but I know that Brian has missed a few races so he's done really well. Cheers as well for the racing
Toms2000 - Toms season hasn't been perfect, But what I will say is that he attends most of the races. He drove a great race in Singapore, Not crashing and keeping all 4 wheels on the car. A great 5th place and his best drive to date. Cheers Toms for this season

Tykid2001 - Tykid joined halfway through the season, and had some good results. On occasions when lapping him, he was always aware and got out of the way. Tykid's potential is for sure there. He's driven well on different occasions, like Hungary for example. A good season for you for sure

Kla6su - Kla6su is a great driver, I've raced him before and he's usually very consistent as well as quick. He did have a break but in Abu Dhabi he came back for a decent 4th. I suppose he could've won at Hungary due to mine and Richy's DSC's, but that's the way it goes. Cheers for the racing anyway

Jaywhywhy - Solid season. Did well at the start, First Podium in Malaysia and a great drive in Monaco. Sadly, due to not enjoying the game, I know Jaywhywhy hasn't felt like racing. But at least he did attend and I give credit for that. Cheers for the racing as always mate

Although I've raced him once, MisterFlash does get a mention for being quick on his debut. A decent performance from the Belgian.

Oh..and there's one other person I've forgot...

Aletdownofstate - My team-mate. I've raced with Marc for around 9 months I'd say and He's been my only team-mate whilst racing on this site. I honestly can't thank him enough for being a good team-mate. On the whole, Without Marc, AL3 wouldn't be the same. He's done a lot for this league and I want to say cheers for getting me involved on here. Without you, I wouldn't be writing this, So yeah. I dedicate our Constructors title to you mate, Cheers for everything, and I really do mean that. Thank you So much for the past 9 months, I've enjoyed every second.

So yeah, that's it really. Thanks Folks, Enjoy Season 3


Chaz - PL Mod - AL3 Champion.

Why do stop racing chaz?

I'm getting promoted. But I won't be racing for a bit due to exams.

A very good read Chaz. God knows how you managed to remember what happened from race to race throughout the season but I did enjoy it all.

Thanks for your kind words at the end too, you will be missed.

You're Welcome and If anyone is wondering, That's 3250 Words

When does season 3 start?

I reckon in around 3 weeks time, for more information, ask one of the Admin Staff.

After the race on Friday, Stevo reckoned it would be about a month. So anything from 2-4 weeks I guess, probably closer to the latter.

The gap between S1 and 2 was longer due to the new game coming out, that isn't a thing this time, so it should just be a shortish break.

That's good news, I can't wait to get started if I'm honest, has kind of left a big hole for me on Friday nights.

I'm guessing the announcements of who is in which league will be announced fairly soon too. With any luck we have a decent amount of drivers from the off this time as last time it was rubbish racing 50% races with 4/5 people.