The F1 2009 Game Diary P1

So, after a year of exciting F1 action this season, we have come to a point where F1 is absent from our screens until next March! Argh!

In a bid to not go completely mad without my F1, I started a game on F1 2009 (Wii edition). Why 2009? Well, simply put, it’s the only F1 game I am any good at!

Though I usually have brake and steering assists very much on, this time around, I decided I would do things differently. This time, I would make a concerted effort to do this properly. This time, I am in charge of braking and have nothing to help me steer. I do have traction control and automatic gears turned on, because I am, frankly, not that brave.

I somehow managed to get through testing with BMW Sauber in a fast enough time to get a seat for them, and thus, my story begins:

(my car for the 2009 season)

Round 1 – Australia

I approached the first race at Melbourne, Australia, with a certain sense of trepidation. There are one or two corners (turn three in particular) that have often out-foxed me, even with the assists on, so I wasn’t sure how things would go. Practise sessions only served to highlight for me my problems with those corners, but I knew I had to plug away if I was to have any chance of a decent points finish.

When I got the lap right, I was quick, mixing it up with the Brawns and Red Bulls. Unfortunately, I did not usually get a clean lap in, and it took every last bit of focus I had to get through to the final round of qualifying (in fact, I surprised myself by managing that).

I astonished myself by getting pole.

(turns 3, 9 and at times 13 and 15 were tricky corners for me)

Come the race, I lost places at the start, and found myself losing ground quite rapidly to Button, and I had to push hard to remain even remotely close to him. Unfortunately a couple of runs onto the grass cost me, and though I was able to fight my way into second by the end of the final pit stops, I wound up some 35 seconds behind winner Button. Still, given this was my first true attempt to play the game properly, I was quite pleased with second!

From here, it was on to Malaysia! See you soon for Part 2!