For the first five laps, it was a war. Vane was faster on the Hangar Straight, his Prema car having a superior aerodynamic package that allowed him to gain ground in the high-speed sections.
Every time they reached a straight, Vane would pull alongside, his engine roaring in a bid to intimidate Leo.
But Leo was a monster in the corners. He was using "Perfect Braking" to deep-dive into every turn, waiting until the very last moment to scrub off speed. He forced Vane to take wider, slower lines just to avoid a collision. It was a defensive masterclass, but it was draining Leo's energy at an alarming rate.
[Lap 6. Tire temperature rising. Grip dropping by 4%.]
Leo felt the car starting to understeer through the high-speed Maggots and Becketts sequence. The real-world tires were soft, and they were beginning to grain under the extreme loads he was putting through them. In the simulation, he could drive at 100% forever. Here, the rubber was disintegrating.
