Two Drivers, Two Manufacturers — And Two Very Different Driving Styles
When it came to choosing our manufacturers, Samuel Feinberg — better known as SimRacingPenguin — and I went in completely different directions.
I chose Nissan.
Samuel chose Audi.
And honestly, I think those choices suit us perfectly.
I’ve always been a fast driver. Give me a car I’m comfortable with and I can put together some seriously quick laps. But I’m also the first person to admit that I still make plenty of mistakes.
I’ll brake too late. I’ll get greedy on an exit. I’ll attack a corner harder than I probably should and suddenly discover that, yes, apparently the laws of physics still apply to me.
That’s racing.
Samuel is different.
I’ve watched him drive enough to know just how ridiculously quick he can be — and nowhere is that more obvious than when he’s driving the Audi R8 LMS Evo.
SimRacingPenguin and Audi
There are certain driver-and-car combinations that just make sense.
For Samuel, it’s the Audi R8 LMS Evo.
The R8 isn’t necessarily a car that will flatter every mistake. It’s a mid-engine GT3 machine that rewards confidence and precision, but if you push it beyond the limit, things can unravel very quickly.
Samuel somehow makes exploiting that limit look completely normal.
That’s the part that impresses me.
It’s not simply that he can produce one ridiculously fast sector or one spectacular qualifying lap. It’s how naturally he can keep the Audi operating close to its maximum potential.
He attacks braking zones.
He carries huge corner speed.
He gets the car rotated.
Then he’s immediately thinking about the exit.
Watching Samuel properly hooked up in the R8 LMS Evo can be slightly annoying, actually.
You think you’ve put together a decent lap and then you look at what he’s doing.
Oh.
Never mind then.
And Yes, There’s Proof He’s A+ Rated
I don’t want this article to become me simply telling everyone, “Trust me, Samuel is really fast.”
There’s evidence behind it.
Samuel Feinberg has achieved an A+ Driver Rating in Gran Turismo 7.
We have retained evidence showing his A+ rating, which is important because it demonstrates the competitive level he has actually reached.
His rating on a particular account may change over time, and ratings can obviously be reduced through subsequent results or deliberate changes in how an account is used.
But none of that changes the achievement.
He reached A+.
So when I describe Samuel as an extremely fast Gran Turismo driver, I’m not basing that purely on friendship, reputation or a few impressive races.
I’ve seen the driving.
And there’s a competitive rating to back it up.
I’m Fast Too — Just Considerably More Chaotic
Now, before this turns into an entire article about how wonderful Samuel is, I’m going to defend myself slightly.
I’m fast too.
I can absolutely produce competitive lap times, and when everything comes together, I’m capable of being genuinely quick.
My problem has always been putting everything together consistently.
That’s where Samuel and I differ.
I can find the speed and then make a completely unnecessary mistake.
Samuel has an ability to find the speed and keep repeating it.
That’s much harder.
Anybody can occasionally nail a corner. Anybody can produce one sector where everything magically falls into place.
Doing it lap after lap while racing other people is different.
That’s something I’ve always respected about his driving.
Why Nissan Works for Me
While Samuel found his home with Audi, I went with Nissan.
And I wouldn’t change that.
Nissan has such a huge connection with Gran Turismo that choosing it felt natural to me. It also gave me my own identity rather than simply following Samuel and choosing Audi because that’s what he was driving.
Our approaches are different anyway.
Samuel’s driving in the Audi can be incredibly calculated.
Mine can be a little more…
enthusiastic.
Sometimes that enthusiasm produces a brilliant overtake.
Sometimes it produces a mistake that I immediately regret.
We’re working on it.
Why Samuel Is So Fast in the Audi
What makes Samuel particularly dangerous in the R8 LMS Evo is how comfortable he appears with the car moving underneath him.
A mid-engine racing car requires respect.
You need confidence in the front end, but you also need to understand what the rear is doing. Get the balance wrong and a tiny mistake on entry can compromise the entire corner.
Samuel understands how to work with that behaviour rather than fighting against it.
His braking is a major part of it.
He can commit extremely late while still getting the Audi positioned correctly for the apex. That allows him to carry speed into the corner without completely destroying the exit.
Then there’s the consistency.
This is probably the biggest difference between being fast and being properly fast.
One incredible lap is impressive.
Being able to repeatedly operate somewhere near that level is something else entirely.
That’s where Samuel shines.
I Chose Nissan. He Chose Audi.
Looking back, I’m glad we didn’t choose the same manufacturer.
It gave us separate identities.
CutieRacerGirl became associated with Nissan.
SimRacingPenguin became associated with Audi.
And the R8 LMS Evo in particular became one of those cars that I immediately associate with Samuel.
I know how fast I can be.
I also know how many mistakes I still make.
That probably gives me an even greater appreciation for someone who can combine outright speed with the consistency required to reach A+.
Samuel can do that.
I’ve raced.
I’ve watched him race.
I’ve seen what happens when he gets comfortable with the Audi.
And believe me:
SimRacingPenguin in an Audi R8 LMS Evo is seriously, seriously fast.
— CutieRacerGirl
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