One thing I notice- I have a really hard time focusing intently on driving sometimes when I play. As I make my way around the track and approach different corners I like to try and think in my mind about all of the areas where I screw up....
for example I will think something like:
"Ok, turn-4 is coming up- my problem here is I always brake too late and the car goes wide"
or
"Ok, turn 7 is coming up going over the hill on the entrance don't put in too much wheel angle or the car will slide loose"
When I have the difficulty matched really hard it tends to keep my mind much more engaged in what is happening in the race. Sometimes I find myself with my thoughts drifting away and I will somehow start thinking about something that is going on in my life instead of driving- that's when I have an accident. Keeping it really difficult seems to prevent that some.
Now- I live by myself so the only distractions I have when I race is the occasional phone call or email when my phone goes off. When My mom comes to visit me the only time I can race is when she is sleeping. If I had anything going on in the house (other people or whatever) I would be terrible at concentrating. One of my best memories was a few years ago when my dad was still alive he sat there and watched me race the full 100% 1986 San Marino race. When I was a kid he was never interested- although gp2 is probably a major reason why I am so into cars today (I am actually an engineer for a Major automotive manufacturer today)
Funny thing is- I have a very hard time getting to sleep sometimes- and one of the things I like to do to fall asleep is drive in my mind around whatever track I am at in my gp2 season. I imagine how the car feels in corners, and try and think about any setup changes to help my problem areas. Sometimes I think I fall asleep before I can even finish one lap
sorry to get so off topic!