It seems if you are able to use the ESC without padded tape or gel, great!

I've noticed with at least the RX8 Gen 2, that as I was learning to drive if the chassis slapped really hard and/or after a bad crash.. the ESC at times would blink out. When I moved to mounting the ESC on a plate with the Kyosho gel, those problems went away. Having said that, my driving has also improved.. but I've kept the plate and gel in place.

Kudos to the Tekin team for the new HD posts.. it has made soldering immensely easier and I'm much more confident in the durability of the Gen 3's as a result.