Assetto Corsa: Attacking the Red Bull Ring with the Ferrari SF15-T

It isn’t everyday that you sit behind the virtual wheel of a racing car so capable that it outright demands the very best of its pilot, and seemingly gestures an insult of grand proportions when those demands aren’t met. The Ferrari SF15-T is one such racing car, and it was introduced to Assetto Corsa in the Red Pack.

Seven cars that celebrate Italy’s national racing color, and the inclusion of a laser-scanned Red Bull Ring were introduced to the game just last week. Easily becoming one of the most focused additions to the game to date, the Red Pack is bolstering with racing metal that highlight Italy’s racing culture.

The SF15-T is one of the most demanding cars the game has ever seen. Make no mistake, it isn’t demanding because of driving difficulty as the car itself is very easy to get along with. The demand arises from a perfect combination of driving skill, setup, track knowledge, and more important than anything else, the willingness to know that the car will do exactly what you want it to. Naturally, this meant one thing: we had to take it for a spin and see just how demanding an F1 car really is.

Truly one of a kind, the number of things being simulated on this car are truly intimidating. Things the likes of the MGU-K; MGU-H; batteries; energy deployment and recovery limits; engine braking; active rear braking torque – all aspects of the car that have to be considered every single time the rubber hits the tarmac. The sooner you come to grips with knowing this isn’t going to be an easy “one and done,” the better off and more prepared you’ll be.

The Red Bull Ring is the perfect venue for a race car weighing 702 kg (1,548 lbs) and powered by a 1.6-liter V6 turbo providing the rear wheels with more than 800 horses. The level of grip the SF15-T displays leaves little room for doubt, making several laps around the rejuvenated circuit, measuring at over two miles in length, fly by, and that just might be its one Achilles heel.

The grip combined with its relative driving ease makes even the sloppiest of laps feel quick, and then when you cross the line to record a lap, you discover the time doesn’t mirror the level of ease; the car demands and outright expects more from you. It is perhaps the most challenging car to be fast in that’s currently featured in the game.

Do you want to see the rest of the cars from the Red Pack? Remember to stop by our Assetto Corsa sub-forum for more discussion and in-depth analysis.

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Comments (14)

  1. Johnnypenso

    AC really needs to be congratulated on the extent to which they’ve simulated that car. I’m not familiar with all sims and their F1 cars but I can’t imagine anyone has gone to these depths of simulation with any F1 car or any other car for that matter. Just incredible. Does F1 2016 simulate all of these systems?

    1. Leggacy

      I does look very nice but I think there’s something wrong with the steering lock. It looks like the steering is 360 degrees lock to lock, F1 cars have about 450. On quite a few of the corners on the vid he uses full lock which looks way too much and would spin the car. Watch this vid of Masa and you’ll see what I mean. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf_haoQZFW8

    2. Leggacy

      By preference do you mean the steering lock is scaleable? I’d like to be able to get the exact lock in real life, on screen and whith my wheel. It’s annoying when I’m still steering ins the on screen hands have stopped :/

    3. potvinsuks

      @johnnypenso. Johnny GREAT question! I’ve been looking into and experimenting with other Sims across the board that feature these modern day Open Wheel systems.

      So from what I can tell so far. I-Racings, also relatively new open wheel addition, the McLaren MP4-30 (Jenson Button n Fernando Alonso’s cars) do have DRS, MGU-H, MGU-K Systems at your disposal.

      Also, R-Factor 2’s Top Formula Car the 3.5 has the same similar features. Also, as I understand it. Most of the other cars that are open wheel in RF2 can easily be modded to have it, if it doesn’t to begin with.

      I believe the Codemasters F1 games have had DRS since 12 or 13, and if I’m not mistaken, the new F1 16 will even have more of these systems implemented, like a KERS ERS.

      I’m not sure on the other Sims like the Reiza and Raceroom etc.

      Oh, and going back to i-racing, their Dallara “DW-12” (Dan Wheldon :-)) Indy Car utilizes a “P2P” button (push to pass), and as you know, it works kinda like a DRS but it can be used anywhere on the track limited to 10, 12 times without any need for DRS zones.

      As far as a true ERS being incorporated by these sims/cars, I believe it’s only AC and RF2’s systems that have full KERS and ERS systems working fully. Meaning, you are gonna HAVE to set the dial/switch to have your car regenerate its batteries in order to use it etc etc.

  2. pasigiri

    “a race car weighing 702 kg (1,548 lbs) and powered by a 1.6-liter V6 turbo providing the rear wheels with more than 800 horses.”

    These are the type of stats that never cease to amaze me.

  3. Coquico

    Just wow! I want to take that challenge.
    Does anyone know if this pack is going to be included in the console version?

    1. ALB123

      Who said that the cars from the Red Pack won’t be in the console version at launch? I was under the impression the console version would get every single car that the PC version has, right from the get-go. Something like the Red Pack would have to be a Day 1 download, of course, because the discs have already been burned, but I never heard of ANY cars being held back from the console crowd.

    2. Michael Leary

      Kunos/505 have reworded the original statement since the launch trailer went up, now it says this:

      “The “RED PACK” DLC is now available as premium DLC content for the PC and will be available on the forthcoming console editions of Assetto Corsa.”

      Whereas before it stated later this year.

    3. Coquico

      Ok, Michael, thanks for the info! I am having a very good time with PCars, and i am really waiting for this one.

    4. ALB123

      Ahh..Thanks for letting me know Michael. Unfortunate for the console players. Luckily, they are still going to be starting off with a large number of cars.

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