2021 FIA Series Race Discussion

[kungtotte_]

Whatever I can do to improve my chances of being in the front half, that's what I'll be working on! My last race at Laguna Seca was atrocious, so this is essentially damage limitation. Hoping Spa is kinder to me than LS was! Just need to learn the Jag's best braking and turning points on the critical corners.

It's important to qualify P3 or better due to how the rolling start puts P4 inside the chicane pointed at the pit entry, but P3 starts pointing down the S/F straight.

So the first three cars gap the rest pretty massively at the start unless they bottle the first couple of corners.

 

[Seth_Logan]

It's important to qualify P3 or better due to how the rolling start puts P4 inside the chicane pointed at the pit entry, but P3 starts pointing down the S/F straight.

So the first three cars gap the rest pretty massively at the start unless they bottle the first couple of corners.

I marked your time on the board as the goal for my TT. If I can pull that off, I would give myself a chance.

Now if I could only stop collecting penalties at au rouge and
Blanchemont...

The two downhill sections I also take too slow. But that's the next thing.

 

[05XR8]

That's why I prefer Grid Start. However, can't see why PD don't compress the rolling start for just these FIA races.

 

[Yard_Sale]

Very common in F1 too! Almost always drivers will lift and coast or fuel save in other ways, so they can under fuel the car at the start. They just don’t have the option to refuel or turn down the engine

Yes, you are correct. But its no where near the likes of nascar (which I'm not really a fan of) and indy car where fuel saving, tire compound selection strategy and pit timing is a huge part. Like make or break part of the racing. I think that's why you see racers with longer careers in those sports because it takes a little more than pure reaction time, behind the wheel skill, and a kamikaze attitude that only the youth possess; to handle the insane speeds of F1.

 

[GR33N]

Well I don't mind fuel-saving playing a role in FIA but :
- people with high-tech wheels like T-GT or Fanatec have a big advantage given how easy it is to adjust fuel-mapping on those
- the fact that you can't use the radar and fuel map at the same is a real shame !

 

[HaydenFan69]

Well I don't mind fuel-saving playing a role in FIA but :
- people with high-tech wheels like T-GT or Fanatec have a big advantage given how easy it is to adjust fuel-mapping on those
- the fact that you can't use the radar and fuel map at the same is a real shame !

Hmmm… yeah, I’d say moving my hand to the toggle on the bottom is big benefits.

Plus, you don’t need to adjust fuel mapping. Lift and short shift is all the technique you need.

 

[D_Dragline]

I might be way off here, but my Nations test runs are telling me I can run a no-stop short shifting for 8 laps and then flat out for 6. I am finding short shifting aggressively in sector 3 doesn't cost much time and saves lots of fuel. What I can't quite gauge is whether my lap times are going to be competitive at low A. I'm currently 50 for qualy in Oceania with a high 31. When fuel saving I'm running high 33s. I'm hoping this will be around the mark.

 

[Yard_Sale]

Hmmm… yeah, I’d say moving my hand to the toggle on the bottom is big benefits.

View attachment 1017770

Plus, you don’t need to adjust fuel mapping. Lift and short shift is all the technique you need.

I'm looking to get this wheel! Which one of the toggles work? Only the dial at the bottom? The main reason I want to get this wheel is to better adjust fuel mapping on the fly

 

[kungtotte_]

I marked your time on the board as the goal for my TT. If I can pull that off, I would give myself a chance.

And I'm chasing the next guy up on my friends list

Now if I could only stop collecting penalties at Eau rouge

You can go pretty far left at the bottom but stay on the kerbs, don't touch the kerbs on the right going up, and stay inside the white lines when you cut the left hand kerbs at the top.

And be careful of drifting too far right on the exit kerbs on the right when entering the straight.

In the Cayman it's pretty chill, easy flat out if I delay upshifting to 5th until I've turned right at the bottom. Some FRs and FFs might have to lift a little.

 

[05XR8]

Haven't turned a tyre in the Atenza. Going fresh fish on Saturday. Last run for Mazda.

Just might run the SC430 at Fuji. Last Daily Race C, I was cleaning up places versus the GT-Rs. The SC430 handled its tyres and was super fast on the straight. Was surprising the GT-R users.

 

[Photodave219]

Well I don't mind fuel-saving playing a role in FIA but :
- people with high-tech wheels like T-GT or Fanatec have a big advantage given how easy it is to adjust fuel-mapping on those
- the fact that you can't use the radar and fuel map at the same is a real shame !

Ive practiced where I’ve played with fuel mapping through a lap and I’ve just short shifted. I’ve had better luck just short shifting. Seems to work better for me tho I think I need one more Nations cup practice before the race at Fuji.

Timing wise, my no-stop with fuel saving was about 17s faster overall than running flat out and taking fuel after 10 laps. (Running the GR2 GT-R).

Some day I’ll figure out sector 3 at Fuji...

 

[GR33N]

Hmmm… yeah, I’d say moving my hand to the toggle on the bottom is big benefits.

View attachment 1017770

Plus, you don’t need to adjust fuel mapping. Lift and short shift is all the technique you need.

Nice wheel!

I feel sarcasm here (Hello Sheldon) but believe me, on my T150, having to press multiple times on the D-pad to access the fuel map (from the radar) and then multiple times to adjust to the level you want is NOT as fast as turning your dial ^^

I agree though that this race is probably doable without all this but I can assure you it was a nightmare during the Manu race at Tokyo a few weeks ago in my Mustang.

Ive practiced where I’ve played with fuel mapping through a lap and I’ve just short shifted. I’ve had better luck just short shifting. Seems to work better for me tho I think I need one more Nations cup practice before the race at Fuji.

Timing wise, my no-stop with fuel saving was about 17s faster overall than running flat out and taking fuel after 10 laps. (Running the GR2 GT-R).

Some day I’ll figure out sector 3 at Fuji...

Yeah this sector 3 is worth a second. I lose 2 tenths to Haku's ghost in the first 2 and then I'm more than 1s behind crossing the line :/

 

[D_Dragline]

Ive practiced where I’ve played with fuel mapping through a lap and I’ve just short shifted. I’ve had better luck just short shifting. Seems to work better for me tho I think I need one more Nations cup practice before the race at Fuji.

Timing wise, my no-stop with fuel saving was about 17s faster overall than running flat out and taking fuel after 10 laps. (Running the GR2 GT-R).

Some day I’ll figure out sector 3 at Fuji...

If you do you'd be the first.

I agree re short shifting vs fuel maps and stops. I've been much better (and more consistent) just short shifting and coasting. Also, sector 3 is much less dangerous for me when I don't try and over drive it.

My biggest concern about this round is every other driver who doesn't realise it's a fuel saving race and barges past, elbows out, on the first lap. That and the astroturf.

 

[Redneckchef]

I feel as though I should have practiced this week, but with these 2 races it wasnt really worth it. I always seem to be off the pace at Fuji and only really gained places through other people crashing out or the crazy grid starts. Having a rolling start with fuel saving cuts those out.

And spa is blah. I dont mind driving the track but I cant hold my interest there for a whole race, for reasons unknown. That and the garbage rolling starts there basically separate the field into 2 different races.

Still gonna run and see how we roll. Any points will be good points I guess.

 

[HaydenFan69]

I'm looking to get this wheel! Which one of the toggles work? Only the dial at the bottom? The main reason I want to get this wheel is to better adjust fuel mapping on the fly

For GTS, the dials are useless. Only the two top works as a dial (bottom is to scroll through different mappings of what the two bottom paddles can do; like hand brake, clutch, turns them to throttle/brake).

I was referring to the bottom toggle. One listed as page up/page down (all the markers are for ACC settings).

Good wheel (especially for price), but like many Fanatec wheels with GTS, some cool features are unmappable to the game.

 

[MidnightRun85]

It's important to qualify P3 or better due to how the rolling start puts P4 inside the chicane pointed at the pit entry, but P3 starts pointing down the S/F straight.

So the first three cars gap the rest pretty massively at the start unless they bottle the first couple of corners.

With the way my qualifying usually goes that means I'll either be looking at the chicane at the start or seeing it off in the distance and sizing up a clean route through there at the start!

 

[D_Dragline]

Slot 1 with @05XR8

D17. Got tapped into turn 1 on my first flyer. Jumped out and back in but only time for one banker. Got caught in dirty air from a slow car in sector 3 and Q11.

Surprisingly clean race. Let a couple go past me early as they clearly weren’t on a no stop.

Got a spot back when someone plebbed it at 13. Another as someone serves a penalty. 3 cars pit about halfway and I’m up to P8. P7 must have suddenly realized he wouldn’t make it to the end and I get past him with an overtake before the chicane. Last 2 laps I start to make ground on p6 but last lap the kerb into 100R gets me (you know the one) and I save it but it costs me a lot of time. 05xr8 is now reeling me in after he pitted earlier. Thankfully I don’t do anything silly for the rest of the lap and hold on for P7. 129 points, which is equal to my 3rd best for the season, so one and done.

A fun, but slightly stressful, race.

 

[Redneckchef]

Had my run. Door 19 of 19, so no worries, just up from there right? Have @ClanFever and @Erebus_9 in there for company so could be good anyway.
Go in to qualifying, and after sorting space I see 2 drivers parked on the final turn, I keep my speed and go. 1 decides they want to draft, so get behind me, catch me, pull alongside, and then block me into turn 1.

No idea what is wrong with these people. They qualify p5. I have a sloppy lap that time and get a track limit penalty my next lap so qualifying is over. Very slow lap for me and q17.

At the start I immediately go into fuel saving mode. Heading I to Dunlop I accidentally make a wild pass on @Erebus_9 and cause him some trouble. I was not ready for the accordion braking there. Cruise on ahead and then I'm the one stuck with the car just in front. I get wobbly a couple laps later and accidentally get nudged in to a spin. But I recover and keep racing.

Due to wrecks and things I have a chance to finish decent still, sitting p14 on the back of a pack up the p10. A faster runner is catching up, they promptly make a pass on the final turn and push me off to the astro turf. Annoyed I am still close enough with slipstream to go for a turn 1 attempt. I dont keep the apex close enough and they manage a cut back, where they promptly shove me wide again.

P16. Annoyed. People are simply not giving any common courtesy. There was good racing, I saw plenty, was involved in a bit, but some people, plenty of them from a team down here in Oceania, dont give any courtesy to other drivers.

Wasnt expecting much, got teased with possibilites and had it snatched away by luck and a couple 🤬. Not a bad race, but a slower affair than normal.

Did a straight short shift mode to save fuel and crossed the line with 0.2 left, even after a couple of full out runs down the straight to try to get the draft back.

Great job by @ClanFever and apologies for the sloppy move on @Erebus_9 (who beat me anyway)
Good luck all

 

[05XR8]

Yeah, left the pits after everyone did half a lap. Was on for P2, but I hit the brakes too late into T1 on my second lap. Started P3. My FP lap is a 32.1. I did a 32.3. Pole was 32.1.

Had enough of the fuel saving after Lap 5. P2, fishtailed a bit and I got past. Pit half distance for fresh tyres and 100% fill, to see how far up I could climb. Went from P2, 2 seconds behind, to last, 30 seconds behind. Noone did anything silly. P10 never makes it easy when I do crazy strategies. I thanked everyone for keeping it clean. Seemed like a couple others did the same.

 

[stupendo_4]

At least you guys got to race. Rushed home from work to make it in time for the 19.30 race. Put in 15 mins of practice and then.... disconnected. I've only had this game for 6 weeks but have really been getting into it. Encouraged by some good results. Even won my nations cup race at willow springs. This is the second week in a row that I've been disconnected. Thinking of buying a full SIM racing rig and really getting into this but what's the point if I'm going to be disconnected from every competitive race?

 

[Redneckchef]

Decided against my better judgment to have a second go. Because I'm a masochist.

Door 9, somehow dont qualify for garbage and end up starting p14. My fastest lap in race was as fast as my qually lap.

Anyhow, usual mess with close cars at the start. Some squirrelly and bunching people up. I decide to race totally elbows out. Any wiggle and I go through. End up p8 or 9 and on the back of the lead back when a known reckless driver tries a stupid defense around the outside on the guy in front of me at Dunlop. He runs wide, cuts the grass to get back on, slams into me, spins again as he is now on the outside for the next right. And I get a 2 second penalty.

I had been carving through the field fairly well.

I drop to p12 but start to work my way up. The 3 in front are all people who have been bargy aggressive to me since I've started seeing them so I give it back. I havent seen such lights flashing and grumpy driving in an SR99 room in a while. Seems they dont like it when someone else sends it like they do, or holds them ultra narrow or on to the edge of the grass. Again like they do.

End up dropping a spot to a much faster guy who bumps me wide enough to get an opening by cutting the grass since I was already on the inside curb to defend. No penalty of course. But a p10, so despite the penalty a better(ish) result.

But the driving standards in the lack just keep sinking. And I can't help but feel me getting fed up and giving them their own back (mentioning that I didnt wreck anyone, give them a penalty or actually push them off track) will only continue to lower the standards.

Good luck all, and strap on for some bumpy ones if people are fighting for spots.

 

[Rangeraus]

It's Round 9 and the first time I have connected to a slot 1 Nations race this season. Sitting in P5 at the end of Lap 1 and then disconnect on Lap 2 because of an unrelated internet issue. Minus 1800 DR (plus the amount I'd have gained) and a likely 270ish points

Managed to also connect to Slot 2 where I qualified P6 and finished P3, points weren't too bad but the net DR loss for the night is far from ideal

 

[Raptor013]

I made it to Slot 1.

Qualified dead last in 17th. Raced my way up to 4th before pitting (quite a number of the field opted to stop) on lap 9. Came out in 16th and made it back to 10th by the flag.

Not going again, as for some reason my net connection to both the GT Servers and in general is pretty crap tonight.

 

[D_Dragline]

Decided against my better judgment to have a second go. Because I'm a masochist.

Door 9, somehow dont qualify for garbage and end up starting p14. My fastest lap in race was as fast as my qually lap.

Anyhow, usual mess with close cars at the start. Some squirrelly and bunching people up. I decide to race totally elbows out. Any wiggle and I go through. End up p8 or 9 and on the back of the lead back when a known reckless driver tries a stupid defense around the outside on the guy in front of me at Dunlop. He runs wide, cuts the grass to get back on, slams into me, spins again as he is now on the outside for the next right. And I get a 2 second penalty.

I had been carving through the field fairly well.

I drop to p12 but start to work my way up. The 3 in front are all people who have been bargy aggressive to me since I've started seeing them so I give it back. I havent seen such lights flashing and grumpy driving in an SR99 room in a while. Seems they dont like it when someone else sends it like they do, or holds them ultra narrow or on to the edge of the grass. Again like they do.

End up dropping a spot to a much faster guy who bumps me wide enough to get an opening by cutting the grass since I was already on the inside curb to defend. No penalty of course. But a p10, so despite the penalty a better(ish) result.

But the driving standards in the lack just keep sinking. And I can't help but feel me getting fed up and giving them their own back (mentioning that I didnt wreck anyone, give them a penalty or actually push them off track) will only continue to lower the standards.

Good luck all, and strap on for some bumpy ones if people are fighting for spots.

There is definitely a group of drivers in the mid to low A DR in Oceania who are, quite frankly, entitled and obnoxious. Many (but not all) of them belong to a “team” and have a VERY inflated view of their own ability. Worse still, they will race clean with each other but pull all kinds of rubbish on anyone who dares challenge their status as the ‘big dogs’.

On the upside, I’ve picked up lots of friends over the last few weeks by calling out bad behavior towards other drivers. I’m now lining up with more friends than enemies in FIA rounds.

 

[ShiftingGears]

The only thing stopping me from winning races tonight was actually connecting to the server

 

[Hasnain282]

This could be messy

 

[stpatty]

Started 13th, finished 8th. One guy pitted, I think someone else did because I went from 9th to 8th at the stat of the last lap and didn't notice anyone off. I had a fairly consistent gap to the leaders even with some fighting thrown in, so if you qualify well and know you can get round without running out of fuel you should do well.

Winning time was 22:05 in a 226 point lobby. I finished in 22:15.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Missed OZ due to good weather and things to do, but now it's time to shine. Well that's the idea anyway. Done a couple of test, but I recon the older cars fuel save better and I didn't test any so sticking with my trusty Tom's, not fast enough to even consider a stopping strategy and with short shifting and a bit of care on straight can do this easily, but will it be fast enough?
6 Tom's and bet you can't guess what every other car is? D17, Q8 so happy enough so far, just make T1 and we're golden. Well many pitted and I was then 3rd, but 2 close behind with presumably new tyres so figure I'll get 5th. Yep got 5th, but IRL would have been 4th and 4th would have had a black flag. Why???? he could see my tyres were shot yet T1 last lap, I defend he just shoves me off, luckily 6th was a fair bit behind or I could have lost out badly.

 

[Benay79]

I love driving the Gr.2 cars so wasn’t going to miss this race, and always go for the Lexus.

Qualifying 4th and into the 3rd before braking for T1 as the car in front was trying to save fuel far too aggressively. 2 in front pulled away so I knew they must be 1 stopping. Was on my own the entire race. No fuel mapping, just short shifting when bar reached speed numbers. Had enough fuel to go flat out for last 3 laps. Only myself and the car I passed at the start no stopped.

 

[Yard_Sale]

Can't believe I'm saying this, but I think the quality of racing is worse in Europe than NA. I couldn't believe my eyes during the qualifying period. Guys taking each other out, running each other wide, swerve blocking them. It was crazy. Somehow despite getting held up a few times on my second lap, I managed to eeek out a 5th. I'll take it

But all was undone half way through lap 1 when I got taken out twice. I got cold-cocked at Dunlop by an onslaught of dive bombers. Was able to recover in a mere 10 seconds and then 2 turns later I get punted at turn 13 by the back of the pack. Next thing I know I'm 5th -----> second to last in less than a lap. I then preceded to fuel save the rest of the race with a lot of the same the next 8 laps. Swerve blocking, using my car as a brake, unpredictable driving...the works. I got (2) 2 second penalties for people just not being aware and cutting right into me. It was crazy!!!!

I eventually worked my way up to 4th by lap 13 but the leaders were already long gone. I was a "B" for a long time on my main acct, and I don't remember the racing being this dirty and poor. Hopefully its better a little higher up in the DR rankings