What’s the strategy for pit stop races usually? Go hard and stop early or save fuel going slower and try not to stop? What do you typically use for tires? Do you get options in those races?
It all depends on the race settings. Lately PD has been emphasizing tire strategy over fuel, especially in FIA races, which is a change from previous seasons. I think they are experimenting in the exhibition seasons with different strategies. In most of the FIA races recently they've been starting you with enough fuel that you don't have to worry about it, so it's all about managing tires and deciding which lap to pit for a possible undercut or overcut.
Race C this week at Catalunya is 11 laps, but in this case you also need to add a little fuel, so the strategy is pretty interesting. Let's say you're in 2nd place, a couple seconds behind the leader...if you pit on lap 5 and he pits on lap 6, you might be able to pass him while he's in the pits and then have to defend until the end. The risk is that you might get stuck in traffic on your out lap and end up behind him again after he pits, but if you avoid traffic you're gaining time because of your fresh tires. The other risk is that even if you successfully undercut, his tires will be one lap fresher than yours which will make a big difference on the last lap, but defending is easier than overtaking clean. It's also sometimes worth considering fuel weight and how it affects your tire wear. If you have a full tank in the beginning, your tires will wear a little more than they will in the 2nd stint when your car is lighter. So I think pitting on lap 5 is actually faster if you're all alone, but risking hitting a ton of traffic is the gamble, and they will be on old tires.
In that same race, if you're in the lead, you'll probably want to pit on lap 6 because that's when most others will pit and you don't want to pit early and get stuck in traffic that you could otherwise avoid. But here is where you risk getting undercut yourself by anyone who is close enough. In many cases your strategy will change depending on your starting position and how the race is going. If you drop down in the pack, pitting early might be a good idea because you're in traffic anyway and you might be able to jump some people on the next lap when they pit.
This race is only on Hard tires but the strategy gets even crazier in FIA races where you sometimes have the option of qualifying and racing on different compounds. One of the recent Nations races was F1 at Interlagos. You could choose between Mediums, Softs and Supersofts and the race was 14 laps. In hindsight, the fastest option was a 2-stopper using Supersofts the whole time, but plenty of people tried one-stopping with different combinations and ended up being helpless in the end getting overtaken by guys on fresh SS's. It was pretty awesome, felt like a real race.
Another aspect of Race C this week is fuel...it's not a huge issue but can make a difference. I've used the WRX and the Lexus both. I'm faster in the WRX but the Gr.3 Lexus is a bit overpowered in the fuel department. Driving both cars the same way, not conserving, the Lexus has 1.5 laps more fuel when pitting on lap 5, which gains you around 3 seconds at least in the pits. That can be the difference between 1st and 2nd.
The better I get the more I like these races that reward a bit of strategy. Still not a big fan of heavy fuel saving, but the emphasis on tires recently has made for some very interesting races that seem more fair and balanced than those with emphasis on fuel in the past.
Sorry for the long reply.
. Every time I came across someone going slower than me through corners I naturally have to back off so I don't hit them. The people behind me catch up and don't bother to slow down and wait for a proper pass, they just drive on through. My last race I started P11, got to P4, and after getting slammed into the sand ended up finishing P14/18.
