FIA Race Discussion [Archive]

[Ashthebash]

I'd really been looking forward to this Nations round which also had @Lost Sheltie in it (in a Porsche 962 I think so maybe testing things out!). I like the combo, always like GR1 yet I felt like I was going to be quite slow after some of my lobbies.

There was nothing to fear!

I went for the Audi R18 and the plan for qualy was to go out, fuel burn for half a lap and get the tyres up to temperature before going for it over two laps. The second lap would be slightly slower, but if the first was scrappy then it was a safeguard. There was so much traffic that I didn't get the tyres to temperature, out braked myself for Dunlop and decided to abandon the lap, finding a gap for an all or nothing attempt. Well it was a stonking lap if I may say so myself! 3:20.7 my first FIA pole - and an audible obscenity in ear shot of the Mother in law to be!!

So the race, I was going for a no stop and I started ahead of a Brit in a Mazda LM55 who was on soft tyres - it's fair to say he absolutely flew off the line! When I'd got traction and the hybrid kicked in I was able to go around the outside, with the inside line for Dunlop but alas again, out braked myself! Came back onto track in 3rd and had a battle with a German for a couple of laps, swapping positions and subsequently losing ground on the Italian in 2nd. The battle ended when he picked up a 0.5s penalty and he was replaced by a Portuguese who was happy to bump draft me. It's quicker than constantly swapping I guess!

The race had settled now, 7s to the lead, 4s to 2nd but I was sure both of the cars ahead had to pit, and on L4 they did so I inherited the lead. The Italian was now too far back to make his newer mediums count for much but the Brit in the Mazda was only 2s back and soon within slipstream range. The Portuguese knew this, and being able to protect his car in my slipstream for a few laps he used his better tyres and hybrid power* to get past on L5 out of Arnage.

Into the final lap we were all line astern, the Mazda picked up a penalty through Dunlop, I immediately picked up a penalty through Tertre Rouge and in trying to avoid the penalty compromised my exit and the Brit went past. All is not lost! It's still very close. The Brit overtook the Portuguese into the second chicane, the Portuguese picked up a penalty through Arnage, and all three of us served them into the last chicane!

1.9s separated the top three, and I'll be keeping this result - I do like GR1 at Le Mans 👍

*The hybrid thing really irked me. All through lobbies I'd been charging my battery a little down the straights, it's very effective if in a slipstream, but in the race I was applying the brakes and getting no charge unless I lifted off the throttle. Might have made a small difference defending but never mind, happy with my podium!

 

[Hygrade B]

Lol had a crap Q but some how our it on pole ?
I was still in shock at race start I didn't get a good start then drop in to the deep zone I going to ram you off. I had cars with penalties all around me like a sea of flashing red markers I decided to try and push through which I did but got hit so I decided nope keep it clean no penalties for me and take it easy .
Passed a few cars getting back to the too then I found that 1 person that will do anything not to let you pass, each time I passed I got the hit & start to spin. So to play safe & get my clean sheet I just drop back & went to a pit. Ended up last no penalties but lost the clean sheet because I tried to pass by got that tip and went off.
Maybe the next race I'll get my clean sheet no matter where I come
P1 time was.130.5

 

[breeminator]

*The hybrid thing really irked me. All through lobbies I'd been charging my battery a little down the straights, it's very effective if in a slipstream, but in the race I was applying the brakes and getting no charge unless I lifted off the throttle.

Are you saying that behaviour was different between practice lobbies and the actual FIA race? It makes you wonder what else is different but not sufficiently obvious for people to be sure about it!

 

[05XR8]

So a 787 took the win. I took 9th after starting 12th. Mixed bag of cars. The start is crazy with hybrids appearing from know where! More practice I think



Gotta go back to go fwd!

I knew it'd be a dark horse. I did good in the 787B the last Gr.1 Daily. Almost winning. That RS tyre would have helped for Qualy and a few quick laps in the race. Oh well.

 

[Ashthebash]

Are you saying that behaviour was different between practice lobbies and the actual FIA race? It makes you wonder what else is different but not sufficiently obvious for people to be sure about it!

Seemed it. If I watch the replay fully I'll inspect it closer, if the battery was empty it wouldn't charge at all unless I came off the throttle and that costs far too much time, due to some battling early on I don't remember using the technique too much in the first half of the race. In lobbies though, at high speed I'd apply the brakes gradually until I noticed the ABS light come on and voila, battery started to go up and my Audi was a beast out of Arnage compared to others!!

I'll check it properly in the morning (I know that's too late for this round!) but definitely from L5 onwards when I had a slipstream and wanted to charge it, I couldn't

Might just be a glitch somewhere (probably a glitch in me!!)

 

[O_Maverick_O]

Seemed it. If I watch the replay fully I'll inspect it closer, if the battery was empty it wouldn't charge at all unless I came off the throttle and that costs far too much time, due to some battling early on I don't remember using the technique too much in the first half of the race. In lobbies though, at high speed I'd apply the brakes gradually until I noticed the ABS light come on and voila, battery started to go up and my Audi was a beast out of Arnage compared to others!!

I'll check it properly in the morning (I know that's too late for this round!) but definitely from L5 onwards when I had a slipstream and wanted to charge it, I couldn't

Might just be a glitch somewhere (probably a glitch in me!!)

I think the R18 is very bad a regenerating it's hybrid battery, it's got the best 1 lap pace when the battery is in full charge, but after 1 lap the battery is dead and won't recharge much. The Toyota and Porsche hybrid batteries recharge very well in comparison, not sure if they're faster on race pace because of this (they're definitely slower in qualifying than the R18).

 

[praiano63]

Penalty system more ridiculous than ever.

 

[Odiesback]

Free practice in the M4 for the Manu Series tomorrow... sitting at 2:08.04... trying to break into the 07s... hardest 4 hundredths ever lol

Good luck to those doing the Nations Cup!

 

[stpatty]

Binned my qualifying lap at Indianapolis, started 17th. Rather than avoid getting the bowling alley treatment from behind, I drove into the pile-up in front of me and left the Dunlop chicane with front and rear aero damage, and a damaged front right/left rear combo. Great fun. The penalty line glitches here meant I didn't manage to get past anyone or indeed near anyone until just before the final chicanes, where I got a track limits penalty because I was driving through someone who was ghosted and I couldn't see the road.

Another go, I think.

 

[IAMDOODLEBUG]

How dull is the manu track! Never lapped Tokyo before, now I know why. The only interesting aspect is that drafting comes into play. I've found nearly every corner has 1 line - forget about cornering side by side, even if both drivers are mega careful it results in both taking a very slow line, with the guy behind likely gaining both positions by staying back and taking the optimum line.

I'm down to 2.06-7 which will just about do as long as I can stay in the slipstream. Will probably enter and hope half the field have a mare with penalties or crashes. Will be somewhere near top split so could be easy points for a boring race!

 

[Barry R]

Tonight's first corner is carnage, I got put off 3 times in a row. 4th attempt I stayed on the circuit and it was rewarded with a 3rd place. Not bad considering I qualified 14. If we think today was mental..well, just wait for lap 1 tomorrow. Penalties will be getting handed out like they are going out of fashion.

Good luck to all still to race!

 

[GTWolverine]

I think for this race I might actually just skip qualifying, start last on the mediums, and wait a second or 2 before accelerating from the grid to give everyone a chance to sort themselves out...

The battle ended when he picked up a 0.5s penalty and he was replaced by a Portuguese who was happy to bump draft me. It's quicker than constantly swapping I guess!

Even with these ridiculous penalties, the game allows bump drafting again?! Maybe they actually improved something after all...

 

[stpatty]

Had another go at Le Mans. Bottled Indianapolis on my hot lap again but not as badly this time. Started 7th. If I hadn't made a mistake I think I could have been 4th, but that's probably a good thing, because this happened:

It's nice that with a patch coming tomorrow that hopefully fixes the penalty system, I managed to get a phantom 7 second penalty after all. I got another 1 second when I braked for Indianapolis on that first lap and someone behind me went off. Despite then running for 6.3 laps of Le Mans on my own, with nobody near me, I've just discovered my SR went down to 88. Dearie me.

The race was won by the guy in 7th in that picture, despite him getting 22 seconds of penalties from the first lap (three big ones, one undeserved, two he rammed people into the wall on the straight). He was second, but the guy who won no-stopped on softs. I don't know why.

So, a podium. And some SR to retrieve tomorrow before Tokyo, which should be good for me in the GT-R.

 

[pantherjag]

A quick guide for tomorrows manu race. No real surprises strategy wise in this one for long time players but hopefully useful for newer players out there



Good luck for your races.....funny feeling you will need it!!

 

[Ashthebash]

I think the R18 is very bad a regenerating it's hybrid battery, it's got the best 1 lap pace when the battery is in full charge, but after 1 lap the battery is dead and won't recharge much. The Toyota and Porsche hybrid batteries recharge very well in comparison, not sure if they're faster on race pace because of this (they're definitely slower in qualifying than the R18).

Yeah the brake riding is a workaround that can charge the battery when you wouldn't normally be doing so - which isn't really needed in the Toyota or Porsche but in the Audi really helps. It doesn't gain you a huge amount and there is a trade off as it uses a little more fuel and you lose a few MPH at the end of the straights

Even with these ridiculous penalties, the game allows bump drafting again?! Maybe they actually improved something after all...

I wasn't even getting SR down for it!

 

[Hasnain282]

A bit late with this but anyways. Round 2 of manufacturers at Dragon Trail. Quali lap was not that good which put me midpack. Then just before the grid sequence the game was stuck for about a minute and a half and we were left with 15 runners. Race was a bit all over the place from me sometimes very good, sometimes very 🤬 and the result should've been better than it was but had good fun anyway, including a tense run with a BMW for the last few laps

 

[Hygrade B]

Are you saying that behaviour was different between practice lobbies and the actual FIA race? It makes you wonder what else is different but not sufficiently obvious for people to be sure about it!

In practice everything is perfect so you get the best out the car.
In the Q & race the car is how it should be in real world, practice is only for us to get use to the track & get the best out of our driving. You have to adjust yourself in the race & Q, you can't race the same as in practice.

Got pole but messed up my mistake & got dropped in to ram pack could not get out.. lol

These two pictures, where taken 1sec apart I did this because I keep seeing my points go down is that normal? If so why don't the game just give 1 final figure?
Good race clean passing because I don't make my normal mistakes & drop back Into the ram pack. Put myself under stress 4 no reason doing a non stop.

My new directions:
no more blaming bad drivers when I 1st make my mistake & drop back into that pack.
No more radar on the 1st lap, I keep looking out for dive bombing & loose my place & concentration.
Still clean race over position.
Focus on what I am doing & stop watching the cars that go off because it a trap & I end up following.

I Did have fun but due to bad racing, I am back in DR D I was so close to B.

 

[Lost Sheltie]

I'd really been looking forward to this Nations round which also had @Lost Sheltie in it (in a Porsche 962 I think so maybe testing things out!). I like the combo, always like GR1 yet I felt like I was going to be quite slow after some of my lobbies.

Yeah I am just treating the Nations as a bit of a laugh. Did 2 laps practice in the 962, thought it was ok and went for the race. Turns out it doesn't start very well, so by the time I got to the 1st corner I had dropped to 19th. Managed to get up to 10th before a little punt dropped me back to 12th and so I thought I would try a pit stop (for some strange reason I couldn't fit softs to the car until I pitted, was the same in quali). Ended up 16th and managed to fight my way up to 12th. Probably would have gotten 10th if it wasn't for picking up a couple of penalties (1st chicane after pitting and then after I served the penalty). Good fun car as it is ridiculously fast in a straight line.

Not bothering with manufacturers tomorrow, as the VW is the slowest car in a straight line at that track (Maybe the Megane Trophy beats it?).

 

[05XR8]

Yeah I am just treating the Nations as a bit of a laugh. Did 2 laps practice in the 962, thought it was ok and went for the race. Turns out it doesn't start very well, so by the time I got to the 1st corner I had dropped to 19th. Managed to get up to 10th before a little punt dropped me back to 12th and so I thought I would try a pit stop (for some strange reason I couldn't fit softs to the car until I pitted, was the same in quali). Ended up 16th and managed to fight my way up to 12th. Probably would have gotten 10th if it wasn't for picking up a couple of penalties (1st chicane after pitting and then after I served the penalty). Good fun car as it is ridiculously fast in a straight line.

Not bothering with manufacturers tomorrow, as the VW is the slowest car in a straight line at that track (Maybe the Megane Trophy beats it?).

Trust in the Scirocket's handling. Though it can top out at 274km/h, it might surprise you.

 

[GTWolverine]

Well I partially went against my own advice and decided to put in a qualy lap. I ended up qualifying 7th in my Mazda LM55. I still decided to start on the Mediums, my rationale being that I'd be able to make more use of the quickness of the softs after everyone spread out and I wasn't being held up by anyone. I pitted on lap 4 for softs and finished 5th, with 4th less than 2s up the road and me rapidly closing on him. 6th finished right behind me as well but didn't use the correct tires.

I also survived a situation caused by the stupid penalties. While I avoided penalties aside from a couple of 0.5s off-track ones, going into Mulsanne Corner while battling someone else for 5th on Lap 6, they squeezed me a little bit. It wasn't enough to affect either of us, but he was given a 5s penalty, which he blamed me for even though I was on the outside and he moved over into me. Like I said, it shouldn't have been a penalty in the first place, but it was based solely on his maneuvers so technically it was still his fault anyway. On the next straight he slowed down to let me pull alongside and hip-checked me off the inside of the track. Fortunately I just glanced the wall and aside from the couple of seconds lost in the initial slam I was unaffected. He mercifully spun himself trying to accelerate out of Arnage, so I didn't have to worry about trying to get past him. Him trying to take me out might have cost me a shot at 4th place, but I'm happy with the results (and the 142 points), as well as being first of the non-hybrids. As for the guy who tried to take me out, he also used the wrong tires so that cost him any shot of a good finish regardless of what haoppened between us.

Also, speaking of stupid penalties, someone else actually did punt me off the track at the Dunlop Chicane after the start, and caused me to lose a couple of positions (back to where I started after getting a good jump thanks to AWD), but no penalty for him. While I was being punted forward, I ever-so-slightly tagged the car in front of me, who was unaffected by the contact but got a he got 1s penalty because I hit him on my way into the runoff area ...

So to recap the penalties I was involved with, someone who actually improved his position by punting me off track got no penalty, the guy who I tapped as I was sliding off track got 1s, and someone who lightly brushed me during an overtake got 5s (but no additional penalty after he body-slammed me in frustration).

 

[Keith2324]

 

[Canada_25]

Finished 5th today!! Oh wait...I didn't know I had to use RM tires...20 sec penalty...

 

[CodeRedR51]

How dull is the manu track!

Super dull.

I've found nearly every corner has 1 line - forget about cornering side by side, even if both drivers are mega careful it results in both taking a very slow line, with the guy behind likely gaining both positions by staying back and taking the optimum line.

This is why, unless it's the last couple laps, I don't fight people. Just slows you both down. If they are under me, I brake slightly early and let them go. Wish more people would do that.

 

[05XR8]

Just did a ho-hum qualy lap to set a time. Was 16/17.

Waited to see how much mayhem would happen. Didn't take long for players to three wide into the "esses of stress". I got 1.5 for avoiding(self inflicted wall brush).

Leaders broke away. No sense in "racing". Pit on lap 5 or something. Fell back to16/17. Figured players would pick up penalties anyway. Sure enough, I caught up to the WayBack Pack.

Now, I tried to work with a Lightning McQueen Cayman to make up time. Was working until a Genesis started messing up the draft. The Genesis just wall rides the Cayman for no reason. After the race, the Genesis says the Cayman shouldn't block. I typed the Cayman wasn't blocking, we were trying to make up time.

Anyway, play at your own risk.

 

[Ashthebash]

Are you saying that behaviour was different between practice lobbies and the actual FIA race? It makes you wonder what else is different but not sufficiently obvious for people to be sure about it!

So, watching it back and trying it out in a lobby, it behaves the same. If the battery is completely empty it won't charge if you ride the brakes while on the throttle. A couple of times I did it early in the race and I was on 1% or 2% out of Tertre Rouge (so the battery looked empty). When applying the brakes at 190mph+ I was able to gain 10-12% charge before hitting the braking zone and still doing 200mph. Carrying it through the lap it all adds up nicely, but as the tyres wear you spin the wheels more and the battery empties quicker - hence why I couldn't charge it late in the race when I had a slipstream and really wanted to. It was always bloody empty!

 

[watto79]

Not bothering with manufacturers tomorrow, as the VW is the slowest car in a straight line at that track (Maybe the Megane Trophy beats it?).

My Alfa 4C would like a word about this claim

It tops out at 159mph without a slipstream just before the uphill before T1. Other cars are going faster than that before they cross the start/finsh line. Even when it DOES get a slipstream it's rarely able to overtake on the straight as it runs out of power. Which is frustrating because it whizzes through the twisty section but just means trying to not bump into the back of the power cars. And then being overtaken on the straight again.

I'm kinda looking forward to tonights race as there's no pressure to do anything. My goal is to finish not last and hoping that the penalty system does me a few favours.

Practice lobbies have been fun and hectic but it looks like doing well is a lottery dependent on slipstream and penalties. Should be interesting anyway!

 

[pennanton]

Bit of a joke format in the manufacturers, tbh. Running this circuit wasn't bad in the dailies because it gave a couple of unloved Gr3 cars their day in the sun. This was just an unbalanced mess, rewarding only a handful of people fortunate enough to make a nearsighted car choice.

Of course I'm bitter, I chose the M4 and it was terrific along the back section in clean air. Alright, I thought, maybe some of the faster cars will be hampered enough through the turns I can keep in the slipstream. Maybe the FF cars will noticeably run out of tyres 3/4 of the way though.

The first glimmer of hope fizzled. The slipstream only offered me enough momentum to catch a Vantage or SLS by the first corner for a hopeful lunge, being trapped behind them negated my handling balance advantage causing big understeer and tyre wear in the dirty air. The FF cars just rolled on, no obvious inclings of acute understeer anywhere. I followed a Scirocco for 5 laps patiently waiting for him to drop off a few tenths and nothing. Even 1 sec gaps in my favour were swallowed up by the startline in the draft, I was a total sitting duck.

Managed to get a 7th for 120-odd points in like my 4th attempt so not all bad. I'd like to take the time to shame anyone I beat using a SLS, Vantage, Lexus, Sirocco or Jag with the bloody M4.

 

[SweatyC]

Can confirm its possible to do well in a slow car! Managed to qualify 5th and then with the draft up the straight on the 1st and 2nd laps, moved into 2nd. Then with people behind fighting it allowed me to break the tow. Have to say though that it was pretty boring. Felt like the race went on for ever!

Can see from my fastest lap time how far off the pace the NSX is without a tow. Just about hits 160mph. Leader won by miles! So If you can stay out of trouble its worth a shot!

 

[praiano63]

Out of this stupid , ridiculous , broken penalty system , the le mans race yesterday was really great.
I've never seen a BOP so well done and functional , mixing so much cars , from the older mazda and porsche , mercedes and jaguar , to the most recents toyota or audi.
When gas consumption is not a problem , all those gr1 cars are very fun to mix on track. Specially Le Mans.

 

[Stephan]

Wasn't able to do round 2 of the Manufacturer Series race due to an urgent matter that I needed to attend to but I was able to race for Round 3.

So qualified in P15 then while everything was going fine (entering the first corner I jumped to P13), 3-4 drivers caused a carnage in the chicane-like section of Tokyo Expressway and because of that I gained 4 positions and the guy driving the GTR got a 1.5 sec penalty which led to me going to P9. And then the fun begins with the GTR, NSX, M4, and me (SLS) battling for P7 and the all four of us had a good battle for it. Then going in to the last stages of the race, the Viper struggled in the track (which in my opinion was due to the driver) which gave all four of us a shot at P6 and the end result was I ended up being the guy who took P6 from the Viper and it was all good from there.

Overall I liked this race. A test of slipstreaming use.