Gran Turismo World Series discussion (2026 Manufacturers Cup Exhibition 2: Aug 22 - Sep 12)

[Fezzik]

Not sure if new model but the hards start getting a bit more useful after 4-5 laps, probably takes that long for them to warm up.

If that's the case and there's rain it'll make for some wild races especially if it's cold hards on a drying track from wet start

Does it rain at this track? That would be a first for the Americas.

 

[Moose78]

Yesterday, I gave each of the three cars that I have available -- Genesis X and the two NSXs -- a try in a full-field 16-car custom race at CGV. Surprisingly, the Genesis X and NSX Gr.3 were very close in pace. The old NSX GT500 '00, was slower, as expected because it is an older car, but not by much.

Here are the numbers:

Manufacturer	Model	Opt time	Best time
Genesis	Genesis X GR3	1:39.871	1:40.232
Honda	NSX Gr.3	1:39.904	1:40.362
Honda	NSX GT500 '00	1:40.323	1:40.528

There were such large differences between the Genesis and Honda last round at Suzuka that I was expecting more of the same here. The one thing that has changed this round is the tire compound. That has me wondering if PD does the balancing for the BoP settings only on RH tires.

If that's the case and there's rain it'll make for some wild races

Rain isn't implemented for CGV. There won't be any wet races there.

 

[VTEC Driver]

Yesterday, I gave each of the three cars that I have available -- Genesis X and the two NSXs -- a try in a full-field 16-car custom race at CGV. Surprisingly, the Genesis X and NSX Gr.3 were very close in pace. The old NSX GT500 '00, was slower, as expected because it is an older car, but not by much.

Here are the numbers:

Manufacturer	Model	Opt time	Best time
Genesis	Genesis X GR3	1:39.871	1:40.232
Honda	NSX Gr.3	1:39.904	1:40.362
Honda	NSX GT500 '00	1:40.323	1:40.528

There were such large differences between the Genesis and Honda last round at Suzuka that I was expecting more of the same here. The one thing that has changed this round is the tire compound. That has me wondering if PD does the balancing for the BoP settings only on RH tires.

Rain isn't implemented for CGV. There won't be any wet races there.

On the genesis are you using an TC ?
When exiting from the chicane very close the the "champion's wall" with TC0 the car tend to spin easily while with TC1 is very linear and stable.
Maybe it is only my problem.

Moreover at the main hairpin I am struggling in accelerating with confidence and I feel to be very slow in general.

 

[Moose78]

On the genesis are you using an TC ?

Nope. I don't use TC.

I don't remember having any issues with spinning coming out of that final chicane. Bouncing off the kerbs and flying into the wall, sure, but not spinning out. How are you taking it? I'm braking about a car length ahead of the shed and downshifting to 2nd gear just as I chuck the car right into the chicane. I coast through the chicane and only really start getting on the gas again once I'm past the apex for lefthand turn. It probably isn't the fastest way through, but I can do it consistently.

Moreover at the main hairpin I am struggling in accelerating with confidence and I feel to be very slow in general

I like to use more of a V-shaped line there. I take a narrow line into the corner, going a bit deep past the apex, get the car turned quickly so I can straighten out early and on the gas. I still need to be careful applying the gas, but I find it much more manageable than trying to find grip taking a U-shaped line. Again, probably not the quickest way through there, but it works for me.

 

[Skidude88]

If I thought it was terrible in free practice, with fuel onboard it's even worse than I expected (& I expected a lot worse!)

Free practice I'm having to brake at start of moose's shed,.

With fuel on - having to lift before shed. @ Hairpin ...brake at change of tarmac and even then I've got eyes shut and then squinting through one to see if I stopped in time.

Best I've done is 38.3 FP, Fueled (somehow managed a one off) 39.8

....there won't be any others drivers on track Saturday will there?🤞

 

[BGreenFace]

Weekend Preview

The track layout has been unchanged since 2002 and for good reason. The walls are super close and not forgiving. (Especially now with the championship damages on).

As for the overtaking opportunity there is:

Turn 1, you ideally get a run on the start/finish straight but you could still try to hold it around the outside that turn in the inside of turn 2.
Turn 8, get a run out 7 and you could punch it on the inside.
Turn 11, the hairpin. You can try a dive on the inside and park it on the apex and compromise the other car run towards the final chicane.
Turn 13, get on the inside and park it on the apex.

For qualifying, we get a 10 minute session. This should be enough for 5 push lap. (1 out lap + 5 quali lap). I have seen on an other tread that the hard tires seem to take a few lap to get to temps. (Don’t remember who and where mb🙃). This mean it might not be worth it to get back in the pits to changes for a new set if they can’t get to temps. I have still to test this though…

For the race, it should be straightforward: Sprint to the finish and avoid the walls.

Also for the racing line in the hairpin, there is different options:

The blue line is mine. It optimise the speed toward the final chicane and can be good if you are going for an overtake. The yellow line (Moreno’s) is probably the best in normal qualifying laps and in race if your are ahead. Same goes for turn 2. Different line can be use to defend or lap times…

 

[VillaJ100]

Those lines through T2 will need super delicate throttle!

 

[Met Entso]

I'm so slow with the Porsche now, think i will skip this manu 🥲

 

[Bondwhar]

I'm so slow with the Porsche now, think i will skip this manu 🥲

Likewise, just not feeling this 1 & all bit of a rush Saturday evening as always busy Saturday mornings 🫣🤠

 

[FlapJackFlash]

Ok, so after a fair bit of practice I've got a bit more to grips with the new physics, CGV and the NSX and I can now get a pretty consistent 1.39 and occasional 1.38. For the Porsche I find the RSR so much easier to handle than the GT3 and may be able to stretch to a 1.37. Had a lobby race with some A+ drivers and before I crashed very nearly kept up with them. I found following some slightly lower top split ghosts really helped show me where I was using the wrong lines, especially regarding turn in. Good luck everyone!

 

[Fezzik]

Not feeling very confident for tomorrow, even after switching to the faster M3 (thanks for the advice @Hasnain282). Hard tyres, no strategy, walled street circuit with evil human opponents, unforgiving championship damage - I have a bad feeling about this race.

 

[Moose78]

Not feeling very confident for tomorrow, even after switching to the faster M3 (thanks for the advice @Hasnain282). Hard tyres, no strategy, walled street circuit with evil human opponents, unforgiving championship damage - I have a bad feeling about this race.

I hear you. I'm expecting a total crapshoot for this round. I'll do my best to stay out of trouble, but I'm not going to be surprised or bothered if trouble finds me anyway. I can't take rounds like this that seriously.

Good luck to everybody racing!

 

[BGreenFace]

@Fezzik @Moose78
Can I join the club? 🤣
No for real, the championship damages mean that if you hit the wall (say, at the wall of champions), you are slowed down for a lap, and if you don’t adjust your driving, you will hit the wall again, and again, and again…🙃. Add to that 15 other cars all doing the same on hard tires for 15 lap, you got yourself a recipe for chaos.

 

[Fezzik]

Well that didn’t go as badly as I had feared.

Door #8 in an all C/S GT3 lobby (but with a suspected smurf). Qualified P10 with a mid 41, could’ve got P7 with another tenth.

Kept it slow and steady through the first laps. Made up a few places as others had inchidents. A couple of passes into the final chicane. Was very slow through turn 2, just couldn’t get the car rotated. Very careful through the chicanes and over the kerbs, managed to only have 1 glance of the wall.

Was in sight of a podium for a while, eventually finished P6. No proper offs, no penalties. The leader was 2 secs a lap faster and won by 30 seconds. I don’t see the point but whatever.

I’m really looking forward to Mount Panorama now. Used to hate the track but it’s now one of my favourites. Don’t usually race it with humans though.

 

[Skidude88]

Could have been worse!!

145pt lobby
Didn't get a clean push lap, even got hit from behind on an aborted lap

Q4, top 4 were covered by 0.098!!

Was going OK until lap 8 and wheel lost calibration on chicane 3-4, managed to keep out the wall and facing forwards. Lost 2 spots.

Did the whole final stint with about 5 degrees (each way) of wheel rotation being full lock. Came home 4th.

Done hrs of practice since last weekend and not a single wheel glitch. Suspect now its PD issue not Fanatec as the firmware I'm on I used the whole 6rds of last Nations Cup without any problems.

So go into BH with no confidence in race that hardware isn't going to let me down again.🫣😒

Got 2k+ points so technically I'm now an A driver with 31.5k rating points

 

[FlapJackFlash]

GT2 EMEA 1st slot high B/S lobby 122 up for grabs, 4 on the door

Qualified 2nd with a 1.39.237 which I was happy with in the NSX. 1s covered the top 12 so knew it was going to be a close one. Come the race I just kept dropping places due to little mistakes, a little wall hit here and there and I kept slipping back and not being able to gain enough to get the places back so came home 6th. Race was quite calm with everyone else making far fewer mistakes.

GT2 EMEA 2nd slot high B/S lobby 123 up for grabs, 6 on the door

Went again as wasn't happy with how I drove the last race. Qualified 2nd again with a slightly better 1.39.113 and managed to keep this mistakes to a minimum this time. P1 was slightly faster than me, I could catch them every now and then and then they would pull away slightly. P3 came sniffing at one point after I messed up the hairpin but managed to settle down and start putting distance in. Again quite a calm race which was s surprise and happy with p2 for 118 points so won't go again.

Now to prep for GT1 in the RSR...

 

[VillaJ100]

Just did my race GT2 low split lobby after two tries.

First try I qualified 3rd with a 1:39.4, my best lap of any. Was pretty happy with that and felt confident going in. There was as big a gap between me and Q1 and me and Q12, Q1 with a 1:38.2 which I felt was insane for this level.

Lost a place off the line, and got a 10 second penalty in lap 3 because two seperate cars grazed across the front of mine whilst spinning off, and when they hit the wall inevitably I got the penalty and a load of front end championship damage. I am normally annoyed for picking up one 0.5 sec so I was raging. Was 13th after lap 4.

Slowly clawed places back until was in a train with 7-8-9 and me in 10th so thought I might salvage something. Then in lap 13 I spun off at the wall of champions as pushing too hard. Was so annoyed I quit.

Left it a couple of hours and tried again, this time qualified P7 with a 1:40.0. Was less confident as in the traffic but survived and was running 5th comfortably. 4th pushed me at T3 running me wide into the wall as I caught up, picked up a load of damage and was slow for a couple of laps, dropped 3 seconds behind them. Despite them being fast though they were scruffy and knew they would make a mistake themselves, so it proved and try as they might I retook 4th on Lap 11 and brought it home.

 

[FlapJackFlash]

GT1 EMEA 1st slot low A lobby, 173 points up for grabs

Q5 with a 1.38.504 - could have done better but had someone holding me up consistently no matter how much space I gave them.

Race start and P4 makes a mistake coming out of 1 of the chicanes, loses their back end but I managed to both get past them and stop them from spinning. Then started catching P3, they then made a mistake and I went for a low percentage move on the inside of them coming out of the first chicane. They tried to close the door on me, hit me and impressively managed to catch themselves from spinning out and I also escaped unscathed but I couldn't call it my cleanest move. After that I started pulling away from them, but couldn't gain much on P1 and P2 so come home 3rd for 158 points. Another surprisingly calm race which I was not expecting and very very happy with my result, good luck to those still to race!

 

[VTEC Driver]

EMEA GT2 - 19:00 Q10 - P9

Qualified with 1:40.4 with less than 1 sec from the pole (very tight group).
Very clean race with some fights and small contacts but nothing very serious and well managed by the opponets.

I was capable to do some overtakes and reached P7.
I kept that position till lap 12 when suddently the tires were not performing as expected as I went too wide at curves 6-7.
I am now in P10 and I am consistenly lapping again so I can overtake one car and now in P9 were I finished the race.

I feel to blame myself thinking that several laps I was capable to do some fastest track segments (pink time) but never the overall lap and, at the end, I was not able to get a final better position.

I shouldn't blame myself for the final result considering that I haven't trained for this race at all... but anyhow...

 

[Moose78]

That went better than I expected...

GT2 - 11 AM EDT - Americas - Honda NSX Gr.3 - 131 points available - Door #8 - Q4 (1:39.310)

I was a little surprised to be starting in Q4 given my time, but I'll take it.

Everything started off pretty civilized. I was right up there with the three leaders. Keeping up, but just barely.

As things settled down, I started hoping somebody would make a mistake. And somebody did. Unfortunately, it was me (pictured above). Went into wall out of the final chicane, getting front bumper damage. Lost two positions before reaching start/finish line. Down to P6.

With the car running slow from the damage, it was all I could to do hold off the car behind me. Somehow I managed to keep my position until the damage wore off. After that, I had no trouble breaking away from the car behind me and making up ground to the P5 car.

Once I caught up -- around lap 5 or 6 -- the P5 car missed their braking point at the final chicane and ran through the tarmac before rejoining on the straight to the start/finish line. They were awarded a track limit penalty for that and promptly quit the race. I was promoted to P5.

The Hyundai ahead of me in P4 was about the same pace as me. I struggled to make up any ground. On lap 13, I made my second mistake: hitting the wall exiting T7 and incurring damage. That cemented my finish in P5 for 109 points and a 2.4% increase to my DR progress to 86.4%.

Now it is just a matter of waiting until 8 PM EDT until I can run my GT1 race in the Genesis.

 

[BGreenFace]

Race done.
debrief tomorrow 😉

 

[MIE1992]

Got a clean Q11/P12, which isn’t that bad seeing how I got spun out early on and fell into last for a bit. It also helps that I’ll be getting about as many points for this round as I did the last.

 

[AEther]

CGV is not an ideal playground for the 4C. The short wheelbase is unsettled by even the faintest contact with the pimples on the inside of the chicane curbing. After several practice laps, the best I could manage was 1:40.8 which gave me a Q9 start in GT2.

Racing was civil and competitive. I enjoyed a long extended stretch from laps 6-15 chasing down P7-8, a GT40 and a Porsche 992, respectively. The GT really struggled with the hairpin which eventually allowed the Porsche through on lap 9 and myself on lap 11, this despite a few laps where I endured front splitter damage from tapping the wall on turn 4.

But the Alfa lacked the power to seal the deal. On the last lap while I was in P8, the GT caught up close enough for a final lunge and went for it all at the final chicane. He made contact on the inside of turn 13, and then we ghosted and merged briefly which confused me and caused an over correction….right into a tap into the Wall of Champions. He snuck by and I finished where I started in P9.

 

[Moose78]

Another alright race...

GT1 - 8 PM EDT - Americas - Genesis X GR3 - 159 points available - Door #5 - Q8 (1:39.115)

I'd knocked out a couple mid 1:38s in Free Practice just before the race, so I was a little disappointed with my qualifying time. No excuses, really. Just couldn't make it happen.

On the first lap, I bumped into the Hyundai ahead braking into T8. With the ping pong physics, that caused the car behind to bump into me. Thankfully nobody died, but I made sure to stay behind the Hyundai, bump drafting where I could, for the next lap while the damage wore off. Despite the damage neither of us lost any positions.

I picked up a couple positions from crashers over the next few laps. Up to P6. Still be behind the Hyundai.

Then it was the Hyundai's turn to make a mistake. They hit the sausage badly on T9. I dove to the inside to get by (pictured above). Just as I was passing, I heard their car collide into the wall. I didn't think I'd made any contact with them, so I drove on. Up to P5. But I started to doubt myself. Maybe I had pushed them into the wall.

We raced on. For the next few laps, the Hyundai was right on my tail. I'd build up a gap through sectors 1 and 2, and they'd close it back up out of the hairpin on the final straight. Then the Hyundai went into the wall again at T9, giving me some relief with 2-second gap.

All this time, I was close to the P4 car ahead, another Hyundai. Never quite in striking distance, but always in touch. While I tried to find an opportunity to get by, the gap behind was steadily shrinking.

I decided that if the Hyundai behind me caught up, I'd let them by to make up for the push into the wall. They caught up on lap 14, so that's what I did. Down to P6 for a final lap fight. They were clearly faster than me, though, so there wasn't much of a fight. I crossed the line P6 for 126 points and a 2.0% increase to my DR A progress, taking it to 14.7%.

Reviewing the replay afterwords, there was never any contact between me and the Hyundai on that overtake, so it seems there was no reason to give up the position. I'm not bothered, though. If I'm going to be wrong, I'd rather it be in way that avoids creating enemies in future race.

Now on to Bathurst. It looks like the big question here will be whether to change tires or not. Some tests may be in order...

 

[VTEC Driver]

I have done some laps to test Mount Panorama and (for me completely new) the Genesis X.

First thing that I noticed the day is quite cloudy and the asphalts is a little bit shiny, like with high humidity or where rained some hours before.
But I think that at Mount Panorama rain was never implemented, or am I completely wrong?

However the medium tires are struggling at least in the first two laps.
I did the weekly event with the same care to test it for 10 laps and even if there was an higher tire consumption rate compared to GTWS, it would have been possible to finish the race without changing the tires (I was at lap 9 with more than 50%).

For the GTWS we have a lower consumption rate but 15 laps to do.
So how much time we are going to loose lap after lap?

...and now the wheel pass to @Moose78 for its deep analysis.

 

[24HuresdeLoL]

Finally back in the saddle after a while and got up-to-speed with the new cars and physics/setups. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a helluva racetrack with close walls and high commitment, and since the trusty jaguar was pretty stable over most bumps now I can really mount more curb than previously, so i could hoof it.

GT1 League-9:00 PM PST
Car:Jaguar F-Type Gr.3
Car door #4
Quali: P5 1:38.561

Race started fairly well (albeit with a slow down/disconnection in one corner), then I got the first of two tastes of the new championship damage in action by tapping a rapidly slowing Subaru, accidentally hitting wide and giving front damage, and the poor Subaru a 0.5 penalty. Ever since then from lap 2-lap 7 was just trying to be quick, yet consistent and not fight too hard cause there will be a wall there. Then on Lap 7 I hit the wall from the sausage kerb in Turn 9, loosing a spot to the drag-racer Suzuki and an RC F. Lap 10, I out-braked the Lexus into the final chicane , and then hunted the Suzuki till catching in the last 2 laps. Final lap I caught it out Turn 9, but dove too hard into the hairpin and lost car lengths, but I got a better run out of the final chicane and...

​

...ALMOST got second on the line! Best race I had in a while, so now I'm prepared to suffer tire death at Barcelona when that comes up.

Link to the full race

 

[Moose78]

...and now the wheel pass to @Moose78 for its deep analysis.

It's coming. I've had some other projects on the go, so I haven't had as much time to devote to strategy testing as a normal would.

My early results are showing that in the NSX Gr.3, it is definitely possible to get to the end of the race without changing tires, but they are quite worn at the finish:

Front left	Front right	Rear left	Rear right
45%	30%	35%	25%

Right now, it is looking like changing tires will be much faster than not, but I need to do some more testing to get a better gauge of the difference. I did my no-change test first and I was still adjusting to the new braking points after the physics changes, so the no-change strategy is showing slower times than I'm capable of.

I haven't done any tests with the Genesis X GR3 car yet. At Suzuka, it wore through tires considerably faster than the NSX, so it may end up that a no-change strategy in this car is impossible.

 

[Fezzik]

Similar tyre results for me in the BMW M6

You can skip the tyre change but I wouldn’t recommend it. I’d be looking at 12 laps max on one set.

 

[BGreenFace]

Similar tyre results for me in the BMW M6

View attachment 1562087

You can skip the tyre change but I wouldn’t recommend it. I’d be looking at 12 laps max on one set.

I think the tire change will be needed. Having a fresh set and joining back in clean air should be the strat…
I expect a pit window anywhere between lap 6 and 9 should be decent.

Yesterday my power went out so I couldn’t review my race from Saturday 🥲. Will have to wait to later today has my classes started and have a bit less time.
The weekend preview will have to wait too has I haven’t gotten the chance to drive the track in this car with the new physics…

 

[BGreenFace]

Alright, finally, without further delay:

Q10, Door 12

Race started well, everyone kept it clean in the first lap,(Except a guy who got greedy at turn 2 and pressed the throttle too early and spun) everyone managed to complete the lap without much trouble. On lap 2, a 2 other people spun promoting me too p7. A guy tried a move on the inside of the hairpin put I managed to hold it around the outside and he gave me place.

On lap 3, I took the kurb in turn 14 which understeered me in the wall of champions, allowing a lambo to get by. I then stayed p8 for a lap or two before getting back to p7 when a car spun.

For the rest of the race, I was pretty much alone. The guy behind was slowly but surely gaining around .5 a lap on me. He chased me down all the way to the final lap giving me a massive defensive job to do. (He had started in p16 and clawed his back to fight with me for a p6, someone had spun on lap 14 gaining us an other place). I decided to park it on the apexes of the final chicane but he backed out early before it and managed to get a run at me on the final straight. I couldn’t do anything but keep the gas down and he got to the line first, beating me by .049 seconds.

So far racing in gt1 league has thought me a lot about the art that is defending your place.

Sadly, I’m out of town next weekend so I won’t make it for next race. I will still do the race preview but it will arrive, either later today or tomorrow. Have fun racing 😉