All the tests I've done so far have been in the McLaren 650S, so I don't really have anything to compare it against. I'm planning to also test the McLaren F1 GTR to see if there's any chance it is faster.
GT-ENGINE has a detailed page showing how the Gr.3 BoP has changed in the latest update here: https://gt-engine.com/gt7/cars/gr3/gr3-01-specs.html. There are a lot of numbers there. They might help you get an idea of which cars are better or worse now. Of course, there's no substitute for actually driving them, though.
Testing done for round 1. It's looking like a pretty straightforward race in terms of strategy: just minimize the time on RH tires.
I tested the McLarens -- both the 650S and the F1 GTR. I ran two rounds of tests for each car, taking the better time for each lap for the numbers below. Tests were done in custom races against one opponent, using the fuel and tire multipliers for the race and Afternoon S03 weather, as suggested by GT-ENGINE.
Using the above lap times I'm able to simulate all the possible combinations of strategies from 14RM-1RH to 10RM-5RH. Here they are ordered fastest to slowest:
Manufacturer
Model
Strategy
Total time
McLaren
McLaren F1 GTR - BMW '95
14RM-1RH
22:19.684
McLaren
McLaren F1 GTR - BMW '95
13RM-2RH
22:20.603
McLaren
McLaren F1 GTR - BMW '95
12RM-3RH
22:21.296
McLaren
McLaren F1 GTR - BMW '95
11RM-4RH
22:22.101
McLaren
McLaren F1 GTR - BMW '95
10RM-5RH
22:23.084
McLaren
650S GT3 '15
14RM-1RH
22:27.447
McLaren
650S GT3 '15
13RM-2RH
22:28.159
McLaren
650S GT3 '15
12RM-3RH
22:28.560
McLaren
650S GT3 '15
11RM-4RH
22:29.470
McLaren
650S GT3 '15
10RM-5RH
22:29.974
Note: These simulations don't take into account the order that stints are done in. 14RM-1RH is equivalent to 1RH-14RM.
So it looks like I'll be driving the F1 GTR. I'm surprised that it is so much faster than the newer 650S. Historically, PD nerfed the older cars. Maybe that's changed with the recent BoP. Of course, Deep Forest has always been one of those tracks that favours unusual cars, so it might just be that the F1 GTR is better suited to this track.
Both of the McLarens are MR cars, so I don't know how well the tires RM will hold out on FR cars. If you are driving an FR, I'd recommend running your own test to see how long they last.
I signed for Mclaren yesterday and I was also shocked by how well the F1 GTR performed at Deep Forest. It's not even close between the two cars. This version of the F1 GTR is more similar to what it was in GT Sport.
Also, I agree with you about unusual cars performing well at Deep Forest. I've seen BMW M3s (a car rarely used by players) clocking low 27's in lobby quali sessions. It seems that PD might just have made more cars viable in update 1.72. Which can only be a good thing for GTWS and daily races.
Lastly, in regard to strategy. I was able to complete a race time of 22:30, starting on the Hard tyre for one lap, then switching to the Medium for the rest of the race. The car seemed to perform much better.
Highlights of my stonkingly crazy Round 4 race at Dforest Reverse, spins, pits, tunnel chases and strategy all came into play but I persevered. I'm glad they managed to get another Manus exhibition in before the year end and surprisingly, we got it before GTA 6 lol!!!
I've done a lot of testing in the Mclaren F1 and I can confidently say ita an absolute gem to drive. 14 laps on mediums
I signed for Mclaren yesterday and I was also shocked by how well the F1 GTR performed at Deep Forest. It's not even close between the two cars. This version of the F1 GTR is more similar to what it was in GT Sport.
Also, I agree with you about unusual cars performing well at Deep Forest. I've seen BMW M3s (a car rarely used by players) clocking low 27's in lobby quali sessions. It seems that PD might just have made more cars viable in update 1.72. Which can only be a good thing for GTWS and daily races.
Lastly, in regard to strategy. I was able to complete a race time of 22:30, starting on the Hard tyre for one lap, then switching to the Medium for the rest of the race. The car seemed to perform much better.
Yes, this McLaren F1 is very simple to drive and easily quick.
I have tested some other cars (AMG, Viper, Aston Martin, Citroen, Audi, Corvette, Ford, Lexus, Mazda...) and the F1 was the only one that I managed to lap at 1:30 with Hard Tires, all the others are at least 1 sec slower... obviously in my hands...
I should test those cars also on the other tracks like Monza and Suzuka to check if there is a relevant difference in speed.
I noticed that the both Aston Martin can reach higher speed compared to many others, but maybe I could suffer at Laguna Seca.
I am curious to test the M3 as you are saying, but not so much time and I would like to chose some "uncommon" brand in order to get more money at the end of the event...
I signed with Subaru this season. The WRX doesn't have the best top speed but I think it can be good at Deep Forrest and decent at Monza. Nothing feels as good as the BRZ around Laguna Seca of Suzuka though. On to making some liveries!
I see a good mix of cars on the leaderboards: Jag, Supra, Genesis X, Mazda, Z4, Suzuki, Merc, WRX, Lancer, Nissan, Viper, Corvette - all within 3 tenths of each other! Looking forward to this cup, will be a lot less Porsches and Ferraris compared to earlier this year.
I signed Ford and hope it won’t be a major mistake.
Totally forgot that gr3 was given out so there’ll be tons of drivers with Ford potentially (and this means higher competition for prize pools), so far on ladderboard any Ford is not even in first 100. Plus this special controller is based on one of Fords, most probably that’s why I chose it subconsciously.
I’ve managed to do a lap in Mustang 1:28:400 which is not that bad (-2 sec from top results, while usially I’m like -4 -5 secs behind). Wanted to sign Mazda but this new one still drives like it aims to kill me.
My aim will be to stay on B level, maybe gain bit more points then I started with. Let’s see.
I signed Ford and hope it won’t be a major mistake.
Totally forgot that gr3 was given out so there’ll be tons of drivers with Ford potentially (and this means higher competition for prize pools), so far on ladderboard any Ford is not even in first 100. Plus this special controller is based on one of Fords, most probably that’s why I chose it subconsciously.
I’ve managed to do a lap in Mustang 1:28:400 which is not that bad (-2 sec from top results, while usially I’m like -4 -5 secs behind). Wanted to sign Mazda but this new one still drives like it aims to kill me.
My aim will be to stay on B level, maybe gain bit more points then I started with. Let’s see.
I signed Ford and hope it won’t be a major mistake.
Totally forgot that gr3 was given out so there’ll be tons of drivers with Ford potentially (and this means higher competition for prize pools), so far on ladderboard any Ford is not even in first 100. Plus this special controller is based on one of Fords, most probably that’s why I chose it subconsciously.
I’ve managed to do a lap in Mustang 1:28:400 which is not that bad (-2 sec from top results, while usially I’m like -4 -5 secs behind). Wanted to sign Mazda but this new one still drives like it aims to kill me.
My aim will be to stay on B level, maybe gain bit more points then I started with. Let’s see.
I've never used the BMW for any GTWS in either GTSport or GT7 so I'll give it a go in the low B lobbies, not expecting much.
Unrelated, but a local friend of mine hit DR-B this week in daily C at Sugo, then entered this GTWS series, but was entered into GT3 league. I thought DR-B was GT2?
Testing done for round 1. It's looking like a pretty straightforward race in terms of strategy: just minimize the time on RH tires.
I tested the McLarens -- both the 650S and the F1 GTR. I ran two rounds of tests for each car, taking the better time for each lap for the numbers below. Tests were done in custom races against one opponent, using the fuel and tire multipliers for the race and Afternoon S03 weather, as suggested by GT-ENGINE.
Using the above lap times I'm able to simulate all the possible combinations of strategies from 14RM-1RH to 10RM-5RH. Here they are ordered fastest to slowest:
Manufacturer
Model
Strategy
Total time
McLaren
McLaren F1 GTR - BMW '95
14RM-1RH
22:19.684
McLaren
McLaren F1 GTR - BMW '95
13RM-2RH
22:20.603
McLaren
McLaren F1 GTR - BMW '95
12RM-3RH
22:21.296
McLaren
McLaren F1 GTR - BMW '95
11RM-4RH
22:22.101
McLaren
McLaren F1 GTR - BMW '95
10RM-5RH
22:23.084
McLaren
650S GT3 '15
14RM-1RH
22:27.447
McLaren
650S GT3 '15
13RM-2RH
22:28.159
McLaren
650S GT3 '15
12RM-3RH
22:28.560
McLaren
650S GT3 '15
11RM-4RH
22:29.470
McLaren
650S GT3 '15
10RM-5RH
22:29.974
Note: These simulations don't take into account the order that stints are done in. 14RM-1RH is equivalent to 1RH-14RM.
So it looks like I'll be driving the F1 GTR. I'm surprised that it is so much faster than the newer 650S. Historically, PD nerfed the older cars. Maybe that's changed with the recent BoP. Of course, Deep Forest has always been one of those tracks that favours unusual cars, so it might just be that the F1 GTR is better suited to this track.
Both of the McLarens are MR cars, so I don't know how well the tires RM will hold out on FR cars. If you are driving an FR, I'd recommend running your own test to see how long they last.
I’m running the WRX. It eats tires, but still, the M are usable after 14 laps. I’m thinking maybe, starting on H, since I’ll prob be mid pack in traffic, which is a slower lap anyway. Then run the M to the flag. If somehow I qualify in the top 5, I might run M first.
Unrelated, but a local friend of mine hit DR-B this week in daily C at Sugo, then entered this GTWS series, but was entered into GT3 league. I thought DR-B was GT2?
I'm pretty sure you're right. DR B is GT2. Is there a chance they signed up for the Manu Cup while still in DR C, then went back into Free Practice after being promoted to DR B to see if it changed? If not, maybe there's a bug in the game or PD's servers. Anyway, best of luck in the BMW!
I'm pretty sure you're right. DR B is GT2. Is there a chance they signed up for the Manu Cup while still in DR C, then went back into Free Practice after being promoted to DR B to see if it changed? If not, maybe there's a bug in the game or PD's servers. Anyway, best of luck in the BMW!
Qualified P9 with a 29.7, a bit faster than my practice times. Started on the hards and pitted lap 1. One car pitted lap 2, another on lap 4. Lots of clean air for the first few laps.
Most of the midpack came in for tyre changes around lap 8, a real mix of H-M and M-H strategies. The leaders pitted off mediums around lap 12.
Kept it tidy, didn’t have to pass anyone, just picked up positions as the pits happened. Ended up running in P7 at the end. Had a look at a pass into turn 1 on the final lap but decided to play it safe.
Overall a good race with a decent mix of cars. The FRs seemed to be the frontrunners. On to Laguna Seca which I suspect won’t be as nice.
Went for Alfa for my alt account this time, as it seemed quite an easy car to rotate which should come in handy for Laguna Seca and Suzuka. Qualifying is short - only 5 mins but should be enough for 3 laps if you don't leave the pits too late. Managed a 1.27.873 which was faster than my FP time, which got me 2nd on the grid.
Decided to go for RH to start and accept whatever losses may occur in the first stint. Lost 2 places but my RH pace wasn't that bad, managing to get a few 1.29s in and then pitted on L4 for RM (I tried pitting on L1 in a few lobby races but the the pace on the dead RM was slower than the RH for me). Came out of the pits in 8th, and caught up to 2 other cars and passed them due to the fresher tyres. Then had clean air to try and put in some fast laps to catch the cars that overtook me in the RH stint.
After everyone had pitted I was 3rd and gaining on P2 in a Lexus as they had pitted for RH on L6 which seemed like a bit of a mistake (or the Lexus really chews the tyres). Overtook them for P2 despite 2 divebomb/accidental late brake incidents from them to come home 2nd for 76 points.
Now practicing for GT1 slot with the McLaren F1 - good luck all!
I am going to chose Mcalaren but in the car selection I don’t see the F1 but let me chose the color only for the 650 in both Gr version but not the F1. Are we sure that choosing the McLaren also the other one will be available?
You only get the designated Gr.3/Gr.4 cars for free (temporarily), but you can use any of the brand's eligible cars that you have in your garage for any race.
You only get the designated Gr.3/Gr.4 cars for free (temporarily), but you can use any of the brand's eligible cars that you have in your garage for any race.
Went for the McLaren F1 for a laugh (and also so I can copy Moose's amazing strategy work), though I think I could be faster in the Alfa, I was more consistent in the F1 and it is a demon on the straights.
Qualified 8th with a 1.27.843, 0.5 off pole so was going to be a tight race. Started on RH again, lost a few places as expected and pitted on L3 for RM. Came out in clean air but then later pitters started appearing in front of me. Tried to get a few bump drafts going but it wasn't enough to break away from cars behind so overtook instead and started pulling away. Ended up back in 8th after most of the pits, then a spinner gave me 7th for 134 points. Was a very scrappy race but fun, might have been able to do better but not going to risk it, good luck to those still to race!
This McLaren F1 is a pleasure to drive.
When you go out from the curve the acceleration is impressive.
Qualified in P14 with 1.3 sec gap from the pole with 1:28.x that was on a Corvette.
Started with Hards I thought to change the tires after the first lap but I noticed that I was capable to do some “purple timing” in some sectors so I kept those till lap 3.
Went out from the box I was in P9 and I advanced a couple of positions when others pit.
The crucial moment was at lap 13 when a driver with engine and front and rear damages was going quite slow in the tunnel and also going side by side to slow down the traffic coming behind…
I was lucky to be behind a Porsche on the right side and avoiding the slow car at the last second… and overtaking some unlucky cars I am in P6.
During the last lap in the curve after the finishing line I was capable to overtake the “lucky Porsche” and now I am in P5.
I see behind me some desperate tentative to reach me to overtake but the McLaren when go out from the curve is really quick… and none overtook me.
I drove always around 1:29 and no mistakes so no damages… and this helps a lot.
Good luck to all of you for your race !
Se you at Laguna Seca.
Ps. The fact that I have chosen the McLaren GTR F1 was not intended to follow @Moose78 strategies…
3 races, many a maniac,in my final race was side by side in p5/6 going up the hill towards start/finish then the crazy guy just swung into me and I go into the pit wall...lesson learnt in trust nobody. Couldn't stomach another race. Hopefully laguna seca will fair better,
Looks like the Mclaren crew had a good run out in Round 1.
Slot 2: Door #16
Q: P7 1:27.187 (my best lap ever)
F: P5 229 points.
Used the 1 lap RH strategy, and it worked beautifully. Flew past about 3 drivers on lap 2, who had done 2 laps on hards as they exited the pits, and pretty much held my position of 7th up until lap 4 when I advanced to P6 via the undercut.
From lap 6 onwards it was about holding off 3 Jags and a Toyota driver. Which was absolutely savage, as they just kept hounding me.
My saving grace was P5 driving a Suzuki and I was able to stay in his slip. By lap 7, another of the front runners had pit and I advanced to P5. Which I just managed to keep until the end of the race.
The only incident I had was on lap 13. A Spanish Jag driver tried to go 2 wide with me after T1 in the twisty section before the first tunnel. I held my line and it didn't end well for him. That is the last place you want to try and overtake, unless you want ro sustain damage.
A top 5 finish in a 30 year old car isn't bad going at all. I don't think I'll make Laguna, but I'll be ready for Monza. I think the F1 GTR might surprise a few people there!
Replay attached if anyone's interested. See you soon fellas!
Racing for Ford this year in GT2. What seemed a promising start with my best lap ever for Q7 faded into oblivion.
I suspected 1H-14M might be a stretch for me as I tend to ride my tires a tad harder than most. I was the sole racer to pit on lap 1 which I thought was a foreboding omen. The GT felt severely outclassed in straight line power and it struggled to turn in at the first mini tunnel at the top of the hill. Odd because the winner was a Ford GT so clearly I’m doing something wrong.
I never found the pace to keep up. What was gained from the other pit stops I lost lap over lap as the tires degraded in the late race. I didn’t recover to better than 10th and I dropped five places to a Beetle, an RSR, a WRX and a GT-R. Finished dead last in 15th save for one DNF in 16. At least it was a ‘clean’ race.
It feels strange driving a car that's actually competitive in the Manufacturers Cup...
GT1 - Americas - 8PM EDT - McLaren F1 GTR - BMW '95 - 165 points available - Door # 3 - Q10 (1:28.089)
It was a decent qualifying time for me -- just 2 tenths off my best in free practice -- but it still had me sitting towards the back of the pack for the start. Had I matched my best time, that would only put me in Q6. Pole was at 1:27.0.
I started on RHs, planning a 1RH-14RM strategy. Lap 1 was surprisingly civilized. I picked up a spot to P9 from a driver who went off into the wall out of T6 (after the second tunnel). No pressure from behind by any RM runners. I dove into the pits at the end of the lap. I was the only one.
I had one lap of clean air before a Supra came out just ahead of me at the start of lap 3. I had a run on them going up the hill out of T1 (pictured above), but thought better of trying to go side-by-side through the T2-T5 esses and backed out of it.
Luckily the Toyota and I were around the same pace, so I just tucked in their slipstream and let them tow me along. I couldn't afford to lose time fighting in this lobby, so on the few times where I got a run on them, I just bumped them ahead instead trying an overtake.
That lasted until lap 10. A few minor mistakes cause me to lose contact with the Toyota. At the same time, the pole sitter came out the pits beside the Toyota. I had hoped they would start fighting so I could catch up, but the two of them just pulled away together.
After all the pitting was done, I found myself in P5 with a healthy gap ahead and behind. Crossed the line there for 138 points and 2.3% improvement to my DR A progress, taking it to 22.3%. That was a much better result than I expected at the start of the race. Let's see what Laguna Seca brings.
