This is going to sounds like an odd question, but in the Asia/Oceania region of GTWS, did anyone successfully manage to bump-draft? Either pushing or being pushed.
Every time I tried to push someone or make it obvious that pushing me to catch up to the pack in front is fine, they start weaving!
I find the same thing in my mid-B North America lobbies. I think a lot of drivers just aren't familiar with the concept of bump-drafting, or even cooperating with other drivers in general.
I still give drivers ahead a bump in the GTWS races, especially early on, to signal that I'm not interested in fighting. I don't know how effective it is. Often if they mess up a corner and I go by them, they'll be diving into every corner afterwards trying to get the position back.
So it goes. People are going to race how they choose to race.
I just quickly checked out the weather for this first round at Spa. It looks like a scripted pattern. I exited and re-entered a few times and it was the same pattern every time. Looks like it starts in IM territory with the moisture gauge at about 50%. Maybe heavier rain coming later. I'll have to drive out a full 15 laps to see what we're in for.
I just quickly checked out the weather for this first round at Spa. It looks like a scripted pattern. I exited and re-entered a few times and it was the same pattern every time. Looks like it starts in IM territory with the moisture gauge at about 50%. Maybe heavier rain coming later. I'll have drive out a full 15 laps to see what we're in for.
I just quickly checked out the weather for this first round at Spa. It looks like a scripted pattern. I exited and re-entered a few times and it was the same pattern every time. Looks like it starts in IM territory with the moisture gauge at about 50%. Maybe heavier rain coming later. I'll have to drive out a full 15 laps to see what we're in for.
Heavy rain starts about lap 5 but looks like it will only last a few laps before getting lighter again. There might be a second burst of heavy rain towards the end but I haven't gone that far in free practice to see if it arrives in time. I've only gone to lap 6 so far.
(Weather pattern moving in the direction of the arrow.)
Inters will definitely be best over the first few laps, but I'm not sure what to make of the rest of the race. I haven't tried Wets yet to see how the car holds up, but on Inters I am finding it starts struggling for traction in a straight line when the surface water reaches the second line, even with TCS2. I imagine it's going to stay pinned at that point running alone in free practice, but it might drop back down lower in race conditions.
Round 1 - fixed weather, wet, probably no stop W or IM
Round 2 - sprint on RS (CGV has no rain and they can easily go the distance)
Round 3 - RM, 2 mandatory stops, weather possible but unlikely
Round 4 - RM/RS mandatory, long race (possibly multiple stops)
Round 5 - RH/RM/RS mandatory
Round 6 - RM/RS mandatory
I've had a chance now to do some 15-lap tests in Free Practice for this first round at Spa.
The weather script starts with three laps of light blue rain, with the moisture gauge around 50%. For these initial laps, I was mostly able to drive the normal racing line on IMs without much danger of losing grip. The rain starts getting heavier over lap 4, finishing the lap with the moisture gauge at the second tick. From this point on, at least part of the track has a medium blue or heaver block over it on the radar, except for a brief period around lap 9, where it is only light blue. In Free Practice, the moisture gauge stays pinned at or above the second tick mark from lap 5 onward.
The two obvious strategies in my mind are a no-pit on IMs or pitting at the end of lap 4 for W tires. I've tested both of them out. Pitting for Ws is the clear winner for me:
Manufacturer
Model
Strategy
Laps
Avg time
Total time
Gran Turismo
F3500-B
15IM
15
2:11.145
32:47.171
Gran Turismo
F3500-B
4IM-11W
15
2:09.000
32:14.994
Lap
15IM
4IM-11W
1
1:59.885
1:59.885
2
1:59.446
1:59.446
3
2:00.150
2:00.150
4
2:06.392
2:17.830
5
2:16.567
2:15.241
6
2:14.013
2:09.389
7
2:14.948
2:10.407
8
2:14.553
2:10.050
9
2:15.198
2:10.516
10
2:15.030
2:08.979
11
2:14.384
2:09.974
12
2:13.903
2:10.827
13
2:13.734
2:11.310
14
2:14.043
2:09.933
15
2:14.925
2:11.057
The lap times were compiled over multiple runs, choosing the fastest time for each lap. Since the first three laps were on IMs, I selected the fastest lap from either strategy for those. For what it's worth, my best lap and opt time were 1:59.446.
I feel like a good result here is going to depend on how many times I spin the car. In every test run I did, I went for a spin at least once. In most cases, it came as a complete surprise. I didn't feel like I was taking the corner any differently than normal, but all of a sudden the grip was gone and I found myself going around. Invariably the car would come to a stop pointed in the wrong direction.
I've had a chance now to do some 15-lap tests in Free Practice for this first round at Spa.
The weather script starts with three laps of light blue rain, with the moisture gauge around 50%. For these initial laps, I was mostly able to drive the normal racing line on IMs without much danger of losing grip. The rain starts getting heavier over lap 4, finishing the lap with the moisture gauge at the second tick. From this point on, at least part of the track has a medium blue or heaver block over it on the radar, except for a brief period around lap 9, where it is only light blue. In Free Practice, the moisture gauge stays pinned at or above the second tick mark from lap 5 onward.
The two obvious strategies in my mind are a no-pit on IMs or pitting at the end of lap 4 for W tires. I've tested both of them out. Pitting for Ws is the clear winner for me:
The lap times were compiled over multiple runs, choosing the fastest time for each lap. Since the first three laps were on IMs, I selected the fastest lap from either strategy for those. For what it's worth, my best lap and opt time were 1:59.446.
I feel like a good result here is going to depend on how many times I spin the car. In every test run I did, I went for a spin at least once. In most cases, it came as a complete surprise. I didn't feel like I was taking the corner any differently than normal, but all of a sudden the grip was gone and I found myself going around. Invariably the car would come to a stop pointed in the wrong direction.
My guess is that the Wets will get shredded on the those initial laps when the moisture on the track is lighter, compromising the performance when the heavier rain comes. That's just a guess though. I haven't actually tested it.
In my experience of Spa anything near the top section of the moisture metre is full wets. In a car like this, it's definitely not worth risking the inters.
I'm leaning towards Wets myself too for now unless I see different watching streams on Wednesday. They definitely feel more comfortable when the rain really kicks in.
The start and first few laps starting on Wets will not be pleasant for sure if you're in a group on Inters. At the same time, it's a 1x tyre multiplier so the Wets shouldn't burn too fast... I guess? I think I'm going to go try test that in a custom race if I can get the conditions roughly right.
Dragon Trail in Manufacturers definitely punished being on the wrong tyres since it was 5x.
The start and first few laps starting on Wets will not be pleasant for sure if you're in a group on Inters. At the same time, it's a 1x tyre multiplier so the Wets shouldn't burn too fast... I guess? I think I'm going to go try test that in a custom race if I can get the conditions roughly right.
I just did a 3-lap test on Ws with R03 weather (equal conditions mode), which pegs the moisture gauge just under the first tick mark. It burned through 10-15% of the tread, which is much less than I expected. Maybe a no-pit on Ws will be viable after all.
Largely different but I remember the Le Mans race at CdlS a few months ago, it started dry but went to inter weather mid way through lap 3 I think, I started on inters and they were half dead by the time the rain came but I caught up the 35 seconds to the leader and ended up winning by 1 min 40 secs (the leader span off end of the straight)
I've done a bit more testing in Free Practice to fill in the blanks for a no-stop 15W strategy. Here's how that came out:
Manufacturer
Model
Strategy
Laps
Opt time
Best time
Avg time
Total time
Gran Turismo
F3500-B
15IM
15
1:59.446
1:59.446
2:11.145
32:47.171
Gran Turismo
F3500-B
4IM-11W
15
1:59.446
1:59.446
2:09.000
32:14.994
Gran Turismo
F3500-B
15W
15
2:01.493
2:01.664
2:08.334
32:05.006
Lap
15IM
4IM-11W
15W
1
1:59.885
1:59.885
2:01.724
2
1:59.446
1:59.446
2:01.664
3
2:00.150
2:00.150
2:02.104
4
2:06.392
2:17.830
2:05.711
5
2:16.567
2:15.241
2:11.361
6
2:14.013
2:09.389
2:09.389
7
2:14.948
2:10.407
2:10.407
8
2:14.553
2:10.050
2:10.050
9
2:15.198
2:10.516
2:10.516
10
2:15.030
2:08.979
2:08.979
11
2:14.384
2:09.974
2:09.974
12
2:13.903
2:10.827
2:10.827
13
2:13.734
2:11.310
2:11.310
14
2:14.043
2:09.933
2:09.933
15
2:14.925
2:11.057
2:11.057
It looks like the no-stop 15W is the fastest option, in Free Practice, anyways.
I wish we had a way to do Free Practice with tire wear and fuel consumption enabled so we could test how big an impact the wear from the early drier laps has on the later ones.
I tried mimicking the weather in a custom race with R04-R06-R05-R06-R06, but the race ended up being almost completely dry -- not at all like Free Practice. I guess I need to use some heavier rain settings to get it to rain more reliably.
It looks like the no-stop 15W is the fastest option, in Free Practice, anyways.
I wish we had a way to do Free Practice with tire wear and fuel consumption enabled so we could test how big an impact the wear from the early drier laps has on the later ones.
I tried mimicking the weather in a custom race with R04-R06-R05-R06-R06, but the race ended up being almost completely dry -- not at all like Free Practice. I guess I need to use some heavier rain settings to get it to rain more reliably.
Apart from the brutal time slots of GT1, I expect quite quick drop back into DR B over the season, especially with this high-downforce and open wheel nonsense.
Any top 8 finish will be like a win.
At least now the weather can provide some uncertainty, let's see...
Started 2nd. Was back in last after a couple of laps due to a spin out.
Probably not helped by it being a warm day in Sydney and our air con stopped working over the weekend so having to wait on the landlord to get it fixed.
I think my strat for todays race will be to wing it on the wets for the entire race of 15 laps. It will be a sketchy race as these oldy F1 cars are tough but Spa is always fun so wish me luck, now when are those crummy timeslots??? lol.
Watching a stream and I think it's got to be Inters. The extra drying from the other cars just about stops the surface water going above the second line even when the rain is at its worst.
The first few laps actually drop down to the first line.
Watching a stream and I think it's got to be Inters. The extra drying from the other cars just about stops the surface water going above the second line even when the rain is at its worst.
I think you're right, especially with how dry the first few laps are. It was the same in a stream that I watched. The moisture gauge never went into the blue stuff.
Possible, yes, but risky. If you are an expert at the S-10 License test, you might be able to get away with running slicks and post a better time than IMs.
I'm not that good, so I'm planning to go with IMs.
Possible, yes, but risky. If you are an expert at the S-10 License test, you might be able to get away with running slicks and post a better time than IMs.
I'm not that good, so I'm planning to go with IMs.
Despite the "experiences" that I have with me so far, despite Qualifying P9 in intermediates I actually went with Wets for the actual race.
When the rain got worse, I assumed the rest of the grid went with Inters as I didn't want to risk it in a round that I was bored was really enthusiastic about. Yet, despite the assurance that I had with the Wets, the dry line was ever present to some degree. Plus the race turned into Shift 2 in-terms of how chaotic everyone spun and crash, with some close calls and a crash on my end.
139 points gained. But the key takeaway is to go with Inters no matter what, and just hold it together when the weather gets worse! The windspeeds on my end was at 5.2 m/s.
(And I take it that any mention of fecal matter is a line that shouldn't be crossed all of a sudden?)
Q4, P9. Ran inters and genuinely don't know how anyone is doing this. I had TC at 2 and every time through Radillon, Pouhon and Stavelot was an adventure.
I am only doing that once. My god, that's a nightmare combo and I cannot say I am a fan of that car, especially in the wet. Just doesn't feel like it wants to turn or stop, at least in my hands. Also a bit of a pain not knowing how fast you're going in VR. I felt like I was guessing braking points most of the time.
My qualifying got wrecked a bit by the guy who started P15 or P16. I'd backed off and left a gap on the out lap, only to then end up with someone who'd binned it and re-joined right in front of me at the end. I don't understand when people who've ruined their lap don't move aside when they get caught. I tried going for a dive into turn 1 out of frustration only to go too deep and ruin my second lap which I then quit out of.
I started P7, lost a position at turn 1 and another down the Kemmel Straight. Gained them back and then some due to chaos everywhere and was up in a fight for P4 for a while by lap 3.
Then I touched the right-side kerb going up Eau Rouge on lap 4 and spun it into the wall, dropping me all the way back down to P13 after I recovered and the damage disappeared.
The sheer number of deaths on this round is simply incredible because I still somehow got back up to P6 for 210 points by the end, which I will happily walk away from this destruction derby with. It did mean having two extra near death experiences though, with people losing control at Blanchimont and Pouhon. Both of them went sideways at very close range where I couldn't avoid them, and the Pouhon one almost took me out as we went all the way to the barriers off to the right.
That was an adventure for sure. Inters throughout and sitting happy in 6th till punted off and hit car in front. Apparently my fault 🤦🏻♂️ so ended with a 3 second penalty and started dropping towards the back.
Could never get the rhythm back and finished 13th but had a blast 💥
I felt like I was guessing braking points most of the time.
