Last night I finally got to play online mode in GT5P, and after a little while, I quickly found out that quick lap times have little to do with winning a race. So in this post, I will be going through the dos and donts of racing online in Gran Turismo. I will use simple examples as well, using the simplest track in the game (daytona), to make sure everything is clear. Without further ado, here's the list:
Be patient
This is rule #1 and is pretty much linked to every other rule in this short list. When you're coming up on people, just because you have a run on them doesnt mean you should take the pass. Avoid using bad racing lines to get past people. Like if you come flying up on a guy running down low into turn 3 at Daytona and you're right behind him, dont dart up the track to get around him, as your car will likely wash right up into the wall. Instead, either follow him around and get him down the front stretch, or come into turn 3 from up high and run the middle or high line. You'll need to know your car's limits to determine when to do what. When you patiently weed through the bad drivers and rammers and get into the top 5 or 3, you should be in the company of good drivers and then you can finally show off your driving skills in a good hard fought battle with other good drivers.
When you're off the pace, DO NOT drive in the racing line
I have seen this a hundred times already. Someone will wreck, go into ghost mode, yada yada yada. But then that person, doing maybe 100kph, will just go back into the racing line only to get smashed by people when they're no longer a ghost. When you wreck, stay out of the racing line as much as possible. At Daytona, this means running around the apron (below the yellow line).
Know how to deal with rammers and bad drivers
When I start dead last at Daytona, I just lay back and watch the wrecks fly. Make sure you pay attention to where cars are spinning and what part of the track they'll be at when you reach them. Also, remember that it's better to slow down and dodge a wreck then to go in flat out and smash into people. When I see someone that is ramming, I try to find ways around them that will prevent them from ramming me. One good way is to pass them on the inside of the turns, not the outside. If you're on the outside, thats just opening yourself up to a bad wall ram. However, passing on the inside makes it pretty much impossible for the rammer to get a good hit on you. Another good way to pass rammers is to slingshot them big time down a straight away and wait till the last possible second to pull out for the pass so they cant block you.
As for bad drivers, there are ways to deal with them too. If someone is flying up behind you and they have tons of momentum going into a turn, stay up high and float into the corner, tapping the brake if needed. They'll just sail into the corner and wash up, leaving the bottom of the track wide open for you to dive down and walk on by. Also, if you dont feel safe passing someone in a turn, either give them LOTS of room or wait till you can make a quick pass.
Dont force the issue
When 2 or more people are ahead of you battling for a spot, it's a much better idea to sit back and watch the battle unfold instead of diving right in. Wait for them to make a mistake or open a hole for you to dart through. Chances are, they'll nudge each other and lose speed (if they dont spin out), giving you an easy pass. But if you just dive right into the fight, you'll probably get collected in a wreck.
[NEW!]Be aware of others' awareness
This may sound confusing when you first read it, but it is something I keep seeing time and time again. I will go to pass somebody and they simply don't know I'm there. When dealing with normal drivers (not rammers or bad drivers), it is easy to tell when they know you're coming. They'll show signs of giving you room, or trying to hold their line. However, if you notice that someone is just driving along normally and not reacting to you, you need to either wait till they're aware of you or pass them on a straightaway (or some other clear, unobstructed opening). This will help prevent unintended wrecks.
Once I learned all of these things, winning races became pretty easy. Just be aware that you'll also need some luck on your side to get past all the wrecks and rammers, but knowledge and skill goes a long way towards getting you past such obstacles.
That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure there are plenty of other ideas so whoever would like to chime in, feel free to. I hope this helps some!
Be patient
This is rule #1 and is pretty much linked to every other rule in this short list. When you're coming up on people, just because you have a run on them doesnt mean you should take the pass. Avoid using bad racing lines to get past people. Like if you come flying up on a guy running down low into turn 3 at Daytona and you're right behind him, dont dart up the track to get around him, as your car will likely wash right up into the wall. Instead, either follow him around and get him down the front stretch, or come into turn 3 from up high and run the middle or high line. You'll need to know your car's limits to determine when to do what. When you patiently weed through the bad drivers and rammers and get into the top 5 or 3, you should be in the company of good drivers and then you can finally show off your driving skills in a good hard fought battle with other good drivers.
When you're off the pace, DO NOT drive in the racing line
I have seen this a hundred times already. Someone will wreck, go into ghost mode, yada yada yada. But then that person, doing maybe 100kph, will just go back into the racing line only to get smashed by people when they're no longer a ghost. When you wreck, stay out of the racing line as much as possible. At Daytona, this means running around the apron (below the yellow line).
Know how to deal with rammers and bad drivers
When I start dead last at Daytona, I just lay back and watch the wrecks fly. Make sure you pay attention to where cars are spinning and what part of the track they'll be at when you reach them. Also, remember that it's better to slow down and dodge a wreck then to go in flat out and smash into people. When I see someone that is ramming, I try to find ways around them that will prevent them from ramming me. One good way is to pass them on the inside of the turns, not the outside. If you're on the outside, thats just opening yourself up to a bad wall ram. However, passing on the inside makes it pretty much impossible for the rammer to get a good hit on you. Another good way to pass rammers is to slingshot them big time down a straight away and wait till the last possible second to pull out for the pass so they cant block you.
As for bad drivers, there are ways to deal with them too. If someone is flying up behind you and they have tons of momentum going into a turn, stay up high and float into the corner, tapping the brake if needed. They'll just sail into the corner and wash up, leaving the bottom of the track wide open for you to dive down and walk on by. Also, if you dont feel safe passing someone in a turn, either give them LOTS of room or wait till you can make a quick pass.
Dont force the issue
When 2 or more people are ahead of you battling for a spot, it's a much better idea to sit back and watch the battle unfold instead of diving right in. Wait for them to make a mistake or open a hole for you to dart through. Chances are, they'll nudge each other and lose speed (if they dont spin out), giving you an easy pass. But if you just dive right into the fight, you'll probably get collected in a wreck.
[NEW!]Be aware of others' awareness
This may sound confusing when you first read it, but it is something I keep seeing time and time again. I will go to pass somebody and they simply don't know I'm there. When dealing with normal drivers (not rammers or bad drivers), it is easy to tell when they know you're coming. They'll show signs of giving you room, or trying to hold their line. However, if you notice that someone is just driving along normally and not reacting to you, you need to either wait till they're aware of you or pass them on a straightaway (or some other clear, unobstructed opening). This will help prevent unintended wrecks.
Once I learned all of these things, winning races became pretty easy. Just be aware that you'll also need some luck on your side to get past all the wrecks and rammers, but knowledge and skill goes a long way towards getting you past such obstacles.
That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure there are plenty of other ideas so whoever would like to chime in, feel free to. I hope this helps some!
. I've really enjoyed racing online against other good drivers and I'm confident it will only get better as PD adds some more much needed features.
Also note how the driver backs off to allow the other car to go through after making an error of judgment going into turn #1 on lap 2. 
