Hi Mate,
I have just completed all of the races and now I'm racing hard to collect enough credits for the F1 car!
Smoothness is the key... I resisted using the tuned Elise for ages because it seemed so hard to drive. The default set up is horrible leading to lots of oversteer. I was reluctant to use more down force because I feared it would compromise the straight line performance too much. But, when I added a load more rear down force the car was transformed!!!
Whichever car you are using you must exploit it's strong points. In the case of the Elise you must exploit the cormering ability. The AI tend to brake early, so if you line yourself up on the inside of a corner as you approach you can always brake a second later than the AI and then take them on the inside of the corner. The nice thing about the Elise is that you can 'out turn' the other cars on the inside of the bend
Even if you're not using the Elise, this holds true for almost all of the cars. Late braking is almost certainly the key for success in these races. Also, don't rush too much at the start. Take it steady and gain time on the corners. The AI are not very good at cornering so this is where you can gain time. Also, on all of the races there are points where the AI make terrible mistakes, even if they have been very strong in the race so far. There have been many times where I thought I could not catch the car in front but then the car goes off at a corner! Suddenly you've gained a position without having to fight for it
Whatever car you use, the default settings are not generally very competitive. I have found that it is always worth doing the following:
1. Lower the ride height as much as you can
2. Stiffen up the springs about 80%
3. Beef up the dampers by about 50%
4. Check how fast you go by the end of the fastest straight on that circuit. Then, set the final drive train gear ratio to just a few MPH/KPH faster than the maximum speed speed you achieve. There is little point gearing the car to go faster than the track will allow because this costs you acceleration performance. The car should be geared so that you hit the rev limiter just as you need to brake at the end of the longest straight. Now you have best balance of acceleration and top end speed.
5. if like the Elise you can adjust the front and rear downforce, add more down force than the default setting so that the car feels 'tighter' around the corners. You don't want to be wrestling with a really loose back end on a twisty circuit like Suzuka. When you have it feeling solid, try removing a little at a time so that you find the 'sweet spot' between handling and top speed.
I have to say that the drag penalty versus down force seems a little too low in this simulator. i.e. you can add lots of downforce without much apparent drag penalty. Anyway, that's a different topic!
My last bit of advice is to relax! Drive steadily and cleanly. Don't do a Banzai run in the first few corners. Settle into a smooth rhythm and avoid penalties. Anticipate where the other cars will start braking and be ready to steer inside them or brake as hard. Keep your eyes on the corner apex, not the other car in front. It's well known that if you fixate on the car in front, you can be sure that you'll drive into it!
Anyway, I hope this has been useful for you. It has worked for me so far, obviously because I have finished all of the races! I'm no master, I just approach these things with a little practicality!
Good luck
Best wishes,
Luke
