suzuka group 1 race - menu book 42 - advice?

6
United States
United States
Anyone else find this race really difficult? I'm trying with the Mclaren VGT Grp. 1 but 6th is the best I can do (thats if I get a race where the rain isn't too heavy) My best lap is around 1:48:XX. I was hoping the Toyota GR010 would be a good car but I'm really dissapointed with it. Anyone got any tips or advice? Car choice, setup, race strategy, etc... I'm playing on a controller. Thans for any help. much appreciated
 
I just wanted to win w/out getting out my wheel & rig the easiest and fastest way possible.

Brought out the Super Formula 1, fuel trim 3
TCS 1. Pitted going into lap 6

Super easy & quick. I adjusted the gearbox & cranked to enforce way up. Won by more than 1/2 a lap
 
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I used the Super Formula Toyota, only needs to refuel once and the fast AIs do twice so easy win unless it starts raining on their pit-in lap. Same for Daytona and St Croix, though I used FM 2 at Daytona. Use the overtake strategically in 3rd 4th and 5th gears to get into the slipstream of the prototypes, you'll keep up with them in the draft and then easily out-brake them.
 
Super Formula is another good choice and easy win. It reminds me good old days when using FormulaGT to defeat Prototypes in GT4&5.

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So I finally beat this today and here is my strategy:

Porsche 919
RH tyres
FM 4 for most of the race (I did a lap and a half at 5 to save a bit of fuel)
No stops (I’ve been lucky that the 3 times I’ve done it, the rain has been very light so no need for wets or inters)

The Peugeot hybrid is a beast on the straights so just let him past. In all my races he pits twice (2nd time on lap 9) so no need to worry.

Edit: I should mention that I think I could have won easily the first time (and second), but I didn’t quite have the confidence in the car at that stage and that caused some pretty major mistakes (but still finished 6th and 4th)
 
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I used the Peugeot L750R Hybrid VGT, as that car was dominant in the race at Saint Croix.
Fuel map 1, first stint on hards (although Mediums would have been better). Then pit in lap 5 and continue with mediums.

Despite some errors and a spin in the first stint, I was still able to overtake P1 and P2 at the start of lap 10.

Though my race was completely dry, the rain missed the track by a big distance
 
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I can only win this one if it doesn’t rain. When it did rain and I put on wet tires, or inters, the AI was still flying past me like I was standing still. I hate rain events in this game. Just . . . hate them.
 
I managed to win this last night. I've never had it rain despite doing the event 5 times so I don't know if that's lucky or not.

I used the Mazda LM55 VGT Gr.1, with medium-RPM turbo with the power restricted so it only made 800bhp. I used RH tyres because they last the whole race without changing, fuel map 1, pitted in on lap 6 just for fuel. Won by a 20 second margin over the McLaren VGT which NEVER pitted despite seemingly running full power the whole time.
 
I can only win this one if it doesn’t rain. When it did rain and I put on wet tires, or inters, the AI was still flying past me like I was standing still. I hate rain events in this game. Just . . . hate them.
This, the randomness of the weather is quite possibly what I hate the most about this game. I hate the "It makes it more realistic" argument. I'm not a professional racer, I just want to enjoy some racing in a video game. If a race is going to have rain, fine, just make it the same every time so that I can actually plan for it. I really don't enjoy having to do races a dozen times, hoping for decent weather.
 
I struggle with this if it doesn't rain, the leader laps in the 1:44-1:45 range the whole race and doesn't pit if I get stuck with the L750r vgt as an opponent. Even with the super formula I can't make that gap up if it stays dry. This is on hard. What kind of lap times are people getting out of the super formula? Maybe I'm just off pace.
 
I got second with the GR010. It rained on lap 3, pitted for wets lap 4, was in the lead by lap 5. The LM55 was the only competition and it pitted for slicks one lap earlier than me. That was a mistake and the LM55 won with me taking time out of it every sector. What might have been.....
 
The LM55, McLaren VGT and the L750R are so head and shoulders above any other Gr.1 cars that I question myself why PD decided to put them in the same category as Group C and LMP1 cars... oh and now you can add LMH into the mix as well.

I initially thought these races were simple, but then I noticed that I had it in the Easy AI setting (because of the grinding exploits). Decided to give it another go on hard, and yeah, it's a different ball game with the cars I tried.

The first Daytona race I lost because somehow, a Jaguar XJR-9 didn't pit for the entire 10 laps... Yet, for some reason, on the 2nd race, this same Jaguar did pit on lap 9 while I didn't. But still only won by 3 or 4 seconds with a Porsche 919.

I also didn't notice that you could add a Turbo to the 919... Because in the TS050 and the R18 e-tron '16 you can't add turbos to those. Which is strange because these 3 cars are like rivals of each other. This reason alone makes the 919 far superior to the TS050 and the R18 due to the added 100 horsepower with the turbo, which makes the Porsche have 600 hp without the Hybrid system while the other 2 only have 500.
Probably would've had a walk in the park if I had used the 919 with the Turbo.

The 2nd race, in Saint Croix, was piss easy with the GR010. This car doesn't handle that well relatively speaking, but thanks to the added turbo that puts it at 1.000 horsepower, it's an absolute rocket on the straights, and Saint Croix does require a lot of top end speed in a lot of sections.



The 3rd race was quite tricky... Used a TS050, and I was barely gaining on that L750R... I was doing 1:45-1:44s without traffic on medium tyres and that L750R was matching me. I however was lucky that he pits twice... on lap 4 and lap 8. It didn't rain enough on my race to change to the intermediates.

Also, is it me or the hybrid system in the TS050 doesn't work as it should? It barely lasts until I reach 200kph... IRL I see it boosting sometimes even past 250kph... Or is the 2016 TS050 that much different than the 2017 one IRL?
 
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I used the Red Bull X2019. Understeers under acceleration, but lift off and it carries speed on the curves. Won on my first try.
 
919 With Turbo Upgrade.
Then the power was reduced a bit with the power limiter and a few clicks more downforce at the front. No TCS, no ASM and counter link on weak when the rain started.
I started with RS, at the end of lap 4 it started to rain... switched to IM, although rain tires might have been better. However, had no problems in Suzuka.
 
I used the Group C Jag for Daytona & St Croix, both 1 stop races i think & the Super Formula for a 0 stopper on Suzuka.
 
As advised on this forum, I picked up the LM55 and was able to complete book 42. I have very little experience with GR1. Probably could not accomplish this with any of the "normal" GR1's. 950PP is a little high for me in general.
 
Pray it rains. Miyazono and Hizal won't pit if there's not enough rain to force them to switch to Inters.

If it rains, pit right before it does and go for Inters. Suzuka benefits cars with good handling and lots of downforce, like VGTs and LMP1s.

Remember you can run regular VGT, it doesn't have to be the Gr.1 version.
 
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Pray it rains. Miyazono and Hizal won't pit if there's not enough rain to force them to switch to Inters.

If it rains, pit right before it does and go for Inters. Suzuka benefits cars with good handling and lots of downforce, like VGTs and LMP1s.

Remember you can run regular VGT, it doesn't have to be the Gr.1 version.
And after you pit early you run into a train of cars literally parking before the final chicane and the hairpin, because some AI has spun, the yellows are out, and you get 5s penalties, if you overtake. You lose, if you wait for the traffic jam, and you lose with the penalty...

I finally gave in and did it with the SF and some ruthless overtaking.
 
And after you pit early you run into a train of cars literally parking before the final chicane and the hairpin, because some AI has spun, the yellows are out, and you get 5s penalties, if you overtake. You lose, if you wait for the traffic jam, and you lose with the penalty...
It depends on track position. I (in the Mazda LM55) was hunting down Wilk in his lightning fast Peugout when I saw the rain coming in at the end of Lap 5 and pitted for Inters. Came out P3 or 4 I think and did not see much of the opponents before they pitted a lap after.
The "Moisture-Meter" went into the top Third in my race so not pitting was out out of question anyways.
PS: Is traffic jams after crashes really a thing? Have not seen something like this. Also had never problems with Yellow Flag penalties in sport or Campaign races. Crashed are ghosted and don't count and the rest blows through full throttle anyways.
 
I used the X2019, with Fuel Map at 6 iirc. Mostly on hard tyres, except when it started raining I switched to IM. Stopped one more time after that when the tyres were worn out. You might be able to do a lower Fuel Map and just stop more often
 
I just wanted to win w/out getting out my wheel & rig the easiest and fastest way possible.

Brought out the Super Formula 1, fuel trim 3
TCS 1. Pitted going into lap 6

Super easy & quick. I adjusted the gearbox & cranked to enforce way up. Won by more than 1/2 a lap
Have you a set up you used only one I have left to do in this menu
 
If, like me, you aren't an alien, the obvious choice is the Mazda LM 55, medium RPM turbo, every tyre choice purchased and go for it.
Try, and try, and try. You will get used to the car and the weather will come to play on your way on one of this tries.
There aren't set in stone strategies, my first two tries the rain wasn't enough even for inters, so...
Other the right moment to put wets was lap 4, when everyone else pits, no one messed up with wrong tires, so no advantage on saving fuel to stop latter.
Just get used to the car, the speed the weather develops from radar, to track and to the amount of water in the track, after a handful of tries you will have it figured out and you will out strategy them. On raw pace is almost impossible, the AI is rigged at Suzuka. There was once where I put a AI car on the grass at the hairpin, completely wet track and it still was faster accelerating from the grass than me from the track, TCS 2.
 
I have the Mazda LM55 and don't like it. It Understeers too much, can't get it to turn in at pace as I like through the Suzuka esses.

The Peugeot LM750R door wedge has won it for me a few times, quite easily too.
 
Finally beat it using the Gr1 Tomahawk. Hard tyres, max downforce. Rain came heavy and very early, lap 3, that helped build a lead as I was able to pit first. Wets probably would’ve lasted until the end, but I had enough of a lead to pit for fresh inters on lap 8.
 
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