#1. Pole position helps tremendously, because most online races are 5 minutes, give or take.. just not enough race to battle through 10+ racers, a few of which which will do anything & everything (DiRTY)to not let you around them & when they find themselves in the bottom 2 positions on the last lap they quit. Poor sportsmanship & just a sore loser mentality displayed by a good 25% of open lobby racers, so you NEED to make sure those people never see the front of your car(only let them smell your exhaust).
#2. Clean first lap(1st 1/4 lap @ Nurb). No mistakes that will put you behind a slower racer that you will be wasting time to try & pass again later in the race.
#3. Race ready. Preperation is key, which includes getting the right car, tune/setup for the track. Knowing the fastest line for the track you're racing on. Knowing your opponents & knowing your car(or theirs) very well doesn't hurt either.
#4. Get an advantage before the race starts. This is key for PP races, which most online races are nowadays... Its knowing how to get the most performance out of your car. I have a few secrets(I'm sure others know too, because I've shared them with my tightest circle of friends and here on GTP) that makes my cars a bit quicker than other racers with the very same cars. Using engine limiter, power-to-weight ratio, gear ratio, ballast, LSD, suspension & ride height to your advantage can give you those extra tenth's of a second needed to pull away from other top drivers online.