Automobilista 2 | 1997 McLaren MP4/12 Heading To The Simulation

[Paul Jeffrey]

Reiza Studios have confirmed the slightly delayed new mystery car coming to the simulation will be the epic West McLaren Mercedes MP4/12, as driven by Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard during the 1997 F1 season.

• McLaren MP4/12 will be added as free DLC content.
• The car will be released alongside a new build update for the simulation.

We knew a new car was heading to the simulation as part of this final August build update, and now the cat is out of the bag - the McLaren MP4/12 that raced in the 1997 Formula One World Championship is coming to Automobilista 2 - the final McLaren of the slicks generation before Formula One moved to grooved tyres for 1998.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1296913276291420162

Those of us who can remember 1997 (was it really 23 years ago?!?!?) will recall this particular McLaren had a special trick rear brake system, something that helped the Mercedes powered team to their first victory in Grand Prix racing since the great Ayrton Senna departed the team at the conclusion of the 1993 racing season.

Having found form towards the end of '97, the MP4/12 would act as something of a springboard for the team heading into the new Adrian Newey era for 1998, with Hakkinen catapulting himself into a champion driver for the following two years, while team mate Coulthard continued to rack up occasional race victories as his support wing man at the British team.

McLaren would win three races in 1997 on their way to third and sixth in the Drivers World Championship (following the exclusion of Michael Schumacher post Jerez Villeneuve shunt), and arguably the team produced their most attractive car of recent memory with the striking shape and new Mercedes and tobacco inspired silver livery.



Automobilista 2 is available now, exclusively on PC.

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[Rodger Davies]

Spa is still a bit far away. What's coming next is the classic touring cars pack.

After having seen the BMW M1 announcement, I'm guessing some other similar cars, available in PC 2 too, could be part of this pack.

Yes, I was hoping for Capris v CSLs, but I think you're likely correct and the best I can hope for is Escorts v 2002s.

Either way, so long as we're talking at least a couple of cars from the mid-70s I'm good.

But Ford v BMW is what '70s Spa is invented for (assuming licencing a 512S to take on a 917K is out of the question)

 

[passenger]

Hopefully they add more than those...

 

[Rodger Davies]

Hopefully they add more than those...

That's in addition to the M1, and the Group A M3 and 190E that were confirmed in the last dev diary - I'd be (delightfully) surprised if there are more than 5 or 6 cars coming for free.

 

[Robertinotje]

Ah, yes, Spa. About time this famous track was finally made available to simracers for the first time ever.

Oh, it was you then ,who owned the exclusif rights to own the spa circuit in AMS 1.

 

[BillGuy]

Anyone tried F-Retro around 1975 Silverstone? I don’t know if it’s something Reiza did to the physics on this class in the latest update, if it’s the track, or a combination of both. I just cannot for the life of me manage to get through the simple Abbey kink without losing the back end. I’ve added on +2 clicks of rear wing over what was previously balanced for me on Spielberg Historic and I *still* can’t manage to get through 1975 Abbey without the car wanting to swap ends.

 

[passenger]

That's odd. Have you tried going slower?

 

[Emery]

I just cannot for the life of me manage to get through the simple Abbey kink without losing the back end.

No problem here with default setup. The one time I lost it, I muffed the entrance and had clipped the grass on the inside.

 

[BillGuy]

No problem here with default setup. The one time I lost it, I muffed the entrance and had clipped the grass on the inside.

Interesting. Which specific F-Retro were you driving with the default setup? I probably should have specified that I’ve only been in the McLaren. IIRC the occasional tweaks Reiza has made to F-Retro were class-wide which is why I didn’t originally mention it.

 

[Emery]

Interesting. Which specific F-Retro were you driving with the default setup? I probably should have specified that I’ve only been in the McLaren.

McLaren and Lotus.

 

[BillGuy]

I did a reset-to-defaults on my F-Retro setup and tried again on 1975 Silverstone. Same thing with the McLaren. The back end comes around going through Abbey. Not always, but about 3/4 of the time. I was even making deliberate attempts to hold the throttle at a constant non-accelerating position to try and remove the differential from the picture. No difference. Oversteer about 75% of the time. I tried the same things with the Lotus and it was actually somewhat worse with the same oversteer behavior in Abbey and also occasionally coming out of Club or even Chapel. This is all with at least 3 laps worth of tire warm-up BTW.

For now it feels like the best course of action for me is probably to go back and turn some laps at historic Kyalami and Spielberg to confirm if F-Retro behaves how I remember it at those tracks.

 

[Case_]

I recently saw someone complain about the Lotus handling and eventually sorting it out through setup, but I can't remember who or where it was.

 

[b)b]

V1.0.2.7 CHANGELOG:

• Fixed UI issue when creating new Multiplayer game that would prevent selecting a dedicated server when "-selectds" switch is used (allows the first session of a game controlled dedicated server to be created from the client instead of requiring use of the http UI)
• Added broadcast control / spectator screens for Multiplayer sessions
• Adjusted Lobby to support broadcast role assignment
• Updated simulated lap speed logic used in live gap readings & track limit penalty calculations for better consistency
• Slightly increased tolerance for momentarily exceeding pit speed limit
• Altered title/subtitle text behaviour and position to prevent overlap with block elements
• Polished engine sample loops of F-Ultimate. Fixed MRX_P3 engine sound wrong position.
• Adjusted Puma P052 turbo sound volume
• Tweaked engine sound parameters for better bottom end / subwoofer utilization
• Further differential setting adjustments to correctly display available options in setup screen Generally reduced default diff preload values
• Fixed error in parameters for hump mode in viscous differentials
• Increased brake cooling when static
• Reduced heating rate of steel brakes
• Increased operating window of GT, Prototype & Stock Car series tyres
• Moved aero balance for Montana, Stock Car 2019 & 2020 slighly further rearwards
• Adjusted Copa Montana default setup
• Mclaren MP4/12: Reduced extra brake pressure
• Minor increase of pneumatic trail for radial Tyres (vintages, road)
• Reduced AI rolling resistance for F-Classic, F-Vintage, F-V10 G1 tyres to better match player
• Minor BoP balancing for P3 class
• Minor Center of Gravity and aero center of pressure adjustments to F-Retros
• Corrected V12 engine performance for Vintage & Retro series
• Added new differential hump values to all viscous rear diffeential variants
• Generally reduced differential preload values
• Slightly increased AI throttle application range for low to mid powered cars
• Bumped AI low range Strength up (to compensate AI becoming too slow below 100% following recent code updates)
• Reduced AI lateral field speed distance & effect
• Adjusted rolling resistance for F-Vintage, F-Retro, F-Classic, F-V12, F-V10, F-Reiza, F-UItimate, F-Trainer & Copa Classic to better match player´s straightline performance
• Minor smoothing of AI lateral movement
• Fixed Hockenheim 1988 TV trackside cameras
• Brands Hatch: Corrected circuit info
• Jerez: Minor optimization pass
• Guapore: Updated trackside ads
• Spielberg Historic: incremental art pass update; adjusted track cut mesh; start trigger to better align with start line
• Added tracklights for Spielberg Historics & Silverstone 2001
• Silverstone: Updated 2020 Intl TV cams
• Silverstone 2001: Added more accurate ad mapping to cement walls, adjusted track cut limits
• Silverstone 1991: Revised track cut limits; Fixed some floating big tents; Adjusted service roads material & texture
• Silverstone 1975: Fixed missing trackside buildings on no-chicane layout
• Snetterton: Fixed crash at race end.
• Oulton Park:fixed pit exit warning bug (track cut); Track cut mesh optimized, add grasscrete runoff, removed apex curbs; Rebuild triggers. Fixed timing bug (Start trigger was not crossing pit lane)
• Kansai: Fixed start trigger not crossing pit lane
• Reimplemented BT26, F-V10, F-V12, F-Reiza & F-Ultimate suspension animations (fixed wheels appearing to float)
• F-Trainer: Fixed RPM LED & bar scaling
• Adjusted F309 Driver animations
• F-Reiza: Adjusted Driver animations
• Adjusted gear shifter animation parameters on F-Retros, M23 and F-Classics
• Fixed driver head position on the F-Classic G3M2
• Added exhaust backfires to Stock Car 2020
• Increased exhaust downshift backfires for SuperV8
• StockCar Corolla -Added damage & dirt maps + deformable mesh

 

[Andy-R]

I did a reset-to-defaults on my F-Retro setup and tried again on 1975 Silverstone. Same thing with the McLaren. The back end comes around going through Abbey. Not always, but about 3/4 of the time. I was even making deliberate attempts to hold the throttle at a constant non-accelerating position to try and remove the differential from the picture. No difference. Oversteer about 75% of the time. I tried the same things with the Lotus and it was actually somewhat worse with the same oversteer behavior in Abbey and also occasionally coming out of Club or even Chapel. This is all with at least 3 laps worth of tire warm-up BTW.

For now it feels like the best course of action for me is probably to go back and turn some laps at historic Kyalami and Spielberg to confirm if F-Retro behaves how I remember it at those tracks.

It sounds like you arent running enough wing (or too much front aero bias.) It is easy flat with 2 front wing and 9 or 10 rear wing as long as you arent yeeting the steering wheel. I did a TT in that car at that track, you could try the setup I was using to see if it helps, full disclosure I dont know much about car setup, I just adjust and test until it feels okay to me

 

[Terry Rock]

The car actually feels really good on tracks like Jerez.

 

[mizz]

nice one
View attachment 400469

hi wolfi,

any news on the carset? would love to drive a proper 97

 

[DC WOLF]

afaik in the next days it should be released

 

[AyrtonForever]

it's me or the mp4/12 is too easy to manage with throttle? I can powerslide the car quite easily going out slow corners

 

[dreamer al]

Where are you Reiza???

 

[passenger]

September, 21. We will have news from Reiza soon. The next DLC is
scheduled for the end of this month, the Classic Touring Cars pack.

 

[AyrtonForever]

yep, but what about my post? is'nt the MP4/12 too easy to drive in slow corners??