Please help me improve my driving.

[Piotr Dul]

So i practice currently at Imola for GT3 race and my best lap time so far was just a little bit under 1.47 in Nissan GT-R. I don't have much of expierience but I know i'm still making mistakes it's just i'm not sure where to look for those mistakes. Can you guys watch a video provided from my practice which shows my best lap and give me some feedback where I can improve? I'm using Logitech G27 with modded pedals (Nixim spring mod). The steering rotation is set up to 540 deg. both in the profiler and in the game. I'm using just a slightly modified standard setup for GT-R with soft tires.
Any feedback, any tip, any advise counts

 

[BhZ]

@Mr Deap i won't even answer to the second part of your comment.

His advice is basically run default, adjust the brake & get good.

My advice is to start with the default because changing it before you nailed the default one can often lead you to think that the setup is the one that made you faster, while you actually gained more confidence with the car and you are able to push it closer to the limit. Once you nail the driving part, you can focus on the setup and you will be able to see if a tweak is in the right direction or not.

 

[captain_manering]

well im taking part in the same race and im doing roughly same laps consistent as op and struggling with set up ect so runing stock set up. my question is did op get any faster? at least there would be a possibility of running along with someone else at the same sort of speed lol

 

[Mr Deap]

Pro rating is quite useless as the cars are meant to work with ABS and TC and they work properly when those are active (ABS in particular, TC can be disabled).

PRO Rank: factory settings allowed

• ABS <= Factory Setting
• TC <= Factory Setting

PRO+ Rank: ABS allowed in factory setting

• ABS <= Factory Setting
• TC = 0

PRO++ Rank: no assists

• ABS = 0
• TC = 0

ref: http://www.assettocorsa.net/forum/index.php?threads/rsr-live-timing-v2-0-027.606/

Sorry, I should have quote this more early. Only PRO++ have everything disable. You can still use factory assist on Pro rank.

Although the air temp need to be set at 26C & damage have to be set at 100%, tire wear 1x & fuel rate 1x to be eligible to register pro rank lap.

You can download the APP for Assetto Corsa here: http://www.racedepartment.com/downloads/rsr-live-timing.1362/

 

[BhZ]

PRO Rank: factory settings allowed

• ABS <= Factory Setting
• TC <= Factory Setting

PRO+ Rank: ABS allowed in factory setting

• ABS <= Factory Setting
• TC = 0

PRO++ Rank: no assists

• ABS = 0
• TC = 0

ref: http://www.assettocorsa.net/forum/index.php?threads/rsr-live-timing-v2-0-027.606/

Sorry, I should have quote this more early. Only PRO++ have everything disable. You can still use factory assist on Pro rank.

Although the air temp need to be set at 26C & damage have to be set at 100%, tire wear 1x & fuel rate 1x to be eligible to register pro rank lap.

You can download the APP for Assetto Corsa here: http://www.racedepartment.com/downloads/rsr-live-timing.1362/

My point stands. The fastest drivers usually ignore pro rating of any kind. For instance i know the guy that has the wr in that car/track combo and except for the temperature, he was running factory settings.

 

[Kek700]

Spent 6 months observing this very question on
RD, I admit with limited resources, by watching when the fast guys overtake me.
At this moment in time my conclusions are very
Simple.
Maintain max speed into the corner with the
View of gaining maximum speed out of the
corner by maximising the corner and when necessary trail braking.
Fast guys do it better than I can, alien can do it better than the fast guys. From observation they
Seem to hang on to an extra 1 or 2 kph with
the benefit in higher corner exit speed.

That’s it, I just do not have that skill, also being
a old “git” does not help.
One point mentioned in this article; that is by far the most important :-

consistency,consistency,consistency.

BhZ beats me on average by 2 seconds a lap
In fixed setup and the same with a car with full setup.

And The “point” is.

in AC the vast amount of time is the driver.

I just use setup to make the car better suit
my rubbish driving style, that is where setup
helps maximize my times. If someone else used my setup they would probably be slower.
I notice this in fixed set up, to gain equal
recommend tyre pressures, my start pressures are quite often different from other recommends in the online server.

I think it is worth repeating the above because
every one starting out in sim racing gets hooked
on a magic setup as a cure all and end up chasing their tails without any real gains in time.
There should be a reason to change a well set
up AC car, not a random chasing of lap time.

Also it is worth repeating because I am old
and old people always repeat themselves

 

[Piotr Dul]

Thank you all guys for tips and advices and I do apologize for the late reply. I was hoping for some extra practice this weekend but I have so much to do around a house that I can barely find time to write a few words here.
So after study of your advices I decided to do the next practice on factory setup with only tire pressures changes and will focus more on braking points and hitting apexes correctly.
One question though, what would be a decent time with this car on factory setup? What number I should be aiming for?

 

[Kek700]

For me a low 1:47, for a quick driver, he would think he wasn't well with a time like that.
1:42.5 is possible.

 

[Kek700]

Second thoughts, as this is a no cut circuit maybe 1:42.5 maybe a bridge too far

 

[Kek700]

Third thought, I apologise for putting times in the forum, I forgot.

 

[BhZ]

Thank you all guys for tips and advices and I do apologize for the late reply. I was hoping for some extra practice this weekend but I have so much to do around a house that I can barely find time to write a few words here.
So after study of your advices I decided to do the next practice on factory setup with only tire pressures changes and will focus more on braking points and hitting apexes correctly.
One question though, what would be a decent time with this car on factory setup? What number I should be aiming for?

1.45.xxx should be doable, maybe low 46. We can't talk about laptimes on race thread, but we can here.

 

[Mr Deap]

I expect someone good doing a low 1:45 easy or sub 1:45 with default with the tire pressure adjusted & low fuel at 26C. I suppose on specific air temp probably below 1:45 on default...

I'm not fully using whole width of the track which can be improved as seen overhead.

1:46.300 demonstration

Everything default(including fuel load) except tire pressure & traction control turned off at 26C.

 

[Mr Deap]

That's what kind of work for me

-Brake hard on the straight
-Kind of make the car oversteer by steering in by 0.000001% to initiate the trail braking effect
-Steer in whatever way to follow the racing line by release the brake in a coordinate way
-Try as much to release slowly the brake to meet (or match) the apex in a controlled manner(first corner in my video is a good example).
-During the lift off before the apex you can force the car to (doesn't really understeer, forgiving=profit) by steering over the limit.
-Accelerate at or after the apex, preferably with On-Off feeling, later is better.

The meme picture is exaggerated with the deceleration force at the apex, because as soon as you accelerate it get acceleration force. It's important to separate the entry with deceleration force & exit with acceleration force with a g meter. If you don't, you stray off the racing line or simply lose traction & exit speed. I suggest to practice a lot to not touch the accelerator & simply lift off before meeting the apex to have a better idea how to be able to push in the game.

People think that practice makes perfect. But if you are practicing the wrong thing, you will be perfect at doing the wrong thing. Perfect practice makes perfect!” – John Boston

The rest is simple, use the whole width of the track, touch the apex, go over thing if it doesn't slow you down, etc...

Technically you should be able to beat my time on default or be close to it. Obviously with a good setup.. you can pull destructive time.

 

[Rob Every]

Imola is tough anyway, lots of kerbs and you can find a lot of time using them.

Nissan is not a great car there, seem very heavy and you have to use a lot of TC as the turbo spins the wheels easily, so its crap out of low speed corners compared to others as the TC limits your acceleration.

Keys are smooth first part of lap thru chicanes, you can carry more speed into Tosa than you think, then the one up the hill is massively key, clip the kerb inside and don't lift on exit, take the speed into Minerale, but not too much. Brake early there to cut the kerb inside and not run wide.

Chicane up top is massive to lap time, most miss the right kerb too much meaning you hit the left too hard or turn in too late.

And the next bit is downhill braking for the last section, very tricky especially in the Nissan. Last two corners are all about using inside kerb and not using too much on exit as you WILL spin

 

[Tberg]

Sub 1:45 is doable on default setup, normal conditions, 100% grip.

 

[Kek700]

Nissan is not a great car there, seem very heavy and you have to use a lot of TC as the turbo spins the wheels easily, so its crap out of low speed corners compared to others as the TC limits your acceleration.

how dare you talk about my beloved Nissan GTR GT3 like that

 

[Neilski]

Apart from stuff that has already been mentioned (like missing some apexes), I think you're short-shifting.
Try downloading Sidekick as it'll work out the right shift point based on the power curve. (NB: I have it set to show me the red shift light at either 99 or 100%, bit higher than the default.)

I am not remotely alien-like, and I managed to squeak under 1:45 after about 7 laps, with a fully default setup (incl. ABS and TC at whatever settings they started on) and only the pressure tweaked. My split times were showing me I could gain at least another 0.4 just by being more consistent.

The reason I'm pretty sure you're short-shifting is because I was only just barely shifting up (and sometimes not even bothering) before some of the corners, but you were shifting up several seconds before reaching them.

 

[Kek700]

In my view too, that is correct, assuming we are still talking about the Nissan gtr gt3, i red line
all gears except 5th, that gear i change at 6700 to put 6th gear at max torque and the power climbing
up; if i can be bothered.

 

[Deleted member 387850]

Try downloading Sidekick as it'll work out the right shift point based on the power curve. (NB: I have it set to show me the red shift light at either 99 or 100%, bit higher than the default.)

I downloaded and now regularly use Sidekick after you recommended it during of the MX-5 Cup races. Am I right in saying that when the shift light turns yellow you're in the peak power band and you should ideally shift before it turns red? I've left mine at the default settings but I've been more of less shifting when the light turns yellow so perhaps I'm shifting too soon as well...

 

[Ryan Robbins]

My basic advice at Imola from different races in different cars...
1. Gotta use curbing a lot, which you do pretty well in video.
2. Get as early on the gas as possible exiting first chicane, might be quicker to sacrifice turn one a little to allow earlier acceleration out of turn 2, ie adjust you line and entry speed to allow earlier throttle. Worked for me anyway.
Same early throttle applies to some extent before every long straight, but I noticed you may be able to improve at first chicane.
3. Sometimes you can actually stab the throttle a bit early to balance car on exit and then apply full throttle smoothly (I believe it is called hustling in chicanes). This can drop you tenths.
4. For me I sometimes do something kinda strange. I create a very tough car to drive setup wise, but with great potential (low aero, maybe bit soft on front springs or front anti roll bar). The car slides around a lot and I get to practice throttle and braking adjustments to make corrections. Then I tweak the set up until it is more stable, and it feels glued to the road. Another option is to use a skid pad which I believe you can download at RD.

 

[Kek700]

Without hopefully being "obvious", the torque and thus power band are amplified by the gear ratio.
as the torque drops and near max rpm the power too, the speed at which the power curve drops off is a major factor in when to hold a gear to the rev limiter. ( you may be getting more torque from a lower gear
with a reduced torque from the engine than higher torque from the engine with a higher gear )
Normally the effect gets less with the last two gears, 5th and 6th, especially with race cars.
So you are quite often at an advantage by holding on to the rev limit in a lower gear even though the torque and especially the power have dropped off noticeably, sometimes it is a fine line and maybe for
a particular corner there is good argument for hanging on to a gear ( gear change is a cut in power ).
Mx5 is a good example , because 6th is so tall it is better running 5th to the rev limit than changing
to 6th, even though the torque and power have dropped noticeably.