RD Le Mans Series Season 7 (rFactor 2)

[Damian Baldi]

First, I want to thanks everybody at RD for the organization, streaming, announcements. I know it's a ton of work.

After two races, competition is not working so well. The problem I see, is that the MOD force the P2 cars to go in a unique strategy, full boost, soft tyres, and try to lose as few time as you could with the GT cars. That's the biggest conflict I see, because the P2 and GT cars brakes almost on the same point, they have very similay acceleration until the P2 gets high speed. So the chances to pass are basically at the end of a long straight, or going out faster from a fast corner.

Currently the soft tyres can't make it to the end of a stint if you use low boost, and medium tyres can't make two stints if you use low boost. So, the only two strategies are, full boost and soft tyres, or low boost and medium tyres and this last one doesn't pay off, because you lose too much time with the traffic. So, everybody is doing the same, going like rockets and fighting for thousend parts of a second with other P2s until you lose 3 seconds in a corner because a GT that don't want to lose 2 tenths.


About GT's behaviour, some drivers pretend to hold a P2 car before Brooklands until the exit of Luffield. At the end of Wellington Straight the GT driver knows that the P2 will pass, so try to make it easy to everybody and give room taking a slight different line, both drivers would lose just a bit of time, and not 2 seconds only for the P2 car. It's the same from Stowe to Club. Only at the end of the race some drivers understood that.

 

[Chris]

So the chances to pass are basically at the end of a long straight, or going out faster from a fast corner.

I found it the opposite. The Prototypes have much better acceleration and so the easiest point to pass the GT's is on corner exit. The difference in top speed between the two classes is not so different so I found that passing at the end of the straights was really difficult.

 

[Damian Baldi]

So the chances to pass are basically at the end of a long straight, or going out faster from a fast corner.

It could depend on the wings setting. We usually use few downforce to get better speed to pass easily on the straights with low boost, but it gives poor traction.

 

[Matheus Machado]

I was just going to ask whether anyone had used dx11. Was it a major problem or something that fixed itself? Were all in your team using dx11 or was someone using dx9 as well?

Our team ran both DX9 and 11 and in both cases there were stutters. Frame rate was lower in DX11 but still playable. Also, computer specs were very similar, with GTX 970s and 1070s being run in both cases (2 drivers running 970s one with DX9 and the other with DX11 and vice versa), so it isn't really lack of horsepower.

Although night racing looks so great to not use DX11 next race.

 

[Matheus Machado]

The problem I see, is that the MOD force the P2 cars to go in a unique strategy, full boost, soft tyres, and try to lose as few time as you could with the GT cars. That's the biggest conflict I see, because the P2 and GT cars brakes almost on the same point, they have very similay acceleration until the P2 gets high speed. So the chances to pass are basically at the end of a long straight, or going out faster from a fast corner.

About GT's behaviour, some drivers pretend to hold a P2 car before Brooklands until the exit of Luffield. At the end of Wellington Straight the GT driver knows that the P2 will pass, so try to make it easy to everybody and give room taking a slight different line, both drivers would lose just a bit of time, and not 2 seconds only for the P2 car. It's the same from Stowe to Club. Only at the end of the race some drivers understood that.

So basically you are expecting the GT's to make it easy for a P2 to overtake during the corners? The P2s have HUGE apex speed advantage (don't say you run low downforce, even then it is 30+Kph), so there is no reason really to give up more than one second to make it easier for both of us. And if the GT doesn't lose any time and the P2s lose then that isn't unfair at all, as we are not entitled to help P2s in ANY way. Not even mentioning a slightly different line in a GT car can easily mean 1 or 2 seconds depending on the corner.

Also, I would suggest you to do more testing with different downforce, boost, TC levels and tyre compounds. Running qualifying trim isn't the only option, and it doesn't help much going faster through the GT field. Quite the opposite actually if you are experienced enough to go through traffic. We have a very good example to follow with the Feeder drivers, watch some of their onboards on replay files (useful for GTs as well) and try to learn something, they aren't successful in endurance leagues only by luck.

So, everybody is doing the same, going like rockets and fighting for thousend parts of a second with other P2s until you lose 3 seconds in a corner because a GT that don't want to lose 2 tenths.

That quote just describes the challenge of driving P2s. Race winners are the ones who are able to lose less time using both strategy and skill.

 

[Gijs van Elderen]

Although night racing looks so great to not use DX11 next race.

But we need a Broadcast overlay for DX11 and a not to old graphics card for Streaming.

 

[Chris]

But we need a Broadcast overlay for DX11 and a not to old graphics card for Streaming.

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OH BOY!
Can't wait to drive Le Mans!

 

[ude]

I would like to know how can i get the official race results

 

[Yuri]

OH BOY!
Can't wait to drive Le Mans!

Are we going to use the '91 version of le mans?

 

[Chris]

Are we going to use the '91 version of le mans?

I have no idea which version we'll be using.
@Daiman Patel and/or @Gijs van Elderen would be the people to ask on this one

 

[Chris]

Just a word on the GT-Prototype relations in this thread, I'll just reiterate what I've mentioned in the staff thread as I feel it's important to note.

I think we need to reiterate the gentleman protocol when it comes to lapping and being lapped.

1. 90% of the GT's were brilliant, but there were some that were just unbelievably bad. Moving off the racing line, jumping out of the way mid-corner. Made things incredibly stressful.
2. A lot of the prototypes must respect the GT's more. Some of the risks they were taking were absurd. Not saying that risks shouldn't be taken, as risk is what makes racing exciting, but some of the stuff I witnessed last night was a bit crazy.

There seems to be a bit of tension between the GT and Prototype drivers in the post-race discussion, but the truth is that the respect for each other must be mutual, and it must go both ways.

To the Prototypes, please take your time. You are significantly quicker and will get past eventually, the races are long and the risk versus reward for passing a GT car one corner earlier may not be worth the potential repair job in the pits for both yourself and possibly the GT car you collide with. There's also the possibility of being penalised for such driving if it's overly dangerous.

To the GT's, please be aware of our racing rules, I'm sure most of you are well aware of the rule, but when being lapped you must stay on the racing line. If you're on the racing line then you're easier to predict. The Prototypes are much faster and will initiate the overtake by leaving the racing line to pass you. If you remain on the racing line and drive within the rules, then you can drive with a clear conscience that you are in the right and will not be penalised.

As I say, the majority of drivers were very good and respectful toward each other, but as we head to Le Mans, the race is much longer and respect between the classes is expected for the full duration of the race

 

[PatriSte_GR]

A big thank you from the # 122!
We had a great time at Silverstone.
Thank you and congratulations, for the impeccable organization!
Apart from the problem of selecting the type of tires oddly blocked for 3 stops and a stroller on the part of a P2 at 50 minutes from the end; We had a great time!
Otherwise, I was victim of a freeze of one second to half an hour of the end, but fortunately, it did not penalize us.
Quickly the next!

Could we have the replay file please?

 

[Alen Terzić]

I'd like to add something for the Enduracers team. The balancing of the GT cars is out of this world! We take this for granted, but it's something that is ridiculously hard to achieve. The cars are really close. Thumbs up for you guys!

 

[Gijs van Elderen]

I have no idea which version we'll be using.

The '91-96 Le Mans.

ECAR-Tracks (the guy from Bugatti LeMans) is working on a modern layout. I've asked him about his progress: He's at 60% but it's not drivable yet... Next year.

GTR24h has a modern layout. Which was an option. But we don't know the origin of the track.
We all know were that will end up.

I thrust ECAR-Tracks work. And it wouldn't be nice to use a "quick" conversion now. It might possibly stop his work when there is another version around.
Take Spa for example. RD will never be able to run a league race at SPA because some wanted the track faster then APEX modding can deliver. So the project stopped.

 

[jego]

I must add that some of the P2 cars came at me at Maggotts with incredible risk. I cant count how many times I had to lift off the throttle and move to the side because we would have collided somewhere during those corners otherwise.

I advise all P2 guys who haven't done so to take a few laps with the GT cars to see how they handle.

I had two or three incidents were I was at fault and want to apologize. In those cases I saw overlapping GT or P2 cars fight for position behind me and wanted to make space for them but ended up irritating them more then helping. That was just my brain not working properly at the end of my stints.

Besides that, thanks again for hosting organizing broadcasting managing and what not! You guys are doing an awesome job. Thanks for that!

 

[LucaBabetto]

Well, that was quite a bummer for Panda Racing. :c The driver who had to go after me for the driver swap had issues with his PC and I had to stay out longer, but I was running out of fuel. I eventually stopped just before my pit box to wait for him, hoping not to lose too much time as his game loaded, but I didn't notice the engine temperatures rising and in the end the engine failed. Such a shame.

It was our first run both in an endurance race and in a rFactor2 event (we mainly played Assetto Corsa so far), and we weren't doing too bad at all! Middle of the pack, trying to stay out of trouble, just doing our job.

Shoutout to @Enzo Fazzi for the awesome bit of racing, I was on very worn tyres (40%) and you were so much quicker through the corners, you gave me a run for my money! No hard feelings for that incident, I don't think I made any illegal moves, just trying to close the door before you could stick your nose on the inside, but given our speed difference in the corners maybe I didn't leave you anywhere else to go. Fair play for waiting regardless, that was a gentleman's move.

Just a word for the P2 drivers, please drive a few laps in the GT cars so you know when you can realistically expect us to give you room. We need the racing line for the fast corners (last corner and Copse), we can't go 2 wide there or we risk either running wide or hitting you. We're on the edge of grip there, we don't have room for adjustments like you have. I had a few scares in those two corners where I lost A LOT of time because the P2 went for the inside and I couldn't take the racing line. Waiting a bit can cost you half a second, but going for those moves can cost us a lot more.

Also, a big big thank you to the organisers for working on this series. You're very professional and reliable, very good job!

 

[Mark Greenall]

I'd like to add something for the Enduracers team. The balancing of the GT cars is out of this world! We take this for granted, but it's something that is ridiculously hard to achieve. The cars are really close. Thumbs up for you guys!

The corvettes take a hammering on fuel. I was shocked that some cars could go so long

 

[Nikodem Wisniewski]

The '91-96 Le Mans.

ECAR-Tracks (the guy from Bugatti LeMans) is working on a modern layout. I've asked him about his progress: He's at 60% but it's not drivable yet... Next year.

GTR24h has a modern layout. Which was an option. But we don't know the origin of the track.
We all know were that will end up.

I thrust ECAR-Tracks work. And it wouldn't be nice to use a "quick" conversion now. It might possibly stop his work when there is another version around.
Take Spa for example. RD will never be able to run a league race at SPA because some wanted the track faster then APEX modding can deliver. So the project stopped.

VEC are using modern version of the Le Mans. Try to ask them, they will help you for sure. It's perfectly adjusted, and finally we could use the modern one, because I'm sick with this stupid version from 96'

 

[Sherwin van der Sloot]

Small question - I noted I was running "trace" yesterday, so I have 2 trace files from both times I got "dropped" from the server. Does anybody know how I can possibly get those over to Studio 397?

 

[Stefan Kanitz]

Does anything happen in the last 30 minutes of the race? My teammate had twice a freeze within 5 minutes. The rest was running smooth apart from stuttering when LMP was lapping us, in DX11.