I was a bit bored and decided to do some laps around Catalunya in Time Trial in different cars with default setup. Here are my thoughs about cars behavior. I don't really know why, but these traits are also quite visible in online "equal" mode. One can question how Codemasters make cars "equal" when they are clearly not.
1. McLaren. Fastest time 1.21.4. Got all grip in the world. Good feel for both frontend and rearend. Feedback is solid and constant, downforce is always there, balance is perfect. Only slight and easy controllable corner exit oversteer. Clearly fastest car in the game by some margin.
2-3. Ferrari. Fastest time 1.21.8. Very nice car in the first sector, even faster than McLaren thanks to better acceleration towards Turn 3. Loses time in Turn 9 because frontend tries to escape without warning. Lacks front downforce. Super grip in slow corners.
2-3. Sauber. Fastest time 1.21.8. First surprise! Clearly downfoce level is on par with McLaren, never misses apex of first corner (can brake very late), nice feeling in all fast corners, can push full throttle in turns 1-2-3, control the car only with the throttle through the complex. Loses all time in last sector, lacks rear end grip in slow corners, oversteering mid-corner (especially evident in Turn 5).
4-5. Red Bull. Fastest time 1.22.0. Somehow lacks downforce in first sector, understeers in mid-corner, loses speed then you try to force car to the apex. Otherwise pretty stable and predictable, but there is no feeling for "supergrip" as was in the McLaren case.
4-5. Williams. Fastest time 1.22.0. This car won the actual F1 race, so no surprise - it is fast around here. It is even faster than McLaren in first sector, front downforce is very good. Unstable in last sector, lacks rearend grip, clearly loses time there.
6-7. Mercedes. Fastest time 1.22.4. Seriously lacks front end both low-speed grip and downforce. Otherwise very agile, but acceleration is quite bad which kills good response and stability of this car.
6-7. Lotus. Fastest time 1.22.4. Just like in F1 2011 I hate this car. It is very unpredictable, lacks feedback from front wheels. You need to really focus to get something good out of this car. Downforce levels play wildly from corner to corner, you never know which end of the car tries to escape and when.
8. Force India. Fastest time 1.23.5. IMMA GOT NO DOWNFORCE AT ALL. Really funny car because it is absolutely nowhere in medium-speed and fast corners but obviously fastest car in the game in straight line. Not much to talk about anything else, a bit of oversteer in slow corners and thats all.
9. Toro Rosso. Fastest time 1.24.?. Lacks top speed and acceleration. Nice feel in fast corners, but Codemaster just made this car very slow. Understeer in slow corners, you need to really navigate through them.
10. Caterham. Fastest time 1.24.7. Surprisingly nice handling and response, can nail all of the apexes, no lack of feedback. Just lacks top speed and acceleration.
11. Marussia. Fastest time 1.25.0. Good responsible car, but lacks rearend grip, in slow corners tries to oversteer just like Sauber. No kers, but top speed is good and a bit better than Caterham.
12. HRT. Fastest time 1.26.0. Just slow. But stable. But really slow. It got same engine as Marussia, but acceleration is non-existent, you can throw car out of last corner, then go smoke some cigars, then return and it will be still nowhere near the first corner. Otherwise it stable (did I said that previously?) , handles nicely, they just made it lacking a bit of grip compared to Marussia.
1. McLaren. Fastest time 1.21.4. Got all grip in the world. Good feel for both frontend and rearend. Feedback is solid and constant, downforce is always there, balance is perfect. Only slight and easy controllable corner exit oversteer. Clearly fastest car in the game by some margin.
2-3. Ferrari. Fastest time 1.21.8. Very nice car in the first sector, even faster than McLaren thanks to better acceleration towards Turn 3. Loses time in Turn 9 because frontend tries to escape without warning. Lacks front downforce. Super grip in slow corners.
2-3. Sauber. Fastest time 1.21.8. First surprise! Clearly downfoce level is on par with McLaren, never misses apex of first corner (can brake very late), nice feeling in all fast corners, can push full throttle in turns 1-2-3, control the car only with the throttle through the complex. Loses all time in last sector, lacks rear end grip in slow corners, oversteering mid-corner (especially evident in Turn 5).
4-5. Red Bull. Fastest time 1.22.0. Somehow lacks downforce in first sector, understeers in mid-corner, loses speed then you try to force car to the apex. Otherwise pretty stable and predictable, but there is no feeling for "supergrip" as was in the McLaren case.
4-5. Williams. Fastest time 1.22.0. This car won the actual F1 race, so no surprise - it is fast around here. It is even faster than McLaren in first sector, front downforce is very good. Unstable in last sector, lacks rearend grip, clearly loses time there.
6-7. Mercedes. Fastest time 1.22.4. Seriously lacks front end both low-speed grip and downforce. Otherwise very agile, but acceleration is quite bad which kills good response and stability of this car.
6-7. Lotus. Fastest time 1.22.4. Just like in F1 2011 I hate this car. It is very unpredictable, lacks feedback from front wheels. You need to really focus to get something good out of this car. Downforce levels play wildly from corner to corner, you never know which end of the car tries to escape and when.
8. Force India. Fastest time 1.23.5. IMMA GOT NO DOWNFORCE AT ALL. Really funny car because it is absolutely nowhere in medium-speed and fast corners but obviously fastest car in the game in straight line. Not much to talk about anything else, a bit of oversteer in slow corners and thats all.
9. Toro Rosso. Fastest time 1.24.?. Lacks top speed and acceleration. Nice feel in fast corners, but Codemaster just made this car very slow. Understeer in slow corners, you need to really navigate through them.
10. Caterham. Fastest time 1.24.7. Surprisingly nice handling and response, can nail all of the apexes, no lack of feedback. Just lacks top speed and acceleration.
11. Marussia. Fastest time 1.25.0. Good responsible car, but lacks rearend grip, in slow corners tries to oversteer just like Sauber. No kers, but top speed is good and a bit better than Caterham.
12. HRT. Fastest time 1.26.0. Just slow. But stable. But really slow. It got same engine as Marussia, but acceleration is non-existent, you can throw car out of last corner, then go smoke some cigars, then return and it will be still nowhere near the first corner. Otherwise it stable (did I said that previously?) , handles nicely, they just made it lacking a bit of grip compared to Marussia.