F1 2011 MiniRant™: Penalties and Flags

F1 2011 The Game (Codemasters)
Penalties Under Yellow Flags

Hi Everybody,

Long Version

I've noticed a bit of an issue whilst I've been playing F1 2011 on the PC. It seems this year, Codemasters have slightly raised the bar as to what counts for a "yellow flag". And it looks like they've raised it a little too far. I'm currently at the qaulifying stage for Montreal, Canada, so it's fair to say I'm definately making progress through the game, and I've already encountered a few aggrievating situations - Some of which so stupid I completely restart the session.

My issue is that during a lot of situations, I've crashed out (I'm not a brilliant driver), then been given penalties for illegal blocking, causing a collision or dangerous driving (Once got Black Flagged for corner cutting), regardless of whether yellow flags were out or not.

Surely if you spin out on the track, you're sitting on the racing line, yellow flags are out, you cant be penalised for illegal blocking, right? Apparently not. If you don't move, you're blocking. If you DO move and hit somebody else, it's causing a collision. If you're face first in a wall, and the only way you can go is backwards, that counts as dangerous driving for driving backwards!

I feel that when you're involved in a yellow flag, you shouldn't be warned or penalised for any race incidents - The yellow flags are shown for a reason, to let OTHER drivers know that there's been an accident, they need to slow down and possibly prepare to stop - so why is it my fault if I'm crashed into as I lay on the non-racing side of track with a couple of punctures?

Another incident was during Monte Carlo, and the infamous hairpin turn outside the Casino. As I approached this turn, yellow flags were waved, as I blindly turned around it, I saw a couple of cars smashed on the racing line. I carefully turned off the racing line (Not an easy thing to do on this corner!) and weaved past - And got a drive through penalty for ignoring a yellow flag! Turns out, one of the crashed cars hadn't counted as yellow flagged, was still "racing" and I was punished for overtaking. This would seem to be a result of Codemasters "raised bar" for what counts as a yellow flag condition - Apparently laying on the racing line with parts of your car missing doesn't.

Short Version

Oh I do wish they'd stop giving me penaltys for spinning out! D:


If anybody knows as to how somehow I can lower what counts as a yellow flag (Not to mention I also haven't seen a safety car deployed in Career Mode, and the only way I got it in Grand Prix was intentionally smashing everybody in the first corner), I think that'd turn my F1 2011 experience into a more enjoyable, less hair pulling one - Everything else apart from the Yellow Flag situations has been spot on, and I'm thouroughly enjoying this more than F1 2010!

Take Care,
Josh
 
If you spin out and don't move out of the way so other drivers don't hit you, then yes it's a penalty. If you spin out into the grass and then pull out in front of a group of cars who are going fast, then yes it's a penalty. You have to be careful about pulling out in front of people and trying to turn your car around in the middle of the track... So, lets say you spin your car out. First thing you wanna do is get your heaping pile of crap off the middle of the track. Then you want to WAIT for an opening in cars before you pull out into the middle of the track at 25 MPH...
 
Yep Cory, I fully appreciate that. Of course, the issue with some tracks, like Monte Carlo and certain areas of Montreal, is that there IS no runoff - You're either on the track or crushing some poor steward on the other side of the barricade! However, I've still recieved penalties when my car is off the track (but close to the apex). I agree theres things I could do to be a bit safer for others when I crash, but it's still aggreviating at times!

Get your heaping pile of crap off the middle of the track.

Hey, don't speak about Lotus like that! :p
 
Made me think of that incident with Hamilton & Di Resta @ Hungary. Lewis spins out & re-spins his McLaren to recover leaving Di Restas Force India to mow the lawn to avoid a collision. Result - drive-through penalty. But agreed, penalties for driver error, even when there's no other car in sight...somethings wrong there.
 
Yep Cory, I fully appreciate that. Of course, the issue with some tracks, like Monte Carlo and certain areas of Montreal, is that there IS no runoff - You're either on the track or crushing some poor steward on the other side of the barricade! However, I've still recieved penalties when my car is off the track (but close to the apex). I agree theres things I could do to be a bit safer for others when I crash, but it's still aggreviating at times!



Yeah I see what you're saying on those tracks. Maybe the thing to do on those tracks is to just wait for an opening and don't do anything until you have one. You're gonna lose a lot of positions, but you're supposed to.
 
Just had another penalty. A moments lapse of concentration meant I missed the braking zone for Turn 3 at Montreal. Slammed the brakes, and went into the run off on Turn 3. About a foot from the barrier, I had to reverse slightly to be able to drive forward accross the grass onto the track. Of course, I get a 10 place grid drop for dangerous driving (Driving wrong direction). This was at the start of qualy, the track was pretty much empty - The closet car behind me was my teammate, no less than FORTY seconds behind.
 
Just had another penalty. A moments lapse of concentration meant I missed the braking zone for Turn 3 at Montreal. Slammed the brakes, and went into the run off on Turn 3. About a foot from the barrier, I had to reverse slightly to be able to drive forward accross the grass onto the track. Of course, I get a 10 place grid drop for dangerous driving (Driving wrong direction). This was at the start of qualy, the track was pretty much empty - The closet car behind me was my teammate, no less than FORTY seconds behind.

That's ridiculous. I've had a couple of penalties when cars have been nowhere near me, and I haven't even spun. No idea what's going on.
 
Got a totally unjustifiable penalty last night. 2am, driving an absolute peach of a race, fighting for 2nd at Spa with Vettel in the rain, 4 laps to go & I nail hm in the chicane, when the team radio came on from upstairs & a womans voice said: Pit now or no jiggy! :D
 
Online today i spun in lesmo 2 at Monza and was on the curb facing the wrong way i saw on the mini map[ some guy's coming so i quickly moved ointo the gravel trap and was given a silly penalty, yet i was trying to avoid a big accident and by moving i was out of the way. Same track turn 1 i braked and the guy i was trying to overtake (who was on the outside for turn 1) braked a little later and i could see him moving to take the corner so i braked a second time and my front wing made contact with his rear wheel. He didn't spin or have any damage but i got a drive through for it, had i not braked a second time we would have crashed in turn 1. So again avoiding a accident but was hit with a penalty, seems this game likes it when you crash and hands out penalties to those who try to avoid crashes.
 
Indeed so Roy. Some seem to be having a "Well, you shouldn't have crashed in the first place". This is true, but if I spin out or run off, then I'm already losing countless positions as a result of my stupid mistake - Do I need MORE punishments if I didn't put safety at risk?
 
The only thing I am noticing and being annoyed by for a bit is the spotty corner cutting calls.

One turn i can slightly cut the corner only just a bit and it immediately calls for a Corner Cutting penalty and in qualification invalidates my lap time. Even though the intention to cut the corner was never there and the ''gain'' is negligible at best.

And then other turns I can just rocket through cutting a huge chunk giving me a big gain and it never detect the corner cutting and lets me drive along without troubles.


Of course it causes me to become very careful in corners and I try to shy away from the kerb and apex making me a sad panda in the long run.
 

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