Jamie, exactly my experience too. For T1 if I start front row, I just try to outrun (I even set gearing of 1 & 2 for that), for anything else, I just sit back, avoid carnage and enjoy. After T1 and during the 1st lap, you can see, where you stand. Typically I then try to either catch the guys in front and/or match/beat the fastest times.
I also tend to not take the sprints very seriously, except I avoid causing crashes and try to race a clean as I can regardless what other drivers are doing.