F1 2012 Wet race: how to choose the right moment to pit?

[IL_TOM]

Hi all. Today I raced Sepang and the race was wet. I started with rain tyres. (race lenght: 50%). After 15-16 laps the sky became clear and the rain stopped. When the water on the track started to go away I gone to pit and put intermediate tyres. A disaster! Absolutely no grip! The next lap i pitted again and mounted rain tyres again. The things gone good for 2 laps. After that again no grip with this type of tyres. Pitted and put on intermediate. (another time). As before, I run ok for 2-3 lap till I noticed that the track was dry. Another pit stop for slicks, (This time at the right moment because AI also pitted for slicks) and went to end of race. 15th place.
Any advice to choose the right moment to do pit stop in this cases?

 

[Glaivas]

You have to take a look at tires wear. If they become worn too fast, you must pit.

 

[Jamie Francklin]

I usually pay attention to my tyre temps and when they start increasing I look at my lap times and make the decision to come into the pits. A less immersive way, assuming you aren't in first place, is to check the race director and see what the AI are doing. Hope that helps.

 

[Kristian Nenov]

Well, it is usually 2 laps after starts raining you should pit for Inters, but I just watch for the tyres. I mean, when you start sliding way too much, it means that this tyres are not for the condition.

On 2011, I used to watch temps too, but now they don't seem to change. So yea, basically just feel the car.

 

[Graham Laing]

I haven't really looked in more detail, but it might be worth waiting until the DRS is announced as disabled, but you could be just too late by then. These AI guys stay out way longer than what I would estimate, based on the rain visually. So it may be worth testing ....

I am not saying ignore the grip BTW

 

[Kristian Nenov]

I haven't really looked in more detail, but it might be worth waiting until the DRS is announced as disabled, but you could be just too late by then. These AI guys stay out way longer than what I would estimate, based on the rain visually. So it may be worth testing ....

I am not saying ignore the grip BTW

You on a console? Because my AI's pit at the best moment. o.O

 

[Graham Laing]

Nope ...... PC

 

[Kristian Nenov]

Nope ...... PC

That's strange. So they can stay longer on dry tyres than you can?

 

[Graham Laing]

I cannot say that I can't stay out, what I mean it that it is absolutely pouring down with rain, so I don't risk it, but they appear to get a bit more out of the conditions. Really a sane driver would have come in for tyres.

So it's like a discrepancy between the conditions that you see, and how the track really is. It's not easy to say 'I'll stay out one more lap' and push it, because you could hit the cliff the moment you pass the start/finish line. They are better at judging shall we say ....

I guess I should try I suppose ....... because their seems to be quite a bit of rain this year, frigging climate change .....

 

[Jamie Francklin]

On 2011, I used to watch temps too, but now they don't seem to change.

Good to know, cheers.

 

[IL_TOM]

Thx guys for your responses! Another question. When you are on rain tyres and the track is drying I noticed that at certain moment I lose a lot of grip (like the rain drop a lot but it's not the case); I pit to change with intermediate and the grip come back. Not realistic in my opinion. I have not checked tyre temperature to see if the rain tyres was hot or not. Anyone noticed that?

 

[UMC 22]

Another question. When you are on rain tyres and the track is drying I noticed that at certain moment I lose a lot of grip (like the rain drop a lot but it's not the case); I pit to change with intermediate and the grip come back. Not realistic in my opinion. I have not checked tyre temperature to see if the rain tyres was hot or not. Anyone noticed that?

Yeah, I've noticed that sometimes I can do a lap on wets with great grip, and then seemingly as I pass the start/finish line to start a new lap the grip just disappears instantly. The transitions between conditions definitely need to be more gradual to be realistic.

 

[Black_Gold_Saw]

U use the wrong setup. that can be the problem.
I always wait till AI goes into pit lane, and i do i next round or same round. depends on what possition i am.
BTW: when rain starts your grip gets less and less, so drive more carefull. Less power on the brake and throtle.

 

[Jason Ma]

but when i using a rain set up at the heavy rain race
there still very very less grip than what i have in wet time trial
and the rain is still heavy

 

[Roger Degeneve]

Hi !

I don't know why, but I always go to pit at the right moment. I take a look at where it's beginning to rain on the track. And when I feel that the car as less grip where it was beginning to rain i go to the pit and put Inter or Full Wet. IMO, you have to see where is the track you drive. If it's Sepang, you can be sure that's the rain will be huge and you stay on track as max as you can et put full wet. If it's Abu Dabi (100% full wet race today in career ... Rain in desert ? Hum) put the Inter first, and then the Wet.

Sometimes in my career, on PC, IA and my ingeneer start with Inter but the track is dry and go to the pit to put the Prime tires at the end of the first lap. The comes 10-15 min later. And sometimes, it's wet, but the IA put the slicks. If i do the same, i'm so slow, no grip in some place but not for the IA. And if I stay on Inter that's the same during 5-10 laps and after, i'm faster again.

 

[Kenya Coleman]

I usually pay attention to my tyre temps and when they start increasing I look at my lap times and make the decision to come into the pits. A less immersive way, assuming you aren't in first place, is to check the race director and see what the AI are doing. Hope that helps.

That my friend is the best way to know when to change your tires. If there are adverse conditions, I pause the game and check the Race Director on a straight run on every lap to see if the A.I has changed tires. If so, then I change mine to the same.

Not ideal but it works.

 

[karbinder]

The so called Dynamic weather system seems not rly realistic when the grip changes from one corner to another.
And i mean 1 corner u have max grip the next corner u have 0 grip even when crawling trough the corner.

Also the events seem scripted. Been doing 2 careers to check this out, Both my careers races go exactly the same weather wise. Even in which lap i loose grip with the tires i have.

 

[Graham Laing]

Also the events seem scripted. Been doing 2 careers to check this out, Both my careers races go exactly the same weather wise. Even in which lap i loose grip with the tires i have.

That's my experience so far too. Nothing random if you re-run a race, the weather God has spoken, and what will be, will be

 

[Pedro diniz]

That's my experience so far too. Nothing random if you re-run a race, the weather God has spoken, and what will be, will be

Weather is scripted the same for every race of the season and I have used that to handle the tyre choice problem at Sepang. After a couple of disastrous nearly 2 hour races, restarted and was looking good for 16th after option, option, prime, inters, wet when the track had large dry areas. Switched to option which would have been a good choice with 2011 but turned into a nightmare as the AI went to inters. Worse still took the nose of and got a penalty which was fixed at next stop. Had minor damage message on outlap and when i went in for penalty the team chanded my nose again and put on rubbish tyres. Didn't bother restarting and took 21 out of 21.