Driving Etiquette - Honest Answers Only!

C) Stop and go penalty.

It really depends on the driver you are racing against. And I mean NOT the on-track-behaviour. Look how many people try online racing with their potato-pc and a 1k-router. And how many of them try racing on a server overseas. (Looking at you, my dear Southamericans! jk :-P ) If you encounter one of those warping nightmares, it doesn't matter where you try it or how. An incident is unavoidable and you should choose B. If those problems aren't a thing, then choose A, even if the other driver is a d*ckhead by the rule of it and blocks you or did some other joke. Because if you fight fire with fire, there will be hardly any good emerging from that. Stick to A, maybe you teach him (or her) a lesson on good sportsmanship. Cause especially in open lobbys, you hardly know who you are racing against. Maybe a absolute beginner blocking you or divebombed you simply doesn't know how to fight for a position appropriatly.

In dubio pro reo - don't pay back if you are not at 100% sure.

A- If I'm at fault I'll let the guy back by even if he's a tosser.

It is always difficult to get it right when trying to analyze something that happened when you are still on track. So whenever I have a collision on track I try to have a neutral view until I have watched the replay. Sometimes what seems like an on purpose takedown is actually just loss of control without any malice or even overly enthusiastic moves. Sometimes what felt like my or his mistake is the other way around or just a racing incident.

That being said the situation as presented makes it sound I am sure it was my fault, it was for position so not a lapped car and I took someone out. In that case in league race I'd wait. In racedepartment race I'd wait. In a normal open lobby race or ranked race I'd keep going if it is short race. In longer race I'd give the position even if it might be worthless gesture if their car is broken and slower or if you stop and the guy just escs out.

If it is a small field of cars or a friendly setting then the expectation to wait is higher because there is generally less tolerance for collisions. But overall I'd like to think my collisions are generally questionable enough so that I rarely have to take 100% so in reality I stop and let go rarely.

Watching replays is always useful tho. I had an srs race a while back in the lotus 72D. In that race I had two separate collisions in braking zones. I felt I left enough space. It felt like I braked straight too. So I carried on. After watching the replay I had a revelation. The lotus has much narrower front track width compared to the rear, see [pic]. So sitting in the car I just didn't think about it all, it didn't even come to my mind that if I use my front tires as a guide to how wide my whole car is I am going to get it really wrong. Obviously I should have left more space. What felt like 0,5 meter of space was actually something like 0,1meter.

I'd guess my point is that when collisions happen make sure to watch the replay later on to understand what happened. Which is also important because you should never pay back with intentional collisions because not only is driving into other people on purpose idiotic and doesn't solve anything but you could get it wrong and essentially punish someone for your own mistake.

I can imagine couple of follow up questions:
1. do you send a private message later if you felt you did wrong?
2. if someone races you hard do you race them really hard as well?

HF2000 said:

I'll will wait for sure! I took the risk and now I have to be a big boy and face the consequences. I feel sorry that I ruined the win/podium for the other driver and the least I can do, is to join him in this misfortune.

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Hi I would defiantly wait and give the position back.
My thoughts are
1/ This is a way of apologizing for a mistake I have made
2/ The other driver is probably not too happy with me , however I have accepted responsibility and showed respect by giving the position back. It may make his/her day a little less disappointing.
3/ if this rule is applied in all instances it will encourage safer cleaner racing.
Best wishes.
Bob

I would have punted him off 3 corners before!!! ........only joking

I don't race online much, but most of the time it's A. It can be tempting to keep going, especially if you're slower driver like me and finally managed to have a decent pace and position but It's just the right thing to do. I have to admit though, I might've done the B few times as well.

In both cases I later try to say sorry to that driver if that's possible.

Bob Laycock said:

Hi I would defiantly wait and give the position back.
My thoughts are
1/ This is a way of apologizing for a mistake I have made
2/ The other driver is probably not too happy with me , however I have accepted responsibility and showed respect by giving the position back. It may make his/her day a little less disappointing.
3/ if this rule is applied in all instances it will encourage safer cleaner racing.
Best wishes.
Bob

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Hi Bob,

I organize events and championship in AC for RaceDepartment and I have small community of about 15 to 20 regular participants in which we have achieved just that what you said here. You are welcome to join to see for yourself. Look on the left AC EVENTS and find the events organized by @Interslice and me.

Honestly B.

This sounds like a racing incident during a battle for position and not an intentional action against another racer. I'm sure the other guy would be angry at me but in the end, if he knows racing, he should know it wasn't intentional. We could have a chat afterwards.
Like in real life there should be the possibillity to battle for position. If every contact always is penalized we can stop racing alltogether.
And if we both loose, say, ten place I don't know if it really matters if he looses ten or eleven.

You can always check the replay but "in the moment" it's always gotta be :

Usually this is what I expect:

• In a public lobby race it depends: in case there was fair and clean racing and I make a mistake, I will wait for the other car. In case the opponent has been too aggressive and has not given enough space then part of the blame is on him and I will carry on.
• In a league race there should be stewards, in which case I will carry on and then get some kind of penalty (causing a collision, etc.).
• A league race without stewards requires some written rules, for example "if you cause a collision you need to wait for the other car". I will follow the rules and then file a protest if I feel part of the blame is on the other driver.

Answer: A

As a 99% offline racer I do this in offline racing. There's simply no fun for me winning a race I haven't really won if I was honest.
And correct me, if I'm wrong, but haven't modern sims automated rules to deem you back to your position under those circumstances?

I though clearly remember one single time I deviated from A: Through the Formula Simracing competition 20 years ago. Boy that top podium felt without any joy.

And now I enjoy fully offline classic series driving mediocre race cars with excellent sim modelling of mechanical breakdown, having a hard battle not to end last at the checkered flag. Alot of my joy is the immersion of actually being there behind the wheel in the past, so if I get clumsy on track, I return to my position and still fully enjoy racing from there.

I know some sim racers comes from real world racing, having a real world career behind them. And boy I know very well the rough games of serious gokart racing, where your future career depends on the raw results list. Then it's a different story, if you get away with it.

Almost always A

Unless you're in some higher level league/event which will likely have specific rules and stewards to deal with things. Mind you, slowing down to wait can cause problems for other drivers so it needs to be done sympathetically. I've also had many incidents where the injured driver had said 'no, it's fine, just carry on' in which case it's up to your own conscience I guess.

Sure, usually A ... but it depends.

My attitude changes depending on the context.

In an AC GT3 public race yesterday, I was stuck behind a new driver with poor driving line, braking etc and he was trying too hard to defend his position even though clearly outmatched. After 1.5 laps at Imola behind him and trying to pass cleanly I got tired and tried something overly aggressive on the first corner. I ended up getting my nose between him and the apex a little before the corner and got clipped by his back wheels when he turned in and he went off track, I didn't. Idk if he had radar on or not but I think this could have saved the contact.

I slowly pulled up to the side of the track to not be a total dick but after a second or two I decided to join back before he could simply because I didn't think it would have been smart to get behind him again, suffer through his driving and potentially have another incident.

In a meaningless race I thought this was the best idea, we weren't battling for a podium spot, the race was already lost. He didn't like that at all however and proceeded to try and take me out 3 times afterwards. Regardless, with the 2 laps remaining, I kept my cool and focused on driving rather than go on a ramming fest with him. I ended up finishing 15 seconds faster than him to underline the difference in skills.

I admit I left a bit of my etiquette at home on this one, first by trying that aggressive move and then by taking off before him. but I would have acted differently if the driver ahead of me would have been fighting fairly and smartly, if the race had any meaning or if we were fighting for a high position.

TLDR:
If I'm stuck behind somebody inconsiderate in a meaningless race, I'll have little patience and tend to give myself a free pass. Otherwise I try to stay patient, clean and wait for the guy ahead to make a mistake.

So a hybrid of A and B I guess xD

I'd only do A if it's the rules. Stopping or slowing down during a race you might as well quit the race, I've tried doing it before and the other driver can take ages to get back on track, or rage quits, it's pointless continuing the race if we have to wait for each other. I don't think letting people back through is standard practice in the real world.

Poop happens, I have never intentionally taken anyone out. I don't actually get in many accidents, if the car behind me is clearly faster I often won't even fight the over take.

I also don't apologies because I'm in VR and can't use a keyboard. So I've probably left a trail of hate in my wake.

I know I am not the fastest, so I try to keep it clean and steady - and usually reap the rewards.

In a league race: B, penalties can always be handed out afterwards and I have no problem taking them if it was my fault. Apologies and analyzing is also post-race stuff. Its racing, **** happens

Casual or racing clubs: A, not necessarily because its a rule, but im in those lobbies for racing not for winning at all costs. Id always rather finish in 5th with tons of fights than drive away in first place if its not for points. Chances are that if I crash someone out that I most likely had a close fight with them before.

I learned most if what i know about racing from RD club racing, so the golden rule is ingrained in my mind. This includes in public lobbies, where ive been thanked a few times for the politeness of waiting for someone after a crash. I will usually wait even if it wasn't my fault.
Im not a great racer yet and so i require some patience from others. Waiting for an opponent (especially one i just recked) to rejoin and giving them the lead feels right to me.

Offline is a different story. I'd shoot tires out if i could

Option D: to think "ouch, this is not the Destruction Derby server?"

Jokes apart, I'm new in this world and I don't dare to play online because I think I lack the minimum skills to drive without causing a nuclear meltdown in the middle of a race... And when I read this threads (rules, etiquette... too many things to remember when you are driving in a rush), I wonder if I will be able to race online sometime in a near future...