Rookie Advice: Don't Be Afraid of Online Racing

Going out of your comfort zone can be difficult, as the name implies. For sim racers who just started out, this applies to multiplayer races in many cases - they are frequently concerned about not being able to keep up or ruin everyone else's race. Still, it would pay off for them to jump in - as there is hardly a better way to learn how to race other drivers.

While multiplayer racing may not be for everyone, you will not find out if it is if you do not try it. The right opponents can help improve your experience immensely, which is why finding a league is often recommended. Cutting your teeth in regular online races may initially not be the most pleasant experience, but it is invaluable for improving your race craft.

This even applies to potential crash fests, as predicting pile-ups will become easier once you have seen a few of them. As soon as you know a track an can safely lap it in a car of your choice, getting into an online race is possible even without too muche experience. A few races against AI might also help to get used to racing with other cars around you.

Sooner than Later​

Of course, real opponents will behave differently, and if you intend to race online eventually, you need to hop into multiplayer sessions at some point - and it is a good idea to do this sooner rather than later. Otherwise, you might develop habits that are going to be detrimental to racing against actual humans instead of AI. Some sims like iRacing or RaceRoom offer a license system to make the experience a bit more accessible to newcomers, as random open lobbies can be hit or miss.

Defending, finding the right gap to attempt an overtake or simply learning how to correctly follow a car into a braking zone (hint: brake earlier than usual to avoid running into the back of someone!) are things that are best learned against other drivers. Ideally, they are even happy to help you with any questions and give useful hints to improve your driving.

Rookie Race Week on RaceDepartment​

If you are hesitant to jump in, we have a great solution for you that offers just that: Starting Monday, May 22nd, the RaceDepartment Racing Club is hosting multiple events for Rookie Race Week, as was recently announced. Whether you prefer Assetto Corsa, Automobilista 2 or rFactor 2, there are events in all three of these sims.

Best of all: The events are completely free to enter! Head on over to the forums, find a race that interests you, and sign up in the respective thread - you can look forward to a great community and respectful racing for rookies in cars like Formula Inter, Formula 3 and 4 or Mazda MX5 - all suitable for beginners.

Racing This Week​

Monday 22nd May
rF2 - Rookies' Race F4 @ Tsukuba
ACC - British GT Series - Round 4 @ Oulton Park

Tuesday 23rd May
AC - Rookies' Race, Mazda MX5@Bikernieki
AMS2 - Rookies' Race, Formula Inter @ Guapore

Wednesday 24th May
AC - Multiclass Abarth500/Mazda MX5 @ Road America

Thursday 25th May
AC - Formula Agile, Rnd 7 @ Pau
rF2 - Ferrari 512S @Watkins Glen
AMS2 - Rookies' Race, F3 @ Nurburgring Sprint

Friday 26th May
rF2 - Rookies' Race RF2 Club
AMS2 - Rookies' Race, MINI Challenge @ Jerez

Sunday 28th May
AC - Rookies' Race, GT4 @ Bikernieki

May Ongoing Series
AC - Formula Agile Series
ACC - British GT Series

Your Thoughts​

Do you still remember your first online races and how you got on? Let us know your stories in the comments below!