F1 2011 Anyone else struggling at Spa this year?

[Karl Fuss]

I was doing a practice race in Spa last night to try and find a set up for this weekends League Qualy but am struggling for back end grip. the fastest time i posted in Practice was 1:47.669. That's 5 seconds slower than the fastest time set in the practice (AI are set to Professional i think). I have all assists off except medium Traction Control.

My sector two time seems to be the worst. I'm losing 4 seconds there.

I've never had an issue with this track in previous games and can't figure out where i'm going wrong with my setup. I just can't seem to put the power down out of the corners in section 2. Maybe someone can help? Also, can you let me know what times your posting at Spa?

my set up:
Wings F-4 R-3
Brake 48-52
ARB F-5 R-9
Ride F-1 R-1
Sus F-8 R-7
Gears default except for 7 (one click right)
Camber F-3.2 R-1.2
toe F.10 R.38

 

[Chris Rees]

Im quicker at Spa on 2011 than on 2010! Strange.

I would recommend increasing your wing levels and running slightly more rear wing than front if your finding oversteer a problem.

Try 6 or 7 at front and 7 or 8 at rear.

Bring your Brake Bias forward, theres no need to have more bias to the rear! I would say something like 52/48

If the rear end is a bit twitchy then try reducing the rear ARB slightly or increasing the front.

 

[TGApples]

I suck on sector two against the AI. Always lose a second or two there. Really annoying. Sectors one and three I get a lot more out of. Might be KERS usage? Not really sure. I run fairly high wing there.

 

[John Robertson]

I'm having problems at spa as well...I'm just not competitive in the slightest here. but that could be relative to my driving, I haven't practiced much there. But like Chris said try a little more rear wing and balancing out your ARB's, should give you more grip on the exit of corners.

 

[Indrek Maeots]

wing 7-8 or 8-9,antiroll 6-11,springs 7-7 toe f8 or 7,rear default,camber 320-120 or 320 100,1.40 .3 time did gearing i dount remember and no assist

 

[Karl Fuss]

Thanx guys, I'll try these suggestions this evening.

One thing that was good about my set up was tyre wear was way down. could go 7 laps on Options while the AI were changing at 5 Laps.

 

[Karl Fuss]

wing 7-8 or 8-9,antiroll 6-11,springs 7-7 toe f8 or 7,rear default,camber 320-120 or 320 100,1.40 .3 time did gearing i dount remember and no assist

The league I joined doesn't allow ARB or Springs set above 9, so I have to work with that. I'm sure i could go super fast with springs set to 11/11

 

[Chris Rees]

9/9 ARBS and 9/9 Springs will be a nice enough drive!

 

[Karl Fuss]

So last night I added some front and rear wing and adjusted the ARB front and rear. Happy to say the car felt better. I did manage a FL of 1.43.7XX but it's still slower than some. I could not reproduce that time in the race either. There is still some room for improvment as well because i'm still a couple seconds slower than fastest time in sector two.... maybe i need to reexamine my racing line...

 

[John Robertson]

So last night I added some front and rear wing and adjusted the ARB front and rear. Happy to say the car felt better. I did manage a FL of 1.43.7XX but it's still slower than some. I could not reproduce that time in the race either. There is still some room for improvment as well because i'm still a couple seconds slower than fastest time in sector two.... maybe i need to reexamine my racing line...

I think that's probably most of your problem. Spa is lonnnnggggg and requires some very dedicated and accurate lines to get the most out of the car on the track. lots of long fast sweepers means you need to have your lines nailed. I'm not very good at it yet, but it's a few weeks away in my league xD

 

[Indrek Maeots]

just before fast lefthander from 6 to 5th gear,trie set up your gearboxs so you can go whit 5 gear flat thru(fast lefthander,second sector)5 gear should go to the revers just before the fast lefthander ends, i was of pace to ther ,2 sec i think,that helped me

 

[jrdn7]

Spa requires a LOT of practise due to the variations of, well, everything at the circuit. I did 97 laps in TT and a further 23 in practise, plus 7 in Quali and 30 laps in the race. I was fighting hard time-wise with Jenson Button and Seb Vettel for the lead in my HRT (got pole, on expert, after I took a gamble going out on options just as the rain stopped), until I crashed out on lap 31 at the top of Eau Rouge, slicks in the rain.

Anyway, the moral of the story is PRACTISE!

 

[Karl Fuss]

Don't get me wrong, I know the track. I've been racing F1 games on it for 15 years. But this version seems to require a bit more from me I guess. I plan to reexamine my lines this evening.

 

[Chris Rees]

Anyone considerd that you may not be that slow around Spa at all, but that the AI are just very quick ie... like at Catalunya in F12010? I havant even done Spa in career so dont know how i stack up against AI but i know im not particually any slower than any other person around here online!

 

[Chris Hazeldine]

I don't believe the AI are crazy fast at Spa.

It's a difficult track that requires a very good car set up and lots of practice.

 

[John Robertson]

speaking of the AI at catalunya for a moment.

i crashed out of a race on expert difficulty earlier (so no flashbacks) and I didn't feel like restarting at the time, so I just retired.

I know AI times are simulated in situations like this, but every driver in the top 10 had 1:15.xxx lap times with the exception of Vettel who had a high 1:14.xxx

Is that how fast they run?????????????? because I'm way off that pace in my force india.

 

[Karl Fuss]

speaking of the AI at catalunya for a moment.

i crashed out of a race on expert difficulty earlier (so no flashbacks) and I didn't feel like restarting at the time, so I just retired.

I know AI times are simulated in situations like this, but every driver in the top 10 had 1:15.xxx lap times with the exception of Vettel who had a high 1:14.xxx

Is that how fast they run?????????????? because I'm way off that pace in my force india.

WOW, I was gonna mention Catalunya as well because during my Career race the AI were really slow (AI set to Professional).
I was well ahead of the second place driver before the end of the race. My FL was 1.21.261 and the AI were running +1.5 seconds.
Mind you, I did have TCS Full and while I was practicing in Spain last night I had TCS to Medium and the difference was immense. I think i need a whole new setup to run there with medium TCS.

 

[John Robertson]

It sort of seemed like a bit of a glitch to me...I'm definitely not capable of going that fast w/ 7/7 springs in a force india. I did a 1:18.08 in TT and I qualified with a 1:19.5 which put me in 12th on the grid.

I don't see how they could be 3 seconds faster than their quali times in the race.

(i know these times aren't stellar I'm working on it, but I don't think I'll be able to hit 1:16s in a race by any means. I'm going for a 1:17 tho.)

 

[Dovydas Blaghenzo]

 

[Chris Rees]

I cant help think that the AI times are fake. I done 2/3rds of a 50% GP around Singapore the other week (In GP Mode for practice) and was ripping the AI a new a*us. I was well out in front and posting laps a lot faster than the AI guys behind. Then i whaked the pit lane entry wall with a 3rd of the race still to run, it was an instant DNF. I then retired from the race and then the screen showed me the race results. The front runners all had faster laps than me at the end of the GP by over 8 seconds!!!!! I know that obviously the fuel loads is lighter and the track is rubbered in at the end of the GP but those AI times were just rubbish.