SEASON 9 RACE 7 Abu Dhabi - Preparation thread

[Kennett Ylitalo]

Notes:

Grip is probably 1.00.. These values are missing from GDB, which i is strange but if it's missing, the game uses hardcoded defaults: 1.00 DryGrip and 0.80 WetGrip.

Finishline and T1: Because of game limitations and very short pit straight, the finishline was originally put very close to T1. We are using that version of the layout, the real one has a different finishline locations.. What does that mean? You need to start braking very close to current finishline, on GT cars you have to brake earlier.. At the end of a hotlap, you can go too fast to T1. That can cause problems during practice but fortunately we have SuperPole on qualy settings so it doesn't cause problems on gridpositions.

I used rear 3rd spring in the last race.. That way i could use softer springs on cornering and have the same stiffness and downforce on straights than stiffer springs, ie Reikian setup. I'll try that in this track too, i really liked the behaviour in A1, i didn't have to use different locks, could keep engine mapping high etc. , all indications of good corner exit grip. It also worked really well with my aero preference.

Abu Dhabi is flat.. Really really flat. This is the sideview from the track... You can't even see the ground as it's literally just one flat plane.. So in a way, it's one of the only true 2D tracks we have EDIT. well, there are some bumbs... But flattest track on the calendar any way. There are also all kinds of weird stuff on the runoff areas, similar "double-deck" stuff you saw on A1.. All runoffs are tarmac, only one tarmac type is used, one grass type etc. I would say that the 0.9 version is correct, it's not really finished work yet..

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

I need to practice for this race a bit more than usually. I have always hated this track but on F1 it's not so bad... Try this with tinroofer and you'll be spouting expletives about three laps in... Poor rhythm, lazy design, no elevation etc... I hate the space between corners 6-7, stupid combination of corners...Just 50 m more between them and it would've been wonderful. Then comes the duplicates, two chicanes after long straight and all the way from turn 12 up to last turn is two very similar sections... Lack of imagination, i would say..

But i have to endure... Any track is fun with F1, same goes here.. I enjoy some of the corners, like 2-3-4.. And 15-16 + the brake after is great etc. So it's a mixup of feelings, very much like the track.. A mesh of stuff put together and somehow it works. Without that turn 6-7 i probably would have totally different memories.. But Apollo Gumpert GT and that section.. You just have to push like hell but avoid pushing too much, it seems to take forever.. On F1 at least it's quickly over.

I could use some sparring on this track, if you're planning to go on this weekend, drop a line here, i'll try to join you.

edit i have to break BEFORE the finishline, do you guys need to do the same?

 

[Nicolai Nicholson]

To Kennett and everybody else: Around 13.00 +/- 2 hours on Sunday there is usually good activity with people like Anthony, Peter, Valter, Kurt, Bob, myself and sometimes others. We are not always all there, but usually 3-4 guys.

To all: As for the problems with joining the servers, it should be corrected now. Please let me know asap if you are still not able to join.

 

[Peter Marshall]

For Kennett

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

For Kennett

That did the trick, thanks a lot, i owe you man. Mine was too aggressive, went over the cliff so to speak. I got the same control but with much more margins and no sacrifices on turn-in.. Just dropped rear slow bumb settings to 3 to get more grip on the exits: 1,2s off from pb on the second hotlap. First time out of garage, i got scared: i did the 2nd turn on 4th gear.. Never thought it could be so easy..

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

The 33min server has Monza in rotation, just noticed when pressed "next track" to cycle back to qualy.. Can't understand how someone can go ~4 seconds faster on this track, just did my pb of 1:38.2 and had to drive at the absolute limit to get that..

 

[Sean Greenlaw]

Its just practise Kennet just keep aiming to beat your own pbs and you will always improve.
I was on last night and found i can do about same times with 4/26 and 7/33 wing Reiks setup both has its advantages. Reiks hotlap is on the youtube page to which helps me

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

My pb:

The first few seconds are missing, i break just before start finishline at the beginning of the lap, didn't bother doing so at the end...

 

[Jim Hawley]

Kennett

If I could share a few observations? I'm not trying to lecture, just saying what I see, which is easier than doing it

@0’38 turn in as late as possible and slower and then hug the curb on the left and stay left to straighten the right hander as much as possible, you’ll get the hammer down much earlier and gain a lot more time than you'll gain from trying to muscle it through the first apex

@0’55 put two wheels on that curb, its got plenty of grip, and take some of the curb on the apex

@1’12 position the car further out to the left, aim at the 50m board, then brake gently at around 70m turning in slowly at the same time from close to the curb on the left

@1’19 use that curb on the right, lots of it (half the car), straighten the next turn as much as possible

@1’30 also a little early on the turn in, and best to avoid that apex curb, it unsettles the car

Hope this helps

Jim

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

Jim Hawley: That was the point of my uploading, to let you guys analyze my driving, one simply gets too close to see own mistakes. I'll certainly try those suggestions and continue uploading my videos, managed to find good encoder settings so my renderings won't take so long/filesizes get too big.. PS: I used ffdshow and MPEG4/h264 and mp3, 70meg file with decent quality. I guess i've learned something in school so far, going thru 2 week After Effects course atm..

EDIT: The 15 minute qualify is a bit short for me to get really good hotlap in, but it does prepare for Superpole better..

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

@0’38 turn in as late as possible and slower and then hug the curb on the left and stay left to straighten the right hander as much as possible, you’ll get the hammer down much earlier and gain a lot more time than you'll gain from trying to muscle it through the first apex

Tried and it works, ~0.3s gain on average, still not getting power on early enough but it's getting there. Of course i'm losing a tenth or two at the braking but i get it back at mid-chicane already. The straight is long and even with not so good exit, i'm doing the same or better delta than before.

@0’55 put two wheels on that curb, its got plenty of grip, and take some of the curb on the apex

I had a memory that this turn combination can be taken with more entry speed, it makes perfect sense. Can't yet get all from that yet, practice..

@1’12 position the car further out to the left, aim at the 50m board, then brake gently at around 70m turning in slowly at the same time from close to the curb on the left

Tried and it works. I had similar idea but was trying to hit that apex and then do a straight line brake, this is much better tactic than mine. It isn't as short brake as it can be with straight line but exit is soo much easier... I know at least one place where i can possibly overtake

@1’19 use that curb on the right, lots of it (half the car), straighten the next turn as much as possible

I usually use some of that curb, as much as i dare.. Didn't happen on that "hotlap", i had just a bit slower speed as i was just concentrating on the apex before, usually i drift a bit wider. I think i'll use 3rd gear, it just useless to drop to 2nd for such a short acceleration. The whole combination feels easier.

@1’30 also a little early on the turn in, and best to avoid that apex curb, it unsettles the car

That felt odd, never did it that way.. Brakes are a bit hot and i've found that that corner suffers inconsistency the most, should be getting easier once i'll go to half race trim and put more cooling in them brakes.

Hope this helps

Certainly helped. Times are similar but i've got full confidence that once i got the whole lap together, i'm going under 1:38 easily. That chicane @0:38 had the most effect on times so far.

Jim

Kennett.

Just looked at hotlap in PrestoGP.com.. If i can get to the target, I'll be in quite good form for the race..

 

[Reik Major]

Just to let you know guys, I had my first test yesterday and still feel very well with my setup from the last event we had at Abu Dhabi. So the setup should already be posted in the setups archive.

In general if I don't post a new setup or major setup change prior an event, I will stick with the old setup which should already be there. This season I'm much more busy with work and child and for the last weeks moving to anohter apartment killed most of the free time. But I'm glad the major steps in developing setups was done in the last seasons so we all can now benefit from it.

Please let me know if there's no setup for an upcoming event...

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

Damn, pedals were peaking.. Managed to get them working but they really are at their last season.. I'll be lucky if i can make all races, keep your fingers crossed. Those Momo pedals are a bitch to work with, the way they are designed.. any changes to pot alignments can be only tested by fully assembling the thing and praying that their positions hold (they never will, it's a guesswork each time..).. The floor is one half and the "roof" is one half of what keeping the axels together making the whole thing inaccessible for that 1mm movement those pots make when assembling.. I think i'll take out some pieces out from the floor, drill&saw some biiig holes in it so i can adjust those pots on-the-fly..

I need new pedals, pronto! But seriously, i can't think that these pedals will last any longer.. And first i need to upgrade my PC before it's wise to invest in some new simracing gear.. So next season.. well, depends when where and how, really. The wheel is still good, it's actually really really quiet and firm... But only pedals that i can accept really are those fanatecs and they are not cheap... http://www.fanatec.de/webshop/new_e...d=101&osCsid=2abd20f938042b6f84a10ad89daed99a

 

[Valter Ostman]

The G25 pedals with Andy Pastore load sensor brake and a Bodnar cable is a very good combination too. I have used mine for more than five years and only replaced one pot. A very strong pedal construction in my opinion. I love the application for the Bodnar controller. You can adjust everything perfectly and it doesn't change settings on its own while you are driving (like some other very common software I used before).

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

Price is a concern, that fanatec elite is the absolute limit, ie 150€, i may even have to settle for regular CSR pedals and then buy the inversion kit possibly later... I'm a student so i have tight budget.

 

[Dino Paolini]

Price is a concern, that fanatec elite is the absolute limit, ie 150€, i may even have to settle for regular CSR pedals and then buy the inversion kit possibly later... I'm a student so i have tight budget.

Prob is as soon as you realize that the regular CSR's are not really good you will have to think about upgrading again in the future, so it costs you more this way.

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

Prob is as soon as you realize that the regular CSR's are not really good you will have to think about upgrading again in the future, so it costs you more this way.

That's what i've been told, that's why Elites are in the table at first place.. But i'll have to get a new wheel at some point anyway.. aargghh.. i quit... no not really.. it's just money i don't have.

 

[Bob Miley]

I have found this track to be almost undrivable, sliding everywhere, very little control. However the same thing happened on Mini Friday, was half a second clear in quali, but race was a mess.

This could not be down to my driving, so this morning I took my DFGT pedals to pieces and spent all morning re-tensioning the springs and adding packers underneath them.

Result!!! Feel like new pedals, actually feel pressure on both gas and brake. Took it for a spin and am now able to brake much later and accelerate more smoothly than before. Only down side is I now need to learn to drive properly after years of making do with no feel whatsoever. The track now feels normal and though I will be slow I will feel more comfortable and with practice get faster.

Now looking forward to this race, whereas before I was thinking of dropping out as I couldn't put 5 laps together.

Anyone else have problems with DFGT pedals try this:

 

[Bob Miley]

Update.
As a result of the pedal fix above:
1. I no longer have spikes in throttle.
2. Acceleration is smoother with little wheel spin.
3. Braking is easier and able to brake later with more confidence.
4. Need less wing, gone from 7/35 to 3/18 with better cornering.
5. Fuel consumption has gone down, gone from needing 64 Litre per stint to 54 Litre per stint.

This has been the single best thing I have done. The feel is excellent, I am no longer affraid to accelerate and can brake with confidence. My race pace has dropped to my old quali pace, almost 2 seconds per lap quicker and with more to find, as I am still braking too early and accerating too slowly, but old habits are very hard to break!!!

It will make the rest of the season much more enjoyable on my part due to having more control. I have no idea how I finished the other races now I know how bad my pedals were.

 

[Dino Paolini]

My best attempt from hotlapping today
Sorry for the slight cut at the entry of the chicane.
99% of the setup is from the one that Reik uploaded, if you wonder about that