Technique or setup ?

Hi - Just a newbie question for the seasoned drivers. I have just got GTR_E and have mostly been driving radicals offline, since I find them the easiest at the moment to control.

I have noticed however that if I am breaking hard for a tight turn and downshift to first gear I loose control very easily. They seem to be prone to a very sudden oversteer. It basically means I am slowing down much more than I would like to at first gear corners, and am unable to keep the speed up through the corner by riding the kurbs and changing direction quickly.

Is this setup or technique ??

thanks :)
 
  • Gonzalo Diez

I think that in those first gear corners you have too much rpms on your wheels, so you have too much torque.
At the setup you can move the gears, but i think this is about technique.
What i do, its to turn on 2º gear and when i have finished the turn, i put 1º gear or maintain the 2º, depending on the speed.
 
Try increasing your coast value.

RaceDepartments Setup guide -Coast means the amount of force (percentage) is used to lock the inside and outside tires together when off of the throttle, as when entering a corner (braking). If your car is stable while braking and slightly under steer while lift off the throttle, try to decrease the coast. If you experience unstable braking and over steer while lift off the throttle, try to increase the coast. Again find a good balance.
 
If you use heel and toe and/or engage the first gear just before the turn, you won't have this problem.

You also have to be sure that you've something to gain in using the first gear out of a tight turn: it's sometimes better to exit in second gear with the engine pulling on the torque and not much wheelspin. But it depends of the turn.

If you're interested in race driving, consider purchasing Ross Bentley's Speed Secrets books (especially the first of the series). There are really many techniques to learn from these books that can be applied on real or virtual tracks.
 
  • Peter Byun

Like Tarnished Tiger says, give a little throttle blip during the down change from 2 -> 1. That'll reduce the engine braking. Similar to anti-locking system used in F1 before the common ECU but theirs were automatic. I also tend to downshift a little later when the revs have dropped a bit more.
 
If you use heel and toe and/or engage the first gear just before the turn, you won't have this problem.

You also have to be sure that you've something to gain in using the first gear out of a tight turn: it's sometimes better to exit in second gear with the engine pulling on the torque and not much wheelspin. But it depends of the turn.

If you're interested in race driving, consider purchasing Ross Bentley's Speed Secrets books (especially the first of the series). There are really many techniques to learn from these books that can be applied on real or virtual tracks.

Great tip about the books. I have the first 2 secrets books and there are very useful to read indeed. Lots of good information which I didn't know in the past. As said its recommended read, also for simracing.
 
  • Mikko Lashay

I have noticed however that if I am breaking hard for a tight turn and downshift to first gear I loose control very easily. They seem to be prone to a very sudden oversteer. It basically means I am slowing down much more than I would like to at first gear corners, and am unable to keep the speed up through the corner by riding the kurbs and changing direction quickly.

Is this setup or technique ??

thanks :)
Sometimes according to your Gear Ratio it is easier and faster to enter the corner with a higher gear than it needs to be taken and then shift down to the ideal gear inside the corner. The shake and oversteer when shifting down to 1st gear too quickly, happen because you decelerate very suddenly while the RsPM are rapidly increased. The loss of time happens because you enter the corner with a lower speed than it can take. For example, the first turn at Monza is taken with 1st gear. At this track my gears are not close to each other. What works for me, is entering with 2nd gear, changing to 1st inside the turn and then accelerating in the same gear before upshifting to 2nd.
 
Been practising a bit, and have been using a higher gear with lower revs into the corner, then downshifting when I am in the turn. I think it is working better, but I need a lot more practise........then watch out I will try online :)
 
  • Phaethon

Keep in mind that, especially in open wheel racing, drivers do not use manual downshift to assist braking, rather than take the balance more in their hands.
 
  • Mika Pyhäjärvi

Very good tips! Have to try/practice different tehcniques. Also those books seems intresting! Have to check em out!
 
Changing your gear ratios can sometimes help too ... depending on how this fits the rest of a track of course ... a slightly longer 1st or shorter second could help you nail it better.

Something else to remember ... you can drop way more time in faster corners than in the slower ones - so make sure you nail the others first before turning too much of your attention to the 1st gear corners.
 
  • Christian Dorsey

Think about driving your real car. If you have to drop into first you'll have to do one of two things either rev the engine (where most times in rapid downshifts it's tough to do on the last gear) or downshift slower allowing the engine revs to drop in the gear. 1st gear should be engaged at the last moment before the turn. As I saw above you can increase the coast to help out or just control your downshifting allowing the engine to slow the wheels down under traction. Too fast and you'll break traction. Another note, try having your brake balance adjusted every two laps one half % toward the front as the race progresses or make sure you don't have too much rear brake balance as you stomp the brake pedal. Too much rear locks up the rear bringing it around.

I hope that helped.
 

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