Track Guide | F3000 Tracks

Round one: Donington Park GP 2004

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General notes


This track is not the easiest to setup for. The car will require a different setup depending on where you want to be fast, so you will have to find the best compromise. Donington has some top speeds a little over 250 Km/h but it's a pretty high downforce track. The last sector i think is the crucial part of the track. It is the most difficult part and the F3000 feels quite clumsy in does slow hairpins which makes the last sector the easiest place to loose time. Here you are going to benefit from a softer car with better traction but make it to soft and it will compromise the handling in the faster parts of the track. As allways the setup is a very individual and it's best to just try different things and see which works best. But if you are unsure which way to go i think you should go for a softer more forgiving setup that provides more mechanical grip for that last sector. This means softer springs, ARB's etc. Making the rear softer then the front will help the traction out of slow corners but change the cars turn-in qualities. A softer setup will generally be easier to drive aswell.


Turn 1 "Redgate" – I use a little bit of the pit exit to position myself better for the turn but if you do that remember to be careful of the grass. The pitlane green/red lights and the blue/white striped part of the track at pit exit are pretty good for braking point referens. I start the initial braking about the same time as i start turning in. Try to be gentle on the brakes and find the right ammount of pressure and gradually ease it off. If i get in a little to slow (like in the replay) i give it a little push on the throttle and try to get as close to the curb as possible without touching it as it's very easy to spin. If you get on the curb then be very cautious with the throttle. Then i just pick up the throttle carefully, not going to full to early cuz it's easy to loose traction. If you loose traction just a little then no big a deal in qualify if you can handle it. Once the car has straightend enough and got some speed i floor the throttle and try to stay off the grass on the outside. You can also take this turn with 2nd gear if you feel it suits you and your car better.

Turn 2,3 "Hollywood" & "Craner Curves" – Easily flatout.

Turn 4 "Old Hairpin" – It's important to set yourself up for this turn but most imporant is not to over do it by taking to much curb before entering the corner. If you position yourself to much up on the curb before turning in you will spin out of control. Maybe not if you have very high ride height. Instead i try to position myself as close i can but not touching the curb The braking point is crucial to get a good entry. There are signs to give you referens but it's still not the easiest to get right. I just give the brakes a push and a downshift before turning in not to aggressivly so as to avoid oversteer and not to early on throttle either which can cause understeer and get you wide and on the grass on the exit. You might prefer to make 2 downshifts instead which will give you a little slower entry but it can feel safer. As soon as i have passed the inside curb i start to give throttle and when the car is straight enough i floor it. In my experience taking inside curb will cause oversteer so try and stay off it but more importantly if you get to high on the outside curb in the exit then be very gentle on the throttle cuz it's easy to spin with full throttle. And as you know spinning in these speeds often means heavy damage.

Turn 5,6 "Starkey's Bridge" & "Mc Lean's" – T5 is easily flat out. For T6 once again positioning is important. I try to position myself again close to the outside grass but not to close. Get one wheel on the grass during braking and you are off. The signs on the left i use for braking referens but it's easy to miss it by a couple of meters but it would not be crucial as you can just go a little wider. Same principal as in T1 i continue braking quite long into the corner and i carefully handle the throttle before i get over the little crest and feel the car is settled down before i give it full throttle. Very important not to touch the curbs on the inside as you will very easily cause oversteer. If you get on it be extremly careful on throttle or use no throttle until you are off them. Using the curb on the outside during exit is okey aslong as you stay off the grass.

Turn 7 "Coppice" – Again there are signs weel places for braking referens but the most important thing here is the initial turn-in. The turn-in here is blind which makes it quite more difficult. Don't be aggressive cuz it will make the car unsettled probably causing oversteer and compromising the exit by making you go on throttle later. Just try and be gentle and guide it in and you can take some curb as long as you are careful over it and let the car settle before you pick up the throttle. I just try to get the car pointing as straight as possible and keeping it settled so i can get on throttle asap. If i get it right i can go on full throttle almost right away and keep it flat out through the rest of the corner. Although watch out for oversteer which you can get if you steer to aggressively while flatout.

Turn 8 "Fogarty Esses" – Now begins the final and most difficult section of the track. I believe it is here most overtakings will be done. The signs on the right gives a great braking point referens so that should not be a problem. I start turning in at the 50m sign while still braking and here you need to find the ”perfect” ammount of curb to take in the entry. Take to much and the car becomes unstable and take to little you will be out of shape for the exit. For the exit i take alot of curb to get the straightest line exit line possible for maximum traction. Here it is all about having a stable settled car after having taken the curb. Take to little and you get a bad exit line and take to much the car can get unstable and you can take to much grass which will also compromise the exit. After the curb try to stabalise the car and get on full throttle asap and stay off the grass on the exit.

Turn 9 "Melbourne" – The sign on the left gives a really good brake referens and the turn is fully visible which makes T9 the easier of the 2 hairpins. The F3000 feels quite clumsy in these hairpins and it is and it's easy to loose alot of time and wear the tyres by loosing traction and sliding. It's no point trying to rush it here it will probably just make you loose more time. You are going to need good throttle control to get good traction on the exit and that should be your main focus in this corner. I would not recomend taking curb here because it's so easy to oversteer and loose alot of time. Although you can go much closer to the curb at turn-in then i do on the replay. Also loosing traction "a little" as long as you can handle it is not a big problem in qualify and usually you don't loose much time but in the race your tyres will take a beating from constantly doing that.

Turn 10 "Goddards" – The signs are there on the right for a brakepoint referens but don't work as well as for the previous hairpin. Also the turn-in is blind so you need to feel your way in. I feel that using 2nd gear here is better then 1st gear. Same as before good throttle control is very important for traction on the exit. The whole last sector especially the hairpins are probably the easiest place to loose time during the lap.


Final notes


I hope you like this track guide and find it helpful. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the forum. Remember that this is a british track so rain is definetly a possibility. So i would recommend that you atleast try some laps in the wet just to get a feel for it so you don't panic if it actually happends during the race. It might seem near impossible to control this beast in the wet at first but just remember that smoothness and gentle driving is key. Because racing in the wet, it's all about survival....Good luck!
 
Round two: Imola "Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari"

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General notes


Imola is a very difficult track. Many of the corners have blind entries and none of them have good brakepoint references. Actually most of the corners have no brakepoint references at all. Mistakes will be inevitable and consistant fast driving far more demanding then on many other tracks. What makes it even more difficult actually alot more difficult is the very tough cutting rules on some of the corners especially the ones with blind entries. Overtaking will be difficult so unless a mistake is made it should not be very hard to keep a faster car behind. Also I believe that the weight penalty here is higher then on most other tracks. Imola will also require a good setup which also because of the nature of the track is very difficult to achieve. Which ever way you choose to go with your setup pretty high downforce will be needed. There are several heavy brakingzones so you will need sizeable brakeducts to handle the high braketemps. Also you will be riding the curbs alot so adjust your ride height accordingly. A stiff setup will give you good change in direction which is needed but a softer setup will give you more mechanical grip which is also needed. Whatever you do it will be a compromise and you just have to find whatever suits you the best. As allways it's very individual.The setup that will make you the most comfortable and consistant i think will be the way to go on this treacherous track.


Turn 1,2,3 “Tamburello” – Approaching the braking point the track turns slightly to the left and if you are too much positioned to the edge of the track it's easy to get a wheel on the grass during braking. So watch out for that but still try to position yourself as much to the right as possible for the corner entry. As there is pretty much no brakepoint reference you have to go by “feel” which means trying to get it perfect is just to risky I think especially with the tough cutting rules in this section. Don't take too much curb especially on T2 since the cut warnings comes real easy. T2 should be taken full throttle but that is sometimes a bit on the limit so it's easy to loose traction and in these speeds it can be hard to control. On the replay I let the car go straight forward a bit right after the curb to keep traction with full throttle. That will sometimes not be enough with racefuel and especially on worn tyres so you'd have to make a small lift. T3 is easy flatout.

Turn 4,5 “Villenueve” - Here you will also have to go by feel since there is no brakepoint reference also the entry is pretty much blind which makes it harder so trying to get it perfect lap after lap is in my opinion to risky as is the previous corners. Just a touch on the brake a downshift and turn in. It's better to turn in a little to early then a little to late. If you turn in to late you have to slow down to much in order not to cut T5 which has very tight cutting rules. If you did it right then T5 is almost exactly the same. Except it's better to turn in a little to late then a little to early so as not to get a cut warning. Try and get a good flow.

Turn 6 “Tosa” - Same here no brakepoint reference but the speed is pretty low and you can see the corner all the way so it's not so hard. Just try and get a tight line and get the car to turn and not drift to wide before the exit and try and keep traction on the exit which is the hardest part. A good exit will mean a lot because of the long uphill that follows.

Turn 7 “Piratella” - This is a treacherous corner. It's high speed and get it a little wrong can mean big time loss or crash. Fortunatly atleast you dont have to worry about cut warnings. The corner entry is blind and there is no brakepoint reference. Braking a little to early or a little to late is just as bad I think. Try and stay off the inside curb on entry. You can get a wheel on it but be careful if you get to much then your car looses balance and you will slide and have to slow down. Get it to wide and you will have to slow down a lot to make the corner. You can take a lot of curb on the exit full throttle but when your tyres starts to wear you might wanna go easier on the throttle. In this corner for me it's all about not loosing time.

Turn 8,9 “Acque Minerale” - Turn 8 is a very fast corner and I dont touch the brakes at all I just do a small lift and focus on having a settled car on the exit for the braking into T9. It's good to be positioned as much left as possible and it's okey to brake on the curb but be aware of the grass. If you touch that during braking you are off but fortunatly there is a lot of space ahead and if you only loose the car a little you might not even get on the gravel as a part of the runoff area is some kind of pavement. It's going pretty fast though so if you loose it completely there is still a big chans of some damage. Anyway you will be turning and braking at the same time and the track also is a little downhill and seems a little “tilted” so it's easy to lock-up the tyres during braking and get some slide. Be gentle on the brakes to aviod it. Don't take to much curb on the entry because of cutting rules and be very easy on the throttle before your car settles past the curb and you start accelerating. It's quite easy to loose traction both in the beginning and up the hill because of the bumpy road. Loosing traction a little here will hardly cost you any time but if you cant handle it it's easy to spin. Also be aware of the cutting rules on the curbs on the exit. If you stay on the curbs during acceleration it's very easy to get a cut warning.

Turn 10,11 “Variante Alta” - For this there is actually something to use for brakepoint reference namely the big sign above the track. It's not very good but much better then nothing. It's very easy to over do it by braking to late but that only makes the car way to unsettled and you loose time on the exit, risk a cut warning and risk spinning. The exit is far more important then the entry so it's better to brake early then late. If you get too much on the green on the exit you will also loose time. Try not to rush it just focus on getting a flow through it and try to have the car pointed straight and as settled as possible on the exit. Here too it's okey to loose a little traction on the exit it wont cost you time (being overly cautious will cost you way more) but if you cant handle it you might of course spin.

Turn 12,13 “Rivazza” - No good brakepoint reference for T12 but you have a clear view of the corner entry all the way so it's not to difficult to get the braking right. If you get to much on the curb during braking it's easy to get a slide. For the entry I take a lot of curb but doing that it's easy to get the car unsettled and slide which will cost you more time then not taking any curb at all. If you get in too fast it's easy to get a little wide on the exit and loose traction on the grass. For T13 I don't brake at all I just lift the throttle and try to get the perfect ammount of curb. Not to much to unsettle the car for the exit but not to little so the car drifts to wide and forces you to wait before going on throttle again. If I get it very good I don't take much curb at all on the exit. On the replay I got a little to much almost touching the grass and loosing just a little unneccessary time. I have several times touched the grass just a little with the right rear wheel with full throttle and it allways causes me to spin without any chans of saving it and end up in the wall on the left. So be careful of that.

Turn 14,15,16 “Variante Bazza” - T14 is just an easy flatout right. Again for T15 there is no good brakpoint reference so again you need to go by “feel”. For this one it's almost the same as for Variante Alta. Except here the curbs are a lot lower so it's a lot easier keeping the car settled and the chicane is a lot “longer”. But the same principal goes with it which is getting a good flow. You can take the curb on the entry and exit but if you take it to much it's very easy to get the car unsettled. It's not too difficult to handle for T15 but for T16 you want a settled car on the exit to get the best traction out of it. You can take the curb on the exit aswell and same as before you wont loose time if you loose a little traction but it's easier to loose control of it here then exiting the previous one.


Final notes

That's a lap of Imola. I hope you enjoyed this trackguide and found it helpful. I think rain is pretty unlikely but if it does then you need to be extra careful because there are some downhil brakings, and bumpy corner exits which can easily cause you to loose control. It will be a very tough race and if there is any place where anybody can win it's here. Dont get discouraged and quit if something goes wrong! It's a long race and it's not done until it's done. Which is true for every track and every race but especially true in Imola.


Good luck and have fun and drive safe!
 
Round three: Hockenheim GP

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General notes


Hockenheim is compared to Imola a rather forgiving track where it's not to difficult to keep the car on the road. Sector 1&2 are very fast with several long straights ending with heavy brakings which offers great overtaking opportunities and is wide with lots of space.. While sector 3 is alot narrower and pretty slow and twisty with some challenging corners. Naturally the setup will be a real compromise between the first two sectors and the third. It's very difficult to know what's fastest and i'm VERY unsure if i have gone the right way myself but i'm to lazy to try it all so i'm going with what I got. As for the aerdynamics i can say it will be very difficult to pass anyone in sector 3 almost impossible so even if you are a little slower there you will be able to defend your position against a faster opponent if you have the upper hand on the straights. But I think totally sacrifizing the last sector will hurt your overall laptimes to much. The same goes for the mechanical side. A stiffer car will feel great in the fast corners and will change direction much better in the hairpins but it will give less grip especially in the last sector. Because of the nature of this track we will see the gap between the slower and faster drivers be alot less then in the previous two races. I think drivers previously 1 sec behind might see themselves running only 0,5 sec behind this time which will make it alot closer. It will be very interesting to see all the variaitions in the setups and how it works for everyone. I have never been so uncertain of which way is the best. I predict a close race with alot of battles all over the field.


Turn 1 “Nordkurve” - This is a very tricky corner. It's fast and it's easy to loose time but most of all it's easy to go wide on the exit and past the curb leaving less then 2 wheels on it which will give you a 5 sec post race penalty for everytime you do that. Approaching this corner 6th gear close to 250 Km/h I don't touch the brakes at all I just lift the throttle and turn in. Try to avoid taking the inside curb as it will very easily unsettle your car and give you a slide sideways. Usually not a huge problem other then it costs you time. I pick up the throttle as soon as I dare but wait until the car settles and I know i'm gonna make the corner (minimum 2 tyres on or inside the curb) before I apply full throttle. (With full racefuel you will probably need to brake a little before turn in)


Turn 2, 3 “Einfahrt Parabolika” - You are coming in very fast again but the signs on the left are great for a brakepoint reference. T2 is a very tight corner so just try to turn the car and go on throttle as soon as possible. I often struggle with traction loss here in my hurry to get on the throttle but as long as you can handle it a little wheelspin wont mean any timeloss. Also like you can see on the replay try to control the oversteer only with the steering wheel and dont lift the throttle unless it's absolutly necessary. For T3 it is most of the times easily flatout but if you get a little wide entering T2 then keeping full throttle through T3 will be more difficult but manageable. Remember to try and control any eventuall oversteer there too only by the steering. Lifting even a little will cost time on the long straight that follows.

Turn 4 “Parabolika” - Very easily flatout, barely even a corner.

Turn 5 “Spitzkehre” - The signs on the left again gives a great brakepoint reference. This is a very tight hairpin so here too just try to get the car to turn as fast as possible and focus all on throttle control on the exit since it's very easy to loose traction but again it does not mean a timeloss if you can handle it. (unless it's major wheelspin) Also stay off the curbs both on the entry and exit. The high inside curb entering the hairpin makes your car very unsettled so definetly try to stay off it. The outside curb on the exit is very high aswell and slows down your acceleration so keep off that aswell.

Turn 6 “No name?” - Very fast corner easially flatout, should be no problem.

Turn 7, 8 “Mercedes Arena” - There are no signs except a 50m sign far ahead but the curbs on the right give a good braking point reference so it's not to difficult. It's the same principal as T2 and T5 just get in turn the car and get on throttle as soon as possible. And if possible fight of any oversteer with the steering and keep your foot on the gas. Then immidietly position yourself to the left side for T8. Just a small lift on the throttle, get as close to the inside curb as possible and start giving full throttle as soon as possible. Touching the inside curb will only upset the car like most curbs on the track it's quite high so dont climb it. Also stay off the curb on the exit as it will only slow your acceleration.

Turn 9 “Mobilkurve” - This corner has a blind turn-in but it's not to difficult since there is a sign to the left which gives a good reference point on your braking and turn-in. Here I just slightly touch the brake and shift down before turning in but it's a little dangerous going on full throttle too soon so it's better to be a little cautious since the time loss is minimal unless you are over cautious. How you take the curb will mostly decide how soon you can get on full throttle. Taking a little to much can easily make the car unsettled and force you to easy off on the throttle. On the exit the you can take the curb just try and stay off the grass. With another gearing it can be taken on 4th gear aswell.

Turn 10 “Sachskurve” - A slow and difficult corner. The sign on the right is good for brakepoint reference. This ends up looking a little different for me every lap. The most important thing is to get a good exit and not loose traction which is so easy to do here. Just try to be gentle on the throttle and smooth on the steering. It's best to stay off the curb on the exit as it's qutie high aswell andis easy to get wheelspin on.

Turn 11, 12, 13, 14 “Opelkurve & Südkurve” - For T11, 12 just be smooth and it's easy flatout. Turns 13 and 14 I think is the hardest part of the track and it can be taken in several ways. I try to get close to the inside curb and it wont upset the car as long as you dont get over it with the wheel. Then on throttle as soon as possibly and just touch the outside curb, lift the throttle a little and turn in again for T14. Then I want ot get as close to the inside curb as possible without touching it and as soon as soon as possibly get in to 4th gear. I try to use the throttle mostly to the steer the car. If the car understeers I lift a little. On the exit there is plenty of curb to take but carrying to much speed it's easy to go too wide.


Final notes

I am so looking forward to this weekend not only because of our probably very exciting race but also the F1 season starting again. Hockenheim is a very special track and because of it being not the most difficult track and also with the overtaking possibilities I think this will be a real treat. I hope you liked this trackguide and found it helpful. Remember the cutting rules!


Good Luck!
 
Round Four: Sepang International Circuit

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General Notes

Sepang International Circuit, the first of many great F1 tracks designed by Hermann Tilke. Overall i think it is a very fun track to drive on that and offers a wonderful mixture of corners some very fast and some slow. Some very challenging corners but stil it's a rather forgiving track with room for mistakes. Also with 2 long straights ending with tight slow corners it offers some great overtaking opportunities aswell and overall it offers joy to drive and great racing. As far as the setup goes i think there are several ways to go. It's a pretty high downforce track but more experienced drivers may benefit from using a bit less wing as unneccessary downforce will make the car a little slower but make it easier to drive and give a little more room for error. A good compromise on the springs/dampers to work good both in fast and slow parts of the track. I found that the default setup here worked alot better then on most other tracks so right out of the box the F3000 works very well here. After seeing the great F1 race from this track i am even more excited for the race and i hope you are too. Also i'm sure we will have nicer wheater. :)


Qualify laptime: 1,44,991




Turn 1,2, – Approaching T1 there is a sign on the left and also the curbs on the left side to give a brakepoint referens. I try to brake late and keep on the brakes long into the corner. Picking up the throttle carefully i then try to position myself as far to the right side as possible for T2 which is quite difficult to get right. In th replay you can see i get a little oversteer off throttle on the turn-in which of course is not good but it's better then going to wide taking the long way around the curb which seems to cost the most time. Jumping the curb completly will cost you even more making your car very unsetlled and totally compromising your exit. Totally okey to take curb on the exit just dont get a wheel outside it.


Turn 3 - Easy flatout.


Turn 4 – Here it's the same deal as for T1 you got a sign and curbs on the elft for brakepoint referens. It can be taken in both 2nd and 3rd and it's hard to tell which is the fastest. Taking the inside curb on entry can make the car unsettled so i recomend to stay of it or take as little as possible. If you take the curb then 3rd gear will make it easier to control the car on the exit and allow you to go on throttle much sooner if the car gets unsettled and oversteers. Of course easier to handle with the car setup to qualify. On the exit feel free to use the full curb and get the straightest possible exit.


Turn 5,6 – Position yourself to the right side and start turning in when you feel it's time. With very high aerodynamic settings going flatout will not be a problem but even with less wings if you get the entry line right you can go full. Try to get the tightest line possible and dont touch the inside curb. For T6 just make a small lift, turn and full throttle again. Try to stay off the inside curb if you get on it you will need to lift a little and/or adjust your steering not to oversteer. The higher wing settings you have the easier this will be. With highest you should be able to just keep it flatout and turn with little problem. Taking curb on the exit totally okey.


Turn 7,8 – Position yourself as far to the left as possible if you want you can even position nyourself on the outside curba little just before entering. A small touch on the brakes and turn in while downshifting. When the car settles close to midcorner make sure you have a good angel on the car and steering and give it full throttle. If the car understeers i just lift a little but keep the steering.Try to stay of both inside curbs as on the entry hitting the curb usually means not going deep enough into the corner and there for loosing exit speed. Hitting the inside curb on the exit will upset the car usually usually giving oversteer. Taking oustide curb on the exit is fine.


Turn 9,10,11 – The curb to the right side and the black skidmarks on the road give some brakepoint referens also the corner entry is clearly visible from far away so it's not to hard to get right. I usually end up taking the tightest possible line without climbing the curb. If you climb it your car will get unsettled and it's very easy to oversteer and spin. On the exit traction should be very easy to have atleast if you take it in 2nd gear. With another gearing setup on the car you could take it in 1st gear. Turn 10 is easy flatout although with worn tyres in the race you might wanna look out for oversteer tendencies. T11 is quite tricky and it's very easy to oversteer off throttle so just try and be gentle. Corner entry is initially blind and nothing really good for brakepoint referens so mostly I try to feel it in and this corner ends up looking a little different for each lap. I try to avoid the curb in the inside because it easily upsets the car. And on the exit I try to get on full throttle as soon as possible and taking a little more curb then on the replay is totally okey.


Turn 12 – Should be easy flatout


Turn 13/14 – T13/14 is a very tricky dubble right corner. You are going to enter at high speed and need to brake heavily and turn at the same time. Corner entry is blind and there are no good brakpoint referens so again I try to feel it in. If you position yourself to much to the left of the track it's very easy to overshoot the corner or get a wheel on curb under braking and overteer or go off. Try to find your position of choise for the corner entry and then try to get the straightest line possible through the corner. Go as close to the inside curb as possible without climbing it which will upset the car. Then get on throttle as soon as pobbile and try to keep traction best you can.


Turn 15 – I use the black skidmark tracks as brakepoint referens and I just try to follow the skidmark line through the corner. It's okey to climb the curb during the braking face but once you get on the throttle don't climb the curb anymore you will easily loose traction. On the exit just try to keep the car as straight as possible and focus only on keeping traction. In the replay I make a mistake by taking a little to much speed with me and going way to wide in the corner. Desperatly tried to sort it out but it was not possible. Allways frustrating to loose time on the last corner.


Final notes

There you have it another trackguide finished and as before I hope you like it and find it helpful. I really like this track and I love the super fast corners 5/6 and 7/8, it feels great taking them perfectly. No doubt a great racing track displayed beautifully in the latest F1 race so I think we have a great 35 laps of excitement ahead. I really hope it wont rain because my favorite corners would be have to be taken with a lot less speed. But if we do get rain fortunatly it wont be of the same magnitude that redflagged the F1 race. :)

Good luck and have fun!
 
Round Five Dijon Prenois GP

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General notes


The classic Dijon Prenois. I think we have all seen the Villenueve Arnoix fight many'o times and i'm sure we all want to experience the same thing. I think it's a fantastic track it's very fun to drive with some great corner combos with a real nice flow. A nice combination of easy, challenging and fun corners. The shortness of the track adds a bit to making it easier to handle since there are fewer turns to tackle. But although being not the most difficult track for hotlapping it sure is not easy in a endurance race. It's easy to step over the boundires and make a mistake and because of the often very high speeds making even a small mistake can have disastrous consequences. The race will be intense wheter you are alone or in a fight you cant relax.



Turn 1 "Villeroy" – You are going to approach T1 very fast and i try to carry as much speed as possible entering the corner but making it a little to fast you will understeer which wont be that bad unless it's alot. Understeering a little here taking a wider line wont neccessarily loose you time. Stay off the inside curb and if you get a wheel outside the outside white line it's very easy to oversteer and spin. On the exit get on throttle as quick as possible but watch out for but under/oversteer of course depending on your cars setup balance. The signs on the left provide some brakepoint referens.


Turn 2,3,4 "Sablieres & Bretelle" – T2 is easily flatout and so is T3, try to stay in the inside through the corner to position yourself good for T4. Dont ever touch the inside curb as i'm sure many of you have probably allready noticed it's very easy to loose control and in these speeds it's a recipe for disaster. Into T4 the corner entry is almost blind and there is no brakepoint referens at all so i go by ”feel” Then i try to take a tight entry line, mind the bumps, try to be as smooth as possible over them and then focus on managing the understeer on the exit. If you run over the curb on the exit it can throw the car into oversteer so be mindful of that.


Turn 5 "Parabolique" – The hardest braking point of the track. No brakepoint referens here either but you can see the entry very clearly so no big problems there. Here i just try to come in as fast as possible without running wide and get the power done as early as possible without loosing traction or atleast not spinnning away to much. The exit is also quite bumpy and it's easy to loose traction having to accelerate hard while turning over the bumps. It's easy to loose the car here. Would not recommend getting a wheel on the inside curb as it causes oversteer and compromises the exit completly.


Turn 6 – I have 2 ways of taking this corner. The one on the replay is rather risky as it involves approaching the corner with 2 wheels outside the white line and therefor crossing the outside curb on the entry which very easily can cause oversteer during the entry faze which means a big time loss. The other would be approaching the corner with both all 4 wheels inside the white line and not have this problem. The advantadge i find using the replay version of this is mostly that it's easier to avoid the inside curb and carry slightly more speed into the corner. If you can handle the oversteer then this might be the way to go, the timeloss by approaching with all wheels inside the white line is quite minimal i think but if you do like the replay and get oversteer then the timeloss will be quite significant. Anyway once you are exiting the corner focus all on avoiding oversteer and getting the power down as soon as possible. It's easy to oversteer as it is to run wide.


Turn 7 "Combe" – Position yourself as far to the outside as possible for best entry and try to come in as close to the inside curbs as possible without touching them. No braking point referens here but you need to brake a little it's quite hard to brake the perfect ammount here. Work with the throttle and steering over the bumps and on the exit as soon as you can go full throttle. No problem running over the curb just remember to keep atleast 2 wheels on it so as not to cut which is easy to do here.


Turn 8 "Pouas" – The last corner should be completly flatout all the way. I think most will run with enough downforce so it wont be a problem.


Final Notes

I can't wait for Saturday and hopefully not suffer any "technical" problems anymore. I was surprised by how fun i thought this track was to drive and i have been driving all alone. I'm sure it can provide some more of that Villenueve & Arnoix action if there are drivers up to the task. :wink2: I'm afraid thought that this will be a high casualty race and we might see some unfortunate incidents making people upset. I just hope you can it extra careful and try to stay on track and off your fellow drivers. I hope this trackguide will help you in your preperation for this event and i hope all my expectations of it will come true.


See you there!
 
Round six: Monaco GP 1988

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General Notes

Monaco, the classic of classics. I really love this track, it's so difficult and demanding in every way i just love the challenge. I have never felt keeping concentration to be as hard as on this track. Also it's just so fun to drive, every part of the track. I especially love the third sector particularly the super fast T13,14, immidietly follow by T15,16. But in general a fantastic racing track and unique in many ways. Getting around here fast means of course having a car you are comfortable with as is also true with any other track. Maximizing grip in every way is the most important part together with finding a suitable balance overall.




Turn 1 ”Sainte Devote” - Make sure you are not to much positioned to the left for the braking to avoid contact with the wall that's pointing out a little bit on the left side. After i have passed this point during braking i sometimes steer the car a bit to the left to position myself a little better before turn-in. I use road markings as brakepoint referens but the corner entry is clearly visible so it should not be to difficult there. As i turn in i try to get the tightest line as close to the curb as possible. Then i just make sure i'm not gonna hit the outside wall before i go on throttle. You will have good traction here so you can be quite aggressive on the throttle on the exit.

Turn 2, 3, 4 ”Beau Rivage” & ”Casino” - T2 is easy flatout, just try to keep the straightest line possible. Approaching T3 which is a dubble left and has a blind entry it's better to brake a little too early then a little too late. You will be braking over a crest and there are some bumps there which can easily through the car into oversteer if you brake too late or to hard. After the initial braking just try to get a good line keeping it tight to the inside wall. Dont try to carry too much speed entering the second left because it will cost you in T4. I try to keep my line tight to the inside wall before turning in to T4. Be aware of the bumps here which easily can cause both understeer and oversteer entering the corner. Cautiously start giving throttle on the exit as that too is quite bumpy.

Turn 5 ”Mirabeau” - You can see the corner entry very well so it gives you something for brakpoint referens. I aim to get as close to the inside curb as possible but preferably not climbing it. It's not a big deal if you do but you'll get better traction out of the corner if you stay off the curb. On the exit just focus on getting the best traction.

Turn 6, 7, 8 ”Portier” - For T6 be careful on the brakes so you dont get any lockups and just get around the hairpin like you would any other. I prefer not to climb the curb. Now i just try to keep traction and position myself to the left for T7. You wont have time to build up much speed but you will if you are on first gear be pretty high on revs which can easily make the car oversteer entering the corner in the off throttle faze. Using 2nd gear will help with that. Here to i dont climb the curb as it makes the car unsettled on the exit. T8 is pretty much the same thing as the previous T7. It's very easy to over do it and i often have to fight both under/oversteer especially in T8. Focus more on getting a good exit line for maximum acceleration into the tunnel rather then getting the fastest entry.

Turn 9 ”Tunnel” - Easy flatout

Turn 10, 11 ”Neuvelle chicane” - Here you got pretty much no brakepoint referens so getting it right is very hard. The corner entry is also blind but just aim for the edge of the barrier on the inside and try to get as tight as possible without touching. Just barely touching it will cost you time usually but will not damage your car. After turn-in focus on taking the curb so you dont cut the chicane and getting the car to turn. It's easy to carry to much speed in and not getting the car to turn but understeering and loosing tons of time. It's easier to loose time here then to gain time and it's the only part on the track where you can get time penalty for cutting so take it easy. On the exit it's not very difficult to keep traction but dont be tempted into pushing to hard because if you loose the rear it often happends rapidly and it can be very hard to catch.

Turn 12 ”Tabac” - On the short straight with the short gears you are able to build alot of speed for this fast turn.Corner entry is blind but as with the chicane entry, aim for the edge of the inside wall. It's good if you can pick up the throttle as soon as possible as you can carry alot of speed on the exit.

Turn 13, 14 & 15, 16 ”Piscine” - Corner entry is blind and it's going very fast also you are staring right at a wall infront of you so it can be pretty nervous coming around here on a fast lap but it's oh so sweet to nail it. I try to go nice and smooth on initial turn-in to get the car pointing towards the edge of the inside barrier and i wait until i have a better view of the corner until i start turning in more aggressivly. This way even if i'm not perfectly positioned i can still correct it mid corner. Then just a quick change of direction trying to get as close to the now right side inside barrier as possible. Approaching T15 i usually use the blackspot on the left side barrier where a marshal is standing as a brakepoint referens. It's important to be easy on the brakes because it's easy to oversteer because the car might not have settled perfectly after exiting T14. For the entry i try to aim as tight as possible getting very close to the barrier and then mid corner change direction and do the same thing on the exit. It's very easy to loose traction on the exit.

Turn 17, 18 ”Rascasse” I position myself slightly left of the middle as the left turn is quite open and it gives me a better positioning into the dubble right T18. Again you need to be very careful under braking it's easy to lockup and if you enter to fast it's very easy to oversteer. I just try to get the tightest line possible entering T17 and then the same for T18. It's important to get the speed slow enough because it's very easy to understeer in T18 if you dont. On the exit just focus on keeping traction.

Turn 19 ”Virage Anthony Noghes” - It is very easy to understeer in this corner and if you hit the tyre barrier on the outside even in low speed you are done. It is very bumpy on both the entry and exit which will demand extra attention. If you are understeering often entering then try to turn-in a little sooner then you think. That way you avoid the bumps you otherwise run over during turn-in. I try to get as close to the inside curb without climbing it and the same on the exit. The exit is very bump and it's easy to loose traction and as with the Neuvelle chicane during a full throttle exit it can throw the rear of the car and it can be very hard to catch and you got a long long way to the pits for repairs.

Final Notes

I don't know if you noticed but i shortshifted alot in the replay and dont ask me why. When i looked at the replay myself i thought "wtf did i do that for" :D. Obviously not something that will make you go faster. This is a very special track with some special demands. I urge you all to be extra careful and considerate to your fellow drivers especially during qualify. Remember to read the pre race briefing. Also this will be the first time we use the new "wheater system" which will be exciting. As allways i hope this trackguide gives you any help.

Good luck everyone, see you at Monaco! :skywalker:
 
Round seven: Barcelona GP "Circuit de Catalunya" 2003

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General Notes


In december last year Barcelona became my debute track with these cars. I loved it, it had such a nice flow and great combination of corners and both fun and challenging. And that feeling has not gone away and i am happy to be back at this track. I was so close to break into the 1,25s but i made a mistake and overall not very good last sector which still bothers me a little :). Although it's quite difficult to follow another car closely through some of these very fast corners the track offers some great overtaking opportunities. Especially the long straight approaching T1 after the fast exiting last corner will be slipstream heaven similar to Dijon. A great track which hopefully will bring us some great racing.



Turn 1, 2, 3 “Elf & Renault” - The signs on the left gives you a brakepoint reference although not ideal. It's quite easy to brake slightly to early or late. Try to carry as much speed as possible entering the corner, avoiding the curb and going easy on the throttle before the car has settled. Also try to stay as much to the inside as possible while getting the best speed out of the corner to set you up for the next turn which comes immedietly. Do the same thing here and try and stay as close to the curb as possible without touching it and try to keep as much throttle as you can without loosing traction. No braking will be needed but you probably will need to lift a little during the direction change. The exit is quite wide but still try and take it as tight as possible to set you up for turn 3. Make sure you have positioned yourself to the left after exiting turn. Turn 3 is just about getting a good line through the corner, should be no problem flatout during qualify as long as you get a good entry line and dont drift to much to the very bumpy leftside.


Turn 4 “Repsol” - On both sides of the track you have large signs for brakepoint referense and the entry is very visible so it's usually not a problem. Try to bring as much speed in as you can without going wide and start accelerating as fast as you can. Keep the inside line and dont let your self drift out until atleast midcorner. There are some huge bumps on the outside line and if I outbrake myself here I shift down to 2nd and still take the inside line. Your aim on the exit should be to get the power down as soon as possible but not too soon to avoid drifting to the outside bumpy line to early. You wanna let the car go as straight as possible for best acceleration but overdo it and you end up in the bumpy line which will through your car off balance.


Turn 5 – The signs on the right gives a good brakepoint referens. Nothing special here just take a tight line and let the car drift out on the exit. Taking the curb on the exit is fine, it wont make you loose traction.Usually you wont really have to worry about traction in this corner but rather to not understeer on the exit.


Turn 6 – A quite tricky corner, easy to make mistakes and loose time. No brake point referens other then the corner entry which is clearly visible. It's important to get the braking right but it's not easy. Just try to get the straightest line through here dont be aggressive with the throttle on the exit. It's uphill and over a very small crest so it's very easy to loose the rear of the car midcorner when you initially start to apply throttle. And avoid the inside curb, it's very slippery. You can take the outside curb on the exit but it's easy to over climb it and loose time.


Turn 7 “Campsa” – No braking needed entering this very fast corner just a small lift and turn-in. Try to set the car up so you can apply full throttle as soon as possible. You should be able to do it very early in the corner. Avoid the inside curb but you can take the outside curb on the exit. Although it's very high and climbing it will loose you time and it's so high you can even start to ride it if you get both left wheels outside it and then you can completely loose control and end up in the barrier.


Turn 8 – You got signs on the left for a good brakepoint referens although in the replay I do outbrake myself a little and lose a little time. Just do a tight entry and focus on traction on the way out letting the car drift in slightly to the outside taking the straightest line possible for best acceleration. Make sure you are back to the left side of the track to position yourself for T9.


Turn 9 “Blanc Sabadell” – The corner entry is quite visible but still it's easy to get in a little to fast and drift to wide during entry. It can be taken fast in more then one way but I usually just touch the brakes before turn-in. Then try to keep a quite tight line as maintain the speed best I can without understeering which means a cautious throttle and then when I feel the time is right I start giving throttle focusing on keeping traction. I try to get to full throttle quite early and eventual oversteer I usually correct with steering keeping maximum throttle. I did not get it very good on this replay lap, I was a little to cautious on the throttle before I went to full.


Turn 10 “Europcar” - Just focus on not making a stupid mistake, easily flatout in qualify.


Turn 11 “New Holland” - Here it is very easy to make a mistake. It's another no brake very fast corner where you only need to lift the throttle before turn-in.. Focus on getting a good entry line which allows you to keep the maximum entry speed and also to go full throttle the earliest. Keep off the inside curb but feel free to take some of the outside one on the exit. That curb is like in T7 also quite high and climbing it might make you just a passanger.


Final Notes


When you are fighting for position try to remember the bumpy places of the track. In many parts the track is well wide enough for 2 cars but the outside will be very bumpy so make sure they dont catch you off guard. From the twisty streets of Monte Carlo we are back to a track were we can really stretch our legs. I hope you will enjoy it and i hope this trackguide helped you in your preperation.

Good luck! And see you in spain! :skywalker:
 

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Round eight: Spa Francorchamps 2004

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General notes

Finally we have reached what i think is one of the best racing tracks of all time. I think Spa is a very fun track to drive these fast cars on, it's a joy for me to squeese does laptimes at this track. And it is a fantastic recipe for racing. It is very fast and wide and has plenty of great overtaking opportunities along the track. It probably has the best overtaking opportinities of all tracks this season. Adding to this it's real life very legendary status and rich history makes it one of my all time favorite tracks.



Turn 1 “Eau Rouge” - Flatout should not be difficult once you get the hang of it. Just watch out for the bump, try not to steer to much while you are going over it.


Turn 2 “Kemmel” - Easily flatout, barely a turn.


Turn 3, 4, 5 “Les Combes” - The braking here will be important. It's easy to understeer when slightly missing the braking point. You have signs to the left and the beginning of the leftside curb to give a good brakepoint referens. You are going to be on the brakes quit long into the corner and it's okey to use the inside curb, it wont disturb the car much unless you climb it. Then for the next turn I prefer not to take the curb because it really easily makes the car oversteer but you can take it if you are careful. Try to stay on the inside on the exit to set yourself up for T5. Dont take the inside curb here but feel free to let the car wander on the outside one.


Turn 6, 7 “Rivage” - Again you will have the beginning of the curb as a good brakepoint referens. Dont start to turn in to early because you wont be able to brake as late and carry as much speed entering the corner. Just try to keep a tight lineand dont touch the inside curb. Get on full throttle as soon as you can on the exit and keep right to set yourself up for T6. The reason I shift up to 4th before turn-in is to have a more stable rear. It's easy to both over and understeer and with 4th gear I have lower revs which makes it easier to control the turn-in faze. I want to take it a little tighter then on the replay so I can get earlier on the throttle. Here too it's important not to touch the inside curb. You dont loose to much speed taking a wider line like I do here.


Turn 8 “Pouhon” - No braking here just lift the throttle and turn in. Try to get the tightest line possible without touching the inside curb. Then as early as possible go on throttle, you should be able to go full throttle almost almost immedietly. You can take a lot of the outside curb midcorner but be careful of getting a wheel off the track it can be disastrous.


Turn 9, 10 “Fagnes” - Here it will as in Les combes also be all about smoothness. Here aswell you will have the beginning of the inside curb to give a good brakepoint referens. Just take a tight line entering and and keep it to set yourself up for T10 and keep a tight line entering and let it go on the exit. On the replay I get a little too tight, I usually dont want to take that much inside curb as it's easily upsets the car denies you to go on throttle as soon and hard as you would like. You can take some curb on the exit but be careful it's very high and it's easy to loose the car there if you take a little to much of it.


Turn 11, 12 “Stavelot” - Here too the beginning of the inside curb provides a good brakepoint referens. The turn tightends after turn-in so you cant carry as much speed as you might feel you want. It's also quite bumpy here so carrying to much speed makes it extra easy to understeer. Try to take the tightest line possible without touching the curb. You can be quite aggressive on the throttle exiting the corner and you can take a lot of the curb. T12 is easily flatout aslong as you dont completely miss the turn-in. When in someones slipstream you might need to lift because if you get a to wide line then the bumps can cause enough understeer for you to hit the wall.


Turn 13 “Blanchimont” - Another flatout corner but it can be quite treacherous if the outside bumps get you while you are steering in hard then it can definetly cause you a big off. If taken correctly then no problem at all but here to be aware if you follow someones slipstream close through here.


Turn 14 “Chicane L'arret De Bus” - On the left you have signs and some red/white blocks to give you a brakepoint referens. It's quite bumpy especially towards the end of the brakingzone. It's easy to lockup if you apply to much brakepressure towards the end there. Both entering and exiting I try not to take to much curb as it makes the rear more unsettled. Try to get a nice flow and on the exit only focus on keeping traction. A little wheelspin is fine aslong as you dont spin or have to correct it to much with aggressive steering manouvers.


Turn 15 “La Source” - The signs on the left gives a great brakepoint referens. Here it's the same deal as in the chicane. It's bumpy so be careful of thatduring braking. Also here you will be turning in more at the end of your braking so extra important not to lockup. Try to slow down just enough to make the corner and start applying a little throttle early to keep it mocing forward. Then let it drift out and once again focus mainly on keeping traction and your lap around Spa is complete.


Final notes

Spa has a history of lots of wet races so i think rain is quite likely and i personally dont wish for it. This track will with it's several high speed bumps (Eau rouge and blanchimont) makes it very treacherous in the wet. I hope most of you will enjoy this track as much as i do and i really hope for a great race with loads of action beautifully displayed in the highlights video.


Good luck! And see you at SPA! :skywalker:
 
Round nine: Singapore GP 2008

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General notes

Singapore is such a awesome street track. Very fun to drive and very demanding. The heat will make it very interesting this time as the tyres will be boiling throughout the whole race which should make the tyre wear situation somewhat worse. On a track where it's allready easy to make fatal mistakes. I would never have thought at the beginning of the season that we would be having such a dramatic season finale with 4 drivers in it to win. Overtaking here will not be very easy but it can definetly be done in a few places and the mistake factor will probably play a higher role here then usual.


Turn 1, 2, 3 – The signs on the left gives a pretty good brakepoint referens. You dont need a lot of braking here just a little touch before you turn in. After initial turn-in you can still accelerate a bit before you need to brake again. T2 is pretty much not a turn it you just go straight through it. Make sure you dont cut the chicane entering T3 and then just try to have a stable car over that curb during the braking. The exit is the most important. You can either go over the curb and get the straightest line possible on the exit and have to battle with a much less stable car or do as I do on the replay and go as close as possible to the curb but not over it and have a more stable car during acceleration but having to take the slightly longer way around. For me it depends a little on how I am entering the corner which decides which way I go. But I prefer to do it like on the replay. Focus on getting on the throttle as early as possible and keep traction.


Turn 4 –
The 50m sign on the left works as a great brakepoint referens. It's easy to mess this one up and you can go down to 3rd if you want it might help if you suffer from understeer. I try to take a line as close to the inside curb as possible without touching it. On the replay you can see how easy it is to oversteer if touching it. The turn tightends on the exit so focus on not running wide as it's easy to get more then 2 wheels outside the curb/white line.


Turn 5 –
Easily flatout barely a turn.


Turn 6 –
Once again the signs on the left give a great brakepoint referens. You can take some inside curb if you want but your car will be a little unstable when going on throttle so I prefer going around the curb instead. There is plenty of room on the exit to let the car drift out during acceleration but be aware of the outside curb. If you hit it during full acceleration while turning it's easy to loose control.


Turn 7, 8 –
For T7 the corner entry is clearly visuel and I just use that for brakepoint referens. The speeds are low so you gotta be easier on the brakes so you dont lock up. Just try to be smooth and take try not to slide to much. Focus on keeping traction on the exit and set yourself up for T8 by positioning yourself to the rightside of the track. For t8 I dont brake at all I just lift and turn in. Here too its okey to take some curb as long as you can handle the instability you get from it. On the replay you can see I very early shift up to 4th and that's just to be able to go to full throttle as soon as possible without oversteering. In both these corners it's easy to enter with to much speed and understeer.


Turn 9 –
You get a decent brakepoint referens from the signs on the left. It's better to brake a little earlier here then a little to late. If you brake early and climb the curb entering then you wont loose much at all. And here I dont try and go on full throttle as soon as possible because then the car wants to drift towards the right side of the track but to set yourself up for the fast chicane ahead you need to exit T9 towards the left side of the track.


Turn 10, 11, 12
– If you do this right then you will be going full throttle all the way through but you wont loose much if you lift alittle. Exiting T9 towards the left side of the track you should be well set up for entering T10. Start turning in early get as much curb as you can and in the little space between T10 exit and T11 entry try to change the direction of the car. In that faze it is okey to lift just a little without loosing hardly any time and it will make it easier if you struggle there. T12 is hardly a turn easily full throttle just mind the edge the is sticking out on the right side of the track after the bridge.


Turn 13
– The sign there gives a good brakepoint referens. Not much else to say, you can either take the curb or go on the inside or outside it seems to make no difference. It's a bit different from lap to lap for me depending on where I brake. Focus on not missing the brakepoint and keeping traction on the exit.


Turn 14
– This one is almost the same just make sure to make the brakepoint which you have a good referens of with the signs on your left. I usually take the tightest line entering the corner but it depends on where I end up after braking. Keep traction on the exit and mind the outside curb it's possible to loose traction over it if not careful enough.


Turn 15, 16, 17
– Position yourself as far to the left side as possible and go easy on the brakes as it's easy to start sliding on the entry while braking and turning. The sign to the left gives a good brakepoint referens as usual. Focus on being smooth and dont stress it and be aware of cutting the track. Just repeat the same thing for T16 but this time you wont brake just lift and turn in. The smoother you are the more settled your car will be and the easier the direction change will be and you can go on throttle sooner on the exit.


Turn 18, 19
– Exiting the rpevious turn you will have a short acceleration burst before heading into T17. I just look at the corner entry for brakepoint referens and I usually brake earlier then I think because it's quite slippery. In the replay I make the mistake of cerrying to much speed and I get offline and loose precious time. Not only in T17 but the next turn which comes immedietly afterwards. It's all about being smooth and if you mess up the entry to T17 you will suffer from it until you have exited T18. Maybe lost 0,2 tenths on this lap on T17 entry messup.


Turn 20, 21
– The same thing here I look at the corner entry for turn-in referens. I dont brake at all here just lift. It's all about smoothness and throttle control. Focus on not cutting the track entering T20 then getting the straightest line possible for T21 going to full throttle as early as possible.


Turn 22
– This one is flatout all the way. The sign on the right gives a great turn-in referens. Make sure you dont cut the track on the outside exiting the corner.


Final Notes

This is going to be a very exciting race and i'm hoping for a lot of sweet action for the highlight video. This leauge would not have been what it was without the great efforts of Tim Hogendoorn and Daniel Pettit providing us with first class videos and commentary :good:
It's so sad that this is the last race i have very much enjoyed this leauge and your company. It's been my pleasure!

Good luck all of you! See you at Singapore! :skywalker:
 
Spa used to be good until they destroyed the Bus Stop Chicane. Now it's just another corner. And I really don't want to mention Eau Rouge. OK, I will. They took the challenge out of that one, too. Set it up right and you don't even have to lift going through it. It used to be a challenge to have just the right amount of throttle to get through it.

I'll stick with Spa 2003.
 

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