Assetto Corsa - Time Trial

[Asterix]

Does it cook the engine on full boost?

I might do a few feeler laps later, but I'm out for dinner and may be a bit squiffy on my return...

[trashbat]

Yes, it damages it. Not sure how many laps you can get away with, at least two at 80%. Just updated my post, 1 second off using 80% boost.

[andycambo]

Sauber Mercedes C9, Monza (New)

PH Name	RSR Name	Time	Sector 1	Sector 2	Sector 3
Slipstream77	5lider	1:41.061	35.119	33.648	32.294
andycambo	Andrew Campbell	1:41.735	35.154	33.531	33.050
trashbat	Rob Pridham	1:47.373	35.690	35.786	34.699

Quite a good combo. It's tricky getting out of the corners but good fun.

[Asterix]

Not my type of car, it has to be said.

[trashbat]

Cocked up C&Ping my time in earlier, got the 1st sector wrong. Anyway, a small update:

Sauber Mercedes C9, Monza (New)

PH Name	RSR Name	Time	Sector 1	Sector 2	Sector 3
Slipstream77	5lider	1:41.061	35.119	33.648	32.294
andycambo	Andrew Campbell	1:41.735	35.154	33.531	33.050
trashbat	Rob Pridham	1:46.267	36.278	35.179	34.810

[Asterix]

Had a wee go - interesting, but not much fun for me tbh.

Sauber Mercedes C9, Monza (New)

PH Name	RSR Name	Time	Sector 1	Sector 2	Sector 3
Asterix	Asterix	1:40.301	0:34.802	0:33.237	0:32.262
Slipstream77	5lider	1:41.061	0:35.119	0:33.648	0:32.294
andycambo	Andrew Campbell	1:41.735	0:35.154	0:33.531	0:33.050
trashbat	Rob Pridham	1:46.267	0:36.278	0:35.179	0:34.810

[Asterix]

Btw, I do apologise - well done Slipstream77 for the Ring win. Cracking lap. Congrats.

[SlipStream77]

Asterix said:

Btw, I do apologise - well done Slipstream77 for the Ring win. Cracking lap. Congrats.

Thanks I've done quite a few laps there, that helped a lot!

[JoeMk1]

Sauber Mercedes C9, Monza (New)

PH Name	RSR Name	Time	Sector 1	Sector 2	Sector 3
Asterix	Asterix	1:40.301	0:34.802	0:33.237	0:32.262
JoeMk1	JoeMk1	1:40.793	0:35.070	0:33.254	0:32.469
Slipstream77	5lider	1:41.061	0:35.119	0:33.648	0:32.294
andycambo	Andrew Campbell	1:41.735	0:35.154	0:33.531	0:33.050
trashbat	Rob Pridham	1:46.267	0:36.278	0:35.179	0:34.810

Thought I'd have a go at this, don't have my wheel with me at the moment so have to use the XBox controller.

[Asterix]

SlipStream77 said:

Thanks I've done quite a few laps there, that helped a lot!

Yeah, I simply didn't have the experience there. I was getting the 2nd section sorted but not enough time on the last to keep the intensity up.

I'll keep practising it anyway as no doubt a thorough knowledge of that circuit will never be wasted.

Btw, managed a 2:16.846 in the BMW at Spa during qualy for an online race. 8th on the leaderboard.

[Jon_Bmw]

Yes great lap at the ring Slider. Very impressive, like Astrix, I could never spend enough time optimising the last sector.

This one isn't my cup of tea either. Straight line hero car and track!

[Asterix]

Update.

Sauber Mercedes C9, Monza (New)

PH Name	RSR Name	Time	Sector 1	Sector 2	Sector 3
Asterix	Asterix	1:39.768	0:34.647	0:33.067	0:32.054
JoeMk1	JoeMk1	1:40.793	0:35.070	0:33.254	0:32.469
Slipstream77	5lider	1:41.061	0:35.119	0:33.648	0:32.294
andycambo	Andrew Campbell	1:41.735	0:35.154	0:33.531	0:33.050
trashbat	Rob Pridham	1:46.267	0:36.278	0:35.179	0:34.810

[trashbat]

Oh, I beat mine, but it was another hateful experience!

Sauber Mercedes C9, Monza (New)

PH Name	RSR Name	Time	Sector 1	Sector 2	Sector 3
Asterix	Asterix	1:39.768	0:34.647	0:33.067	0:32.054
JoeMk1	JoeMk1	1:40.793	0:35.070	0:33.254	0:32.469
Slipstream77	5lider	1:41.061	0:35.119	0:33.648	0:32.294
andycambo	Andrew Campbell	1:41.735	0:35.154	0:33.531	0:33.050
trashbat	Rob Pridham	1:44.294	0:35.873	0:34.288	0:34.133

Looking at my best sectors, there's probably another second in that without too much trouble, but I'm out - on holiday for the rest of the week, and not having all that much fun with this anyway.

[Asterix]

While I'm not enjoying this car at all, it's still an interesting exercise.

Here's how I view a corner in this beast - Flat out then ease on the brakes then stomp on the pedal, this car does not like being surprised at all. But the key is to trail into the corner but have an instant change over to the throttle just before the apex. Don't let it coast at all. It needs to have the perfect transition, there's no adjustment, it won't let you if you want to be fast. You need to finish the braking and be on the throttle before the apex.

Why? Because, assuming you having the gearing set correctly, you need to set the car up with the engine just starting to boost (50%-ish if you have the basic gear/speed indicator on screen) and have that already happening by the apex so that you can start to squeeze the throttle post-apex and already having the engine boosting, it significantly reduces the risk of upsetting the car. If you're clumsy getting the power on late, it simply bites back.

The key is to set the corner up really early and manage the boost through the turn.

It might sound really obvious but it does require different tactics to the way you'd drive many other cars.

All in my humble opinion of course.

Also, I know I can beat the WR if I can absolutely nail it. I still haven't maxed a lap yet as I'm still experimenting with lines through the corners.

[trashbat]

Very good description, that. H&T and manual clutch must help here, but there's too much going on. Basically just setting everything back a bit - braking earlier, coming off the brakes earlier, etc - seems to help a lot, for the reasons you describe.

[RobM77]

trashbat said:

Very good description, that. H&T and manual clutch must help here, but there's too much going on. Basically just setting everything back a bit - braking earlier, coming off the brakes earlier, etc - seems to help a lot, for the reasons you describe.

I agree - that's a great way of putting it. I don't have time this week to hot lap properly, but I had a quick go last night in a spare 15 minutes and found that, as you say, there was just so much going on. It's probably the only car where I prefer using the Fisher Price paddle shift to a proper three pedals and H pattern box, which is curious. I found the stiff chassis and unforgiving 90s slicks combined with a spiky turbocharged power delivery and rearward weight bias to make for a pretty frustrating combination. Any one of those things in a car can be a challenge to focus on, but all at once was rather overwhelming, so much so that I found dropping proper gearchanges improved the experience! Maybe I just need to drive it more and get used to it? It didn't help that I've not driven Monza since Geoff Crammond's F1GP 1 on my Amiga

On another note, this is the first car I've driven on a sim to disprove the addage 'if something looks right, it probably is right'. It's such a beautiful thing, it's a shame to be dissapointed by the way it drives. It needs a normally aspirated V12 that revs higher, a slightly softer and re-worked setup and the CofG further forward to compliment that evocative view out through the curved windscreen (which I do love). The 90s slicks are unforgiving, but to be honest I find they make the cars a bit more realistic - real racing cars, including those on modern slicks, do not like it if you coast with your feet off the pedals, as Asterix describes above, so that aspect is more accurate.

[Asterix]

Something else I forgot to mention is the car isn't suited to the track at all. It's designed for high speed, such as Le Mans... It has reasonable mechanical grip but it's forte is fast flowing corners where the aero can really work. There's only one corner at Monza like that, the last.

That's why it's such a handful in the slow stuff.

Also, as Rob rightly points out, having a CofG so far back means there limited weight shift towards the rear when launching out of a corner which doesn't help things either.

[RobM77]

That's another good point - the car seems very stable at aero speeds, but rather stiff and clumsy at low speeds. I wonder if Assetto Corsa will ever properly laser scan Le Mans... Have they modelled lights on the cars yet?

[trashbat]

I like Monza, normally all about the lines and braking points, simplistic but fun. I spent a bit of time in the Tatuus Abarth before RSR wiped the timings, was doing OK. In that car you can just do what you like, floor it everywhere.

[Asterix]

If I win today, then Trash/Rob gets to choose the next challenge.

However, if it's something stoopid, I have power of veto.