My experience: from sim to real racing

[Vyacheslav Potapenko]

Hi everyone,

I would like to share my driving experience of Formula Renault 2.0. I’m just amateur as most of us here (don’t even have a road car J ). All my skills are based on go-karting and sim-racing (mostly formula cars in Assetto Corsa). Let me know if you want to know anything about FR 2.0 experience, I’ll try to answers as much as I can.

on-board video from my lap:

 

[alehop69]

Nice... First of all it´s obvious..., how did you find that FR2.0 compared with any of the formulas you tried in Assetto..???

 

[Vyacheslav Potapenko]

I’m big fan of sims and believe you can build some skills in sim – but I should say that your feelings (wheel, brake, g-forces) are far away from how you feel it in sim. The very similar would be gas pedal.

 

[Mr Deap]

I usually use the term bomb dive with the brake in sim(instead of using trail braking) & some users get mad at me. Are they overreacting?

(answering this one will probably lead to nirvana "Buddhism term")

 

[Hor-hay]

That's awesome, how was the steering, was it heavy?

 

[Vyacheslav Potapenko]

That's awesome, how was the steering, was it heavy?

it is not that heavy actually, I would say less than in go-karting. Comparing to my Fanatec wheel - Fanatec is waaaay too soft.

 

[CobraCat]

What things did you learn in AC that helped you in driving on the track in real life ?

 

[Vyacheslav Potapenko]

What things did you learn in AC that helped you in driving on the track in real life ?

good question, I would answer what I learn in sim's in general:
1. working with gas pedal (progressiveness, feel oversteer)
2. driving lines
3. reactions for spins (+counter steering)
4. feeling balance of the car (based on wheel feedback)

what is much different in real:
1. brake pedal
2. in real you have g-forces and this is your primary feeling for grip, balance, etc.
3. fear it makes you slow and with more laps and confidence you decrease it

 

[123rem]

Was the track a lot more bumpy than an average sim track?

 

[hypertek]

awesome! you getting to live the dream. alot of us wish we could take a real formula car out for a run!

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Brakes are different, what pedals?
Load celled can get pretty close to real thing.

 

[Hor-hay]

3. fear it makes you slow and with more laps and confidence you decrease it

Fear is a big factor especially when you don't own the car and it's going to cost you a load of money if you bin it. My first driver experience (V8 supercars) I thought I was fast. Then I started sim racing and when I went again I was so much more confident and faster! Wasn't even fazed when getting the back end out through some wet parts of the track. Wish they did FR 2.0 in aus, closest is formula ford.

 

[manu68]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Driving a formla 2.0l must be a very rewarding experience.

I had myself the opportunity to drive a race car on track about one year ago.
It was not a formula 2.0l but a porsche 911 cup.

As you, I just can confirm that a real car is a lot different from simulation, because of the G-forces, the noise, the fear, etc...
I have been personally totally amazed by the grip with slicks.
For someone like me it was of course a premiere, and my limits were far far away beyond the tyres limit.
I could then make some laps as a passenger in the same car with the pilot usually racing the car in championships. It was just scary. I discovered then the real power of the 911 cup brakes.
Something that a simulation will never render

 

[Vyacheslav Potapenko]

Brakes are different, what pedals?
Load celled can get pretty close to real thing.

I have Fanatec with cell. While you can learn and get some progress with trail braking in sim - in real car it is still far away. Also have to mention that I used right leg for braking

 

[vegaguy5555]

I have been driving since the 70's and my biggest complaint about sims in general is the lack of speed sensation. I never get bored rally driving any kind of car in real life. I find sims interesting but there is just so much detail in general missing yet.
But having said that I think we are at an exciting time for sims. I hope ACC is great because you know someone will have to out do them!

 

[Mascot]

Assuming you've also driven the rFactor track or AC conversion of Autodrom Most (https://www.racedepartment.com/downloads/autodrom-most-chicane-and-no-chicane.14426/), how accurate would you say these virtual tracks are compared to the real thing?

 

[Vyacheslav Potapenko]

Assuming you've also driven the rFactor track or AC conversion of Autodrom Most (https://www.racedepartment.com/downloads/autodrom-most-chicane-and-no-chicane.14426/), how accurate would you say these virtual tracks are compared to the real thing?

for the preparation I did drive Most track in AC to learn corners (got from the same link you posted). In F3 my time was 1.31, in FR 1.46.
Sorry if I disappoint you, but immersion is different.

 

[Mascot]

for the preparation I did drive Most track in AC to learn corners (got from the same link you posted). In F3 my time was 1.31, in FR 1.46.
Sorry if I disappoint you, but immersion is different.

Thanks, and I'm not disappointed - sim racing will always be an approximation of what we experience in actual vehicles no matter how much tech we throw at it. I was more interested in the accuracy of the current AC mod track, as @Patrik Marek is working on a new LIDAR version of Autodrom Most.

 

[Vyacheslav Potapenko]

Well, It might be accurate in terms of location of buildings, AD's, track layout, even some bumps, but I believe all we want to gain and build experience in sim and make sure we can re-use effectively those built skills in real car. This is what sounds for me be an accurate. For example: for breaking points I used different signs than I used in sim.