Need help with speed/consistency

MotorsportBoy97 · Dec 22, 2015

I really need help now with my speed and consistently not only on rFactor 2 but on most sims. I mostly drive (or like to try and drive) open wheel formula cars. I have all assists off (I wouldn't want to learn with them on because I wouldn't be learning much) and I'm getting to the point where I'm just getting plain frustrated. My main problem is getting on the throttle, cornering speed and stability.
I have read as much as I can and I understand everything that is said but for some reason I just can't put it into practice which is what is annoying me. Things like Smooth steering braking techniques (don't ask me to heel and toe because I am really bad at that crap) and I seem to have read a lot of setup guides too but nothing I do is working and it's really frustrating.
So does anyone have any techniques or physical tricks they do (without editing any game files) to help them?
Thanks in advance
PS I've heard of practice and all that but bad practice will get you nowhere and that's what I am doing so my help I need is how to do good practice (if that's even a thing)

David O'Reilly · Dec 23, 2015

Hi,
Keeping it short (as it could be an epistle),
Stick with no assists. Thats good.

1)Watch the video on YT called Going Faster by Skip Barber. Watch it in full at least twice. Write stuff down, do drawings.
2) Choose a car that is quite responsive ( read tough on you but reactive to good work) maybe the skippy. Chose a track that has challenging corners but not so long. (maybe Lime Rock). Stay there and....
3) Break it down. work stuff on its own eg
Braking:Threshold braking, trail braking, braking early but less, getting off the brakes earlier, getting off the brakes smoother, (see the Jackie Stewart interview on YT its the one where he is shirtless at a hotel break fast table) braking late, using throttle while braking.
Shifting gears under brakes, watching your revs.
Transition to throttle
Think about where you apex. Try apexing 1 metre later, 2 metres later, 3 metres later. Then work backwards by moving apex earlier. Once you are running wide on exit move the apex later again. There might be a particular part of the kerb you can focus on.
Dont select a faster car till you have mastered this one.

Once you have done all that drive laps where your real goal is just to not crash, gradually build up the pace.

All this will take about 300 laps of Limerock park, what you learn there will work everywhere.

PS get some rubber down first use some AI and CTRL X to speed it up. save the Rubber and then set it to static.
PS#2 Transparent trainer is also a very good tool.

Emery · Dec 23, 2015

#1 - don't bounce between sims & cars while trying to get the basics. Each sim has its own feel, so you can't learn to be consistent by changing sims.

#2 - start slow and build speed slowly. Set the AI at a slow pace, add only one and follow it.

#3 - quit worrying about setups. Use the Skip Barber trainer (very reactive, to use David's term) or historic F3 Eve (easy car if the skippy is frustrating you) with default settings.

xnorb · Dec 23, 2015

Ya, ignore setups for now.
Don't touch anything except brake bias where needed and maybe wings.

The most important factor is consistency.
What's the point in trying to push all the time when you can't even get 10 laps down without variations of multiple seconds and maybe even some off tracks?
(It's also sort of a golden rule for tweaking your setups: If you can't drive fast consitently, then there's nothing you can compare your setup changes to)

Once you know how the car behaves under which conditions, you will automatically go faster as you know where the limits of the car (and yourself) are.
Watching youTube videos of others (although i would stick to drivers like Empty Box rather than some hotlapping world champions) and taking part in online events are good sources on how to drive a certain car / track combination.

The one thing i'd really suggest is to start out in Skip Barber and only advance once you master those little beasts. You could of course also replay the career of most race drivers and start out in karts, but i guess one can skip that step?

Booth.the.doberman · Dec 23, 2015

I suggest getting the Skip Barber book. I watched the video several times and found it glossed over things about which I had questions. The book can go into greater detail with more illustrations and deeper explanations.

I think it would be orgasmic if someone would build a training mod similar to the New Driver Training that comes with Codemasters' F1 2013. Even just a track that had markers for apex, brake spots, turn-ins and possibly even a line to follow to stay on the line. It would really help learn the basics without having to do trial and error, which can be exceedingly frustrating.

ADDITION: The Skip Barber book has a walkthrough of one track (Sebring, I think). I just got to that chapter last night and it may be very helpful to run that track and follow along the walkthrough at the same time.