Some of us hate them, some love them: wet races are considered to be the true skill test for a race driver. But how do you drive fast in wet weather conditions in F1 22? Our F1 22 wet weather guide is here to tell you.
Image credit: Codemasters / EA
Intermediate or Wet Tyres?
As soon as the first drops start falling, the tyre gamble begins. Intermediates are able to displace around 30 litres of water at 300kph while the wet tyres are even able to displace 60 litres at the same speed.
The correct choice of tyres in the rain is crucial. If there is too much water on the track for your tyre to displace, you will experience aquaplaning and thus a loss of grip. However, there can also be too little water on the track which results in your tyre overheating and becoming useless. You want to avoid both of these scenarios. But how do you know when to change to which tyre?
When to Change to Intermediates
Generally speaking, Intermediates are for light rain, wets are for heavy rain conditions. But there are a few indicators that might also help you. One is the DRS activation. As soon as the DRS gets disabled by race control, this is a good sign the track is too wet for slicks, and you should consider changing for intermediates. This also counts the other way around. When the track is drying and race control reactivates DRS, that should be your call to go for slicks.
When to Change to Wet Tyres
When it comes to finding the timing point for a change to wets, it gets a bit trickier. Your opponents are one indicator, of course. If they change from inters to wets, this might be your call as well.
Another critical point is when you notice almost uncontrollable understeer and slipping in corners. This is a sign that there is too much water on the track for your intermediates to displace and you should consider changing them.
And when should I change back from wets to inters? As we mentioned, rain tyres overheat when there is too few water on the track. Keep an eye on your MFD and check the tyre temps. If your tyres are consistently too hot, consider changing them.
Adjusting your Braking in Wet Conditions
When you race in wet conditions, the way you have to take corners changes drastically. That counts especially for the braking. Due to the water reducing your grip, you will feel a significant increase in understeer.
To counter this, you must brake earlier than usual to not miss the apex or even the corner. The more water there is on track, the earlier you have to brake. Also, it is useful to set the brake bias close to 50 percent to prevent your wheels from locking up.
Not only how you enter corners has to be adapted, but also how you exit them. Be gentle with the throttle as wheelspins becomes more of an issue in the rain. To prevent wheelspin, you can also use short shifting, which means shifting up earlier than you would normally do. Also, be cautious with using your ERS as the extra power on your rear tyres makes a spin more likely.
Quick Tips to be Faster in Rainy Conditions
There are also some smaller tips for racing in the rain that can help you to get an advantage over your opponents. One is to be very careful with the kerbs. They are often way more slippery than the track itself. Especially under braking and acceleration, the is a big danger of spinning.
Also, when a dry qualifying but wet race is forecasted, make sure to adjust your setup to wet conditions. A pole position is worth nothing when your car is undrivable in the race.
Especially in F1 22, the traction control system is a very useful tool that becomes even more important in the rain. Also, ABS is a huge help to prevent you from locking up under braking and slipping out of corners.
What is your best advice for racing in rainy conditions? Tell us by sending a tweet @OverTake_gg or leave a comment down below!
