rec.autos.simulators

In F1GP I used to go out on the track and setup my car to
get the maximum speed on the straights. Then I would pare
down the setup to let me into the majority of the curves
with the highest speed possible. Then the really tight curves
would be "conceded". This method resulted in record times on
all the F1GP courses, and, in that day, I was able to smoke
most of my friends, save Tim Stanley, who had the bad taste
to exceed most of my times....the boor...sheez.
Anyway, it pretty clear that this "scientific technique" is
NOT going to be effective in GP2. What is the preferred, or
maybe even the "realistic" way to approach this problem.

JEB in Vegas

-Bill

--
******************************************************************************
Bill Mette      | "Thanks to teamwork, I almost stapled something today."

******************************************************************************

: In F1GP I used to go out on the track and setup my car to
: get the maximum speed on the straights. Then I would pare
: down the setup to let me into the majority of the curves
: with the highest speed possible. Then the really tight curves
: would be "conceded". This method resulted in record times on
: all the F1GP courses, and, in that day, I was able to smoke
: most of my friends, save Tim Stanley, who had the bad taste
: to exceed most of my times....the boor...sheez.
: Anyway, it pretty clear that this "scientific technique" is
: NOT going to be effective in GP2. What is the preferred, or
: maybe even the "realistic" way to approach this problem.

: JEB in Vegas

        I like the 'from the basics' way of tuning the car, ie start
with the values provided by GP2, drive few laps, examine telemetry,
change ONE parameter and back to the track (repeat until happy ;).
By this way I know that everything I do really _does_ make the car
better.

        Joonas

GP2's setup is very realistic. A 100 lb change in the spring setting
on one corner will have effects all round the car -- some welcome, some
less so.  I started a championship when i purchased the game and have
run through Spain so far.  I drive the Simtek in Ace mode.  My best
start was 14th at Spain with a 1:24.429, about 3 seconds off pole.  
Unfortunately my transmission let go on lap 3, but with the Simtek
I'm used to short days. (Suspension on lap 16 in Monaco).  

Although my race weekend routines aren't quite fixed yet, a general
pattern is developing.  

 -- Friday Practice --
 Make educated guess as to Wings, Springs, and A/R Bars
        a.  Spain is a compromise leaning toward speed.  I want more
        wing on the nose but enough on the rear to keep it under me.
        I go with 9F,7R
        b.  The majority of highspeed bends in Spain are right handers,
        however there is one *** lefthander (backside chicane)
        I decide to soften the leftside more than the right and will
        deal with the chicane on Saturday.
        c.  The tight corners will be hard to handle with low down force.
        I stiffen the rear bar a little and soften the front bar to
        cope with the apexes in the tight section.

I only do about 5 laps to get a baseline in order to save tyres.
Next I extract the perf data from the best lap and check the rideheights.
Depending on what I see I'll lower the car and think about packers.
At Spain I drop the rideheight a few mm all around and pack up my
kit bag for the morning.
 -- Friday Qualifying --
I put on the scuffed tyres from practice, load about 6 laps worth of fuel
and pin my ears back.  This set I clocked a 1:25.334.  I was right
about the backside chicane, the fourth gear exit keeps trying to send me
into the trap.  Additionally, I have a touch of oversteer in the first
series of corners, understeer through the fast right handers and I'm
bottoming a little too much near the end of the front straight.
        a.  Too deal with the chicane I soften the right front spring.
        b.  For the oversteer I add a tick of rear wing.
        c.  As for the understeer I softened the front A/R bar
        d.  I lifted the front rideheight .5mm
Fresh *** -- clocked a 1:24.894.  I had gone the right way but fresh
problems were encountered.

I went through a similar routine on Sat. and lowered the time to 1:24.429.
14th on the grid at Ace level is not bad at all and I went to the practice
with only one item to sort out.  Unfortunately I bunged a wheel assembly and
out of deferrence to realism, exited the session.  As I said, the transmission
went south on lap 3 but not before I had climbed to 10th and fallen back to
15th.  Boy, these AI cars sure are sharp.  When they take your line away
they do it with power.  

Well, don't know if my development sessions help, but I'm comfortable
knowing that when the circus passes back through Spain I'll have a setup
I can trust to put me near the top half of the field, not to mention some
notes concerning the problems which still exist.  Speed in GP2 is found
in the garage, there's a wealth of learning to be done.  HOF times are
definitely going to come from setup.

eric

Patiently waiting for Trevor to work his magic so Annubis-Lamborghini
can once again take to the Grand Prix circuit.

Mike.