Hi. This text is intended for noobs so pass it on if you have a friend who is noob and wants to get the game and join. Please read it anyway just in case you want to re-learn anything you already know but needed reminding about.


Tips for Noobs. By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

From the menu choose additional events, time attack. You can set it to see your best lap as a ghost car and see a racing line coloured red when braking green when power and yellow in between. You can upload others time attacks but use your own at first to find where your fast.

Once you are up to speed with the time attack practice defending and overtaking off-line with AI drivers.

When you venture into an online race try and say "I'm a noob" before the start, especially if you did not set a representative qually time.

Some fast drivers say "Im a noob" to buy themselves a bit more room behind them. This is bad Karma for them but you get the point.

The usual way to defend is take the inside line and hope the other driver can't out-brake you or hope he chickens out off passing you.

I prefer to attack or defend up the inside because if there is contact then I am being helped into the apex rather than being hit away from it.

However, if you take the inside line that could leave you slow for the next corner so it's best to think about your exit speed onto the next straight.

Be careful when defending or attacking down the inside though. Sometimes there is less grip and sometimes there are bumps.

If you have run out of straight and you think you will not be able to take the corner without going off the circuit then take the corner in two straight lines. The first straight line takes away most of the deceleration required for that corner. You then lift of your brake pedal, quickly turn 45 degrees and brake some more in a straight line until you reach the edge of the corner. You should then be going so slow you can creep round the edge of the corner. Sometimes it's better to do this in one straight line instead of two but that is even slower.

You will loose a lot of time doing the above so sometimes it's best to go off the circuit as long as you do not get a black flag for cutting the corner.

I guess it all depends on the run off area (slippy grass, grippy grass, gravel, high grip asphalt) and if going off the circuit at that point takes you out of your general direction or worse puts you in danger of contact with other cars when you return to the circuit.

If you think you are going to get a black flag for accidentally cutting a corner you have two options. You can either turn round and go back or you can wait. You should wait until your imagined self who made the corner goes past and add three more seconds (maybe four to be on the safe side).

Monza starts:
If you are going to fast for turn one (you are not braking well or someone hits your rear) then avoid the grass and brake in a straight line on the circuit. Don't go on the grass to avoid other cars. You will only hit them harder when you come back onto the circuit because the grass is slippery at Monza and you can not brake or turn on it. You may think you can go on the grass and aim for a gap in the cars going through the chicane but even if you do you will probably hit someone leaving the chicane on the outside of the final left hander of the chicane.

Don't loose positions by wasting time holding up someone who is much faster than you unless it's the last lap or something. I often let faster drivers through without loosing any time because they often cause cars in front to slow down whilst they defend or even crash with the faster driver and then I make up places that way.

If you come up fast to a car in front don't assume he is a slow driver. He has most probably had a crash with someone he was trying to overtake. If that is the case he is probably faster than you.

Race craft takes a while to learn. It involves thinking about where other cars are and where they will be and avoiding contact. It involves using ears as well as sight because of blind spots. Have good distance between your speakers or use headphones, 3D effect if possible.

External car view can help with blind spots. I often have external view until lap one sector two.

Keep an eye on your mirror. The virtual mirror visual setting option is better than the real mirror setting.

If someone is going to hit your rear end it could put you into a spin so sometimes it's best to go off line or even off the the circuit to avoid an accident.

Here is an example of fair racing. We go off line to avoid contact apart from the last corner of the race. Their is no damage and no unfairness about the last corner.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd5d4MD6iBs