Nordschleife

[Tony_Simpson]

Have a look at some of these lap times:

Kyalmi 1.20.39 Lotus
Monaco 1.29.08 Cooper
Zandvoort 1.26.60 Lotus
Spa 3.19.90 Eagle
Rouen 1.58.49 Lotus
Silverstone 1.28.16 Lotus
Nurburgring 8.29.67 Cooper
Mosport 1.23.53 Cooper
Monza 1.29.2 Lotus
Watkins Glen 1.05.57 Eagle
Mexico 1.50.53 Lotus

And that gives a rank of +1.3, just need to go that bit quicker.

The easiest way to learn the n'ring is not to spin at all (hard i know) and learn the bits you find hard, so you start compleating full laps then go quicker. Try doing laps under 8mins is fun (for some people)

Its the same technique for every track.

[Number Juan]

Originally posted by Tony_Simpson
Have a look at some of these lap times:

Kyalmi 1.20.39 Lotus
Monaco 1.29.08 Cooper
Zandvoort 1.26.60 Lotus
Spa 3.19.90 Eagle
Rouen 1.58.49 Lotus
Silverstone 1.28.16 Lotus
Nurburgring 8.29.67 Cooper
Mosport 1.23.53 Cooper
Monza 1.29.2 Lotus
Watkins Glen 1.05.57 Eagle
Mexico 1.50.53 Lotus

And that gives a rank of +1.3, just need to go that bit quicker.

The easiest way to learn the n'ring is not to spin at all (hard i know) and learn the bits you find hard, so you start compleating full laps then go quicker. Try doing laps under 8mins is fun (for some people)

Its the same technique for every track.

yep thats what i did at the ring, though today i tried pushing the envelope a little and seriously messed up every time. i see how it can be hard to push the limits, especially the section before the long straight. it frustrates me that the limit is so clearly defined - its hard to know how far you can approach the limit before you lose it. i find i will get to a point and suddenly spin, hit a barrier and go careering of into a bush. bad. Monaco is cool - except for the lil' chicane after the tunnel and that bloody tight corner at the end of the lap.

[AllonFS]

Impressive stuff. I also feel a little better about my 1.37 at Monza in a Ferrari with default settings. First time I have managed to control my right foot enough in the F1 cars.

Can anyone recommend nice forgiving settings I can download for all the cars? I know they aren't the best cars, but I would like to try the BRM and Honda occasionally as well as the more popular ones.

As for the Nordschliefe, hmm. Haven't yet broken 10 minutes, but that was in an F2. I can just about stay on the track for the first half, but the section after the Karousel always confuses me. I also struggle to get the right speed for the last chicane. I do really find this place difficult without the throttle aid here, but maybe some decent settings would help me ease out of corners with out a leaving a rather fetching set of donuts on the track! Oh yeah and less lead in my foot as well!

I know I should be learning on the other easier tracks; but the Ring keeps luring me back like a moth to the flames...

[Number Juan]

well my progress of late has been halted by reluctantly switching off the driver aids, which i find is getting easier to handle but gear changes always confuse me - i.e get off the throttle, change gear and plonk yer' foot on. i always leave my foot on and wonder why the engine blows up moments later...

so far my best time for Spa is 3m 34.40 and Monza 1m 39.78 ive not seriously attempted any others except for the ring' which i have yet to break 10 minutes. i try and push it but end up spinning off to my death too many times.

[Tony_Simpson]

Do not push at the ring, treat each single lap like a race at every other circuit, inother words do not spin, take it easy and finish. Drive with in yourself and the time will drop off.

The best way to learn any circuit is to drive steadily enough that you do not spin off at any time. and then slowly build up your performance till you get to the limits. This takes time but you get a faster time and more enjoyment out of it.

[Tristan]

I stick to auto gears Yes. It's true. How sad am I?? But then I'm using throttle/break paddles on the back of my wheel which make balancing either of them whilst changing gear rather difficult. I mean, if I'm downchanging rapidly, it'll ALWAYS end up in a lock-up moment. So I don't bother. Auto for me.

[Jay]

autogears! oh my, that's half the realism and the fun..downshift at the wrong time and you're in the bushes..or a ditch..or flying somewhere.

[Tristan]

But I CAN'T. It's not physically possible.

[Number Juan]

I DID IT I DID IT!!! 9m 56.88 AHHAHAHAHAHA!!!

however, i did have brakes and throttle on the aids but still i think quite a bloody acheivement. i really did tip-toe around the track a few times before that lap and i was fast most places, spun once (the first bridge early in the lap) and that was minor...BRILLIANT.

[AllonFS]

On my first flying lap with my new setups and in an F1 Brabham I got a 9.38! Even better is that this is without aids, and involved a couple of minor offs on the grass. So if I could stay on the black stuff and go a bit faster round the second half of the track, then there should be loads of time I can gain, (or lose in a huge off ).

[ozywoodwards]

I always find I lose loads of time over the section between the karousell and the mini-karousell, mainly because if I've had a good lap upto that point I then take it easy so as not to ruin it by crashing. I've got to make myself take more risks I think to get that elusive sub 8:30.

[Tristan]

Ohhh the best bit in the game!! The bit between the karousells!!! Phenomenal drive.

[Number Juan]

what bits are those - the 2 hairpin-like corners that are slightly banked?

[Tristan]

Yeah. The bits in between the two. Stunning.

[Number Juan]

bloody hard more like. like ozzy i really have to tip-toe round those bits!!!

[Tristan]

Blast between the bends, carefull on the so-steep-it's-stupid bits and just try to hurry through there almost rally-car like. Make time make time make time. The way forward!!

[AllonFS]

Another struggler on that section. I find it so difficult to get any rhythm there, I end up just using the tyre marks on the track as my guide. The elevation changes and bumps mean it is so easy to lose it that like others here, I end up tip-toeing around.

[Tristan]

GIVE IT WELLY!!! You know you wanna....

Tip: preemptive opposite locking. Doesn't matter if the back's out, if you KNOW it's going to come round at some point, give the steering wheel a quick flick (or two) over and that should kill it. You need the rack to be as quick as possible in this game (all the way over to "linear").

Seeing as this topic's on the Nordschliefe: is there any sections that anyone simply doesn't know? Or just isn't sure about? I've got it pretty much licked, and I can remeber all the corners, but that's taken ages and a clean lap is still an acheivement. Which section is a ***** for you??

There's a corner before the hairpin directly before the Karoussel (got it?!) that always used to catch me out. It's blind, over a crest and you can't run wide because there's a sodding great ditch in which you die. That took me ages to get right (and fast).

[ozywoodwards]

Flugplatz is always hard, as is that left-hand corner which goes over a brow into a very steep, short downhill section before a right-hander (inbetween the two karousells somewhere).

[Number Juan]

the first bridge in the lap, coming along at an approach speed of about 140mph and although it isn't a tight right hander, i reckon it's off camber and i get absolutely terrible understeer and if i don't hit it at the right speed, i will either hurl helplessly into the fence and spin or spin because im not going fast enough.

another one i did have a problem was a right hander which is at the very top of a bloody sttep hill, i always popped up, flew a bit and clumped the barrier at an unhealthy speed. i now take it very easy and is now one of my quickest corners cos i really give it some stick

[ozywoodwards]

near the beginning after some very fast downhill sweeps there is an uphill let hand bend (which in turn leads on to a very tight right-left) which I always try to take too quickly and end up spining wide right into a massive great tree. Also, I always find you have to break deceptively early for the first bend in the first hedge lined bit, again near the beginning.

[Number Juan]

Kallenhard is my all time favourite section - downhill, tight and twisty turns, i don't know why but in every computer game i am absolutely rollocks at fast corners and amazingly quick in slow corners :confused:, GPL is no different because i make up about 5 seconds up on anyone im chasing through there and strangely i am quick at monaco but only from casino to Tabac, and that last corner of the lap really ****es me off because choosing a braking point is hard - do i go early and let everyone overtake me or too late and end up in a bloody haystack?

still getting orgasmic over spa in the ferrari - WOW!

[ozywoodwards]

all those corners where you have to break whilst turning are real buggers. the first at mexice, the hairpin at the bottom of those first three sweeps at rouen, the one that juan mentioned at monaco.

[Tristan]

9.25.something at the 'Ring yesterday. That's me new record, and that's despite two awfully time-consuming spins. I mus have lost 30secs on the first one alone.