- Overtaking the 370z's went well almost every time. I had a few occasions where the 370z-driver followed the race-line on a winding full-throttle part (i.e. the section past the hairpin), and therefore went from right to left, where I expected him to stay on the right so I could pass easily without any hindrance to both. I then had to lift an make a switchback. I know the slower car an follow the raceline, but on some occasions it's safer for both to stay in the same lane, until the faster car has passed, well before the braking-zone. Can anyone comment on what is best in such situation?
- A different situation is when the faster car reaches the slower can prior to a section with multiple following corners (i.e. Sebring turn 2-3-4). Does the faster car has to wait till after turn 4 (beginning straight leading to the hairpin), or can he try and overtake between 2-4. If the faster car has to wait a few corners, it loses a lot of time, but on the other hand, if the faster car tries to overtake the slower car in this section, the slower car has to give space and therefore lose time. What is best in such situation?
my opinion as a VEC GT driver:
I would even go further and say it's mandatory that the GT car (or slower class) adapts it's line in some occasions. Saying "the GT car should stay on the racing line" mainly means that the GT car shouldn't go incredibly slow but just keep racing and the prototype will find a way around (unless he is called
@Jake Hall, small joke there
). And it's also important that the GT doesn't do any random and erratic line changes that the prototype can't predict.
Of course under braking it's especially important that no one ever changes their line because the driver behind most likely can't react to that.
At the exit of a corner it is also very important that the GT stays on the outside of the track. Some corners like turns 5, 13 and 17 you usually leave the corner on the outside but then you want to cross the track to the other side to have the right racing line for the next corner.
If there is traffic behind you you should stay on the outside and wait for it to pass and not just cut across the track to take the right raicng line.
If I leave such a corner in a GT in VEC I always watch my mirror. If the traffic behind me is far enough behind that I can switch to the other side of the track and he has enough time to react to me then I do it. If he is very close I stay on the outside, wait for him to pass and then switch.
If there is a line of cars behind me I carefully drive closer to the middle of the track, indicating that I want to go to the other side. When I am in the middle of the track I basically leave the decision to the prototype. It doesn't matter what he does, we won't crash. Usually the prototype is quite happy to take the inside line for the next corner because that will cost both of us less time.
Now for your second point: Of course the faster car can try to overtake but if you just divebomb the slower car that driver will be quite unhappy with you and he might not open the door for you next time you try it. In my opinion it is safer and more intelligent to wait in that part.
I have seen even VEC drivers divebombing and causing accidents in this corner and some even that tried to go around the outside. Obviously divebombing is dangerouse and it's not worth to lose the race for half a second of time difference.
Going around the outside is basically never worth it either (there are some exceptions). I always try to give the prototype the inside line because that makes us both lose the least amount of time. Sometimes the prototypes really want to go around the outside though and that always ends up with a really awkward corner where the prototype can't drive because I'm on the apex and I can't drive because he is on the outside and we end up losing 1.5 sec.
How much time is the slower car realistically going to cost you? The time differnce is about 15 sec per lap. In 17 corners that's less than a second per corner.
So if you stay behind that slower car for one more corner you lose 1 sec. If you overtake it by just putting your nose on his inside you might lose the race and if you overtake around the outside you lose 1.5 sec. What do you do? (hint: I would choose case 1
)
Sometimes the faster class really only needs half a sec of patience until the better line is free and then he will lose less time. That's what makes the difference between bad traffic management and good traffic management.
Last race in Fuji in the penultimate corner lots of prototypes tried to go around the outside. If they had waited 3 tenth and lifted for a moment they could have gone through on the inside as soon as I had positioned my car on the outside for this corner.
But many (not all) rather went around the outside and went through that corner side by side with me so we both lost 2 sec. That is not worth it.
Just my humble experience as a GT driver in VEC.