AI cars keep bumping into me :(

[VoS]

Whenever I have a race, the AI cars behind me will bump slightly into me from behind even if I just brake slightly. When I drive, I try not to touch the other cars at all, the cars in front of me I usually have no problems avoiding, but I find it almost impossible to avoid the cars behind me bumping slightly into my car. Sometimes I can even feel the impact in my Thrustmaster RS300 GT-wheel.
Is it just me beeing new to racing, or are the AI cars programmed to this aggressive behaviour? If my goal of no physical contact with the other cars is to be completed, I have to concentrate both on the cars in front of me and the cars behind me at the same time. I imagine there would be some penalty if it was a real race, but there seems to be no ingame penalties for contact between cars. Anyone else struggling to avoid physical contact with the AI cars?

 

[submaniac93]

The game's AI is just not complex enough to really "see" the player around them. They are programmed to lift off if they're close behind you, but if they can't pass, they will progressively come up to you. They also react pretty close to you, which is fine in close racing, but when the difference in speed is big, they just can't react fast enough and ram you. They're also not very smart in how they are allowed to pass you, though contrary to earlier games, they will try to at least switch sides if they can to try and pass on the other side rather than stay put behind you.
They will also never deviate from their trajectory once they're in a turn, so they won't avoid you if you're there.
It's not necessary you being bad, but them not being very smart either.
That why i just don't really think about contacting with the AIs. It's not really worth it to really care with them. I focus on driving well and being nice with them whenever i can, but there's always a few times where they bump into me, or vice versa hah