DR B drivers with DR A qualification times

[Wannablackbee]

In dailies, I often encounter DR B drivers that have qualification times similar to DR A and DR A+ drivers but they do not necessarily finish in the top 6 at the end of the race. I see them in DR B lobbies. What is it that they don't make it to a higher DR? Is it purposefully or is it about racecraft or something else? Your thoughts?

 

[gloriousg4]

In dailies, I often encounter DR B drivers that have qualification times similar to DR A and DR A+ drivers but they do not necessarily finish in the top 6 at the end of the race. I see them in DR B lobbies. What is it that they don't make it to a higher DR? Is it purposefully or is it about racecraft or something else? Your thoughts?

That's because they are not as consistent as they should be. As in not finishing in higher positions to increase their DR or simply don't play Sport Mode very frequently.

 

[jimihemmy]

Some people are great at hot laps but cannot drive the same with traffic on the track.
They cannot take the same lines as hot lapping because someone may be in their ideal line.

 

[Wilsonson]

Your example is quite extreme. I'm surprised that this type of player exists that often. I suppose that it is a combination of lack of race craft including how to adjust lines if the racing line is not available and severe inconsistency.

They clearly have the raw pace to dominate these lobbies.

Maybe they spin disproportionately often because they get over the limit too easily. Maybe they crash all the time once someone is close to them. Probably both.

Sounds like it would be much easier for them to get rid of these problems than it would be for a regular B driver to get to their pace.

 

[Def-Infinity]

A few possible reasons, or a combination thereof:

• Overall inconsistent driving or inexperience
• Brute forced qualifying laps with pace that can't be achieved during the race
• Racing on their strong combo after a set of weaker combos
• Infrequent Sport mode play leading to inaccurate ratings
• Smurfing and/or alternative accounts
• Recovering from DR/SR resets
• (For Race A only) Skewed ratings from roadcars/non-gr. races generally not being 'Rating bearing'
• (For Race A only) High rating drivers not losing DR to strong but lower rated drivers, making the difference more noticeable

But from my experience, the main reason is that they are too aggressive during battles and create situations where they are constantly losing time. They are not comfortable with working with another driver to catch someone or maintain faster overall pace, turning races into dogfights way too early. Instead of looking far ahead into the future and deciding which overtakes and defenses will be worth it long-term, these drivers are focused on what position they are in now, sacrificing any gap they had to the pack in favor of defending an unmaintainable place.

Other drivers can and will capitalize on that. Time loss compounds, especially in a group.

If they - for some reason - brute forced a qualifying lap and not acknowledged it, they may not have realized that they do not have the pace to fight in a conventional way (on-track). No matter what romanticism a person may have towards racing, they cannot fight tooth and nail for every position unless they have a significant advantage in fuel, tire, pace, etc.

Unfortunately, Sport mode does not seem to leave many opportunities for strategies other than consistent, unrelenting pace + an overcut or undercut.