First Turn Strategies?

B

Bengalryan9

16
NKURyan
Hey all,

When racing in the online championship races, how do you guys typically approach the first turn in heavy traffic right at the beginning of the race? I find that no matter where I start in the grid there's almost always chaos, with people usually getting rear ended right off the track, spun out, or both. What strategy do you normally take here? Take a different line? Do the usual and hope for the best? Just curious.

I'm typically with SR B or C, btw. Maybe it's not an issue at A or S, I don't know.
 
It depends on the track. Sometimes it is better to let others mess up and wreck, but being aggressive on the start is a fantastic way to quickly pick up spots. I just go where they are not. I don't do anything crazy and ram/wreck others. If I cannot pass, I hold my line. The race is never won in the first corner, but it always can be lost in it!

For example...

Turn one at Interlagos - I tend to be conservative because often times a driver or two will run off

Turn one at Kyoto Driving Park Yamagiwa is very wide, so I am not afraid to make moves.
 
- Look back at the cars behind you, and measure the gap
- Take a sharper inside line
- Try to out brake others deep in to the corner, you might hurt for top speed at the next straight though
- Learn from experience, see which lines people take in to first corner
- Its ok to not take the racing line in to corner
- Its better to slow down sometimes, lose some positions going in to the corner and let other people collide, gain those positions after the corner exit

Sometimes you can do all the right things and someone will still spear you mid way through the corner.
 
Preferably single file, as any other way only slows everyone down inviting a pile up from behind. Yet auto drive sometimes fudges up the starting speed of different cars which can either create some extra room for the first corner or have 2nd place already past 1st place before the corner. It's fun to get the magic launch boost when you start second or third.

At pole you're basically at the mercy of the people behind you. Best is to pretend they're not there and take the corner as fast as you can. Chances are you will get hit, yet those chances only increase when you hold back. Unless #2 is already on my inside, then I'll leave him a car width of room at the apex, the rest is his responsibility. #2 could also brake late and shoot past so you can fall in for a faster exit. It really depends on the situation. However without the magic boost, not starting at pole, I'll fall in behind. Not worth the risk in the first corner with a whole field bearing down on you.

Interlagos is the worst for the first corner as there is always someone taking a shortcut and crossing the road on re-entry. The only viable strategy there is luck...
 
What I do depends on the track, where I start from and where the other drivers are. It's not one "this is what I always do".

Match your speed to other drivers to avoid too large speed differences. That way you are able to react much faster to their driving. Also give space to the drivers both inside and outside of you. Other than that, use the mirror and the red radar-thing that lights up if a car is in your dead zone.
 
For my experience, the less prone to mayhem approach is going for the inside, be aware to not go to deep and sweep half the field.
At least, the chance to get rammed is lower but you will loose corner speed.

Interlagos is an entire different league. Pure luck is the only thing you can hope, as most lines seem to be equally prone to getting rammed or swept.
 
I look at the time gap top left of screen, look in my radar - If someone is showing on my radar behind, look in my mirror, and miss the turn from not looking at the track.
Seriously, I take the shortest queue to equal them up, if you join a queue on the racing line, someone will dive bomb you all on the inside. If its 3 cars deep on the outside and only 1 deep on the inside, I follow the inside. Sometimes its 3 or 4 wide and all only 1 deep lol in which case I just close my eyes and hope.
 
Seems that a lot of "drivers" think that they gonna win the race in the first turn :banghead::D

So my approach is always "zen" and "open door day" ..

I prefer don't receive a hit or that they take me out and receive negative CD rating due the "first turn wanna winners"

With that approach in a lot of races i even won quite some positions after the first turn :D:cheers:
 
Always remember that you can't win the race in the first corner, only loose it. I tend to play it cautiously, if I have many cars in front of me I tend to ease off the throttle well before the breaking zone so that people behind me can see I'm slowing and so I can slow down quicker to the cars in front who can be erratic.

Then just watch my mirrors and radar like a hawk and try and pick a clean line. If there is someone in front who's making waves, I follow that chap as best I can
 
Not much one can do to mitigate for poor racecraft by others, but nailing your braking point and committing to a line through the turn should help. Not sure if a defensive line is always best, sometimes maximizing for exit is the only way to separate from the pack.
 
I pick a line and stay on it, indecisiveness causes pile ups. If there's an opportunity to pass someone safely then I will do so, backing out of a pass or staying put is no big deal either though.
 
Turn on your radar and use a view with mirror for T1.

Pick the inside-most line and stick with it. Brake a little early and put your car directly on top of the inner kerb, like, at the very limit of track limits. I usually have 2 tires on the grass and 2 on the kerb.

This allows you to stay out of the way of most accidents. You essentially want to make it impossible for a car to be inside of you, and very people want to cut across the grass. The worst place to be is the track-in point or in the middle of the racing surface at the start of T1.

I have had very few T1 incidents while ranking up to SR-R.
 
I often let off and keep space between me and the pack, I managed to gain 6 spots on the first corner the other day as I weaved through the crashed cars.
 
The inside line is usually the safest line but every start is different, being flexible and safe is key. When a good oppertunity comes sure take it, but when someone go's inside of you give them space or let them have it. When the field is single file then you can get a little more aggresive.
 
It would be a heck of a lot more pleasant if everyone just stayed in their starting position and kept the train flowing until the 3rd corner, at least, but that is asking a lot apparently. Starting on pole seems to often mean my car is in the wrong gear at the tone and second catches up before the first corner, so what was the benefit of qualifying first? If I start anywhere else I'm letting off to not be that over aggressive jerk trying to win in the first corner and then someone behind me punts me clear off the track or into the cars I'm slowing up for. A bit more gap between cars and having them start at closer to the same speed would help. I don't think that anyone should be passing in turn one unless the person in front made some fairly major mistake.
 
I find the best approach which is something ive done since iracing years ago is not to worry about gaining positions in turn 1.

I brake a little earlier than normal to give myself some breathing room in front of me then keep an eye on the car behind in the rear view mirror.

By doing this i find it avoids a situation of hitting the brakes hard and reduces the chance of being rear ended.

If a car looks like its coming steaming in from behind i can then run wide to give them chance to avoid hitting me.

I work on the theory you can't win a race at turn 1 but you can lose it so i figure conceeding a position or 2 at the start is not too bad as i have all race to get back past.
 
Jamie Bbbbb
Don't look behind you - no one will overtake you if you drive fast enough through the first few turns.
Click to expand...

If you drive flat out i find that when i was slamming on the brakes i was being rear ended all the time as there was no margin for error. Any collison then pushed me off track.

By braking earlier and creating space in front i am essentially controlling the car behind by creating a situation where i am gradually slowing my car down and thus it becomes easier for the car behind not to drive straight into me
 
LBDN123
If you drive flat out i find that when i was slamming on the brakes i was being rear ended all the time as there was no margin for error. Any collison then pushed me off track.

By braking earlier and creating space in front i am essentially controlling the car behind by creating a situation where i am gradually slowing my car down and thus it becomes easier for the car behind not to drive straight into me
Click to expand...
You won't be in that situation if your getaway is good.
 
Jamie Bbbbb
You won't be in that situation if your getaway is good.
Click to expand...

If you are mid pack with cars both in front and behind you approaching turn 1 at the start of the race there is no getaway but trying to make the right choices to stay on the track while not hitting anyone else or getting run into yourself.
 
Jamie Bbbbb
You won't be in that situation if your getaway is good.
Click to expand...

Im not entirely sure why your debating the issue. Im merely pointing out what my strategy is in line with the title of the thread.

I find in my experience it is very rare that by being conservative into T1 i am ever hit to such a degree that i am punted out the race which is probably why i dont have many issues with contact with online racing.

Its all about risk and reward for me. Do i steam in to T1 with no margin for error in the hope of gaining a position or two and hope i dont get hit or do i play it safe for one corner and then have the rest of the race to make up any lost position.

Personally i would rather lose one position than lose 15 after being punted off and having to spend an entire race having to catch up through the whole field.

At the end of the day, whilst i appreciate what your trying to say, if all drivers get a perfect start and all go steaming into T1 something has to give so its no wonder there is so many whinging threads on here about collisons
 
Echoing others: I prefer to make T1 safe, even loosing a few position, but then enjoying the rest of the race.
After I have reached SR:A-S usually I don't have collisions in T1
 
Last edited:
A/S driver.

T1 is *usually* pretty tame at that level as by now most drivers understand that pushing and shoving mid pack will ruin everyone's day.

Like was said before, you won't win at turn 1 but sure as hell you can lose.

My only advice is commit to your line, even if it's not the one you like, focus on the best exit speed you can get, if you have to settle for being behind a driver or two you didn't want to be, then that's life but it's better than ending it all after a tenth of a lap.

The rest is in the hands of the drivers behind you, because unless you're on pole, people in front of you are hoping you'll race clean also....
 
If it's Tokyo Expressway I just have eyes on the radar trying to swerve out of the way of people who don't brake for the hairpin. Anywhere else I stay inside for turn 1 if required, if I compromise my exit at least the next turns will be less crowded and more predictable.
 
Last edited:
Bengalryan9
Hey all,

When racing in the online championship races, how do you guys typically approach the first turn in heavy traffic right at the beginning of the race? I find that no matter where I start in the grid there's almost always chaos, with people usually getting rear ended right off the track, spun out, or both. What strategy do you normally take here? Take a different line? Do the usual and hope for the best? Just curious.

I'm typically with SR B or C, btw. Maybe it's not an issue at A or S, I don't know.
Click to expand...
Definitely better at SR S but not perfect. The couple of times I’ve dropped to A it’s been noticeably worse. If you want to race as clean as possible, SR S is the only place to be. My experience is only from DR D or C though.
 

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