Gran Turismo World Series (Manufacturers Cup 2025 Exhibition Season 2: 12 Mar - 22 Mar)

[ZEE]

Sooooo....this Autpolis race didnt go as well as I planned it in my big cranium. Rushed after work to squeeze the 5pm slot in. Was the only I cud do today.

GTWS Cup - Round 3 - EMEA Region - 5pm Slot - Honda NSX Gr.3 - RM TYRES START - Lower B lobby - Autopolis.

So I jumped on just before 5pm, like 15mins before and got sum practice runs. I tried to do this last night but every stupid room maker wud make a room in autopolis, drive around like idiots then quit their lobby and end the room. They wud say in the chat, "im just praticing" but if you wish to practice then at least do a race, running laptimes is no good overall. Very tedious and annoying but I digress.

Qualifying was ok, not great, bashed out 10th place, the leader in 911 RSR was a brit, but very quick. Could only muster an 1:48 or so abouts.

Onto the Race, I tried to start off strong, gained 1 place and was holding my own slowly steadily working up the field. Made it up to 7-8th place by lap 2 and felt good, then botched my entry into the hairpin and went into the gravel, ok bugger, lost 4 places and tried hard to gain them back. Could only pass two cars when on lap 3 or 4 not sure, turn 1, I clipped a italian racer as we were neck and neck towards the corner. He spun out and I stopped, other cars passed, I showed sportmanship and let him get back on track and past me, then I booted back up.

I eventually got back up to 8th place while battling a poncy Ferrari driver who had no idea of RADAR, and not know how to bloody use it the plonker. Kept bashing me on lap 8, left right and center and nosedived every corner.

Some guys pitted and I captilised to get 6th place. But then on lap 9, I blunder the pit entry and hit the wall. Reversed and was ghosted entry wth a another Porsche, as I exited still ghosted witht eh other guy, swtich to RH TYRES, it was chaos, swerved around him to gain the 9th place as we droped places. Do hate autopolis' pit entry its way too slow....

Lost another place due to my pace on the RH and finsihed overall 10th place. But no worries it was shambulloy race overall, I could have done much neater racing, but, All's well that ends well ey.

Round 4 here comes the RIng! Will need plenty of pratice laps and my race cap for that one.

Spoiler

 

[OJBrit]

Zoomed out the office, high speed commute - still missed the last Euro timeslot by 1 minute.
Sorry PD, if you don't change the slots I'm not playing your stupid little game anymore.

Interesting that I had a better commute than normal and made it in with 10 mins to spare so was able to jump in this time. I'm not expecting it to be a normal thing so hoping the slots still get fixed.

Started P12 with only a few laps under my belt. I like Autopolis and usually have had some decent results here in the past. However the car felt off. No grip on entry and like a barge through the corner. The only place I felt I had confidence was out of the corner.
Still a hard start for me so even less grip. What could go wrong?

For the first few laps, not much for me but lots for others. The lobby seemed very unstable and cars were wobbling all over the shop. Not the flying around I would usually expect but enough to provide a distraction. T1 and a Porsche ahead was nudged wide and I passed them as they recovered. Turn 3 and some more unstable bouncing sent a Vantage off giving me another place. In the final long right at the end the Porsche from T1 went up my inside. The pack ahead is fighting quite close so I am cautious both of their incidents and the bouncing. Lap 3 and the Supra just ahead runs wide on the long left before the Uphill hairpin and I slip past. Ahead a 4C hits a NSX into the hairpin and sends them both off. 2 more places for me. I spent the next few laps staying within sight but not danger range of the 2 cars ahead. The Supra also went wide in the hairpin chaos but wasn't far away behind and started to close. I spent this time confirming what lap I wanted to pit.
Then on lap 7 I broke for the downhill right after the hairpin and bang! The Supra punts me.

Luckily I don't go far and face the right was so I loose a few seconds at most. However it does allow a train to get past. And I am in 10th behind those I had got past and some who have pit already. On the replay there is no hint of braking. So it was certainly on purpose for no reason. Furthermore there is no penalty either. I got one at Tokyo for an accidental glance but a perfect punt gets nothing on the other end of Japan. Thanks PD! There could have been lag involved but it wasn't an accident in my view as they did not bother to brake.
I carry on for 1 more lap before pitting. I exit in P13 behind the Vantage. They brake to let me past which is very novel but I'll take it.

Lap 11 and I pass a number of cars coming out the pits including my Supra friend. However I knew I wasn't as fast so I was hoping they either fight or pass me correctly as I wouldn't fight too much. First car gets me at the hairpin. The NSX seems to nudge me whilst bouncing in the uphill corners making me go slightly wider and allows them through with the Supra right on my behind again. They produce a better move into T1 and get me there. I'm seemingly destined for a P11 finish then.

Except on lap 13 the Supra runs wide in the uphill section and promptly quits. (Another piece of kharmic justice after messing with me. You have been warned!) And finally on lap 15 another Porsche was on the grass at the bottom of the hill after sticking a tyre over the kerbs. So I finished P9 after all. A slight boost in DR and points.

 

[Tazzy-91]

I'm kind of looking forward to the Ring on Saturday, even more so if rain is a factor as I love a wet race and in fairness it should suit the GTR quite well. My only worry would be if it stays dry, that bloody Supra is a rocket ship and I don't think much would catch it in a completely dry race. Anyway, I'm out of the dailies this week so I will get some practice in and cross the fingers...and toes 🤣🤣🤣

 

[Canucks_9419]

Well it was as not-so-fun as I had expected...

This track is just not suitable for racing (like Nords) at all. It's slowly parading around the entire lap, trying not to rear end people. I had an unfortunately timed telemarketer call during the race too, so I lost out pretty big in the first stint.

The only solace was getting to have some good wheel to wheel racing with @Moose78 again! Sorry for the bumps in the first few laps friend!

I think I was P10 for 112 Pts.? Busy this weekend, so enjoy the Green Hell everyone!

 

[Moose78]

I did the first GT1 slot in the Americas (6 PM EST). It was an all-A/S lobby, with 180 points up for grabs. @Canucks_9419 and @Revengel (I think) were there, too. I was in door #2, driving for Mitsubishi. I needed P10 or better to improve my score.

Qualifying went better than I could have hoped. I posted a 1:47.282, which was faster than anything I'd done in Free Practices by several tenths. That put me in Q9.

The race got off to a clean start. We all formed up into a train. I managed to keep up with the group ahead for the first few laps, but somewhere around lap 4, I started dropping off the pace and fell out of the slipstream. Thankfully, there was a healthy gap behind me, so I was able to crank out some stress-free laps on my own, but there was a BMW behind reeling me in on every lap.

By the time I went into the pits on lap 10, the BMW was right on my tail and followed me in. We both switched to RMs. The new tires gave me an advantage over the BMW. I managed to hold him off for a few laps, but by lap 13 my tires were starting to wear enough to slow me down. I decided to let the BMW by at T1, and tucked in behind him on the straight to T3. But I braked too late and bumped into him. It spooked me a bit and I let off the gas to let him recover.

To my surprise, @Canucks_9419 slipped right by while I tried to compose myself. I chased him as best I could for the rest of the race, but I couldn't keep up. Drove it out to a P11 finish for 105 points.

Not the best result, but I still enjoyed it. It's always fun to race with some other GTPers.

Sorry for the bumps in the first few laps friend!

Bumps? I didn't feel a thing. No worries!

 

[Talon16]

I'm currently watching Digit doing Autopolis. Seeing talk in chat that the Nurburgring round has random rain patterns in free practice.

On one hand, YAAAAAAAAY! On the other, OH GOD NO I'M IN THE CORVETTE. 😅

I've done some TT laps and it sure looks like it'll rain, but it doesn't. The pre-race radar is classic rain scenario (coming in from a given direction). But, all the TT laps (did three max) were dry. There were rain clouds on the HUD radar but for all intents and purposes, they didn't move at all despite there being active wind.

So the pre-race radar shows rain clouds moving in, but the TT radar shows rain clouds sitting static. I did two sessions with the same result. I am not really sure what to make of it, either it's going to be purely random or they don't want any wet on the TT laps.

 

[tmtk]

Sinking with Suzuki part 3 (US GT2, very low B lobby)

It appeared I wasn't sinking all that much due to game matching me in lower point lobby (58 for the win), so theoretically less skilled drivers.

To my surprise a quali time of 48.7 gave me 3rd on the grid, expected a lot lower. Decided to start on RM.
Start went ok, P2 driver spun on the exit of hairpin on the top of the hill and the bunch behind fought for position, so after few laps I had 5 seconds gap over them. The guy in 1st disappeared into the distance.

Pitted for hards on lap 8 (maybe one to late but we'll never know) and exited between cars.
Trying to give room those on hot laps resulted in me being punted into the gravel. 🤷‍♂️

Rejoined and after pit cycle I was 7th. Drove very carefully not to make any serious mistake and managed gap behind (they helped by making mistakes on their own). On the last lap I caught a guy with some serious problems with grip probably and managed to overtake him in the last right hander.

Finished 6th.

There was potential for podium, but what can you do.
Lowest points of all rounds, wonder how this boat will behave at Nordschleife...

 

[24HuresdeLoL]

Yea so i do think Autopolis , the 4C and/or the other racers legitimately hate me. 2 slots, both lap 1, I either over steer on cold tires into a Viper in the hairpin and spin them out, and I wait. OR I get dive-bombed lap 1 corner 1 fro 5th-down to-near last!

I'll try and do the Nurburgring, but with my luck it'll just be getting hit lap 1 corner 1, and then maybe get a 10th place. It's really depressing man.

 

[JDMKING13]

I got disconnected from the last slot which was the only slot I could do because i was busy from 6 to 8pm… out of all the time in the day smh.. Got into the last slot but I wasn’t fast at all (55.6) but I could have took at least 7th/8th until the room got disconnected ughhh so no points.

 

[bduddy]

I've done some TT laps and it sure looks like it'll rain, but it doesn't. The pre-race radar is classic rain scenario (coming in from a given direction). But, all the TT laps (did three max) were dry. There were rain clouds on the HUD radar but for all intents and purposes, they didn't move at all despite there being active wind.

So the pre-race radar shows rain clouds moving in, but the TT radar shows rain clouds sitting static. I did two sessions with the same result. I am not really sure what to make of it, either it's going to be purely random or they don't want any wet on the TT laps.

I started a free practice session, checked the radar in the lobby, and saw some random blobs approaching from the north. Then I went onto the track, sat there for 20 minutes, saw nothing on the radar. Now I'm in the lobby again, and there's a huge wall of rain approaching from the west??? And that actually is reflected on the track. I guess we're finally in for some random weather???? I should apologize to PD for assuming they would re-use the same set weather again (but not for any of their other recent event selections...)

I continued the test, and it took about 11 minutes for the rain to move the 7 miles to the (center line of the) track. A lot more realistic than the normal random weather we get, that's for sure, although that still implies 40 mph winds up in the atmosphere somewhere. The wind meter was showing 8 ft/s in the opposite direction, so that won't be helpful... But yeah, it looks like in practice, at least, the weather is rerolled every time you go to the lobby.

 

[911RSR]

My practice for this race didn't gave me much hope for a good result. My fastest lap was a 1:46,6 and in a test race i spun so many times i stopped counting.

RACE 1
GT2 | B/S | 111pts | door 5 | 911 RSR

Qualy was ok, with a 1:47,251 i got P8. So i decided to start on RH.

To make it short: Lap 1 went good and i made it to P6.
But the next lap ruined the whole race. A Lambo went wide in the left hander after the 1st hairpin. I got him on the inside, but as it turns into the right hander, he hits me and i have a violent meeting with Mr. Barry.
During the race i thought he killed me by purpose, but in the replay i saw he just kept his Lambo on the tarmac. So i file this as a normal race accident.
I was down to P13 out of 14. After a Ferrari overtook me and i was damn last, i seriously thought about quitting. But i keept going on because, it only could get better.
I finished P12.




RACE 2
GT2 | B/S | 111pts | door 12 | 911 RSR

Qualy this time got me P6 with a 1:47,207

This time i started on RMs. The start was ok. The 2 guys behind me had problems in turn 1 and this opend a gap behind me, which grew up to 5s.
In the right hander after the 1st hairpin a Ferrari spun and another Ferrari went off road in the double right hander in sector 3. So i inherited P4.
At the end of lap 2 the driver in P2 weirdly decided to stop and change from RM to RH. I never saw him again. Thanks for P3!

The AMG on P2 and me had pretty much the same speed. I tried to push him into a mistake, but he refused to do me that favour.
After lap 7 we both went to change for the RH.
I could see the AMG always having some trouble braking for the 2nd hairpin. So i tried to get him there. In lap 13 i was in the perfect position. I took the inside line, hit the brakes in the right moment and thought i've passed him. But he turned in and hit me pretty hard. I could manage to stay on the track, but lost speed and he went past.

I don't know if he hadn't seen me or did this by purpose.

Same spot, final lap and i was again in a good position. This time he defended on the inside line and i tried to get him outside. But i missed my braking point and went onto the gras.

After that i took it a bit to slowly to bring it home and the Lambo from P4 almost got me.

But i stayed ahead and got P3 with 102 pts, my highest score so far!

 

[Moose78]

I did some laps in Free Practice just now and I definitely got rain. The first lap was completely dry. The rain started on lap 2, getting the moisture gauge up to the first tick. I pitted for IMs for the third lap. By then end of that lap, the moisture gauge was over the second tick and I pitted for Ws for a fourth lap before quitting.

After yesterday's race, I have some big concerns around tire wear in this Mitsubishi. I saw that some drivers yesterday were pitting from RH to RM on lap 7 already. There's no way I could have made the RMs last for 9 laps in this car. I'm worried things could get very sketchy on the ring.

 

[Zorz]

I did some laps in Free Practice just now and I definitely got rain. The first lap was completely dry. The rain started on lap 2, getting the moisture gauge up to the first tick. I pitted for IMs for the third lap. By then end of that lap, the moisture gauge was over the second tick and I pitted for Ws for a fourth lap before quitting.

After yesterday's race, I have some big concerns around tire wear in this Mitsubishi. I saw that some drivers yesterday were pitting from RH to RM on lap 7 already. There's no way I could have made the RMs last for 9 laps in this car. I'm worried things could get very sketchy on the ring.

I imagine you'll be OK with the worst case scenario if there's 3 consecutive dry laps.

The Corvette manages it and I get the impression that car is on the bad side for front tyre wear. It wasn't pleasant towards the end of the third lap and there was a fair amount of extra lifting involved, but it's not like the car just straight up refuses to turn.

I'm more curious how the MR cars that are relatively heavy on their rear tyres will cope if that happens to be honest. I could imagine some Ferraris and Lambos getting quite twitchy once the rears are that heavily worn.

 

[VTEC Driver]

I imagine you'll be OK with the worst case scenario if there's 3 consecutive dry laps.

The Corvette manages it and I get the impression that car is on the bad side for front tyre wear. It wasn't pleasant towards the end of the third lap and there was a fair amount of extra lifting involved, but it's not like the car just straight up refuses to turn.

I'm more curious how the MR cars that are relatively heavy on their rear tyres will cope if that happens to be honest. I could imagine some Ferraris and Lambos getting quite twitchy once the rears are that heavily worn.

I am using the Ford GT, so MR car.
Yesterday at Autopolis the car had a quite balanced tire consumption front and rear and even if the consumption was around 50% the control is still quite good... (or I am too slow to notice issues...)
Of course Nurb is a totally different circuit and could create issues already at 80% tire consumption...

On the other hand I am wondering if after the first lap we need to bet on the rain a change the tires anyway or not.
I mean, let suppose that the rain is coming on lap 2... it is coming when the first cars already passed the boxes or before?
There could be a sort of advantage on being in the last positions (meaning you have more time to observe what is going to happen considering a delay vs the first drivers of around 30-40 seconds)?

Ps. same questions also to @Moose78 that i forgot to quote too

 

[Talon16]

I imagine you'll be OK with the worst case scenario if there's 3 consecutive dry laps.

The Corvette manages it and I get the impression that car is on the bad side for front tyre wear. It wasn't pleasant towards the end of the third lap and there was a fair amount of extra lifting involved, but it's not like the car just straight up refuses to turn.

I'm more curious how the MR cars that are relatively heavy on their rear tyres will cope if that happens to be honest. I could imagine some Ferraris and Lambos getting quite twitchy once the rears are that heavily worn.

I am with Audi on one of my accounts. By the end of lap three, the rears are pretty bad. Maybe 10% left on the driver's side rear.

The irony is the MR cars are so stable on corner exit, I was still running + BB as having the rears dying a lot the car still drives better than having the fronts dying. Meaning, I'd rather have 10% on the rear and 30% on the front than 20% across the board. There are some diminishing returns there for sure but having too much understeer at Nord is brutal, especially in the latter half of the lap. It definitely takes more care on acceleration but the car still drives okay.

I did three laps in the Audi and 2.5 laps (was pushing too hard and went off on lap three) in the Alfa last night and was within .006" of each other fastest laps. Definitely more to be had there but I thought it was funny.