How to take it to the next level in GT7?

Gave it a go tonight.

Only sector I've had previously golded long ago was S4.

Took me 3 tries for S1, many tries for S2, 3 for S3 and 2 for S4. But I am still 1s from gold on full lap after 3 tries.

84km total.

Full lap will need work for sure.

Controller + AT + CSA.

Shared all sectors if you want.
 
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Lomic
Gave it a go tonight.

Only sector I've had previously golded long ago was S4.

Took me 3 tries for S1, many tries for S2, 3 for S3 and 2 for S4. But I am still 1s from gold on full lap after 3 tries.

84km total.

Full lap will need work for sure.

Controller + AT + CSA.

Shared all sectors if you want.
Click to expand...

3 tries and 1 second to GOLD is superb! What assists you have?

S1 I can do GOLD 40% of time, S2 maybe 10-15% of time, S3 - 80% of time and by a large margin, S4 - 70% of time and by a margin too. S3 and S4 I am very confident. S1 is the beginning of lap, so I can restart if it is not perfect. S2 ruins it for me, compromises the rest.
 
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Lightpilgrim
On Dec 31st I started a thread as I was seeking for help on how to properly start GT7. I got a lot of help and found this community very mature and helpful. Since that time I dod progress a bit:
  1. Have 51 Menu Books done
  2. Achieved Collector Level 50
  3. Have a couple of care from the invites (Aston, Ferrari, Pagani, Porsche and Lambo)
  4. Took part in 3 online events and was 3 times on podium
  5. Earned 70M mostly driving around Le Mans on a McLaren 750
  6. Did get Gold in Monza Circuit Experience
View attachment 1427606
Overall, I am glad this game exists! I see that it is helping me to sharpen my reflexes, deepens my passions for cars and also helps to understand how cars behave on a trace track. Also, you have this thrill of competing.

Now I want to take it to the next level and have some more questions that I have listed down. Thanks for all the help so far!

MORE QUESTIONS:
  1. Why under the blue flags AI would not move aside and would rather battle for position?
  2. Is there a reason to play the game on a higher level of difficulty? Tye reward system is not impacted by it.
  3. Is there a wat to know somehow among the people competing who is using a steering wheel and who is on a controller?
  4. Anything you have seen as a good guide, material as a reference point to set up a controller to be faster?
  5. Can you be as fast on a controller as you are with the wheel?
  6. What was your personal approach to learn the CE and get a Gold? What was your path and what helped you the most?
  7. Is there any point to keep the line and breaking area assists or you are faster without?
  8. I want to find a way to learn the breaking point and acceleration point and need some reference. When Inset a ghost, I really cannot see the breaking point. ny good way to learn it? I have a feeling that this will make me much faster…knowing where to break and how to accelerate off the corner
  9. Is it possible to get a super license on controller and get MP4/4 for free?
  10. I have so far participated in 2-3 online events and see that I have E and B in my profile. What should it be as a good level?
Click to expand...
Great progress so far! I'll try and answer some of these questions, from my viewpoint:
1. The AI (excluding Sophy) leaves a lot to be desired, so they do what they do :lol:
2. Not really, no. Unless you want to push yourself. Some of the offline races are exponentially more difficult than others, no zero reason, so I just leave it on the easiest setting now just cause I don't have the time to do races a couple times because I'm chasing the rabbit that imo is too far ahead.
3. It used to be sudden-moving cars was the tell with some controller drivers. Now, there isn't a way to tell AFAIK.
4. Not sure, haven't used a controller since the GT5P days
5. 100% yes, just as Holl01, a former GTP member and back in the old GT4 WRS days he'd just flip back and forth for fun.
6. Trial and error for me, along with the License Tests. The CE's are a little easier in that you do a few in the same car, but some cars require TLC and it can be hard to know how you 'should' drive vs. how you 'think' you should drive before starting these sessions.
7. I find the lines super distracting and not helpful at all. What IS helpful are the braking zone marks on either side of the track. I usually brake at them, or just before them, or as between two of them, etc.
8. See#7. And, it depends on the car you are driving. Some cars you MUST be pointed straight before you even think about hitting the gas. Other cars, the exact moment you cross the apex you need to slam the gas to be fast. More trial and error, and make some notes on the side about what you are seeing/feeling along with the drivetrain (FR, FF, MR, 4WD) and you'll get better and making mental notes on how to drive a similar car again later.
9. I'm sure it's possible and people have done it, maybe search YT for some tips on controller?
10. I think everyone who puts in standard effort should have an S rating for Sportsmanship, otherwise strive to get into the A for driver rating could be a good long term goal. Asking these questions is great, the more you learn, along with effort, the faster you'll get. GL!


Jerome
 
Lightpilgrim
Maybe. I only have 10 fingers:-) I have just started driving with no assists. I think I will do it all in stages….:-)


Well….I did try several more laps. Got to within 1 sec from GOLD, even less than 0,5 sec from GOLD. So close again, but so far away still….

Click to expand...

T7 you can brake a little later
T9 you hit the brakes too much, you should be able to stay in 4th gear and carry through
T10 can brake later

I think there's times that you're coasting TOO much into turns. Sometimes it's fine to set yourself up for the exit, but there's a lot of lost time not getting on the throttle sooner.

Manual gear selection really helps for times when you need the car to rotate a little bit, or prevent the car from spinning in low speed turns. Being able to upshift through a corner is a huge time saver and you might nail gold if you utilize it correctly.
 
happycorey
T7 you can brake a little later
T9 you hit the brakes too much, you should be able to stay in 4th gear and carry through
T10 can brake later

I think there's times that you're coasting TOO much into turns. Sometimes it's fine to set yourself up for the exit, but there's a lot of lost time not getting on the throttle sooner.

Manual gear selection really helps for times when you need the car to rotate a little bit, or prevent the car from spinning in low speed turns. Being able to upshift through a corner is a huge time saver and you might nail gold if you utilize it correctly.
Click to expand...
You are right. When I saw your lap, this is what became clear- you spend more time on a throttle!

What I see I need to master in Spa is this:
  • turn 1 and Eau Rouge
  • Turn 9 and 10 (I think I loose 0,5 there)
  • rest of the track just coast less and more on throttle

If I will do it, I will get GOLD.


Update:
I tried 4 full laps today as I had 15 min.
All 4 were within 1 sec. One was 0.8 off GOLD. Kind of not too much if you think a full lap is 2 min and 18 sec, but not good enough:-)

I am now very clear where I struggle and need to sit down and do more work on eliminating these mistakes. I did try to coast less, be more on a throttle. Tried to exit T1 better.

Overall, this is where I think I am loosing GOLD:
1. About 0.2 sec in S1
2. About 0.4 sec in S2
3. About 0.2 sec across all of S3 and S4, but mainly a transition from S2 to S3. Bad S2 kills my lap.

 
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That is some dedication for Gold at SPA CE - Kudos for the proper approach.

Lightpilgrim
8. I want to find a way to learn the breaking point and acceleration point and need some reference. When Inset a ghost, I really cannot see the breaking point. ny good way to learn it? I have a feeling that this will make me much faster…knowing where to break and how to accelerate off the corner
Click to expand...
Just 5 cents from me on something about Ghosts and replays from Best players in Weekly TTs.
Maybe you already know, but it took me some time to realize.
So if select Online TT and go to RANKS (podium button) instead of Go to track (Green button) - you can watch replays of Top Ranked drivers.
Unlike when being on Track and going to RANK - then you can only load their ghost.

This way you can see their laps from many angles.
Hope that helps.

/edt. some wording correction
 
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This REALLY hurts!!!

IMG_6205.jpeg
IMG_6204.jpeg
 
Lightpilgrim
Well done. This is a bit too much to handle now, but I will try to learn. How did you learn? Any tutorial you can recommend? Anything that helped you?

Is this a default ghost? What is the offset? 0.3 or 0.4?
Click to expand...

I first started playing GT during the pandemic (April 2020) with GT Sport, so I have a fair bit of experience.

For starting on Manual, I recommend the Magic Mountain Fiat 500 Mission race. A 17 HP car on a circuit with a steep incline is a good place to learn when and where to shift. From there, you then gradually move up to more powerful cars (like the Radical at Brands Hatch circuit experience, which needs to be short shifted before the bar is half full for maximum pace).

The basic rule of thumb is lower gears for acceleration and/or turning, higher gears for top speed and/or stability. The ultimate goal is to keep practicing until shifting becomes natural instinct to you.

I’m more of an instinctive driver, so shifting comes as naturally as breathing to me, but my braking and throttle control lacks precision (and thus consistency).

I was using the demo ghost with a 0.3 offset. Makes it easier for me to tell whether I’m faster or slower than my own ghost in the Sport Mode Time Trials without being too distracting.
 
RX8 Racer
I first started playing GT during the pandemic (April 2020) with GT Sport, so I have a fair bit of experience.

For starting on Manual, I recommend the Magic Mountain Fiat 500 Mission race. A 17 HP car on a circuit with a steep incline is a good place to learn when and where to shift. From there, you then gradually move up to more powerful cars (like the Radical at Brands Hatch circuit experience, which needs to be short shifted before the bar is half full for maximum pace).

The basic rule of thumb is lower gears for acceleration and/or turning, higher gears for top speed and/or stability. The ultimate goal is to keep practicing until shifting becomes natural instinct to you.

I’m more of an instinctive driver, so shifting comes as naturally as breathing to me, but my braking and throttle control lacks precision (and thus consistency).

I was using the demo ghost with a 0.3 offset. Makes it easier for me to tell whether I’m faster or slower than my own ghost in the Sport Mode Time Trials without being too distracting.
Click to expand...
I think I will try to get GOLD still in AT, bur then I will at least try MT. Somehow I think it is too many things to do on a small controller. But I will give it a try later, after I get GOLD at Spa.

Somehow it is not that easy for me. I think I am learning and progressing, but it is a big effort and it takes more time that I was hoping it will
 
Lightpilgrim
Well done. This is a bit too much to handle now, but I will try to learn. How did you learn? Any tutorial you can recommend? Anything that helped you?

Is this a default ghost? What is the offset? 0.3 or 0.4?
Click to expand...
If you go manual, don't switch back. Your time will suffer initially but quickly you will figure it out and time will come. Just do it. Don't wait. It's the first next level thing that everyone who really wants to get better should do. I drove auto for every release in this series until GT7. I made the switch and I'm a WAY faster driver and more consistent as well You can find the hidden speed when properly shifting a car for the power it makes and in the way it makes it. Figuring out the shifting feels daunting at first but it quickly becomes muscle memory. You aren't unlearning a thing, you are adding to what you already learned. Much easier...

Long story short, just switch to manual. Right now. 😂🍻
 
I figured I would do another lap but with the AT transmission. I think you could run much faster if you learned MT but it is certainly possible to get gold with AT.

 
Morning, guys! I thought about giving an update and will ask for some more ideas.

OVERALL: still not able to GOLD full lap at Spa. It is not coming easy for me, but I see an improvement for sure. Some sections of the track are easy for me, like S3 and S4. I am consistently able to do S3 nicely and most of the time S4. I have even improved S1 as I noticed where I am loosing time and tried to take it differently. S2, however is my weakest point and now I am certain: no S2, no GOLD in Spa. Or in a more positive way, if I will master S2 in Spa, I will be able to get GOLD for full lap. And what a joy a satisfaction it will be!

Most of my laps in Spa are 0.5 to 1.0 sec from GOLD. Best of them are 0.2 or 0.3 off and one attempt was just 0.05 off. The best time came when I did S1 and S2 better.

SECTOR 2 STRUGGLES:
First it starts from the first breaking point here. From all the attempts I have done, I see that I need to start break right at the 100 mark or a fraction before in order not to compromise the exit.

IMG_6231.jpeg


Then right after is the kerb on the right and an apex on the left. I need to use the kerb on the right just a tiny bit, not too deep or it will skot me down and will compromise the way I take the next apex

IMG_6225.jpeg


Then is the apex and here I sometimes struggle with the acceleration as I do not use any TC, so I need to be careful with steering, positioning of the car and turning, while accelerating. Hard section for me - first moment where I start loosing time in S2

IMG_6226.jpeg


Then is another part with a lot of coasting to the right and again, I need to be relatively close to the kerb on the right, but not on it as I will compromise the rest of it. This I am able to do.

IMG_6228.jpeg


And now we get to a point where my S2 is lost 95% of the time. Accelerating, touching the kerb on the left, accelerating and breaking, touching the kerb on the right, turning a lot and accelerating a lot without the wheel-spin and in such a way that I will not go off track before the straight.

IMG_6229.jpeg


This is my recent attempt. I did GOLD, but it is 10% of the time that I do it. 80% is SILVER and mostly 0.3-0.5 off.



How do I master it? If I will be able to GOLD S2 70–80% of the time, I will do a full lap. I have some strong sectors, like S3 where I can gain a bit of time to compensate for some losses in S2 or S1, but only it this is 0,1-0,2, not half a second.

I do AT, only ABS and test of the assists are off. From the mindset stand point, I need to follow what I have once heard from Nico Rosberg when I saw him speak. He said that the key to win a title in 2016 was “marginal gains”. This is what I need to do, get better just a tiny bit in every corner of the lap.
 
Lightpilgrim
From the mindset stand point, I need to follow what I have once heard from Nico Rosberg when I saw him speak. He said that the key to win a title in 2016 was “marginal gains”. This is what I need to do, get better just a tiny bit in every corner of the lap.
Click to expand...
This is definitely the right mindset!
If you want to take it to the next level, you can try taking late apex in corners. This allows you to brake later and carry more speed out of the corner.

For example, if you look at where I take the apex of turn 8 (I missed the apex on turn 9 though), it's a lot later than you. This allows me to carry more speed on corner exit (around 10 km/h), since I can accelerate earlier and in a straighter line.



Spa-Francorchamps_of_Belgium.svg.png
 
Beautiful driving! Seriously! So masterful!
A pleasure to watch. I struggle to believe it can be done on a controller, but here you are…doing it. So where exactly is your breaking point there? Right after 100? How are you still able to make a corner this way? I tried breaking later, but I am not able to make a corner.

imChris
This is definitely the right mindset!
If you want to take it to the next level, you can try taking late apex in corners. This allows you to brake later and carry more speed out of the corner.

For example, if you look at where I take the apex of turn 8 (I missed the apex on turn 9 though), it's a lot later than you. This allows me to carry more speed on corner exit (around 10 km/h), since I can accelerate earlier and in a straighter line.



View attachment 1430799
Click to expand...
 
Lightpilgrim
Beautiful driving! Seriously! So masterful!
A pleasure to watch. I struggle to believe it can be done on a controller, but here you are…doing it. So where exactly is your breaking point there? Right after 100? How are you still able to make a corner this way? I tried breaking later, but I am not able to make a corner.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the kind words! As for the braking point, it is just before the 100 board, which I think is the same as you. As for how I'm able to make the corner, I start pointing the car into the corner slightly after I start braking. This "squares off" the corner, reducing the amount of time I need to spend rotating the car, thus allowing me to brake later. I also trail brake very slightly at the end of the braking zone to help with rotation.

When rewatching the videos, I did notice you're going about 7 km/h faster than me at the apex of turn 8. This is probably what's causing you to go wide and understeer into an early apex of turn 9, thus compromising your exit speed of said corner.

Screenshot_20250222_141939_Brave.jpg

Screenshot_20250222_142012_Brave.jpg
 

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