Need help with Super Formula races

[Arewethere]

I’ve tried doing the super formula races in amateur league and can’t win any of them. The closest I got was third on the last race.

Do I need to download a tune to win these races? Any tips or helpful advice?

 

[MaxAttack]

Trust the downforce and carry more speed through the corner. The more trust you place in the grip, the more sections you will realise you can take flat out. Open wheel downforce cars like the SF Dallara are actually more stable cornering at higher speed. Hope this helps. I left Suzuka for last as I found it the most challenging.

 

[TonyJZX]

I used a HSG tune but I feel its not necessary. I used a 320km/h final drive on all tracks.

I did them all gold except Suzuka of which I'm 2nd.

The AI cheats in that on straights they used hyper super PD boost so you need to guard against that however on many of the faster corners they are painfully slow, this is where you strike. Fuji is an excellent example.

What helped me on Tokyo is to always visualise the straightest line thru the curved hwy straights and of course avoid all walls.

I think these races early on feel demoralising because you come 9th then 6th then 3rd etc. and it feels like an uphill battle but you'll get there.

Std. racetrack philosophy on Fuji etc. I think also you should probably get used to not braking so much... its what I do with the x2014 and W08 and to a lesser extent on the SF19s.

If I have a bunch of chained corners you can sort of back off to 3rd, maybe brake lightly but try to coast thru the corners using all the track, even the curbs and just using mechanical/tyre grip. Driving open wheelers is a different thing to even GT3 and LMP-h cars.

 

[Arewethere]

Very informative, thank you guys. Will try these methods when I get home.

 

[Veinz]

Minkihl has a good setup in the tuning section on this site. Not sure if it really needs max downforce though.

I’d post the link but i’m on mobile atm.

 

[BlazeTheCat05]

If you're using a controller, try setting your controller steering sensitivity to 7. Helps a lot!

 

[MaxAttack]

If you're using a controller, try setting your controller steering sensitivity to 7. Helps a lot!

Is this a good adjustment to make overall,or just for downforce cars?

 

[BlazeTheCat05]

Is this a good adjustment to make overall,or just for downforce cars?

At first, I had it only for high downforce cars, but after driving road cars and lower end race cars, I found it to be a much more enjoyable experience. The steering doesn't feel as numb as it is on sensitivity level 0. I would definitely recommend it, because I was like everyone else, struggling with the SF19 and X2014 championships. Adjusting the sensitivity to 7 helped a lot.

 

[MaxAttack]

At first, I had it only for high downforce cars, but after driving road cars and lower end race cars, I found it to be a much more enjoyable experience. The steering doesn't feel as numb as it is on sensitivity level 0. I would definitely recommend it, because I was like everyone else, struggling with the SF19 and X2014 championships. Adjusting the sensitivity to 7 helped a lot.

I'll play around with it, thanks

 

[SpaceMaN47y0]

On the Tokyo race I found you just have to run clean laps, any wall contact slows you down way too much. Took me at least 6 tries, as on the last lap I would take the lead then get passed by the same guy who started 10th. The race I won I didn't use overtake at all until the final lap, then used it to boost out of nearly every corner. I've run the other 2 races a couple times, best is 11th at Suzuka (yikes) and 5th at Fuji. I've been up to 2nd at Fuji but can't finish it off, usually press too hard on the last lap and off it. I like that they're not super easy races though, makes it fun.

 

[Taxrik]

At Suzuka stay with the car in front through ‘the snake’ as I find they often drift wide at turn 6 (if you treat the first hairpin as two corners) letting you slip through inside them and trust the downforce through the snake too, you should be able to go through the corners 1 gear higher than the red box number.

 

[Pedinhuh]

Never downshift into 1st and 2nd gears(you will need manual transmission for that).

Avoid using brakes for all corners like you normally would in any non downforce car, the SF19 has enough down force to carry itself through most corners in Suzuka flat-out.

Save the "overtake mode" to main straights where you can reach the final gear only.

AI tends to cheat on the straights and may blitz past you, no worries there, focus on overtaking them in corners were they go too slow.

Don't be afraid to use countersteering assist if you're still struggling with the car.

 

[slang_k]

Great to know that I'm not the only one struggling with these cars . . .

 

[Taxrik]

Did Suzuka again last night. They also brake early into first corner of spoon. If you get a slipstream out of the hairpin then drift wide around the long right-hander putting you inside them for the first spoon corner and don’t brake until they do you should get a car a lap there too. Means a tight line round spoon 1 but doable.

 

[Dess81]

My rating of the most hard events in GT career (openweels cars):
1. F-1500
2. Super Formula
3. F1

Opponents in Super Formula are so fast. I got all golds in 2-3 hours. I almost won the gold in Suzuka, but opponents stole my gold in the finish. AI is really cheating on the finish lane. So you need to see your back every time. It's not hard to be 2nd, but it's hard to be first.
I didn't use any special setups, only soft tires. Fuji is really easy, I can win almost every time. Tokio is hard, I was lucky to win it for 2 tries. Suzuka is hard, I need about 20 tries to win gold. But it's much more easy then F-1500. I think it's almost impossible to win F-1500 without setup.

 

[TonyJZX]

I await the day we get professional level SF19 events... this will make everyone cry, me included.

IMO I think the F1 Suzuka event is just a tad more difficult to do than the SF19... the W08 is just a much harder car to drive.

 

[snakeismycat]

My problem is the AI cars block, over correct and change their driving line, or brake check you. It's very frustrating.

 

[Darapalooza]

If you're using a controller, try setting your controller steering sensitivity to 7. Helps a lot!

Just discovered this setting the other day and it has been a game changer for me, for all vehicle types.

 

[Remy Zero]

I feel the super formula is easier to handle. The F1500 is really tough between gears 1-3 because of the turbo kicking in. It's easy to spin off if you are not careful.

The Super Formula, well you can win by being careful and consistent. I won in Suzuka without the boost button. Also won Dragon Trail without the boost. They AI slows down in the esses, there's where you strike them, down**** and lift, do not brake.

That being said, i'm still trying in Tokyo. Got a close 2nd.

 

[BloodRaven]

I feel the super formula is easier to handle. The F1500 is really tough between gears 1-3 because of the turbo kicking in. It's easy to spin off if you are not careful.

The Super Formula, well you can win by being careful and consistent. I won in Suzuka without the boost button. Also won Dragon Trail without the boost. They AI slows down in the esses, there's where you strike them, down**** and lift, do not brake.

That being said, i'm still trying in Tokyo. Got a close 2nd.

Your tips on Dragon Trail are spot on. I found out on lap 2 that if I stayed full in the throttle, I can take the esses at full speed and the AI will slow down on the 2nd and/or 3rd one. I passed quite a few AI cars at that point on the track. Also, I run with my brake bias set at -5 (full front). With that, I can brake very late going into the chicane just before the start/finish line and get a good run coming out of it.

For Suzuka, I found that lifting a bit in the esses, instead of actually braking, allowed me to get through them much quicker. I think turns 2 and 4 are the only ones where I actually hit the brake (only slightly, never full), but the rest I just lifted a bit and made it through just fine. I run full downforce on both Formula cars. It scrubs off a bit of top speed, but most of the tracks those cars race on don't see a lot of high speed driving for long distances. I try to set my gearing to have a tiny bit left at the end of the longest straight on any particular track (in case I get in the slipstream of another car).
My Achilles heel on Suzuka is, and always has been, Degner Curve (turn 8). It doesn't seem like a very sharp turn, but if you're not on the right line you'll wind up in the sand and lose a ton of time. And if you don't get that one right, then it sets up up for failure at turn 9.

 

[RussRobit]

I just tried the Suzuka race again. Left all aids and tuning options on default except for a change to softs and I didn't use the boost. My strategy was to draft then pass on the inside in braking zones and timing it so I was coasting or balancing the throttle through the corners. Let the aero do it's job by keeping the car in a balanced state. Won by 2 seconds with a clean race bonus. This strategy works for all the open wheel aero races. Of course knowing the track well helps alot.