Penalty serving

[ststav01]

Due to the discussion in the "Daily Race Discussion" thread, I decided to start a new one - so what is your strategy when it comes to penalty serving - when you get a penalty do you stop and serve it immediately (by "immediately" I mean stopping in the first proper occasion - long straight or place where you will not destroy others race) or you drive with the penalty until the finish line?

Of course, if you have > 10 sec penalty, you should stop due to the accumulation of more seconds, but I'm interested in the other scenarios when you have less than 10 secs. Personally I've tried both ways - serving it immediately or driving until the finish and hoping for the best - after my last couple of races I think that it would be better to drive with the penalty but...who knows, so what's your strategy?

 

[Veinz]

I have been serving it on the pit straights way off the race line, but it seems to just screw me over even more in the long run. So I think I'll just start to try and finish the race with them.

 

[Robben]

Nowadays I usually carry to the end, since a couple of updates ago (I think 1.13) you have to slow down so much to reduce the timer that you lose more time than just carrying it.

 

[ststav01]

I have been serving it on the pit straights way off the race line, but it seems to just screw me over even more in the long run. So I think I'll just start to try and finish the race with them.

Same here, I think serving it immediately just makes things worse, especially if there is traffic that you would have to try overtaking again...

 

[Sven Jurgens]

Never serve it during the race unless it exceeds 10 sec. Dropping down only makes things worse.

If I get punted and crash then I'll let any penalty count down before speeding up again as I'm already stopped anyway.

If the gap is big enough behind me I'll take it past the finish line.

If not then it becomes a game of slowing down at the right moment to crawl over the finish line exactly when the timer reaches zero. I'm done dropping down places for penalties I don't deserve, so let it be who can cross the finish the slowest. I put my flashers on and pull all the way over first. If you brake hard you'll be ghosted after reaching a certain speed so you're not in the way.

Never serve it on the pit entrance, or in the last corner, only in a clearly visible place with no one directly behind you. If I can't slow down for the finish due to someone drafting me, so be it. I won't mess up his race. Chances are he has a bigger penalty than me....

 

[banckzy]

I will carry to the end if there's enough of a gap from the person behind whereby I don't lose my place.

If not, I will attempt to scrub it throughout the final lap by lifting throttle near end of straights and coming out of corners. Not by slamming on the brakes on the last corner apex!

 

[Jamie Bbbbb]

You have to look at the situation, because the ideal plan is always to serve it on the finish line. If you have a sizeable penalty and genuinely fear that you will pick up more penalty later on in the race, then it is best to pull to the side whenever you can CLEANLY do so and serve what you have before it goes up above that 10s mark (I thought it was 5s?), and regroup from there. You might also want to think about other factors - you could maybe put off a penalty so that you can try to undercut a battling group ahead at the pit stops, and serve it later in the race after you've pulled away from them. So it's all situational.

 

[Crazy Taylor]

At the line. Shave off time just before you finish. Theres an art to it.

 

[ststav01]

Lifting the throttle to serve the penalty is not working as it used to work in some of the previous versions unfortunately - now you need to slow down to a point where you are almost stationary in order to reduce the time, so this is far from effective strategy IMO

 

[Lord Grey]

There are good and bad places to serve penalties on every track, too. Take a look at the YouTube channel @Tidgney runs (https://www.youtube.com/user/tidgney/videos) and search for "Track Guide". He takes you through a track in slow motion, then in real time, then talks about good places to serve penalties and where to pass. Excellent stuff.

 

[KK78]

There are good and bad places to serve penalties on every track, too. Take a look at the YouTube channel @Tidgney runs (https://www.youtube.com/user/tidgney/videos) and search for "Track Guide". He takes you through a track in slow motion, then in real time, then talks about good places to serve penalties and where to pass. Excellent stuff.

I watch his stuff, good content although as Ststav01 says simply trying to coast of penalties or remove them when slowing in the corners doesn't work a lot of the time anymore as you have to slow a great deal more to remove them. So much so in fact that they are a real joke sometimes, a 2 second penalty can often take about 5 seconds to get rid of.

I will typically try and remove them in a race but due to the penalties now working more as I've just said I think I'll take my chances more and get rid on the line or just accept them at race end.

 

[Venster]

Typically I will carry them now, I think they are slightly easier to lose in the latest update maybe?

Earlier though I had a 5 second penalty, (my fault) usually carry it but on this occasion I thought, it’s the last lap I will drain a bit just before the finish line. Worked perfectly drained the penalty completely only problem was it wasn’t the last lap , took me quite a while to realise as well most of field passed me. Note to self - always carry penalties and check what lap you are on!!!

 

[TamasToth]

I just feel so embarrassed to come here learning how to serve the penalties. Penalties mostly get because of "brave" braking point ideas of opponents. I can not judge at the moment if I have to learn going "this way" or I'd better not to care about all this, simply stop attending online races...
This system is so dumb in general fundaments of judging, that we should have to learn how it works, instead of being straightforward and invisible.

 

[Pedinhuh]

I usually check the partial time of the driver behind me and see if my penalty is not longer than the partial time.

If it's longer, obviously it's not worth the hassle to ruin your pace so I just keep on racing and trying my best to wide the gap until the finish line.

 

[Pedinhuh]

At the line. Shave off time just before you finish. Theres an art to it.

Ugh, you have no idea how many folks I rear-ended because they slammed on the brakes near the finish line, it makes me nuts!

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

If I have to scrub the penalty I usually look for a straight before a chicane. Then I get to the inside of the straight and serve the penalty, only entering the chicane when it's clear. I usually time it so it'll be clear when I start up again.

 

[353 Hemi]

I will usually carry mine and try to lose it in corners. If it's a big penalty, 10+ seconds, I will slow down on straightaways and keep an eye on my rearview. Mind you, I haven't played in over a month, possibly two, and from reading some comments it looks like recent updates have made this method harder to implement as it appears you have to basically come to a complete stop for the penalty to start ticking away. May have to play this weekend and see for my self.

 

[fastone371]

If you have a 10s penalty are you guys saying it increases if you dont serve it right away???
I usually serve penalties leaving pit lane after a pit stop if there is room (not much room at Interlagos/Brands Hatch) but it also depends where the cars Im fighting are. If I dont have a big enough gap over the car behind to serve my penalty I will carry it to the finish line. Do they assess you penalties in only whole seconds at finish line?? (IE 1.264 = 2,000 if carried across finish line???) Some tracks you can pick up the accelerator a little late on corner exit and scrub off a few tenths per lap if nobody is near. Sometimes I will serve a penalty immediately if I have 3-4 cars fighting for position directly in front of me so that when I catch them hopefully they in the bunker and easy to pass.

 

[Crazy Taylor]

If you have a 10s penalty are you guys saying it increases if you dont serve it right away???
I usually serve penalties leaving pit lane after a pit stop if there is room (not much room at Interlagos/Brands Hatch) but it also depends where the cars Im fighting are. If I dont have a big enough gap over the car behind to serve my penalty I will carry it to the finish line. Do they assess you penalties in only whole seconds at finish line?? (IE 1.264 = 2,000 if carried across finish line???) Some tracks you can pick up the accelerator a little late on corner exit and scrub off a few tenths per lap if nobody is near. Sometimes I will serve a penalty immediately if I have 3-4 cars fighting for position directly in front of me so that when I catch them hopefully they in the bunker and easy to pass.

Yeah penalties after 10s increase until you get 1 minute of penalties. Then a 20 second timer will start and kick you if you dont lose it. Penalties are also rounded up to next second (at the finish line), ex 0.999 > 1 second, 1.001 >2 seconds.

 

[petesj26]

In lower SR ranks serving a penalty is easier. During a Myabi R33 a pile up took my SR down to A and I could reduce the penalty by coasting turn 1. After getting back to SR/S this wouldn't work and I'd have to slow right down.

I carry penalties until the end. Unless I spin etc. Sometimes it's the most efficient way to do it. Plus you can't be hit by someone not expecting to be doing 20mph on the side of a straight.

 

[ASH32]

Yes lower rated drivers (both SR and DR) can get away with more contact without penalty or with a smaller penalty then a S/S rated person (for example) would get and they can even get the person they hit a bigger penalty than they get, if the person they hit are a higher rated driver, as the game deems the higher rated driver as at fault and at lower ranks you can also reduce the penalties quicker and easier too, it's a real smart and fair system.

To serve penalties at S/S you have to brake in a non-braking zone or not accelerate out of corners and this causes utter chaos, it's just a ridiculous system in it's entirety.

Also it should be noted that you can't serve penalties under a yellow either, it will not go down.

 

[OutlawQuadrnt]

I always carry my penalties to the end. I'll only stop at the line if I could lose a position if I don't scrub it off.

 

[StuntmanRich]

Can you get a penalty for crossing the white line on the pit exit? Someone nearly took me out at Suzuka doing that.

Pretty sure you can get one going in (think I have straight lining the entry at Interlagos as I left the pit with a 2 second penalty that I did not enter with).

 

[ASH32]

Not on exit no, in fact someone can swerve across the track hit you and get you one, both when you are exiting the pits, still in the exit lane and if you are on the normal racing line and they exit the pits like an idiot.

It's possible to get penalties going in the pits on some tracks, as some areas between the pit in lane and the track count as off track, cut across there and you'll get one for track cutting, I'd guess that's what happened at Interlagos.

 

[StuntmanRich]

Not on exit no, in fact someone can swerve across the track hit you and get you one, both when you are exiting the pits, still in the exit lane and if you are on the normal racing line and they exit the pits like an idiot.

It's possible to get penalties going in the pits on some tracks, as some areas between the pit in lane and the track count as off track, cut across there and you'll get one for track cutting, I'd guess that's what happened at Interlagos.

They really should do something about that.

 

[phil_75]

I thought it was 5 seconds not 10???

 

[ststav01]

I thought it was 5 seconds not 10???

Used to be 5 - now it is 10

 

[fastone371]

They need to do something about track limits too. Monza and Interlagos seem real easy to get penalties for cutting corners or going wide, especially the last left of the last chicane at Monza yet at Suzuka at 130R I had some guy trying to pass me on the outside that was dam near at the esses on exit.

 

[StuntmanRich]

They need to do something about track limits too. Monza and Interlagos seem real easy to get penalties for cutting corners or going wide, especially the last left of the last chicane at Monza yet at Suzuka at 130R I had some guy trying to pass me on the outside that was dam near at the esses on exit.

You can properly cut the hairpin at Lago Maggiore too.

 

[ASH32]

They need to do something about track limits too. Monza and Interlagos seem real easy to get penalties for cutting corners or going wide, especially the last left of the last chicane at Monza yet at Suzuka at 130R I had some guy trying to pass me on the outside that was dam near at the esses on exit.

You can get a penalty there but you have to go way deep but yes I agree, it seems the limits are either too relaxed or too strict depending on the track.