Le Mans Car - Imola
Version 134 with patch 136
Overall: Biggest improvement so far in all departments. A major step in the right direction
TURN IN: turning power, giving the driver total discretion on the line of the car on approach to corners, was fixed previously. What is better now is the initial turn in so that the driver can put attitude into the car using a faster rate of turn, or adding more steering.
This means that the car darts into high speed corners like Piratella much better and then it’s a case of guiding it through on a mix of power & corrective steering.
It has also improved low speed corners like Tosa – the nose feels much more connected in the mid corner and, crucially, it does not over react into over steer when you apply the throttle.
The turn in sensation was absolutely critical in re-creating the lifelike handling characteristics of a modern racing car and means that the sim now responds to the drivers choices on racing line, entry speed, suspension set up. Fantastic.
BRAKING: to me it feels like the braking response is faster between locking and unlocking. As though the processor is working harder to respond to driver input – an improvement on what already felt like a strength. There seems to be some margin now between stopping or rapidly departing the black stuff.
CORNER ENTRY: there seems to be more grip after the initial slide and in true-to-life style this allows the driver to throw speed at the corner without being bitten by major understeer or oversteer. Works superbly at Tamburello and Villeneuve where previously the change of direction caused major upset to the balance.
ON POWER: As above there seems to be far more tolerance in the tyre allowing you to glide away from corners. The combo of corner entry and on power grip after the car “takes a set”, works particularly well at Rivazza. Previously this corner was a real point and squirt exercise. Now you can carry speed in on trailing throttle and pick up gradually, very close to reality.
One area we could still improve, if its possible, is on straight line traction. On corner exit with a machine like the LMP, with big slick tyres and downforce, you tend to have more grip after the initial slip on hard acceleration. For instance on the exit of Aqua Minerali once the car has done the majority of turning and is physically pointing uphill, the wheelspin would die down and especially if you short shift the gears. Even if the wheelspin carries on there would be less lateral skidding going on – that reads badly but what I mean basically is the car should have slightly more lateral grip there.
Other than that, wow, what a simulator. I had been spinning off so much previously but now that I am in control of the car and it responds accordingly, it’s really a pure racing experience!
What is a fast genuine lap time around Imola from you guys now in the LMP?
Spa
I had a look around Spa which I realise is under construction.
VISION: For some reason I find that the way that the circuit drops away makes it harder to see ahead and the lack of vision makes it tricky to see where you’re going, even at Les Combes which is a fairly simple corner. It’s as though you cannot see far enough ahead.
Also at hairpins I can’t see the corner and I believe Ian had a solution for this in the options window but I have failed to discover it so far.
Regards key points around Spa, things like brake markers are really essential as are the trees at Eau Rouge. There is a point in the middle of Eau Rouge where you read the tree tops to guage when to turn left…!! So I hope they paint these in..!
CORNERS:
Pouhon – corner entry seemed a bit too tight, corner exit a bit too open..
KERBS – Bruxelles, Campus and especially Stavelot have bigger (some taller, some wider) kerbs, which you can ride accordingly in most cars. They seem rathr narrow and standard at present.
