Time Trial League - Rd3 - Portimao

Round 3 of the GP4 F1 Virtual and friends Hot Lap league is at the beautiful and faithfully recreated Portimao track in the Algarve in Portugal by F1 Virtual. 

A simply explanation of the rules is that we all start with 10 laps of fuel in a free practice session, with only 1 car on track, and only basic setup changes allowed (wing levels, gear ratios and brake balance). All the rest of the settings are 'out the box' GP4 settings. There is also strict track limits enforced, driving within the white lines, though kerbs are allowed, you must keep at least one wheel on track at all times. 

The track, as well as undulating, has a great flow, a nice collection of corners, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time pounding round on both keyboard and steering wheel. On this track, more than many other GP4 tracks, I felt I could explore different lines even on the keyboard to try and get good times. There's always a complaint that GP4 on the keyboard feels a bit too much it was on rails, but here you could manipulate that line at various parts of the track a bit more. There's lots of freedom on this fairly wide track on the wheel too. 

My approach to hot lapping

I did just over 100 laps around here, around 60 on the keyboard and slightly less on the wheel. The first thing is to decide on a setup. On the keyboard, my personal experience found the higher the downforce setting the better, though I ran with around 17 level wings, I probably should have gone higher. I could make gains with a low downforce setting in sector 1 and 3, but I couldn't make it work around sector 2. On the wheel, I could run less downforce, but I ran out of time experimenting. I was using around 15 level of wing downforce, though I was getting good sector times with around level 12 setting, I just ran out of time putting the whole lap together. To be honest, I'm pretty bad at setting up a car, I'd rather just get in and drive with what I have, so the basic setup changes suits me quite well, otherwise I'd have to hire an engineer! 

My best time on the keyboard was 1.21.970 - though I think I could beat that if I spent all my time using the keyboard, and using more wing. 

The best time on the wheel in the end was 1.21.302 - again there is more time there, especially with more time playing with less wing. 

I found turn 1 quite a challenge, on the keyboard, you have to try and not go too fast so that you can make the corner but you want the momentum into turns 2 and 3. On the wheel, I was quite cautious in the end. 

In turn 4 on the keyboard, in order to get around it full throttle, I had to initiate a slight slide and drift my way around it without losing too much acceleration/time. 

I found on the wheel, you would lost a bit of braking performance if you were on the kerbs whilst hitting the brakes. 

Turns 10/11 offered different lines, on the keyboard, I kept quite tight on entry to get me around the corner, but on the wheel I had a wide entry, which lost time on the way in, but I could straighten the car and get so much more speed on exit and gain lots of time with that line. 

Turn 14 was also difficult, trying to ease off the steering lock as quickly as possible to gain as much speed to the finish line as you can - the higher downforce settings really benefiting here. 

So, that's my highlights and tips, let's see how I get on against my rivals. 

Standings after Round 2

1. 20pts - Fongu
2. 12pts - Gildoorf
3. 08pts - 32bobo32
4. 05pts - Carl_gpgames
5. 03pts - Prblanco
6. 02pts - Duffer
7. 02pts - Kerleyf1

The Video

The video contains my wheel lap, which is the much quicker one. I'm not confident enough to run with traction control off yet, so I have auto-gears, traction control, but no steering help or other driver aids. 

Thanks again to Carl_gpgames who has put together the video again. Apologies I don't have the time to do screenshots, but I'll try and time-stamp interesting points. It's worth noting that only Carl and I have submitted laps on the steering wheel, whilst the others are racing on keyboards. 

0:12 - The quickest at the end of the straight is Prblanco at around 323kph, followed by me and Duffer at 319kph. It means the others are running more downforce. Kerley and I are using the kerb on the left to widen the first turn, you can carry more speed with less turning angle, maximising the aero and tyre grip. 

0:14 - Top speed might allow you to enter the first corner before anyone else, but Gildoorf is carrying nearly 10kph more than anyone else through turn 1. He's got the highest downforce settings and the most bravery out of the lot of us. 

0:17 - Using the brake markers as a reference, it's me and Duffer leading the way into the braking zone for the hairpin. 

I found on the keyboard in GP4, it's a really unnatural way of driving, but you are putting steering lock in as you are on the brakes, so that when you come off the brakes, the CC-line slingshots you around the turn. You can see that no-one has a straight steering wheel in the braking zone, and I carry that technique over onto the wheel, a habit I can't shake just yet. 

Another thing to note with braking technique is that you want to be hard on the brakes, but you want to ease off the brakes when you turn in and stop/reduce any brake locking. You can see Carl only has his brake pedal half way down for a fair amount of the braking zone, whilst the keyboard drivers are pumping their brake buttons to simulate the same effect. Kerley is the only one who isn't doing this yet, and you can see how Kerley misses the apex. Carl does too, I think he could have stayed harder on the brakes for a tiny bit longer. 

0:23 - Under the shadow of the bridge before the left hander, and it's Kerley in the lead, me in 2nd, 32bobo32 in third and it's too tight to call between Duffer and Prblanco. Look how close I am to overshooting the exit kerb, though I carry the most speed out of turn 4. 

0:30 - Sector 1 times are in and it's super tight:

1. 22.857 - Fongu
2. 23.055 - Duffer
3. 23.064 - 32bobo32
4. 23.077 - Prblanco
5. 23.127 - Carl_gpgames
6. 23.131 - Gildoorf
7. 23.344 - KerleyF1

0:34 - Gildoorf and Kerley are the ones to be a little wide and miss the apex of the corner this time. I use all my steering lock to really nail a tight line through that hairpin and using all the kerb on the exit. 

0.42 - A slight tap on the brakes/lift off through turn 7, a slight pump on the gas before lining up to brake into turn 8. Using the white line on the left, and I have quite a lead, with Gildoorf now in second, and 32bobo32 just a nose cone ahead of Duffer. It's really important to maintain good speed and get a good exit from turn 8, so for me, hitting the apex is not that important here. Over the crest and you lose a moment of acceleration. 

0:54 - Let's compare the different lines into turns 10 and 11. As I said above, I stay to the left and keeping as straight a line as I can on the brakes, get all my turning done fast, and then straighten up through turn 11 getting lots of speed out. 32bobo32 tries a similar line on the keyboard to me. Gildoorf  stays right.and lets the CCline work for you and pull you into the apex, something I did on my keyboard version of the lap. It's a shorter distance, and Gildoorf briefly leads into turn 11, and the others close in on me, but I'm playing the long game here. 

1:01 - Through the second sector split just after the turn and it's Gildoorf who is ahead, setting by far the best middle sector of anyone, again making the most of his high downforce setup and that line through turns 10 and 11. But notice that I am about 10kph faster than him and reeling him in quickly. All the others set almost identical 2nd sector times. Here are the 2nd sector times (not overall order)

1. 31.172 - Gildoorf
2. 31.331 - Fongu
3. 31.561 - Duffer
4. 31.595 - 32bobo32
5. 31.605 - Prblanco
6. 31.622 - Carl_gpgames
7. 31.653 - KerleyF1

1:03 - The braking for the hairpin for turn 13 is kind of blind, there's no real reference other than two white lines to the right of the track. The running order is me retaking the lead from Gildoorf, with Duffer, 32bobo32 and Prblanco too close to call in our tow and Carl and Kerley not too far behind them. Kerley runs really wide around the hairpin as he locks his brakes and slides wide, he needs to brake a tiny bit earlier and pump the brakes on corner entry. 

1:16 - On my warm-up laps, I was running wide out of this turn, using all the run off on the outside of the track to get maximum acceleration to start off my lap, but I had to keep it within track limits for the hotlap. Using the exit kerb as a reference, I am out of turn 14 first followed by Gildoorf, 32bobo32, Duffer, Carl, Prblanco and Kerley. I found the amount of wing you ran made a massive difference around this turn, as you carry more speed for longer, even if you don't get the headline top speed at the end of the straight. 

1:26 - Just a drag race to the finish line, I'm taking a bit of cheeky inside kerb around turn 15, and I only just have the highest top speed at the finish line, with Carl, Prblanco and Duffer within a few kph. I set the pace for the final sector, with Gildoorf and Carl a couple of tenths behind, and the rest again too close to call. 

The final times are really close, especially comparing the gaps in performance from previous rounds, this was very competitive event. I win my third round in a row, and as is becoming standard now, my keyboard time would have put me behind Gildoorf, but just ahead of the rest of the pack. The full lap times are:

1. 1:21.302 - Fongu
2. 1:21.672 - Gildoorf
3. 1:22.051 - Duffer
4. 1:22.126 - Carl_gpgames
5. 1:22.188 - 32bobo32
6. 1:22.280 - Prblanco
7. 1:22.546 - KerleyF1

It's a familiar top two, but it's Duffer who just takes the final podium slot with very strong sector times.  Carl is also improving with an impressive 4th placed finish, in part thanks to a monster final sector. 32bobo32 puts in another solid drive, but slides down to 5th, and Prblanco is nipping at his heels just a tenth behind. Kerley has also really improved, and if he can learn the braking technique, it will help him hit his apexes, and he too will be right in the mix. Great job guys. 

Standings after Round 3

The points scoring system is the one used in the 90s' and early 00's awarding points for the top 6 (10,6,4,3,2,1). It does mean winning gives you a massive advantage, so after 3 rounds, I've earned enough points for a rest if I want it! But seriously, I am starting to get busy with real life again, so I may not be able to submit a lap at all events, whilst I may only have time to put in a keyboard lap at others, we'll see. I'm just glad to be taking part, I'm glad to enjoy driving GP4 and to me, it's just a bonus to be at the right end of the championship. 

1. 30pts - Fongu
2. 18pts - Gildoorf
3. 10pts - 32bobo32
4. 08pts - Carl_gpgames
5. 06pts - Duffer
6. 04pts - Prblanco
7. 02pts - KerleyF1

We only have a week to prepare for the next round at Barcelona. We will be using the F1 Virtual track released back in 2013, which is based on the 2011 season.