FWR35 driving tips

[Marco Signorini]

Hello people, I know it's probably a question without an answer, but I've nothing to do, so I ask it anyway.
What is the driving style that better fit those modern open wheelers?
I've not spent a lot of hours on this release of the car, but 3 seconds slower than the best times are a bit too much even for me (2 seconds are a more reasonable distance), so, in order to optimize my study, I would like to receive some tips.
I know where I lack confidence: the braking technique, those cars brake insanely fast and short, and for someone that lately is having fun with the "soapbox of death" (howstons) it's quite a shock. So, how do someone acquire good practice with braking ?
I think most of you brake very late and bring the braking phase into the turn, then maybe from the apex onward you are again on the throttle.. Is this how you do it?
Well, I accept any tips that you want to throw at me, I'm not a fast guy, but I can learn and improve my technique.

[SteveC]

Probably the best thing to do is to ride onboard with a fast car, tomorrows club race will be a good opportunity.

I have had the same problems, the FR35 is the first modern high performance high downforce open wheeler I had driven, it took quite a while to get my mind around how fast you can enter fast corners, I recall t1 at Brno Ray Riddall stonked past from miles back I was really surprised, I thought he pulled some kind of miracle pass but the truth was I was braking when I didn't need to and taking it 40mph too slow without even realising!

I am still in no position to give any advice, but the replayer is your friend, you can see exactly how the fast guys are doing it.

[Marco Signorini]

This is a good tip, I never thought about stealing skills through the replay system.
I know the problem is the one you describe, sometimes, when I enter a turn a tad too fast (for my thinking, or when I'm a bit too large) I often fear to turn the wheel more, but when I dare to do it, yes the front tires scream a bit, but the car do the turn and remain stable, and the tires does not burn... I guess this is a good indicator that I can't feel yet the car's limit, but only mine.
The good news is that my limit can be raised.

[Rouke]

This is a good tip, I never thought about stealing skills through the replay system.

Or even check the past races from this championship:
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=9501
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=9483
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=9475
etc.

I have still to become fast in these cars as well, partly because I simply lack practise but also i'm running a bit late in getting my head around rf2.
But the thing to remember is the mechanical grip and aero dynamics of these cars, you have tons of it and the faster you go (in certain turns) the more grip is generated.
The Esses in Essington is a good example, go through them too slow (too careful) and you lose grip and have to lift/brake. go faster through them and you will find you can go full throttle, no lifting, no braking.
Of course the setup and wing settings play a big part in this as well and as apposed to the Howstons, these cars can react very harshly to setup changes. a tiny change can make allot of difference, both good and bad.

Tires are a big part as well, i only get to attack on lap2 for example in practise, outlap + lap1 its just too cold still.
In races the tires need to be managed as well, be too violent and you will lose performance along the way.

The braking is not so much an issue for me, the forces and grip are there , all you need to do is figure out how far you can stretch it. it depends on each turn and on the setup. just go mental with it, accept crashes in practise until you find those sweet spots
For some turns a moderate approach is best (straight line hard braking) but in these cars its mostly , again, the aero and grip, braking into turns is often more efficient. you can brake later and still be braking whilst turning.
Pumping the brakes like in the Howstons i am not doing in these cars. dunno if i should but doesn't feel like i should.

But be careful behind other cars, you lose allot of downforce from the air flow, so when you are close behind and turning in with them, they make the turn and you don't, something i am still struggling with

Here's my Essington setup but its hardly developed. still good enough for some practise i reckon.

FR35 Essington R6 14.svm

Also be aware of the downforce package you are using. so far most of us use the High downforce package (car/tuning/upgrades) as that allows us to use DRS (Medium is less DRS and low its no DRS) and there seems to be less drag in HDF using low wings then in MDF using high wings.

Gearing is important as well, you need to be in the red-zone i think for the power to be max, shift too early (or way too late) and you lose quite some power. something i have not done very well so far myself