You can use this opportunity to get some temperature into the tyres and brakes.
Sometimes the formation lap is just a few corners so be ready for a quick getaway, but other times you will be doing a full lap of the circuit. Then, when the game allows you, begin your formation lap. I should also mention at this stage that this doesn’t apply to GT4 cars, as they never use tyre blankets meaning the tyres are always cold when you leave the garage or start a race.Īs you wait on the grid for the final few seconds, make sure your engine is running. Wait until there are less than 20 seconds to go before clicking drive to ensure your tyres keep their heat. If you line up on the grid too early, your simulated tyre blankets will come off too early and your tyres will be stone cold and low on pressure at the start of the formation lap.
This won’t affect you if you are racing AI offline as the session doesn’t begin until you click start race, but when you are racing online there is this short waiting period before the formation lap gets underway as I mentioned. Your next step is to hit drive or start race and line up on the grid, and straight away we have another potential mistake waiting to be made… Formation lap timing
Your car should be on exactly the same setup as it was previously, so just make sure this is your race setup and you have new tyres on the car, as well as the correct amount of fuel. The next step is to use this waiting time to sort your setup. Make sure you check this waiting time at the top of the screen before you run off for a pee and miss the formation lap. Of course, when you are racing offline you can start the race whenever you like, but if you are racing online you will have a limited time to get yourself on the grid for the start. Once the game advances you to the race session, you normally have a little bit of time to prepare yourself for the start. Your first lap can be affected way before you even hit the track.
So, with that in mind, here’s how to get the most out of your race starts on Assetto Corsa Competitizone, and crucially, how to manage the opening lap. Of course, you can never guarantee a race win based on the first lap, but you can certainly put yourself in a strong position that may end up leading to a great result.
This becomes even more relevant if the race is short in length, or the track isn’t the best for overtaking. Often, lap one of a race is the single most important factor in determining the final result. Well, yes, I understand the intention behind this cliché and yes, it is true in a sense, but it’s not that simple. “You can’t ever win a race on lap one, but you can certainly lose it.”