Sebastian Vettel, the four times F1 World Champion, the German driving a Ferrari, gave out a rant to Max Verstappen, the hottest talent on the grid. It of course has to be a news. A click bait, if you will.
Call it a professional sport and denounce Vettel for the rant and offensive abuses he used. But truth be told, no other sport is devoid of it. Just because F1 allows you to read/listen (more…)
Force India broke its own record earlier yesterday when they launched their new livery. On the outset, this is by far their best looking car since they started in 2009 and this is a long way coming.
“The VJM07 looks stunning and the new livery reflects the way Sahara Force India is evolving,” says Vijay Mallya. “I’ve always believed our cars have been the most eye-catching, but adding black as a main color gives us a fierce new look”. The new livery brings a fresh trackside image for the team with the introduction of black alongside the traditional colors of saffron, white and green. (Reports FIF1 website)
The new livery is really attractive, and looks really aggressive unlike any of the previous editions. The predominant White has been replaced with Black, while retaining Orange and a slightly brighter green color.
Add to this an all new driver line up with one of the sought after pairing, it all looks positive for Force India. They have been consistently improving and are a very strong midfielders who, many across the world, not only in India, look up to. Everyone is expecting a podium from the Silver stone based team with such a strong setting, time will only tell how they would stack up against formidable competition.
The new design is based on the 2013 car VJM06, and looks a lot similar except for the odd nose design (to meet the new regulations). However, Andrew Green, Technical Director at Force India explains that the new car is different compared to its predecessor.
“Almost every single part is a new design, from the front wing right back to the diffuser. The genetics of the VJM07 still lie in the 2013 car, but we’ve had to achieve the same results in a slightly different way.”
Image Credits: ForceIndia F1 Website
Chances are that you came here searching for tips to understanding driver feedback in the online simulation racing game, GPRO or Grand Prix Racing Online. However, if you are not, lets quickly get familiarized with GPRO. Though this article was written way back in 2013, the tips, and tricks written here are still valid in 2020. I have been an on & off players at GPRO myself.
First a bit of the background for those who do not know GPRO (Grand Prix Online Racing). It’s an online racing game site which is akin to Formula 1 racing, however, this is not your typical animation-based game. You don’t use a keyboard to race – the race itself is a simulation.
GPRO Simulations help you challenge yourself into an indulging experience, technicalities, and strategies. It is a pressing game as well and mimics the Formula 1 game in a best manner.
Since your race depends on various parameters of how your car performs, the driver becomes the critical factor, as is in F1. Hence it is essential to understand driver feedback for you to set up the car. It is unlike your racing arcade games you play on your phones.
The game is created with past gaming experiences, incorporating the concepts, knowledge, and experience of previous (classic) F1 manager games. A mixture of expertise with a high degree of innovative thoughts and ideas, the game is unique in the world of F1 management games.
I have been participating in GPRO for some years now and it is always challenging to understand the driver feedback for qualifying and to gauge the settings. I have also added a fruitful conversation from the forum in terms of expenses (virtual) each track in GPRO costs in terms of cost towards participating in the race in any season. You will find it below the driver feedback for qualifying list.
PRO Tip: Have a driver with good technical insight, which helps in getting good driver feedback while qualifying and testing. Based on your driver feedback, understand the level, and make changes accordingly.
Your GPRO Driver will give you different feedback, and it is crucial to understand what your driver is saying and how you need to tune the settings in the car to get the fastest lap possible in Qualifying 1 and Qualifying 2, and also setting the settings for the entire race.
You can have different setting for Q1 and Q2 and a third setting for Race as well. It all depends on how best your driver can make use of the car settings you chose to input.
| Response to Driver Feedback |
| Extreme: you need to reduce a lot around 170 – 300 |
| Intense: you need to reduce by 90 – 170 |
| Higher: you need reduce by 40 – 90 |
| Low: Increase by 50 – 100 |
| Lower: Increase by 100 – 150 |
| Lowest: Increase by 150 – 300 |
Wings play a vital role in balancing the aerodynamics performance of your car. Wing settings define what the downforce and grip your car will get on a specific racetrack.
| Driver Feedback | What you need to do? |
| +3 I am really missing a lot of speed in straights | Extreme: you need to reduce a lot around 170 – 300 |
| +2 The car is lacking some speed in the straights | Intense: you need to reduce by 90 – 170 |
| +1 The car could have a bit more speed in the straights | Higher: you need reduce by 40 – 90 |
| -1 I am missing a bit of grip in the curves | Low: Increase by 50 – 100 |
| -2 The car is very unstable in many corners | Lower: Increase by 100 – 150 |
| -3 I cannot drive the car, there’s no grip on it | Lowest: Increase by 150 – 300 |
Your engine is the critical element of the car to move forward and defines raw pace. However, with an incorrect setting, your engine can blow up during the race and you will end up with DNF (Did Not Finish) and cost of engine repairs.
Your driver will judge the best setting for your engine and will give you feedback and all you need to do is adjust the settings.
| Driver Feedback | What you need to do? |
| +3 No, no, no!!! Favor a lot more the low revs! | Extreme: you need to reduce a lot around 170 – 300 |
| +2 The engine revs are too high | Intense: you need to reduce by 90 – 170 |
| +1 Try to favor a bit more the low revs | Higher: you need reduce by 40 – 90 |
| -1 I feel that I do not have enough engine power in the straights | Low: Increase by 50 – 100 |
| -2 The engine power on the straights is not sufficient | Lower: Increase by 100 – 150 |
| -3 You should try to favor a lot more the high revs | Lowest: Increase by 150 – 300 |
Just like F1, the concept that GPRO is based on, is a high-speed sport and every fast car will need the best breaks to slow down and stop. Especially in GPRO and F1, brakes play a vital role and is often a “random” that hits you in GPRO.
Getting it right helps your driver take a corner faster, aiding overall speed and a faster lap time.
| Driver Feedback | What you need to do? |
| +3 Please, move the balance a lot more to the back | Extreme: you need to reduce a lot around 170 – 300 |
| 2 I think the brakes effectiveness could be higher if we move the balance to the back | Intense: you need to reduce by 90 – 170 |
| +1 Put the balance a bit more to the back | Higher: you need reduce by 40 – 90 |
| -1 I would like to have the balance a bit more to the front | Low: Increase by 50 – 100 |
| -2 I think the brakes effectiveness could be higher if we move the balance to the front | Lower: Increase by 100 – 150 |
| -3 I would feel a lot more comfortable to move the balance to the front | Lowest: Increase by 150 – 300 |
In racing, Gear changes make the difference between how fast you are starting from the grid to how you are able to slow down during corners (engine breaking) and making the most of what the engine has to offer.
All racing cars are tuned with a gearbox that helps quick shifts at the most optimum RPM. Much the same in GPRO as well, your settings will define how well the driver is able to extract the maximum potential from the engine.
| Driver Feedback | What you need to do? |
| +3 Please, put a lot lower ration between the gears | Extreme: you need to reduce a lot around 170 – 300 |
| +2 The gear ratio is too high | Intense: you need to reduce by 90 – 170 |
| +1 I cannot take advantage of the power of the engine. Put the gear ratio a bit lower | Higher: you need reduce by 40 – 90 |
| -1 I am very often in the red. Put the gear ratio a bit higher | Low: Increase by 50 – 100 |
| -2 The gear ratio is too low | Lower: Increase by 100 – 150 |
| -3 It feels like the engine is going to explode. Put a lot higher ratio between gears | Lowest: Increase by 150 – 300 |
Track racing is a sport where you go around a pre-defined lap, in loops. Though the tracks are smooth visually, driving a sensitive car like a F1 machine will help you differentate how rough it can be. Plus, given that tracks are a loop, the corners are almost always (just like normal roads and highways) have a bend.
Your suspension setting will help you driver corner faster, and give a consistant downforce performance irrespective of the virual bumps on GPRO tracks.
| Driver Feedback | What you need to do? |
| +3 The car is far too righ. Lower a lot of rigidity | Extreme: you need to reduce a lot around 170 – 300 |
| +2 The suspension rigidity is too high | Intense: you need to reduce by 90 – 170 |
| +1 The car is too rigid. Lower a bit the rigidity | Higher: you need reduce by 40 – 90 |
| -1 I think with a bit more rigid suspension I will be able to go faster | Low: Increase by 50 – 100 |
| -2 The suspension rigidity is too low | Lower: Increase by 100 – 150 |
| -3 The suspension rigidity should be a lot higher | Lowest: Increase by 150 – 300 |
An excerpt from GPRO Forum thread.
| No. | Track | Cost |
| 1 | Jyllands-Ringen | 0 |
| 2 | MexicoCity | 0.58 |
| 3 | Ahvenisto | 0.64 |
| 4 | Istanbul | 0.73 |
| 5 | BrandsHatch | 0.84 |
| 6 | Portimao | 1.13 |
| 7 | Zolder | 1.13 |
| 8 | Mugello | 1.26 |
| 9 | YasMarina | 1.29 |
| 10 | Bremgarten | 1.3 |
| 11 | Austin | 1.32 |
| 12 | Grobnik | 1.36 |
| 13 | Suzuka | 1.36 |
| 14 | Kaunas | 1.4 |
| 15 | Singapore | 1.42 |
| 16 | Serres | 1.43 |
| 17 | Adelaide | 1.45 |
| 18 | Fuji | 1.48 |
| 19 | Sochi | 1.56 |
| 20 | Brasilia | 1.72 |
| 21 | BakuCity | 1.75 |
| 22 | LagunaSeca | 1.76 |
| 23 | Oesterreichring | 1.82 |
| 24 | Yeongam | 1.82 |
| 25 | Valencia | 1.83 |
| 26 | Melbourne | 1.87 |
| 27 | MonteCarlo | 1.92 |
| 28 | Anderstorp | 1.93 |
| 29 | A1-Ring | 1.95 |
| 30 | Brno | 2 |
| 31 | Silverstone | 2 |
| 32 | Kyalami | 2.15 |
| 33 | MagnyCours | 2.19 |
| 34 | Fiorano | 2.22 |
| 35 | Estoril | 2.23 |
| 36 | Hockenheim | 2.26 |
| 37 | Sepang | 2.27 |
| 38 | Poznan | 2.31 |
| 39 | NewDelhi | 2.33 |
| 40 | Nurburgring | 2.35 |
| 41 | Montreal | 2.4 |
| 42 | Slovakiaring | 2.42 |
| 43 | Monza | 2.5 |
| 44 | Imola | 2.54 |
| 45 | PaulRicard | 2.54 |
| 46 | Spa | 2.67 |
| 47 | Sakhir | 2.71 |
| 48 | RafaelaOval | 2.96 |
| 49 | Interlagos | 3.01 |
| 50 | Avus | 3.03 |
| 51 | IndianapolisOval | 3.07 |
| 52 | Shanghai | 3.26 |
| 53 | BucharestRing | 3.27 |
| 54 | Jerez | 3.31 |
| 55 | Barcelona | 3.37 |
| 56 | Irungattukottai | 3.38 |
| 57 | BuenosAires | 3.49 |
| 58 | Indianapolis | 3.65 |
| 59 | Hungaroring | 3.76 |
| 60 | Zandvoort | 4 |
The scale from Chip to Expensive
0,00 .28 Jyllands-Ringen
0,58 .34 Mexico City
0,64 .3 Ahvenisto
0,73 .26 Istanbul
0,84 .9 Brands Hatch
1,13 .43 Portimao
1,13 .60 Zolder
1,26 .38 Mugello
1,29 .57 Yas Marina
1,30 .11 Bremgarten
1,32 .5 Austin
1,36 .55 Suzuka
1,36 .18 Grobnik
1,40 .29 Kaunas
1,42 .51 Singapore
1,43 .48 Serres
1,45 .2 Adelaide
1,48 .17 Fuji
1,56 .53 Sochi
1,72 .10 Brasilia
1,75 .7 Baku City
1,76 .31 Laguna Seca
1,82 .41 Oesterreichring
1,82 .58 Yeongam
1,83 .56 Valencia
1,87 .33 Melbourne
1,92 .35 Monte Carlo
1,93 .4 Anderstorp
1,95 .1 A1-Ring
2,00 .50 Silverstone
2,00 .12 Brno
2,15 .30 Kyalami
2,19 .32 Magny Cours
2,22 .16 Fiorano
2,23 .15 Estoril
2,26 .19 Hockenheim
2,27 .47 Sepang
2,31 .44 Poznan
2,33 .39 New Delhi
2,35 .40 Nurburgring
2,40 .36 Montreal
2,42 .52 Slovakiaring
2,50 .37 Monza
2,54 .42 Paul Ricard
2,54 .21 Imola
2,67 .54 Spa
2,71 .46 Sakhir
2,96 .45 Rafaela Oval
3,01 .24 Interlagos
3,03 .6 Avus
3,07 .23 Indianapolis Oval
3,26 .49 Shanghai
3,27 .13 Bucharest Ring
3,31 .27 Jerez
3,37 .8 Barcelona
3,38 .25 Irungattukottai
3,49 .14 Buenos Aires
3,65 .22 Indianapolis
3,76 .20 Hungaroring
4,00 .59 Zandvoort
GPRO racing is a challenge, which often is not easy to understand. It is complicated, if not as real world as Formula1 is, enough to whack your brains!
