looking for lap times

Do the leagues (or competent individual drivers) publish a list of lap times? It would be nice to know what we should be aiming for. I still use throttle help - how many seconds per lap does this account for? I'm more interested in in-race times than death or glory hot laps.

throttle help will increase your laptime by about 10% (2 secs) this is the same in analouge and digital modes

have a look at "season competition" for laptimes

Actually disabling throttle help will increase your time, once you get used to it. This throttle help slows you down too much, because it won't let you drive more aggressive at the limit.

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REHAB IS FOR QUITTERS

disabling throttle help will increase your time

Really? I thought it was horribly difficult to control and slightly unrealistic, as the real guys turn TC on. I found it a bit limiting coming out of corners, though.

I'll be driving tonight without it, then!

I've taken the plunge too! Ace level, no helps. Qualified 21st in the rain at Sepang but the race is dry and I'm 10th after the first ten laps. Mrs. and kid due home so I've saved it there, but I'm feeling pretty chuffed with myself.

The problem with Throttle Help is that it is not traction control. It stops your wheels from spinning, yes, but it also slows you down more than you need to be slowed down.

Bazza

Yes, I completely agree with Bazza, it isnt traction control, but i still use it. It is my only aid, but sometimes I turn it off on fast tracks. But on tracks like Monaco, it is a must because you are getting too much wheelspin.

Ozzy

I've turned it off, then. It's quite...interesting! I'll probably keep it on whenever it's wet, but at the minute, I feel slightly quicker coming out of corners. Mind you, I'm still getting the feel of how far I can push the throttle without the car wheelspinning, but it's not going too badly.

So now I use none of the aids, and am competing on ace level! :D

See waht I meant? It is harder to drive, more challenging, but it's easier to feel the car. That limit that Senna spoke of is like a razorblade and you will only feel the sharpness of the razor without F7. The same goes for changing from GP3 1.13 to GP3 2000. The latter is harder to drive in the beginning but allows carhadling that is much more precise. Thus it is easier to drive in toto. I hope I have confused you know ...

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REHAB IS FOR QUITTERS

Bit of a balancing act isn't it? Still, we're both slightly tougher men than we were yesterday. Now when we take the wheel at a friend's house our opening line can be 'We can turn all this help nonsense off for a start you big girl's blouse!'

Bit of a balancing act isn't it? Still, we're both slightly tougher men than we were yesterday. Now when we take the wheel at a friend's house our opening line can be 'We can turn all this help nonsense off for a start you big girl's blouse!'

We are tough man! We even shave! Life is so hard at the limit!

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REHAB IS FOR QUITTERS

I tend not to shave, I've had a beard since 1988! But you're right we are the ironmen of the indoor world.

So you are not Beardless2? I have a beard as well. The only reason why I have razor blades is to shave and sharpen my tongue every once in a while.

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REHAB IS FOR QUITTERS

Do you guys use an Analog controller, or the keyboard?

I use a joystick (Logitech Wingman) and drive with just Auto-Gears, and Throttle Help, just like the real guys do. Throttle help doesn't slow you down, it just prevents the wheels from spinning during accelleration, so it is effectively the same as Traction Control in the real thing. The real drivers have to disengage TC in order to warm the tyres up and spin the wheels before the race, but they never race without it.

With these settings I can pull in times around 1m30s500 during qualifying on Albert Park, Australia, provided I have set up my car correctly. I started a Championship on the ACE difficulty and Qualifyed in Australia at 18th. After 15 laps in the race I am currently standing in 4th position without driving dirty, I'm fighting off Montoya at the moment because he has a faster car setup, but I'm doing just fine.

I use an old wheel. It has paddles on the back of it like pedals. Like a specially adapted road car for disabled people, I might add.

I've turned off all the aids. 0% steering helpe, no throttle help, manual gears, etc, etc. At ace level, too. At the moment it's a real challenge to do 10 laps of Bruno's (excellent) Brazil 2001 track without a spin!

Mind you, I did qualify 21st. I need to find another 1.5s to be competitive!

AGAIN: Throttle help IS NOT like real-life traction control! And if you are used to not using it, you will gain at least 2 seconds at ace level, I garantee. So if you got the balls, turn F7 off. Throttle control (F7) and traction control in real life are a completely different pair of shoes, believe me. YOzu won't be able to handle the car at the limit as long as you have F7 on.

GP3's throttle control cannot be a simulation of real life traction control, since at the time the game came out there was NO traction control allowed in F1. It was only introduced in 2001, GP3, however, originally simulates the 1998 season where there was no traction control allowed.

You got balls, turn it off!!!

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REHAB IS FOR QUITTERS

Have NEVER used Throttle Control in GP3 and have always used a steering wheel and pedals and haven't had many problems "lighting up the rears" at Monaco...do you hate me yet??!!

Was an avid GP Legends fan before GP3 came out, and that was probably the best baptism you could have.

I also stumbled upon the following site when bored at work a year ago. I found the driving and set-up tips at this link unbelievably helpful, and help you get a feel for how the car should behave.

[website.lineone.net]

Best tip I can give anyone getting used to life without Throttle Help, which can be found somewhere at the above link, is:

"Progressively SQU-EEEEEEZE the throttle open as you exit the corner".

Just so I don't come across as a completely arrogant b@$+@rd, I will admit that I am nowhere near being able to compete consistently even at Semi-Pro Level, but am slowly getting there!

Ok lets here your idea of traction control, because to me it means the car will simply not allow enough power into the wheels to loose traction upon accelleration, and thats what throttle help does, throttle help doesn't slow you down for corners, I can still go through them as fast as I dare and as fast as my tyres can grip. As for TC not being in the Formula 1 until 2001, that means nothing, because they can still simulate it for help in an earlier game, just about every racing game has TC even when the real sport/series/car's don't, it just so happens that GP3 did have some sort of TC and then by cooincidence it was intruduced to the Formula 1 shortly thereafter.

Nidge-

My favourite part of this site was describing how to race online...

1. Make up a really cool, original and funny pseudonym for yourself, like 'F1 Hyperdriver', 'Powerslide', 'Peter Greaves' or 'Bernie Ecclestone'.

2. Join a Monza race with 5 minutes of practice to go.

3. Type 'PO'. This is very important, as it gives you right of way.

4. Move straight out onto the racing line.

5. Spin your Lotus or Ferrari at every other corner. It doesn't matter if you get in the way of anyone; this is only practice.

6. Ignore the flags being waved to signify the end of the session and carry on trying to get a clear lap in. Nobody will mind waiting. In fact, they probably enjoy watching you. They surely realize that you have a special talent, but you're just having trouble with your new pedals.

7. Alternatively, stay sitting in your car in the pit lane long after the session has finished. This generally recognized as being the safest place to leave the car for long periods, for example while you fetch another beer from the fridge.

8. Make sure you are using the F10 view or that your mirrors are turned off (you have trouble getting 25 FPS on your hardware and anyway, it's their responsibility to keep clear of you if you're in front).

9. Join the grid. Waggle your wheel and rev the engine.

10. Remind everyone to be careful into turn one.

11. Type 'GLA' or maybe 'Good Luck All' if you want people to know that you can spell and type at the same time.

12. Apply full power, spin wildly, take out a third of the grid. Blame the Lotus beside you.

13. Recover, drive too fast into turn one, take out another third of the grid. Blame the Lotus in front of you. Rant at them using chat: use at least three grade-A swear words while calling them an idiot, so that people will know that it wasn't your fault.

14. Shift-R onto the track, taking out the final third of the grid.
Start to chase the pack down; you'll soon catch them. Now this is racing! Surf the Armco around Lesmo 1.

15. Brake too late into the Parabolica, spin across the sand and into the barrier.

16. Retire (claiming that the phone started to ring). Clearly, you were just unlucky that time.

17. Return to VROC and give driving tips to the newbies until 5 minutes before the next Monza race.