does fuel effect lap times?

[Hothnogg]

Does the weight of fuel factor into lap times?
like a full tank of 16 laps V a tank with fuel for 10 laps, which would be faster in game?

[noxmortem]

I just asked the same question and someone pointed out that you can directly reduce the amount of fuel and see how the lap time prediction in the top right changes.

[Cybernetcrash]

It literally says under the "Add/Remove Fuel" option, how much time each lap fuel adds, in a yellow box. It's hard to miss.

[noxmortem]

And still two people here did miss it :D

[test]

I missed it too lol ... i mean i saw it but i didnt get what it meant, until now.

Maybe thats why i suck so much at the game, i always fuel up fully when doing a pit stop (except for last pit where i fuel 1 litre above the number of laps i have left).

I get it, more fuel more weight BUT less fuel more pit stops and i think that hurts even more so I always fuel to the brim. I just dont see a point in not doing it fully, you are gonna lose that gained time when you do a pit stop anyway so whats the point?

[Hothnogg]

doh! yes i did miss it too lol.

[Cybernetcrash]

@test not necessarily more pit stops. You could go with a 2 pit stop strategy (unless something breaks) in every race. In the Milan for example I have a total of 31 laps, but I can fill up my tank up to 13 laps. That means with 2 pit stops if I set it to full, I'd get 39 laps worth of fuel, so that 8 laps is extra. Now you could either fuel extra in order to be able to burn more (but still lose some time due to extra weight) or just don't get that 8 extra laps of fuel, and play without pushing the engine. Of course there are many variables like weather changes, wheels locking, etc, so it's just the general idea of it.

[Alf]

Yip I also missed it at first :)

It's definitely relevant, makes a huge difference to your speed!

[test]

Originally posted by Cybernetcrash:

@test not necessarily more pit stops. You could go with a 2 pit stop strategy (unless something breaks) in every race. In the Milan for example I have a total of 31 laps, but I can fill up my tank up to 13 laps. That means with 2 pit stops if I set it to full, I'd get 39 laps worth of fuel, so that 8 laps is extra. Now you could either fuel extra in order to be able to burn more (but still lose some time due to extra weight) or just don't get that 8 extra laps of fuel, and play without pushing the engine. Of course there are many variables like weather changes, wheels locking, etc, so it's just the general idea of it.

But does having less fuel give you better times than having more fuel but pushing the engine to max?

I dont have problems with reliability, i can safely push my engine to the max most of the race and not worry about reliability... I havent done any experimenting but I think i would come on ahead of a car that has less fuel for weight purposes with my car being full with fuel but with the engine to the max ... thats just a guess/assumption.

[nfangio]

Yes, it does give you better times as the game take fuel mass in consideration. I normally start with 2/3 of the tank full, and in most races it is very helpfull, mainly when you have to move up the field or get an early advantage.

[Kristina]

Originally posted by test:

Originally posted by Cybernetcrash:

@test not necessarily more pit stops. You could go with a 2 pit stop strategy (unless something breaks) in every race. In the Milan for example I have a total of 31 laps, but I can fill up my tank up to 13 laps. That means with 2 pit stops if I set it to full, I'd get 39 laps worth of fuel, so that 8 laps is extra. Now you could either fuel extra in order to be able to burn more (but still lose some time due to extra weight) or just don't get that 8 extra laps of fuel, and play without pushing the engine. Of course there are many variables like weather changes, wheels locking, etc, so it's just the general idea of it.

But does having less fuel give you better times than having more fuel but pushing the engine to max?

I dont have problems with reliability, i can safely push my engine to the max most of the race and not worry about reliability... I havent done any experimenting but I think i would come on ahead of a car that has less fuel for weight purposes with my car being full with fuel but with the engine to the max ... thats just a guess/assumption.

I have not tested this much either, but for me it is safer to run with lighter car and on yellow settings, as I have lost a championship in the final race, final corner, due to my driver running out of fuel as I left the red fuel burn setting for too long((

[dohf]

Originally posted by test:

Originally posted by Cybernetcrash:

@test not necessarily more pit stops. You could go with a 2 pit stop strategy (unless something breaks) in every race. In the Milan for example I have a total of 31 laps, but I can fill up my tank up to 13 laps. That means with 2 pit stops if I set it to full, I'd get 39 laps worth of fuel, so that 8 laps is extra. Now you could either fuel extra in order to be able to burn more (but still lose some time due to extra weight) or just don't get that 8 extra laps of fuel, and play without pushing the engine. Of course there are many variables like weather changes, wheels locking, etc, so it's just the general idea of it.

But does having less fuel give you better times than having more fuel but pushing the engine to max?

I dont have problems with reliability, i can safely push my engine to the max most of the race and not worry about reliability... I havent done any experimenting but I think i would come on ahead of a car that has less fuel for weight purposes with my car being full with fuel but with the engine to the max ... thats just a guess/assumption.

I'd like someone to test that in game. Which is difficult, as you hardly get lengthy free-air stints.

In real F1, the optimum ECU-setting pretty much becomes the medium setting, as other engine-modes are created as deviations of that. That said, traffic makes deviating quite attractive, leaning out when the driver in front dictates your speed, pushing hard when you want to undercut or leapfrog someone or when you think you can overtake (which backfires when you can't).

Frustratingly, in game Milan/ERS was just half a lap from a possible one-stopper with maximum fuel saving even with the 40% fuel tank.

[Alf]

Originally posted by test:

Originally posted by Cybernetcrash:

@test not necessarily more pit stops. You could go with a 2 pit stop strategy (unless something breaks) in every race. In the Milan for example I have a total of 31 laps, but I can fill up my tank up to 13 laps. That means with 2 pit stops if I set it to full, I'd get 39 laps worth of fuel, so that 8 laps is extra. Now you could either fuel extra in order to be able to burn more (but still lose some time due to extra weight) or just don't get that 8 extra laps of fuel, and play without pushing the engine. Of course there are many variables like weather changes, wheels locking, etc, so it's just the general idea of it.

But does having less fuel give you better times than having more fuel but pushing the engine to max?

I dont have problems with reliability, i can safely push my engine to the max most of the race and not worry about reliability... I havent done any experimenting but I think i would come on ahead of a car that has less fuel for weight purposes with my car being full with fuel but with the engine to the max ... thats just a guess/assumption.

This is a hard one to test, but based on my experience it's faster to run with less fuel. Especially if you qualified on pole and your car isn't that much faster I'd advise running with low fuel because having a heavy fuel load might mean losing P1.

The benefit of having more fuel isn't so much in taking the engine to the max as it is about having more laps before having to pit. Useful if you want to run a one stop strategy. Also, it means having to spend less time in the pit refueling.

It actually gets quite complicated, because you could argue that the extra lap of fuel costs .3 of a second per lap but it will cost you a full second in the pits. On the other hand though, the weight stacks so running a very heavy load means losing time every lap, and I think it might affect tyre wear as well.

Try putting your drivers on different strategies.

[test]

Originally posted by Alf:

Originally posted by test:

But does having less fuel give you better times than having more fuel but pushing the engine to max?

I dont have problems with reliability, i can safely push my engine to the max most of the race and not worry about reliability... I havent done any experimenting but I think i would come on ahead of a car that has less fuel for weight purposes with my car being full with fuel but with the engine to the max ... thats just a guess/assumption.

This is a hard one to test, but based on my experience it's faster to run with less fuel. Especially if you qualified on pole and your car isn't that much faster I'd advise running with low fuel because having a heavy fuel load might mean losing P1.

The benefit of having more fuel isn't so much in taking the engine to the max as it is about having more laps before having to pit. Useful if you want to run a one stop strategy. Also, it means having to spend less time in the pit refueling.

It actually gets quite complicated, because you could argue that the extra lap of fuel costs .3 of a second per lap but it will cost you a full second in the pits. On the other hand though, the weight stacks so running a very heavy load means losing time every lap, and I think it might affect tyre wear as well.

Try putting your drivers on different strategies.

But, how low is low? With how many laps of fuel do you start with normally? when do you refuel and by how much (generally)? How many times do you refuel per race (you must have a goal or something, i for instance try to do 2 pits every race on medium lenght)?


I just cant figure this one out, whats the optimum way to race.

[noxmortem]

I am currently racing long races and in ERS you are completly fuel capped. Tyre wear is much less of a problem and therefore i always fill the tank full (until last turn) this allowed me to win a race with Predator Racing Group in season 1 because I needed a full pit stop less than everyone else.

[Nestarion]

Originally posted by Alf:

But, how low is low? With how many laps of fuel do you start with normally? when do you refuel and by how much (generally)? How many times do you refuel per race (you must have a goal or something, i for instance try to do 2 pits every race on medium lenght)?


I just cant figure this one out, whats the optimum way to race.

The optimum is different every race. It depends on multiple factors. Best is to have the least needed fuel necessary to get to your next pitstop. When that is depends on your planning like tyres, weather but could also be part changing or the way you treat your engine.