Pit stop strategies

[Barbarian]

I have played around 100 hours and still have trouble balancing pit stops. The first game was a team I created myself but did every thing wrong after that. Now I have Team Predator and have done the following upgrades:

- Factory lvl. 3
- Design centre lvl. 2
- Simulator lvl. 1
- Tour centre
- Handling development centre lvl. 1
- Telemetry centre lvl. 1
- Helipad max level

A little to late I learnt about the importance of developing tools but now I have all part in Great category. I have a paid driver and Ines Santa Anna as the main driver. I have 3 stars staff.

My problem is about pit stops. I seem to run out of fuel and have around 3 pit stops every race. The tires are chosen according to the weather. I tend to use neutral drviving style and medium engine mode (but I tweak accoriding to the how the race unfolds). Still, pit stops are my bane. Do you guys have any tips or advice about how to get better?

[OKHI233]

It depends on current rules. For example, if your current series has "Maximum 40% Race Distance Fuel Tank" rule, then you'll need at least 2 stops. While 80% can do with 1 stop, and "Refueling Ban" can go non stop.

However, if your series has "ERS with Hybrid" rule, then you could use the hybrid system to gain additional fuel laps. I used to use the hybrid system a lot in IGTC to get 1 pit stop strategy, while IGTC has "Maximum 40% Race Distance Fuel Tank" rule.

[Hark]

Assuming you're down in the European Racing Series, you should be going for 2 pit stops unless there is lots of short quick showers of rain.

When you start a race, go max overtake and aggression first lap. Then slow it down and try to hold position (your car isn't strong enough to just gun up to first place). Whoever is ahead, try and push them a little bit further. Don't run your tires all the way to max temperature because that just starts ripping your tire wear really harshly. Try and keep it high, but not too high. A little red here or there is ok but don't just let them burn through tires, they'll need to pit early.

There is also a cliff of performance regarding tire wear - for Meds you can run them to 5-10%, Softs 10-15%, Super Softs 15-20%. Wets and Inters you can run into the ground down to 0%. Never go further than those percentages I gave on tires, you will lose tons of time in a single lap if you do, thus the term "cliff".

Developing parts is how you get faster (well, drivers too but that's less important early in the game). Try and develop parts that give you as much of +X in that part's area. Like say, select as many modules for an Engine that give +X top speed. Keep doing this, never stop doing this. Order of importance, regarding how much impact they have on speed in a race, is Engine, Gearbox, Suspension, then Brakes.

Hope this helps, good luck. You will get there if you do what I stated in this post, it might take a while and you might be losing a lot early on, but you will get there.

[Spirit]

Best results come from a one stop strategy... so that's the first thing I look for.

How many laps is this race and can the drivers make it with one stop, usually it will take two stops.

So, halve the lap number and say I will pit at this lap number, so I will need this .... amount of fuel to reach that number and I will need to put in this ... amount of fuel to finish the race.
......................................

In practice, when your car is crossing the finish line, make a note of how much fuel there is. When the car completes a lap, then check the fuel again. Do the math, to see how much fuel was used.

So you can know, for example:
I am using medium tyres;
In this temperature, I need to drive on PUSH, to maintain correct tyre temperature;
The tyres will last 15 laps;
A lap uses 1.05 fuel on high;
There are 30 laps, so I need to do 1 stop;

I will stop at the end of lap 15;
1.05 x 15 is 15.75, so I will of used 16 laps of fuel;
I will need 16 laps of fuel to finish the race;
I will start with 20 laps of fuel, use 16 to the pit stop and then add 12 laps of fuel to finish;
There will be excess fuel of 0.5 to burn off on a fast lap.

If you are ahead or behind, then you can make adjustments.
.....................................

[G0emi]

Only Formula player here, no GT Series or whatever.

When there are votes in my series I allways try to get in / try to have them not vote out the "40% fuel tank" rule. Reason: with engineers and the "half refuel time" perk you gain around 5~7 seconds per pitstop per enemy that doesn't have this perk too.
Then, it will be a 2 stop race and only 3+ stop if weather is a mayhem or the driver is a derp with lower than 5 in the ability to drive smoothly (don't know in english, sry xD)
With the 40% fuel tank rule and if you have full reliability in engine and gearbox, you can full your tank, drive permanent in orange state (the first one faster than normal yellow) and get around perfectly for 2 stops with usually the last stint a lap or two shorter.

Use tires that are a bit more durable than the laps you plan to do.
For example: if you go for 13 laps between your pitstops, use tires that a durable for ~15 laps minimum. So you wont get into trouble when you "have to" push for a few laps.
Sidenote: Be wary of the ULTRA SOFT Tire, it will considerably slow down your car when its durability becomes lower than 25%, which also means a tire that is said to have a durability for 10-12 laps most likely wont even last 9 or even 8 laps with full speed! (I love when AI runs them down to the bones, gives them so much handicap even with one less stop *hugs canada raceway* xD)


Also, don't blindly trust your "x laps remaining" info on the refueling screen for planing your pitstop, again that only considers the lead car of the race in perspective of your position.
What I mean with that, following example:
You're almost a lap down on the leader and plan a pitstop, it will be the last for your race. The screen tells you "15 laps remaining" and encourages you to put in fuel accordingly.
But with your stop you will be lapped by the leader, the system accounts for that and displays one lap less than you actually would have to go, because, you'll be lapped and have to go one lap less, right? All good?
No, because there is a possibility (and if you watch the race closely you can figure it out during the race) that the leader has to and will stop again as well. So you refuel for that "one less lap" but when the leader pits you get back in front of them and there is a possibility of them not lapping you again, meaning you're now 1 lap short of fuel.
Been there, done that.

Also, as mentioned by someone else before:
Developement is key. Your driver and your strategy only bring you so far.
I personally allways look for lead engineers with the "random legendary part" trait (and a trait in the "great" (deep blue) part as well). Since it gives you the possibility to have a +90 part without actually using money for your HQ at all. Doesn't even have to be an expensive, good engineer with great stats, in fact, the cheaper the better ;) And even if you don't use that trait in the ongoing season (since you need a lot of time to build a lot of parts to that point) but used for parts to carry over for the next season this is a perfect asset and boosts your car pretty quickly to be one of the best (combined with any other +x stat when building a part).

[alan]

Why are you running out of fuel. You should know exactly how much fuel your car uses and act accordingly. Less stops less problems in the pit! If your car is crap work out how far you can go and aim for 1 less stop at least than the frontrunners, they nearly always start on the softest tyre and will be quite easy to stop once less than them, gaining 25-30 sec. Also the longer you can stay out before stopping for the first time gives you an advantage if there is a safety car after others have already stopped, yes sometimes that can go against you I know. Always pit if there is a safety car, well 90% anyway. Make sure your pit crew is balanced the auto function never tries to balance the crew out and it makes a big difference, one 7 on wheel changing and you may as well have 4 x 7. Ditto on the other positions. Depending on the rules some positions become more critical but nothing happens till the jacks are done.