How do you qualify?

[Rango 171]

I have always done one shot for quali on career in F1, but this year I've gone from this, to short, to full quali sessions. Yeah it takes longer but I'm enjoying the whole thing of will I make it into Q2/Q3 etc. Currently on 80 ai (think that's my limit until the car improves!) with only abs and pit assists (G920 wheel). 

[KNT2011 214]

I always do full, think it's a great system, really entertaining. 

In game and real life. 

I remember old qualy when noone go out for 50 minutes and camera look at scenery. 

This way much better!

[PJTierney 4,908]

Short Qualifying for me.

Garage > Flying Lap

Set a time, and then try and best it on the second lap before returning to Garage.

Swap tyres, repeat process.

For final run, take all the fuel out, swap tyres and go for one flat-out attempt.

[XanderSJX 85]

Full qualy, with running depending of the team:

Weak team:

Q1 - wait 2min, do outlap and 1 fast lap, wait until 2-3 min until the end and go out again

Q2 - do one fast lap at start, if around 11th do another in last min, if not that's it

Q3 - one lap, whatever I get valid or not, don't know how I got there anyway 

Middle team:

Q1 - same as Q1 above

Q2 - same as Q1

Q3 - same as Q1

Top team:

Q1 - wait for first wave to go in pit, then drive one lap

Q2 - same as Q2 above

Q3 - same as Q2

[BelgiumDude 461]

Short quali > flying lap > go to garage > ffwd > click flying lap > remember to swap tyres > click flying lap again > set final lap time > get out qualified by my rival > makes a sad face

[TomEmilioDavies 22]

Usually I’ll do full Qualifying while doing full outlaps and in laps. But sometimes I can’t be bothered and I’ll just do Short Qualifying and use the “flying lap” and “return to garage” options. Really depends on how I’m feeling I guess. 

[Akkan74 259]

Always full Quali, drive inlap and outlap and wait all the time. I find it really entertaining, but it takes a bit of time.

[Sbinnotto07 38]

One shot

[nshestitko 0]

top team:

Q1 - hot lap at the beginning of session... hot lap at the end of the session if need it

Q2 - hot lap at the beginning of session on the Q1 tyres, hot lap at the end of session on fresh tyres (soft) OR fresh medium at the beginning (1 try)

Q3 - hot lap at the beginning of session on the Q1 tyres, hot lap at the end of session on fresh Q3 tyres

[RS Phil 214]

Full Q1 to sometimes Q3.

[Ultra3142 384]

Currently just one shot while I'm learning but I think I'd probably do full qualifying when I get round to doing a career mode.

[Hichel18 15]

I do full qualifying, with out and inlaps done too! usually I FFW the rest of the qualifying, but in MyTeam usually I observer my teammate and some rivals for a time

[Salmis 0]

On 7/31/2020 at 2:10 PM, PJTierney said:

Short Qualifying for me.

Garage > Flying Lap

Set a time, and then try and best it on the second lap before returning to Garage.

Swap tyres, repeat process.

For final run, take all the fuel out, swap tyres and go for one flat-out attempt.

If you go only two runs, is the one set of soft tires (that you didnt use) available in race? If you want to go race strategy soft med soft, how to do it, if you want fresh tires for the last stint? Short quali.

Edited October 27 by Salmis

[svensenk86 133]

full qualy

Q1 - normally 2 times with the same tyre

Q2 - 2 times (if i make a save time I stay with 1 time)

Q3 - 2 times

[CS21 2]

I have the settings full qualifying.

But I only take one lap per session. Mostly I fast forward till the Ai has done it's first try. Then ewhen they all go back to pit, I go straight to flying lap. Do one take and then right back to pit. I wait till the AI finished it's first shot. Then got directly to flying lap. One shot and then directly back to pit. I fast forward to the end of the session or let it run out depending on time left.

In the wet, I take a lot more fuel with me and drive the whole session to improve my time. Maybe get dry tyres if it makes sense. If it is dry and rain is supposed to come, I go out right as well.

[PJTierney 4,908]

3 hours ago, Salmis said:

If you go only two runs, is the one set of soft tires (that you didnt use) available in race? If you want to go race strategy soft med soft, how to do it, if you want fresh tires for the last stint? Short quali.

I do 25% races and tend to always start with Softs.

[Salmis 0]

Ok. But let say I play short qualification and 50% (or 100%) race. In quali I have tires S S S M (balanced). I drive two hotlaps with two set of soft tires. Is the third set of soft tires available in race? Or in general what tires do I have in race, let say balanced allocation and short quali?

[CS21 2]

You got seven sets of tires that you can use during qualifying and race combined. So every set is avaliable in the race. If you use all of your soft tires in quali, you don't have a fresh set for the race and only have used ones.

If you make it to Q3. You have to start the race with the tire you made your fastest lap in Q2. So that one is already used.

I would go for softs at the start then and go for a spared soft tire (if you can). And for the end race go for mediums. If a safety car comes out, you have enough options to alter your strategy.

Edited October 27 by CS21

[Salmis 0]

So if I start with softs and want to go soft med soft, I have to spare one soft set in quali? (I want the last soft tires to be fresh)

[CS21 2]

that depends on which mix of tyre sets you choose.

In career mode, you have the option to decide how many sets of which compound you wanna take for the weekend. If you're certain you don't want to take the hard tyre, Take less. Or pick a soft set more for a medium.

Otherwise, to have a fresh set of soft for the end. you have to spare one.

Edited October 27 by CS21

[s00zster 262]

I'd like to do Short or Full, but I do One Shot because it's the only one where you know it's taking all its results from on-track performance, as opposed to Accelerated Time scripted performances via crashing out, dropping out in Q1, fast forward, etc. There was also an issue in 2019 where the scripted performance didn't tally with R&D improvements. No idea if it's still the case with 2020 but I don't want to take any chances.

Plus it's a time saver. 

[Vstorm07 3]

Used to use short qual. Now use full. I qual usually with Leclerc at an AI level higher than I race. If I win poll I raise AI by 5. If I don’t make q2 I drop AI 10. If I finish in q2 I drop 5 if I make q3 I keep AI the same. So far my races are competitive with finishes from 3-15. Since the Ferrari nerf I seem to average about 5-7 in overall points. found this easier than comparing charts online. 

[Ukbordoy 16]

On 10/27/2020 at 8:10 AM, CS21 said:

I have the settings full qualifying.

But I only take one lap per session. Mostly I fast forward till the Ai has done it's first try. Then ewhen they all go back to pit, I go straight to flying lap. Do one take and then right back to pit. I wait till the AI finished it's first shot. Then got directly to flying lap. One shot and then directly back to pit. I fast forward to the end of the session or let it run out depending on time left.

In the wet, I take a lot more fuel with me and drive the whole session to improve my time. Maybe get dry tyres if it makes sense. If it is dry and rain is supposed to come, I go out right as well.

Just remember when using fast forward or the return to garage button in pause menu that the AI will qualify faster then they would have done otherwise as the game is guessing there time as opposed to then actually setting a time. I only fast forward when AI are on out laps or in laps, if any on fast lap I dont fast forward (you can tell this form one of the screens when you are on pits).

[s00zster 262]

9 hours ago, Ukbordoy said:

Just remember when using fast forward or the return to garage button in pause menu that the AI will qualify faster then they would have done otherwise as the game is guessing there time as opposed to then actually setting a time. I only fast forward when AI are on out laps or in laps, if any on fast lap I dont fast forward (you can tell this form one of the screens when you are on pits).

See, this is why I do one-shot. It's so simple that way, plus I've created headcanon that the FIA switched to One-Shot after all the shenanigans at Monza last year. 

[TheCroc84 124]

15 hours ago, Ukbordoy said:

Just remember when using fast forward or the return to garage button in pause menu that the AI will qualify faster then they would have done otherwise as the game is guessing there time as opposed to then actually setting a time. I only fast forward when AI are on out laps or in laps, if any on fast lap I dont fast forward (you can tell this form one of the screens when you are on pits).

Yeah i pretty do real in and out laps (which also gives you 1/2% less usage on tyres if done properly) and only fast forward when no ones on a flying lap.  I always try to be on a run at the end of sessions too to avoid everything being simulated at the very end.  Bit annoying but the sim times aren't accurate enough compared to them running the session normally.