Does anyone else feel like DRS and slipstream are very ineffective?

[Ewanoss9 1]

Quite often the delta to the car ahead will stay the same or even extend even if I've got slipstream and DRS!

Have any of you guys experienced this? It just seems to me that it's almost like no advantage being behind atm.

Thanks

Ewan

[Dunky1980 50]

DRS is fine slipstream probably is a little too weak this year where it was overpowered arcade in 2019.

I do like it as it makes overtaking more challenging and I've had some great battles. So I wouldn't want it to change too much from this year.

 

[GnrDreagon 78]

I think it's fine.

[marioho 686]

I'm not keen on the numbers but seems to be that slipstream was nerfed and now we have significant dirty air too.

And sometimes I wonder if people aren't conflating the two. Like they complain about not having enough slipstream when actually they're in a scenario where it is the dirty air limiting their performance. As it should.

But yeah, feels like slipstream could be buffed a bit. In last weekend's Spa for example, the slipstream seemed to be what hampered Max overtaking attempt over Bottas on lap 1 (3:55 if the link doesn't open up to the correct timestamp):

 

Edited September 3 by marioho

[Ewanoss9 1]

2 hours ago, marioho said:

I'm not keen on the numbers but seems to be that slipstream was nerfed and now we have significant dirty air too.

And sometimes I wonder if people aren't conflating the two. Like they complain about not having enough slipstream when actually they're in a scenario where it is the dirty air limiting their performance. As it should. In last weekend's Spa for example, the slipstream seemed to be what hampered Max overtaking attempt over Bottas on lap 1 (3:55 if the link doesn't open up to the correct timestamp):

 

Yeah but I'm talking about on the straights; it's great we have dirty air in the corners and I feel it when following closely, but on the straights the gap isn't really opening or closing. In real life with DRS you do gain regardless.

I just did a race at Monza and for like 7 laps I was about 0.8 behind Ocon on the straight until I had to properly spam the overrate button.

It's not much of a complaint I just think DRS in real life is a lot more powerful.

[marioho 686]

@Ewanoss9 sorry, mate! My post was a mess. I was on mobile.

I agree with you. I don't think the situation is as dare as some people think and, although it is not your case, I do feel like some folks think they should be gaining on the car ahead when in reality the game is correctly applying the dirty air effect. For some being behind a car = slipstream, whatever the scenario.

My Verstappen example should align with your impressions.

[Ewanoss9 1]

8 minutes ago, marioho said:

@Ewanoss9 sorry, mate! My post was a mess. I was on mobile.

I agree with you. I don't think the situation is as dare as some people think and, although it is not your case, I do feel like some folks think they should be gaining on the car ahead when in reality the game is correctly applying the dirty air effect. For some being behind a car = slipstream, whatever the scenario.

My Verstappen example should align with your impressions.

No problem.

Yeah fair enough, that's probably true

[Bobble2020 24]

It could be that the different engines could also affect this , We have seen in real Gp's where even with kers wide open some cars are no faster than the car in front 

[marioho 686]

4 minutes ago, Bobble2020 said:

It could be that the different engines could also affect this , We have seen in real Gp's where even with kers wide open some cars are no faster than the car in front 

Yep, there's that to account for too. Red Haas showed us all in Spa last weekend.

That and the R&D status regarding Aero > Drag Reduction and obviously Aero > DRS upgrades.

[janbonator 300]

I've said it since launch - I'd like to see some kind of slipstream effect. Right now it's practically zero. I love the addition of dirty air, but I suppose for gameplay reasons slipstream was removed to base overtaking on ERS modes. It's been pretty much what I've feared in terms of league racing. There are now tracks that simply don't allow for any overtaking unless the car in front makes a mistake. A good example would be Melbourne.

[dshepsman 56]

slipstream hasnt been removed. It may not be as noticeable, but its there. The issue may be that the car in front has upped its engine mode, hit the overtake button etc.

Also, the slipstream effect may not come into effect as early as previous games?

[Turtlemoose 75]

I have had a play around with A.I difficulty mode.....

 

I put difficulty 5 points lower than usual, then started running higher wing setups than usual.

 

The lower difficulty puts me on an even keel with A.I down the straights and out of traction zones.

The increased downforce obviously improves me through corners.

 

Initially felt like I was making the game deliberately easier, but in fact I believe it balances the game out more.

[janbonator 300]

6 hours ago, dshepsman said:

slipstream hasnt been removed. It may not be as noticeable, but its there. The issue may be that the car in front has upped its engine mode, hit the overtake button etc.

Also, the slipstream effect may not come into effect as early as previous games?

Every league racer worth his salt ups his engine mode for straights and knows how to use ERS too. Making the whole charade mostly meaningless.

I think I will test it over the weekend to get some hard data, but I'm quite certain the slipstream effect reduces drag by less than 1%.