Audi R8 LMS EVO II Oulton Park HYMO Hot Lap Analysis
Let’s take a look at this hot lap of Oulton Park in the Audi R8 LMS EVO II driven by HYMO.
The Track
Navigating the intricate and challenging layout of Oulton Park requires precise car setup. With its distinctive corners like Cascades, Lodge, and Druids, achieving the right balance poses a considerable challenge. Luckily, HYMO has the ideal solution, offering the same setup featured in this impressive lap video HERE.
Established in 1921, Oulton Park stands as an iconic racing circuit. Hosting various motorsport events, including the British Touring Car Championship, the track's demanding nature is characterised by a mix of elevation changes, sweeping turns, and deceptive crests. Oulton Park has been a prominent venue in motorsports, providing an exciting backdrop for racing enthusiasts since its inception.
Analysis
We can use the Track Titan software to analyse the chicane at turns 7, 8, and 9 comparing a community driver to the HYMO driver. This chicane is very narrow, making it very difficult to get right. The most important thing is to get the right line so that you don’t go too wide on the exit. In this case, the community driver loses almost 0.7 seconds to the HYMO driver, most of which is lost to taking the wrong line into the chicane.
Looking at the throttle and brake graphs, we can see that the community driver (in dark blue) doesn’t really do anything wrong, certainly nothing that would lose them 7 tenths of a second. The most important place to look is the racing line. The mistake the community driver makes is not getting close enough to the apex at Turn 7. This line puts them closer to the Turn 8 apex before they have even turned in, which in turn causes them to miss that apex as well. Finally, they end up wider on the exit and too close to the left hand side for Turn 9, meaning they have to drive across to the right side of the track again to avoid losing speed. The HYMO driver on the other hand, hits the first apex which allows an earlier turn in for Turn 8, giving a much straighter line on the exit and through Turn 9, taking an overall straighter line through the whole complex.
You can analyse every other turn in the Track Titan platform; see reference lap here.
You can also take it to the next level and compare it against your own driving, just sign up to Track Titan for FREE today here.
Sim Racing Top Tips
Let's delve into the world of Force Feedback (FFB) settings in sim racing. Force Feedback is the technology that recreates the tactile response you would feel when driving a real car, such as the resistance of the wheel when turning. It’s an essential aspect of the sim racing experience, providing valuable information about what the car is doing and how it’s interacting with the track.
However, it’s important not to set your FFB too high. While it might seem more realistic to have strong feedback, an overly powerful FFB can lead to clipping, where the wheel doesn’t have any more strength to give and you lose detail in the feedback. This can prevent you from feeling important cues, such as the subtle vibrations that indicate loss of traction. A good starting point is to set your FFB so that it’s strong but not so much that it’s clipping during normal driving. You can then adjust up or down based on personal preference.
Want to put your new settings to the test? Join Track Titan today!
