I keep hearing about a simulator that McLaren (and probably other teams have their own as well...) use.

Recently, Ron Dennis said something to the effect of "We want Lewis to have at least xxx hours in the simulator before his first race."

Does anyone have any details about the McLaren simulator?

ps Somehow I doubt that they are using the BF1 in LFS...

Is that exactly a quote of what Ron Dennis said?

Because I know that they run a 'simulator' of race situations and strategies that isn't a simulator like this, but just a simulation of statistical information to help for their strategies. Something the engineers and managers use in preparation for the race.

yeah, I think he must be talking about that kind of simulator altho saying that Hamilton should get a number of hours in the simulator is a puzzling thing . Well, if it is an actual simulator, I doubt we'll ever get it unless McLaren want to make some $$$, then perhaps you could buy it for a couple hundred pounds at least

Quote from Tweaker :

Is that exactly a quote of what Ron Dennis said?

.

Quote from sam1600 :

...Ron Dennis said something to the effect of...

"As Autosport magazine reported, the 38-year-old Mika Hakkinen had twice tested in the McLaren simulator in the last month and had discussed a possible return."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/55647

"Hakkinen has spent a lot of time recently in McLaren's simulator in Woking and sources have told autosport.com that the Finn is due to attend this week's test at Barcelona in Spain tomorrow."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/55804

"I was staggered to hear Ron Dennis say Lewis had completed 1,000 hours in the McLaren race simulator before the start of the season. That’s the equivalent of 125 full, eight-hour days in this virtual car.

No wonder Lewis had to move down to a flat in Woking – he’s spending all his time in the McLaren simulator."

http://www.itv-f1.com/Feature. ... _The_Team&PO_ID=39108

Well, that should clear that up then...

I imagine it's something like LFS version orgasm.

Something I found:

http://portal.surrey.ac.uk/por ... portal&_schema=PORTAL

They have some simulator company make something specially for them?

XPI Simulation Ltd

Surely they are still partners with them, or some simulation company.

I have to say tho, you don't have to test in a specialised simulator to get somewhere . I believe back in 96 at the Belgian GP, Villeneuve had hardly any practice or might've never actually driven at Spa (not sure which one ) anyway, he apparently trained himself up on a simulator and it had turned out that it was in fact Microprose's GP2 so LFS is waay more advanced than GP2 and I believe that you can learn from LFS and train yourself up. The only problem with LFS is the actual content, there are no real tracks or real cars (well, only a few real cars) so its difficult to train because you're driving at a different track environment but still, you can improve your driving ability in it.

I remember I had a karting race last race in an amateur championship that I joined and was very surprised but glad to see that the kart handled very much like the MRT and I was able to adapt to it very quickly. The major difference ofcourse was that the kart was nowhere near as twitchy as the MRT and the kart felt stickier in terms of grip but still, I was able to drive quite well . So, I say, take LFS seriously , it can teach you many things for driving in RL.

So in other words.. no, you don't know any details about the McLaren simulator.

Quote from Leprekaun :

LFS is waay more advanced than GP2 and I believe that you can learn from LFS and train yourself up.

He didn't use GP to to train himself to drive an F1 car... lol!
He just used it to learn the track, it gives a driver a good idea of how the corners will look and what direction the track goes. That's it.
LFS wouldn't help you much... it would help a beginner get over the really n00b stage but anyone who has had real track time it's not going to help you all that much. Maybe a very little bit on race craft... it all depends on RL experience really.

Maybe something similar to this Simrac rally simulator? It has Ouninpohja special stage from Rally Finland and some others.

http://www.simrac.com/rally-equipment.php

Yes, I'm sure it is similar to that rally simulator... but what does that have to do with the McLaren simulator?

Off the SimRAC site

"As a scenery Simrac used mainly computer games like Colin McRae Rally"

Yup, THATS gonna be as realistic as you get

It seems to be more to train Co-drivers than anything else.

At least use RBR for gods sake

Quote from sam1600 :

Yes, I'm sure it is similar to that rally simulator... but what does that have to do with the McLaren simulator?

eh nothing

Quote from Jakg :

Off the SimRAC site

"As a scenery Simrac used mainly computer games like Colin McRae Rally"

Yup, THATS gonna be as realistic as you get

It seems to be more to train Co-drivers than anything else.

At least use RBR for gods sake

But that part of the text was about the old "Evo II" model. Though I don't understand what does that "as a scenery" mean... Colin McArcade Rally does not have real stages so how they can use it?

Cheers, VALE 46, that is a great link. Here's some interesting parts:

"The software for the cyber car was pioneered by the military. It can distinguish between different types of tarmac and tyre compounds, the effect when a kerb is raised a millimetre or if the track is banked.

Even though Hamilton had not seen the opening two tracks of the championship in Melbourne and Malaysia, Britain's boy wonder learned them intimately by doing hundreds of laps on the simulator.

The system is so critical to the car's development Alonso secretly jetted back to Britain to spend time in it after Ferrari romped to victory in Australia.

One rival team boss believes McLaren have spent £60m on the project.

With new rules restricting testing to 30,000km and 300 sets of tyres, the simulator could make a huge difference as the team can make progress when no one else is allowed to test.

Without going into detail Alonso admitted in Bahrain: "Much of the development of the car will be in the factory and we have to trust the tools at the factory and put it on the car at the weekends.

"If the car improves Lewis and I will both get the advantage. Maybe Lewis will test in the simulator more than me."

Development is so critical test driver Pedro de la Rosa alternated days between track testing in Jerez and simulator work at the factory. "McLaren are leaps and bounds ahead of anyone else in this field," said a rival technical director.

"To do the circuit mapping you have to combine helicopter and car videoing linked to a GPS system.

"Copying aerodynamics and the engine is relatively easy but the hardest part is replicating how much grip the tyres have, how they feel when they expand under use, or the effect of degradation.

"In Lewis' case the simulator doesn't take away from his remarkable talent but it means he is far better prepared and there are far fewer surprises when he gets on the track."

Thanks for that link, I've been wanting find out anything about that simulator for a long time now. Members of McLaren have been mentioning it a lot for a couple of years now but the press has completely failed to show any interest. Most people probably thought they were talking about a Playstation.

So now we know what it cost, that it's probably a full motion rig (the price!), that it has a physics basedl tyre model (deformation is mentioned so no magic formula), and that it is used for a lot more than to help the drivers memorize the tracks.

Quote from nikimere :

He didn't use GP to to train himself to drive an F1 car... lol!
He just used it to learn the track, it gives a driver a good idea of how the corners will look and what direction the track goes. That's it.
LFS wouldn't help you much... it would help a beginner get over the really n00b stage but anyone who has had real track time it's not going to help you all that much. Maybe a very little bit on race craft... it all depends on RL experience really.

i have to dissagree with this LFS has tought me alot when it comes to driving on a track either drifting or racing befor lfs i would understeer my car into allmost any corner and this is a 370 HP rwd manual with a locker. but now i can get the back sliding ever so slightly on entry to exit IE NOT drifting racing with slight over steer and drifting in RL is differnt then lfs but lfs still helped me to realize drifting isent all about power

and i have had track time i frequent the track days here in aus every chance i get most of the time driving my shitty commodore and keep up with the skylines

Quote from nikimere :

it would help a beginner get over the really n00b stage

Quote from MAD3.0LT :

i have to dissagree with this LFS has tought me alot when it comes to driving on a track either drifting or racing befor lfs i would understeer my car into allmost any corner and this is a 370 HP rwd manual with a locker. but now i can get the back sliding ever so slightly on entry to exit IE NOT drifting racing with slight over steer and drifting in RL is differnt then lfs but lfs still helped me to realize drifting isent all about power
[snip]

Read what i said. I even put the important bits in bold for you.
I said LFS would help anyone get over the beginners bit but it's not going to help an experienced racer at all.

Quote from nikimere :

Read what i said. I even put the important bits in bold for you.
I said LFS would help anyone get over the beginners bit but it's not going to help an experienced racer at all.

lol no u said it all depends on real life experiance really and anyone that has had real track time its not going to help you that much.

and im dissagreing

Quote :

lol no u said it all depends on real life experiance...

Yes i said that as well. You might want to go back and read my post.
A computer game like LFS or GP2 is not going to help you improve your driving if you are already good and have lots of experience. It will only help you with the basics. If you do find it is helping you then you are obviously still learning the basics.

lol u keep making ur statments genrelized and vage but what im saying is LFS is not real life But even experianced drivers reach their limits in real life LFS has helped me surpass my real life limits making me a better driver In real life now im far from a good driver or very experainced but i got out their in my slower car and beat guys that have been racing for years due to my lines and keeping the car slightly sideways through corners rather then relying on front end grip like they do.

I agree with Niki. LFS certainly helped my first outings on track, but the more I do the more real life differences become overriding. I doubt any computer simulation will help an F1 driver ever, though it might give a vague idea of braking points or driving lines on a 'new' circuit.

The fact that it still helps you implies you aren't all that great after all. The fact that the biggest thing it's taught you is the need for mid-corner yaw and a slightly oversteer bias rather than terminal understeer. also implies that you didn't have much of a clue of basics to begin with. You could have learnt that from any 'driving handbook'.

Quote from tristancliffe :

I doubt any computer simulation will help an F1 driver ever...

Well, McLaren obviously disagree.

But who are they to argue with you?

I bet they don't - they are not driving the simulator to teach driving habits, but to aid situational practice (something a sim CAN help with). They'll probably run safety car periods, outlap simulation (getting tyres to optimum condition for a qualifying lap), that sort of thing. Car Control or vehicle improvement is out of the scope of a simulator - they can't make wind tunnels match up with CFD perfectly in static cases, let alone a real time simulation.