Alright so here's a question. I was in the qualification stage in an FZ50 only server, we were racing Kyoto Long. I was on my first lap, and I'm still a noob so was going slower than most. I get the blue flag warning as someone comes up behind me. We were going through the few turns before eventually getting to the large oval area. It was before the long left turn, so there were a few sharper turns, I figured he wouldn't try to pass me. We are going into an almost 90 degree right turn, with a bunch of sand on the left, he tried to pass me on the right side, touches my car and spins off into the sand on the left... goes to the pits and says "heeeeeey why did you bump me? blue flag"

I understand to let people by that are ahead of you, but does that mean that I have to literally pull over and stop for them to go by? I thought they could pass and I could slow down when it was safe, not around moderately difficult corners. I'm asking if I am correct in my understanding or wrong, because I'm looking to learn from this whatever the case was.

Thanks

Quote from Citizen86 :

Alright so here's a question. I was in the qualification stage in an FZ50 only server, we were racing Kyoto Long. I was on my first lap, and I'm still a noob so was going slower than most. I get the blue flag warning as someone comes up behind me. We were going through the few turns before eventually getting to the large oval area. It was before the long left turn, so there were a few sharper turns, I figured he wouldn't try to pass me. We are going into an almost 90 degree right turn, with a bunch of sand on the left, he tried to pass me on the right side, touches my car and spins off into the sand on the left... goes to the pits and says "heeeeeey why did you bump me? blue flag"

I understand to let people by that are ahead of you, but does that mean that I have to literally pull over and stop for them to go by? I thought they could pass and I could slow down when it was safe, not around moderately difficult corners. I'm asking if I am correct in my understanding or wrong, because I'm looking to learn from this whatever the case was.

Thanks

IMHO, You did right! You shall let people pass when you get blue flag, but you should hold your line 'til you see that the other guy/s can pass without any danger of hitting someone else.
When i get blue flag i always drive as usual, then when i see that he/she can pass i just indicate with my right turn signal. Most of the times people understand :P

First lap.

You mean first lap as in outlap, or your first lap AFTER your outlap?

Outlap. I think. I don't remember if the time had started or not.

I assume you mean that if it was outlap then it shouldn't have been a problem for me to stop?

Quite.

Okay so I understand better how it works. Thanks guys

A lot of the faster drivers don't know how to pass resp. how to drive off the racing line. As a result they want you to move out of "their" way. Actually they don't seem to be able to interact with any kind of "traffic". The problem with lapping is, that these guys think the lapped driver has to disappear instantly (as you mentioned), even more so when they're followed by a competitor. So they try to pass you whatever the cost, and when they fail, you're the a-hole.

Interacting with other drivers, having to drive slower than you could and being slowed down while lapping other cars are crucial parts of racing. Everyone who doesn't want to accept this should stick to hotlapping.

Of course sometimes the lapped drivers are a bit clumsy, but it's always easier for the car behind to be considerate towards the car in front than vice versa.

Yeah, it's pretty easy to see, just like everywhere, there are going to be some jerks and ones who think everyone should do exactly what they think when they think. This guy wasn't so bad, he just made a comment and that was it.

BTW, nice avatar Bandit77, I see that splice! lol

I drive in open testing sessions a lot IRL. If I get the blue flag, all I do is lift on the next straight. Just lift for a one-onethousand a little ways after your turn exit point, flash your indicator and let the dude by. Don't go off-line. The passer has to get by YOU, and he has to know what you're going to do, so be predictable. Just make it easier for him by lifting. Don't touch the brakes. This will freak the guy out.

In a real open session, usually the only rule is to not pass in corners, and to not press the pass if you're not alongside in the braking area. If you're only halfway alongside, abort the pass. Sometimes in real life the driver will see you with just a nose in, but he definitely won't in a game since we're all on very restricting monitors.

Usually the track coordinators will leave it up to the passing car to get by, and they won't issue blue flags. In these situations, if you're not exiting the corner faster than the other guy or don't have monumentally better brakes, just lift, take the pits, whatever you need to do to get space. It's amazing how many professional drivers will just sit there on the tail of a guy for laps and laps hoping he'll let them through. Just drop back, get space. You're talking about 10 or 20 cars sharing 2.5 or so miles of track space. There is enough for everyone. Don't feel cheated if someone won't let you by.

Anyway, being passed, just lift, or short shift, or something, on the next straight. Don't, whatever you do, run wide on a corner. You usually have no idea how many cars will come through, and very very few of the guys out there have ever really learned how to manage traffic safely.

The best way to pass is to get a better run out of a corner. This is very hard to do when the car ahead of you is the same type. It's also hard to do when the car ahead is very slow. The slower the car ahead, the more room you need to get a run through the corner. I can't even tell you how many kid karts I've overtaken from 10 or 12 kart lengths back just by getting a run through a corner.

The second best pass is under the brakes. Maybe you're in a Formula car with very good brakes but low horsepower and you want to get by a GT car. Brakes are your only option. When passing under the brakes, it is best not to throw it in deep. Brake at your normal point, just lighter. If you're not alongside by the turn-in point, abort.

The safest outbraking pass is done close to your opponent. You NEED to make sure they see you. The bigger you are in their vision, the less inclined they will be to turn in on you. If you throw in a pass and you're 2 car widths to the inside, he'll just turn in anyway, you'll have to slow a lot to make the corner for not opening your exit, and he'll probably hit your rear.

Leave half a car width between you, get up there, get alongside and dictate the corner to him.

The only provision to that is if you're a Formula car and he's a GT car, don't get too close, otherwise he difninitely won't see you; you're smaller than his door frame. But, a Formula car can hugely outbrake a GT car so it's not that big a deal. You should be well in front of him by the turn in anyway. Just be aware that you're small and he is big and probably can't see you till you're in front.

Open passing is very much no-man's-land. The first day I ever did an open session, I got beaned by a very experienced guy. I slowed, took the final corner slowly (cooldown lap), he assumed I'd go wide, I turned in, he came down full speed, we whacked wheels and broke each other's steering arms.

While very valid for overtaking in a race, being on a quali (like the OP) in- or outlap means not interfering with a timed lap in any way.

So what should have happened if I was on my first lap being timed? I had a blue flag, but that was going into multiple turns, and he tried to pass me in like the 3rd turn.

If someone catches you on your timed lap, they should have left more space. I don't see why someone else would have more right to do their fast lap than you. If LFS shows you a blue while both being on a fast lap, I'd say it's down to server rules where applicable and where not, keep going.

Quote from Citizen86 :

So what should have happened if I was on my first lap being timed? I had a blue flag, but that was going into multiple turns, and he tried to pass me in like the 3rd turn.

If it's a timed quali session it's his responsibility to time his run through the series of corners and pass you on the exit if he really wants to get by. I have no problem with passing in quali, I find that it doesn't affect my time when done properly, but most people will disagree. I have no problems being passed, but generally I never pass anyone except if they're going very, very slow and I can spare the time.

If you're on an out lap and he's on a timed lap, you should be intelligent about it. Try to time your warmup so he'll catch you on a straight just to avoid nastiness. Gone are the days when the following car is at fault... an unfortunate side effect of arrogance.