This document describes each track in the game, along with information
on how to drive a good lap there (assuming you put the many hours
requied into testing), and the behavior of the computer cars at certain
corners. Note that not all of these tracks are present in the current
FIA calendar, and most of the ones that are have been changed somewhat.
Still, after getting familiar with the ones that are still raced at, you
should feel quite at home riding with Michael Schumacher or Damon Hill
via their in-car cameras.
1. Phoenix Grand Prix Circuit, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
A street course, with a good combination of sharp hair-pins, fast
corners and quick straights. The main problem with the race is that it
is very stop/start with no real flow. Tough on tyres through all the
braking and acceleration this course requires a well set up car to cope
with the straights and corners. The first corner is where you will do
most of your out braking though the course is well suited to overtaking.
The hardest corners to take fast are the ones before Washington Street,
if the car is unbalanced then you will clip all the walls, the computer
takes this in 3rd or 4th gear but you should be able to do it in 5th or
even 6th!
2. Autodromo Jos=82 Carlos Pace, Interlagos, Brazil
An interesting circuit, which also features a good mix of very fast
straights and tight corners. It can be quite hard to get a well balanced
car due to the very long straights that require little downforce, and
the twisty back section which requires more downforce. The main passing
corner is the first corner where the cars slow from high 6th gear to low
second. This move is repeated at the end of the Rete Oposta. For
catching up it is best to late brake for every corner since most are
quite tight you will make up a few seconds a lap.
3. Autodromo Enzo and Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy (San Marino)
A very quick circuit, which is most notable for the long curved straight
(!) which stretches from Traguardo through Tamburello and up to the
Rettifilio, which end with a first gear corner. This is not surpassingly
the main passing place on a circuit that encourages slipstreaming
instead of late braking. The hardest corners are the Acque Minerale
which is VERY hard to take quickly, the car will tend to drift onto the
rumble strip, and any attempt to correct will send you skidding over to
the other side of the course. If there are going to be any computer
controlled crashes in the game they will probably happen here.
4. Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco
One of the classic Grand Prix of the year takes place on this extremely
tight street course, every corner contains famous memories for GP fans
and some of the best races have taken place here. The lap starts with
the Ste Devote, where there WILL be a crash on the first lap, the best
technique for this corner is to get out the way quickly and avoid any
trouble... The tight corners make it very easy to pass and there is no
excuse for not doing well here, indeed the Net Lap record is 8 seconds
under the 1991 record. For a quick lap you have to be quick through the
tunnel, and onto the end of the lap. The swimming pool complex is the
most crucial part, with left-right flick, taking the slightly wrong line
means you will brush every wall and lose a few seconds, but basically it
just takes practice.
5. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada
Accelerating across the start line, you sweep left round T1 at full
speed, braking just before you straighten out down to 55 mph in 1st for
the Island Hairpin, a tight right-hander which is a good place for
outbraking. A short straight follows where you might be able to pass,
then lift of the gas momentarily and flick through T3 and T4, which form
the first chicane, a very fast right-left comination, followed shortly
by T5, a right hand flick taken at full speed. Brake late into T6, a sub
90 mph 2nd gear left-hander, throwing the car out to the left so that
T7, a right hander, and be taken with the gas floored; don't, however,
try to reverse direction too rapidly or the back end will momentarily
lose traction. It is possible to outbrake someone into T6, but a better
plan is to wait until the straight that follows T7 and slipstream past
them, or outbrake them into T8, a right-hander which, with the left-
hander T9, forms the second chicane. With skill this combination can be
taken in third at over 90 mph; a good plan is not to brake too late but
instead set up so that T9 can be driven through with the gas floored,
the car drifting out to the right so far it looks like it will touch the
grass. The next straight has a left-hand flick, after which you can get
a tow and outbrake opponents into the Pits Hairpin, a sub 50 mph right-
hander taken in 1st with the car drifting well onto the rumble strip on
the left as you exit. If you're still stuck behind someone, now is a
good time to try to out-accelerate them because the track narrows and
sweeps at full speed through the rapid right-left-right combination of
T11, Casino Bend, and T12, reaching nearly 200 mph before coming up on
the pit entrance. At the last minute, tap the brakes (making sure there
are no cars slowing down for the pits) and fly through the final
chicance, T14/T15, at 170 mph in 5th gear, avoiding the kerbs until you
drift out onto the right hand rumble strip as you exit. Move the car
smartly to the left or you'll end up on the grass, and cross the finish
line at close to top speed.
6. Autodromo Hermanos Rodrigeuz, Mexico City, Mexico
The long straight stand out on this track, the combination of quick
section and tight twisty section back section makes this a difficult car
to set up. You have to compromise with downforce for the straight, and
rear wing for the final sweeping corner. Most overtaking will happen on
the straight with the usual outbraking at the slower corners, developing
a good rhythm is hard but is essential if you want to be quick through
the Esses and catch up with the drivers in front. There will always be
the temptation to do a Mansell round the last corner, but one error and
you will run out of road and lose a lot of time, so care must be taken.
7. Autodromo Hermanos Rodrigeuz, Mexico City, Mexico
A new circuit for the 1991 season, this circuit presents similar
problems to Mexico City due to the ultra-fast straight and twisty
sections. The lap starts with a quick sharp bend where it is easy to
drift off, onto the straight where the cars will reach over 190mph
before stamping on the brakes for the VERY sharp Adelaide Bend where it
is easy to pass. From then your are into the stop/start section with
quick short straights and slow bends, to get good as the circuit you
just have to drive round it many times until you know every braking
point perfectly.
8. Silverstone, Northamptonshire, Great Britain
The home of the British Grand Prix has been modified for 1991 due to the
excessive speeds that were being reached. The circuit is still very
quick and has several good passing places, however finding the right set
up can be difficult. There are four quick straights so the cars do not
carry too much downforce, however there are now chicanes at several
points and there must be a compromise with downforce as too little will
mean that you skid everywhere. Passing should not prove to be too
difficult since there is plenty of slip streaming and you can develop a
nice style as you lap. In particular the track can be quite forgiving if
you try just too hard
9. Hockenheimring, Heidelberg, Germany
The Hockenheimring circuit is, as every commentator puts it, as clean,
precise, clinical, and boring as all things in Germany. This view seems
slightly unfair as shown by its high position in the top 16. This is
essentially a power circuit consisting of two huge straights joined at
the ends by shorter ones, there are however 3 chicanes which slow the
cars down, and the short twisty complex at the end of the lap. Cars are
usually set up with little downforce and this can make the chicanes hard
to handle, though I find a rough hand on he accelerator allows you to
skid round them. Overtaking will happen just about anywhere with plenty
of slipstreaming. The 2nd and 3rd chicanes are the hardest but a good
line through these will allow you to catch up by several seconds, though
a mistake will be costly.
10. Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary
The only Eastern European takes place here at this slow and narrow
circuit. Passing is very difficult, even with late braking due to the
narrowness of the racing line. Once off this line it can be hard to keep
up are racing speed without going off. Despite all this, a fast lap is
very rewarding and achieving a good set-up is also a nice bonus. Any
passing opportunity should be taken but getting trapped behind a long
snake of cars can be very frustrating, especially if you reach them just
after the main straight. Due to the profusion of corners, the cars are
set up with plenty of downforce.
11. Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Francorchamps, Belgium
The real drivers favorite, this is a long street course with an
excellent lay out, this is the course that features THE best corner in
the world, Eau Rouge. Eau Rouge is an amazing left, right, left sequence
which can be taken almost flat out, but will bite you back if anything
goes wrong. The race begins with a short straight followed by a very
tight hairpin where there is almost always a crash on the first lap, the
track is then made up of long straight connected by twisty sections that
test a drivers ability. The lap finished with the Bus Stop chicane which
the computer cars take in 3rd but with the right line, you should be
able to take in 5th.
12. Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Milan, Italy
The home of the Italian Grand Prix, and the Tifosi. Always a large
Ferrari following here, though any Italian driver will get a huge boost
here. This track held the fastest Grand Prix ever, but now the huge
straights have
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>2. Autodromo Jos=82 Carlos Pace, Interlagos, Brazil
>the twisty back section which requires more downforce. The main passing
>corner is the first corner where the cars slow from high 6th gear to low
>second. This move is repeated at the end of the Rete Oposta. For
One for the brave is to overtake on the inside at the slow righthander Bico
Do Pato (my manual says). Stay right behind them through Pinheirinho and
then as they move left to take the aforementioned right hander, duck into
the right to zip through. Half the time you will hit the other car :-)
but its a slow corner and no damage will result.
If you are *really* brave, on exiting Pinheirinho duck through on their left
before they move across.
I find that the right hander before the hairpin (a few yards before you go
under the bridge) is a good place to dive into a gap.
When you try to slipstream past on the exit of spoon curve, make sure you
have completed the move well before the fast left at the crossover, or the
computer car will move across and take you both out. Mansell tried *many*
times to attempt this overtaking move last year.
I've mentioned a 'feature' of the game a few times, where if you are along
side a computer car (you are on the left) going into the chicane then he
will *always* without fail go off straight ahead into the wall... but I
havnt heard anyone else comment.
Is it just me?
: I've mentioned a 'feature' of the game a few times, where if you are along
: side a computer car (you are on the left) going into the chicane then he
: will *always* without fail go off straight ahead into the wall... but I
: havnt heard anyone else comment.
: Is it just me?
I just had that happen to me the other day. I don't usually try it there
so I can't say if it happens all of the time. It probably does and that
is the reason that I don't try it. I may have been damaged too many
times by the CC as they pinball to a stop.
