The new Rennsport car simulation has been in beta testing for several weeks now. For us, it was an opportunity to discover the physics of the game’s vehicles, as well as the proposed force feedback. But there’s one point in particular that caught our attention, and above all the attention of Vincent, our motorsport instructor partner, and that’s the circuits. To date, they’re the most complete and precise we’ve found in any simulation.
Previously, we had seen the trajectories of the Spa and Hockenheim circuits. And we pointed out that the simulations we had usedlacked visualcues on certain corners. Today, we’re finally going to be able to show you these cues, thanks to the circuits in Rennsport.
Why does every detail count?
Okay, Sam, you’re cute, but frankly… I don’t care if there’s a pole with a camera about 15 metres before the marshals’ booth at the entrance to the Raidillon de Spa!
Reader friend
Well, it gives you a visual cue used by real drivers to set their trajectory. That’s what it’s for! In our Trajectory Tutorials, your instructor Vincent teaches you everything you need to know to train in simracing… but also to drive on the real track! And all these visual cues are crucial to finding the right braking, steering, chord and exit points.
And these cues can be found both on and off the track. Sometimes even at a great distance. Hence, once again, the need for a game that reproduces the anatomy of the track and its surroundings as faithfully as possible.
And in this respect, we must give credit where credit is due: to date, Rennsport has produced the most accomplished models. Even if they’re not perfect, they’re far more up-to-date and complete than those found on other simus. You might think that’s normal, given that Rennsport is brand new and hasn’t even been released yet. To which I’d reply “Yes… but look at some recent games like F1 23, they may have the F1 license and astronomical budgets, but they don’t even bother to update all the circuits from year to year.”
Visual cues, but not only!
These markers can be visual, but they can also simply be a bump or a dip in the asphalt. That’s where a good laser scan of the track is crucial. The more precise the scan, the more detail we’ll be able to convey in our force feedback. And the more potential landmarks we’ll be able to use.
For example, for many yearsat Monaco, there was a bump at the end of the straight before the first bend at Sainte Dévote. This bump served as a landmark for the drivers, so they knew they had to apply the brakes at this point. But circuits evolve every year. To take Monaco as an example, 1/3 of the asphalt is completely redone every year. And the famous bump has disappeared, forcing drivers to find a new reference point.
It’s not enough to have a perfectly scanned and reproduced circuit. It also has to be updated, if not every year, at least on a regular basis. Without that, it loses its value as a preparation aid, both for the drivers and for YOU, the reader. In fact, this is one of the reasons why rFactor Pro circuits cost the teams who use them literally thousands of euros a month.
Landmarks to be added to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit
We’re not going to go through the entire Spa trajectory tutorial again – there’s no point. Instead, here’s the link to the original tutorial, and below, we’ll look at some of the visual cues you can add to your arsenal!
Rennsport at the cutting edge of graphics
Spa-Francorchamps, surveillance cameras are appearing in Eau Rouge. Excellent turning marker, once the car passes it, you have to engage.
Rennsport at the cutting edge of graphics
Spa-Francorchamps, the only white dale appears in Raidillon. Excellent rope stitch
Rennsport at the cutting edge of graphics
Spa-Francorchamps, the sausage from the Speaker Corner appears. Excellent rope stitch
Rennsport at the cutting edge of graphics
Spa-Francorchamps, It’s here, the FIA fence which provides a turning guide to position yourself correctly towards Blanchimont 1
Rennsport at the cutting edge of graphics
Spa-Francorchamps, a detail is missing. The entrance to the stands is demarcated by a flexible red stake. It serves as a turning point, you will have to rely on the markings on the ground perpendicular to the direction of travel
Landmarks to add to the Hockenheim circuit
Let’s take a look at the actual landmarks added by Rennsport at the Hockenheimring. You’ll see, there are some very important ones! The original tutorial is here.
Rennsport at the cutting edge of graphics
Hockenheim, presence of the wall on the level of the track as in real life and appearance of the Porsche Experience Center Hockenheim
Rennsport at the cutting edge of graphics
Hockenheim, presence of the vibrator before banking and update of the control tower logo
Rennsport already obsolete?!
Earlier in the article, I talked about the fact that circuits evolve rapidly. There are usually modifications/upgrades several times a year on each track or its surroundings. The problem is that sending out teams to rescan the circuit and then model all the physical and visual modifications over time is a job that game designers don’t want to/can’t do. Understandably, for most studios it would simply be a financial drain.
But did you know that, even though it hasn’t been released yet, Rennsport is ALREADY obsolete?!!? I’ll leave you to discover the cataclysm:
Rennsport at the cutting edge of graphics
Hockenheim, a detail is missing. In 2023, the circuit will have new box doors, these are old.
Can’t wait to see what happens next!
Rennsport impressed us more than the driving or the force feedback, above all the realism of the circuits. What I personally hope is that, thanks to the game’s commercial strategy, which aims to involve modders, car manufacturers and circuits in bringing the sim to life and developing it, they’ll be able to keep the circuits pretty much up to date all the time. But that, of course, we won’t know until several months after the game’s public release.
By then, I hope you’ll have been able to refine your track knowledge even further with these new cues. As always, you can use them both in the sim and on the real track. And see you next week for a new trajectory tutorial!
Want to learn how to DRIVE a racing car with SimRacing? Learn the art of piloting with a real BPJEPS qualified track instructor. Mastery of grip, trajectories, track markers, braking, weight transfers… These coachings are the first to offer an approach to simracing as if you were on a real track!
