Racing Etiquette
All drivers are expected to familiarise themselves with the
GPLAC
Recommended Driver Behaviour.
When starting, each driver must make sure they keep their car straight
and fully in control.
Drivers must remember that their tyres are cold on lap 1. They should
not attempt any overtaking moves unless they are sure it is safe to
do so.
Blocking is not allowed, but defensive driving is
allowed. If a driver moves off the racing line before the car
behind attempts to overtake, this is defensive driving. If they move
off the racing line after the car behind has started to move
across to overtake, this is blocking. If a driver is driving
defensively they may move off the line and back onto it only
once per straight/section.
If an overtaking driver has any part of their car beside another as
they enter a corner, the driver being overtaken should not move
across; they should give the overtaking car room and go through the corner
side by side, or let them through into the corner and try to re-take them at
the exit.
If a driver is following a slower car, they should remember that they
will brake earlier than the faster car.
Any driver who, by not complying with the above rules, causes another
car to crash or take severe avoiding action may be penalised.
Persistent driving down the centreline of the track in order to
make passing difficult is not acceptable. The moderators will take a
sensible approach in enforcing this; the idea is to stop blatant
centre line driving, not penalise every possible case. For most
drivers this rule should make racing safer as well as more fun.
Sometimes GPL will mistakenly show a driver a black flag. For example,
a warp may cause the server to believe that the driver has cut the course. A
driver being shown a black flag by mistake is permitted to do one of two
things:
- Take the stop and go penalty.
- Carry on racing. The server will mark the driver as disqualified.
The driver should then contact their divisional moderator after the
race, who will examine the replay and reinstate the driver in their
correct finishing place.
Lapping
Any driver appearing not to be making adequate use of his rear
view mirrors, or driving in a manner which even unintentionally
appears to hinder or discourage a driver seeking to move one or more
laps ahead may be penalised.
Any driver not showing adequate care when following or passing a
slower car they intend to lap may be penalised.
Advice for the lapped driver
Deciding on whether a car is lapping you or racing for position
During the race, a blue flag in GPL indicates that the driver behind is about
to lap you. The blue flags are usually reliable when shown and therefore should
be obeyed unless you have good reason to believe they are wrong. Blue flags
do not always appear however; thus, any driver has the responsibility to be
aware of the status of a following car regardless of flag signals. There are
plenty of indications as to whether the following driver is racing for position
or is lapping. Ignorance is no justification for unnecessarily holding up
a lapping driver.
Helpful indications include:
- Pit Board – Time Difference — If the pit board shows the driver
in the position below to be 20seconds behind and yet you have a faster car
on your tail it is almost certain to be a lapping car Pit Board - Lap Number
- If you are only 5 laps into a race and have not spun, the following driver
is unlikely to be lapping you. If you are 30 laps into the race and the car
behind is closing rapidly, it is most likely about to lap you. Before the
race use the speed difference in qualifying to work out roughly when you first
expect to be lapped.
- Mirrors – Closing speed — If the following car it is catching
you rapidly then it is likely to be lapping you. Use the mirrors as often
as possible to stay aware of what is behind, since lapping drivers may close
very fast.
How to allow a lapping car to pass cleanly
When approached by a faster car, initially just hold your line
to prevent any confusion A valid exception to this is where you have spotted
the car early enough to move off the racing line before they approach you.
Make sure that any such move is made well before the lapping car is close
to give them plenty of time to react. If in doubt, it is best to hold your
line.
If the faster driver then moves alongside in an attempt to
pass, back off just very slightly to make the pass easier. Be aware in this
situation that GPL only shows one following car in your mirrors. If the pass
is in a corner, make sure to give as much room as possible to the other driver.
Because of warping and your limited peripheral vision, this usually means
running right around the outside of a corner.
If the following car does not pass you almost immediately then
try to allow them to pass at a safe part of the circuit as soon as you can.
Suggestion 1 — as you brake for a corner stay well to the outside
during the braking stage, then deliberately run right around the outside of
the corner allowing the faster driver to pass on the inside line.
Suggestion 2 — as you enter a straight (as long as the
following driver is not very close behind) move away from the racing line,
then slow slightly to allow the faster driver to pass.
Following these guidelines will allow you let a driver lap
you safely, without hindering them or yourself. At some circuits such as Monaco,
it may require extra care to make this go smoothly. Ultimately, as long as
you have done everything above correctly, any accident where the lapping driver
hits the back of you is likely to be their fault.
Advice for the lapping driver
The lapping driver takes the majority of the responsibility
to make a clean pass. If you cannot see any guaranteed clean route to pass
the driver then be patient and follow them! Do not make a risky move even
if it means following them for a long period. Anyone causing an accident through
impatience will be penalised severely.
The lapping driver is responsible for following a slower driver
at a safe distance. Slow down when approaching a slower car – the speed
difference may be much larger than you expect. Their lines and braking points
may be totally different to yours and they may be more likely to make mistakes.
Warping will also mean that you may need to leave extra room. Lapping drivers
showing a lack of care in this situation will be penalised.
Red Flag Situations
- A race will be red flagged by the moderator only if at least
half the drivers are disconnected from the server during lap one due to
network problems. This may mean the race will have to be rescheduled due to
time factors. Start line crashes will not be red flagged, no matter how many
cars are involved.
- In the event of a mass disconnection or other server problem the
moderator may, at their discretion:
- reconstruct the result based on the replay, if available;
- declare the race to be red flagged at the end of the preceding
lap and take the final results from that lap; or
- declare the race null and void and arrange for it to be run again.
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