A great article as always. Although new to sim racing (still in the research phase) I have recently completed the first two levels of the Porsche Experience days to get better at handling my 911 towards the limits. Reading your books has also helped immensely going into the practical experience.
Although having not had seat time in a racing sim, I have spent nearly 30 years in a variety of aircraft simulators - the last 24 years in full-motion, high fidelity airline simulators. Having been a flight simulator instructor and mostly in the “hot seat” being trained and assessed, I can understand people dismissing them and saying they are not like the real thing.
I would suggest, like you, that they are an unbelievable training aid. You can replicate scenarios, be placed in different conditions and see how you perform both from a technical and non-technical aspect.
You can practice non-normal / emergency situations in a no jeopardy environment. Exposure to such situations is invaluable.
No, the sim does not land exactly like the real jet. No the weather and environment you create is not exactly like what you would “feel” and experience in real life, but it is pretty good, and getting better. They assist in improving manipulative skills, creating routines/flows (SOP’s) etc but at a lower cost and quicker time than just using the real thing.
The data you can extract from it is immense and so beneficial. What control inputs you are using, takeoff & landing accuracy, reaction times, even now using eye-tracking data to observe a pilot’s scan technique and rate.
Simulators are an amazing training tool. They can improve your performance in all aspects (technical & non-technical) to make you better in the real seat!
"Exactly" regarding the emergency aspect. Thanks to Ross' previous discussions on use of "The Reset Button" (Ross has suggested ways to not become complacent with its being there), I have "ridden out" many-a-spin in simulation, and gained invaluable confidence, and developed good SOP, as you say. Lots to think about today/this week, as I spend way more time behind the game wheel than on-track. To me, this practice, especially having access to a variety of cars and conditions, makes real-life easier.
PS -- How much more enjoyable is it to watch a televised race when you have "driven" the track yourself?! When you've planned a tire strategy, kept an eye on the weather, practiced with those things in mind, and compared sector times with the competition to develop a setup? A lot more fun and engaging than watching others go around in circles (or loops) on tv without those insights. : ) And millions of units of time and money cheaper. : ) : )
As an experienced 'sim native' who somewhat successfully applied what I learned in that arena to real life driving, I'm always happy to see this sort of coverage. I've long maintained that those who don't make use of a simulator will be left behind, even at the grassroots level.
I have a few thoughts, which I'll try to convey in a sensible order...
- I learned car control through simulators, primarily Assetto Corsa, while also developing real-life skills through autocross. I like to tell people I learned to drift in the sim, my theory being that if I could control a car over the limit I'd have more confidence driving at the limit (as you've also covered). Somehow through not just my hands, but also my eyes and ears, I learned to sense rotation in the sim and was able to directly apply that ingrained muscle memory to reality (plus in reality I have this whole new sensor stream to work with, 'feel'!). All of this informed by tons of reading of yours, and other, material, the sim enabled me to very quickly test, adapt, 'program' myself based on the fundamentals I was taking in.
- I wonder if some of the tendency of sim drivers to drive off the front tires, is sim platform dependent. Assetto Corsa is well known for allowing more tire slip/chassis rotation than iRacing for example. To me it feels more natural, even if the tire model isn't as deeply informed by physics, though iRacing has improved over time. In iRacing cars sometimes feel inert on entry, even with the setup tuned for maximum front end grip (this depends heavily on the car). To put a finer point on it, I can drift in Assetto Corsa and in reality, but in iRacing it's very very very very easy to overwhelm the rear tires and end up with an unrecoverable slide. Frustrating. I'll always remember this video of Josef Newgarden covering his concerns with iRacing's tire model: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoX9M2yuNTA
- I myself, in the sim and in reality, prefer to drive the car off of the rear, using controlled rotation for ultimate pace. And I'm objectively very fast in both domains, at least for someone who isn't paid to drive/race.
- Despite my initial purpose in using the sim to inform my real-life performance, and some real-life success, it turns out racing is too expensive to make any sense for me in this moment. Autocross is still great as a low-cost true grassroots motorsport option... But I hope more people will look at sim racing as the end goal! There is no better competition available. I can chart a path to compete against the very best in the sim, today, without having to put $$$$$$$$ on the line. That simply isn't a realistic goal for the vast majority of people in reality.
Great stuff, Teddy! Re: whether the tendency of sim drivers to drive off the front tires, where I've mostly seen this is with drivers coming from iRacing, and I do think (as does Josef Newgarden) the iRacing's tire model - and especially the way the rears give up so quickly - could contribute to this. So, you could be right. Interesting to think about, right?
Interesting observation on driving off the front tires vs the rear tires. I am not entirely convinced that sim drivers, especially those in iRacing, cannot drive off the rear tires. Although I am not an alien, I drive off the rear tires and utilize that kind of rotation purposely in iRacing cars that’s receptive to that style.
But I do agree sensing the yaw is more difficult and inferior to real life. Martin Bundle likes to say something (my paraphrase) when you see the car’s rotation it’s already too late to respond - you have to feel it in your body to get the most immediate information. In the sim, rotation can be felt by visual (a little late), and steering (too late). Therefore, to use rotation, one needs more anticipation and more practice. Sometimes, I find I need to induce rotation much more deliberately, almost in a way to purposely unsettle the car to ensure that it must rotate but also allow me to begin my inputs to catch the rotation early without having to wait for the rotation to happen (because it will be too late by the time I see the rotation). If that makes sense.
Hi Ross,
A great article as always. Although new to sim racing (still in the research phase) I have recently completed the first two levels of the Porsche Experience days to get better at handling my 911 towards the limits. Reading your books has also helped immensely going into the practical experience.
Although having not had seat time in a racing sim, I have spent nearly 30 years in a variety of aircraft simulators - the last 24 years in full-motion, high fidelity airline simulators. Having been a flight simulator instructor and mostly in the “hot seat” being trained and assessed, I can understand people dismissing them and saying they are not like the real thing.
I would suggest, like you, that they are an unbelievable training aid. You can replicate scenarios, be placed in different conditions and see how you perform both from a technical and non-technical aspect.
You can practice non-normal / emergency situations in a no jeopardy environment. Exposure to such situations is invaluable.
No, the sim does not land exactly like the real jet. No the weather and environment you create is not exactly like what you would “feel” and experience in real life, but it is pretty good, and getting better. They assist in improving manipulative skills, creating routines/flows (SOP’s) etc but at a lower cost and quicker time than just using the real thing.
The data you can extract from it is immense and so beneficial. What control inputs you are using, takeoff & landing accuracy, reaction times, even now using eye-tracking data to observe a pilot’s scan technique and rate.
Simulators are an amazing training tool. They can improve your performance in all aspects (technical & non-technical) to make you better in the real seat!
Look forward to reading Part 2.
It’s great to get your perspective! Especially about the benefits of dealing with emergencies in a sim. Thanks!
"Exactly" regarding the emergency aspect. Thanks to Ross' previous discussions on use of "The Reset Button" (Ross has suggested ways to not become complacent with its being there), I have "ridden out" many-a-spin in simulation, and gained invaluable confidence, and developed good SOP, as you say. Lots to think about today/this week, as I spend way more time behind the game wheel than on-track. To me, this practice, especially having access to a variety of cars and conditions, makes real-life easier.
PS -- How much more enjoyable is it to watch a televised race when you have "driven" the track yourself?! When you've planned a tire strategy, kept an eye on the weather, practiced with those things in mind, and compared sector times with the competition to develop a setup? A lot more fun and engaging than watching others go around in circles (or loops) on tv without those insights. : ) And millions of units of time and money cheaper. : ) : )
As an experienced 'sim native' who somewhat successfully applied what I learned in that arena to real life driving, I'm always happy to see this sort of coverage. I've long maintained that those who don't make use of a simulator will be left behind, even at the grassroots level.
I have a few thoughts, which I'll try to convey in a sensible order...
- I learned car control through simulators, primarily Assetto Corsa, while also developing real-life skills through autocross. I like to tell people I learned to drift in the sim, my theory being that if I could control a car over the limit I'd have more confidence driving at the limit (as you've also covered). Somehow through not just my hands, but also my eyes and ears, I learned to sense rotation in the sim and was able to directly apply that ingrained muscle memory to reality (plus in reality I have this whole new sensor stream to work with, 'feel'!). All of this informed by tons of reading of yours, and other, material, the sim enabled me to very quickly test, adapt, 'program' myself based on the fundamentals I was taking in.
- I wonder if some of the tendency of sim drivers to drive off the front tires, is sim platform dependent. Assetto Corsa is well known for allowing more tire slip/chassis rotation than iRacing for example. To me it feels more natural, even if the tire model isn't as deeply informed by physics, though iRacing has improved over time. In iRacing cars sometimes feel inert on entry, even with the setup tuned for maximum front end grip (this depends heavily on the car). To put a finer point on it, I can drift in Assetto Corsa and in reality, but in iRacing it's very very very very easy to overwhelm the rear tires and end up with an unrecoverable slide. Frustrating. I'll always remember this video of Josef Newgarden covering his concerns with iRacing's tire model: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoX9M2yuNTA
- I myself, in the sim and in reality, prefer to drive the car off of the rear, using controlled rotation for ultimate pace. And I'm objectively very fast in both domains, at least for someone who isn't paid to drive/race.
- Despite my initial purpose in using the sim to inform my real-life performance, and some real-life success, it turns out racing is too expensive to make any sense for me in this moment. Autocross is still great as a low-cost true grassroots motorsport option... But I hope more people will look at sim racing as the end goal! There is no better competition available. I can chart a path to compete against the very best in the sim, today, without having to put $$$$$$$$ on the line. That simply isn't a realistic goal for the vast majority of people in reality.
Thanks as always!
Great stuff, Teddy! Re: whether the tendency of sim drivers to drive off the front tires, where I've mostly seen this is with drivers coming from iRacing, and I do think (as does Josef Newgarden) the iRacing's tire model - and especially the way the rears give up so quickly - could contribute to this. So, you could be right. Interesting to think about, right?
Agreed! (To all, LOL). Assetto Corsa makes a real car feel easy to drive! And it's way less expensive. : )
Going to try a better Sim at the F1 Arcade in DC next week! Thanks for this article Ross! My curiosity is peaked!
I hear that Red Bull might be looking for a teammate for Max... maybe you can get it!!
Interesting observation on driving off the front tires vs the rear tires. I am not entirely convinced that sim drivers, especially those in iRacing, cannot drive off the rear tires. Although I am not an alien, I drive off the rear tires and utilize that kind of rotation purposely in iRacing cars that’s receptive to that style.
But I do agree sensing the yaw is more difficult and inferior to real life. Martin Bundle likes to say something (my paraphrase) when you see the car’s rotation it’s already too late to respond - you have to feel it in your body to get the most immediate information. In the sim, rotation can be felt by visual (a little late), and steering (too late). Therefore, to use rotation, one needs more anticipation and more practice. Sometimes, I find I need to induce rotation much more deliberately, almost in a way to purposely unsettle the car to ensure that it must rotate but also allow me to begin my inputs to catch the rotation early without having to wait for the rotation to happen (because it will be too late by the time I see the rotation). If that makes sense.