@matty0blobber I appreciate you replying but I promise you it wasn't traffic. Every single AI had the same pattern and I ended up dropping multiple seconds a lap in the second stint. I looked at everyone's laptimes after and could see on the mini map who was racing others and who wasn't. AI in clean air the whole race had the same issue. The pic I attached shows lap 16, when Yuki pitted for hards (hence the laptime in the 1min 50s), then after consistently 1-3s faster than his stint on mediums - the same happened for every AI, in traffic or not on both stints. Less fuel has an impact yes, but not *that* big of an impact...
@matty0blobber I highly doubt every single AI had damage/ers/drs faults all in the second stint...
Consider first half off race:.. cars are just heavier due to fuel load. Then also consider cars especially from around 5th place to last are all running close together. Ai are alot slower when they are in close proximity to multiple other cars. Then softer tyres lose grip in fewer laps than hards…
As race progresses and especially after they put the cars are more spread out thereby it’s easier for them to go faster. My fastest lap time in a race is always after I’ve pitted
