AI behaviour is horrific and it ruins the game experience

I completely agree. I was really happy to see the AI be more aggressive with this iteration (i.e. not always going single file into the first corner of every race; not letting the player sneak past on the inside then immediately giving up the defence; backing out of any attack if you even think about defending from them). But the more I play this game, the more ridiculous it's becoming.

When I see one of these AI coming now, it gives me anxiety. Sometimes I just let them past, because I don't want to risk them doing something stupid/unfair. But when I do choose to fight them, I'm just waiting for them to take it too far, and they usually do. Most of the time I get spun around/dragged through a corner: At Monaco, I've had Lewis's AI divebomb me into turn #10 after the tunnel, get caught up on the side of my car, and push me across the entire corner, giving me a five-second penalty. It reminds me of playing online with people that don't respect the rules, where you're just trying to have a battle and they have no respect for you at all.

Last night, during a 50% race at Austria, I had Leclerc close up to me as I came out of turn #4. As we came up to the sweeping left at turn #6, I was still several car lengths ahead, but I didn't want them to do anything stupid, so I did something I feel like I would never normally do, and moved over to the left of the track, putting my car alongside the white line that marks track limits and started to follow the inside line of the track. Now there's literally zero space on the left now and anyone attacking HAS to go around on the outside on the right. But, no: Leclerc --from multiple cars back-- takes his normal racing line, carries a lot more speed into the corner than me and ploughs straight into the back of me, pushing me to the outside of the track. I have no words.

The AI being morons during practice/quali isn't a new thing, that was present in 2021 and has been dragged over to 2022 when they copy/pasted. It's infuriating when you're starting a flying lap in quali and there's a pileup of AI because they all go at 40mph and won't overtake each other. I have complained about this since launch of 2021!! Wondering if it'll ever be fixed... 

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@Rango82 wrote:

It's infuriating when you're starting a flying lap in quali and there's a pileup of AI because they all go at 40mph and won't overtake each other. I have complained about this since launch of 2021!!

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@Otterfox4209 took to calling that behaviour "Overly polite AI" towards the end of F1 2021 (because they're all too polite to overtake each other). It's now become common language in our F1 gaming and you'll frequently hear sentences like "Watch out for overly polite AI at turn 6" or "I aborted my lap during to overly polite AI".

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@Tribladez wrote:

@Otterfox4209 took to calling that behaviour "Overly polite AI" towards the end of F1 2021 (because they're all too polite to overtake each other). It's now become common language in our F1 gaming and you'll frequently hear sentences like "Watch out for overly polite AI at turn 6" or "I aborted my lap during to overly p

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Just for grins, I bring you two examples of Overly Polite AI in all their glory:

OPA level 1:

https://www.reddit.com/r/F1Game/comments/ul8qmg/overly_polite_ai_on_their_out_laps_in_f1_2021/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

After posting this video, I realized this is actually happening on the AI's in laps, not their out laps. They finish their hot laps and come to a dead stop. Even if you don't see it happen, you usually know it did because most of the time it's followed by an onslaught of "Pierre Gasly is out of the session" "Carlos Sainz is out of the session" "George Russell is out of the session" and so forth.

OPA level Carnage:

https://www.reddit.com/r/F1Game/comments/uqrgih/another_hot_lap_ruined_by_overly_polite_ai_though/

Having been spun off the track by the AI, yet again, on the last lap of the 50% French GP last night (1.07 patch), I decided to put together a quick video showing some of the antics the AI gets up.

Honestly, it's almost like most of the time they don't even know there's another car near them and just take whatever line they want to:

https://youtu.be/johara3N-Bs 

I honestly can't understand why this is still an issue, it's ridiculous. I submitted so many examples during 2021 on the cm forums and yet absolutely nothing has changed. It's like you say, they just stop dead as soon as they finish their flying lap, which quite often ruins the players lap. I actually wait now until some are on their in lap before I leave the pits. Gives me less quali time but avoids incidents

In my opinion if somebody gets to know the AI is race-able. If he start the turning phase, he doesn't give you space (a good example: Australia - Melbourne second last corner).

The AI handles player in other way. He tries overtake what against other AI will not do. Sometimes they try in stupid places, where it's obvious they can't overtake you, and you just lose time.

In practice and qualifying there is a new problem. If AI not on their hotlap, they let you pass, but after you passed they start push again and sometimes they try to overtake you (especially anoying if they are in a faster car). And if you want let the AI pass (on his out/in lap) you can't because they slow down too. I tried to brake hard, it sometimes work. Also if they are on his out lap in sector 3 it isn't a problem.

I think overall the AI is good, I enjoy racing against them, maybe they just need a little refine.