Tyre wear barley affects AI

No is the answer to, did I make any major mistakes in the race? I was consistent as ever in my tests.

Here's max's times from my set-up run. Remember, he was 0.8 behind in qualifying.

So I asked this question around patch 1.06, and I'll ask it again now before I go to Singapore. Somebody, please make it make sense. Because at the minute I'm regretting buying the game and for the last 3 years games I've done 10 full seasons in my team. But I can't start one till it makes sense.

Edit should've said Charles' times, Didn't use Max's as he went medium soft.

What if it's not tyre wear, but that is the most logical thing to think.

What if It's something more sinister? Like adaptive AI kicking in after qualifying, even though I'm on expert and should have no effect at all. So for the race I'm racing on a level it thinks I should be playing at, but would also put me on a level where I'd be playing where any little mistake would have me losing out. Just the loss of 0.7 seconds from qualifying to the race at Spa really has me at a loss to how and why it happened.

Edit discount the silly sinister theory, as it's not adaptive AI, just qualified 20th 10 seconds off 19th and only got to 9th. But something isn't right.

To add a little more context to my findings, I'm going to do a few more posts on this subject, then leave it alone.

My first run through on GP level 70 15 lower than last year, is to find out my AI level the way CM/EA want me to do, short qualifying, default set-up and compare to your teammate. Easy to work out from 70. If you're 1.7 ahead of him, it should be AI 87 if it's 2.9 then AI level 99. So after the first season I have 22 times ranging from AI 65 (Monaco) to 99 (Belgium). So I work out my average by taken the top and bottom level out to average the remaining 20 levels. It came out at level 82 only 3 down on last year. But I had struggled in all the GP races on level 70, only Monaco was below that level. So my level on My team, Driver Career and the weekly event are all around the same as last year's game, maybe a little higher if I'm honest. But I'll start on 82, and it won't change till I win both championships after starting from newcomer position, and that's why getting a Good AI is so important. So some tracks, I’ll be good at, some I won't. Should take me a good 3 seasons to do it, which feels like a natural progression.  I do like to get the trophy for winning the championships in GP mode, But season 4 In the McLaren this season on 68, and I'm still struggling to win races. Even though I'm on levels above 83 on the tracks so far, I should be strolling to victories. So instead of putting myself through any more misery on GP mode, I’m going to knock it down to level 50 to mitigate the tyre wear difference in 5 lap races in a Ferrari just to get the trophy, I feel I should have won already.

But this morning I decided to start 2 Driver career's in a Haas on level 75, 1 starting in Hungary, 1 starting in Belgium. Made sure both qualifying and race were dry.

I'll compare them to the races I did using my set-ups in GP mode. At Hungary, my level came out at 75, Belgium 99. Here's the performance of the Haas for the Hungary Driver Career, Still A mid-table team and on 75 Anywhere between 11-14th would be a respectable qualifying.

So I'll post the GP pictures first, then the Driver Career 2nd.

Qualifying all cars were around a second faster than GP mode, Upgrades and driver boosts will be the reasoning behind that. GP mode I did 1.18.9 in driver career I did 1.17.3. 1.6 quicker. Pole was 0.8 quicker and teammate was 1.2 quicker. So a solid 6th again in a Haas.

In GP mode, the leaders pulled away, and I was forming a train with slower cars on my heals. The leaders didn't pull away as rapidly in the driver career, nor did I have a train form or feel at any point they had better tyres than me.

Belgium is the real proof. It decided Haas was the 2nd worse car, but still anywhere between 11th-18th would be a good qualifying if I was on the right level, which I know I’m not

For qualifying, I went 1.8 quicker than GP mode, 2nd was 1.9 quicker and my teammate was 2.2 quicker.

In the GP race, my advantage in qualifying didn't transpire in the race and max won

In the driver career race, my advantage did convert to race pace and I won. Had a 4/5 second gap most of the race till the last lap.

So I still believe it's tyre related, but this is the last I'll mention it. But if someone is complaining about AI, find out what mode they're on.

So my conclusion is if you're playing My Team, Driver Career or the Weekly Event. Go with last year's AI. If GP, you may as well be guessing.

I know I said no more posts. But just been watching this guy on YouTube. Clearly he's a good player even with controller. And he expects to get first when he started.

It's almost like his tyre's go off compared to the AI after 4 laps of every stint, even though he started on the more durable tyre.

@DRudd13Because the AI isn’t effected by tyre temps. I’m assuming it’s just their carcass temps. Maybe surface temps as well but theres no way off telling as viewing the Ai cockpit Cam only displays carcass temps. So I changed temps from carcass and surface to surface only. And my carcass temps were exactly the same as ai throughout an entire race.

So I figure.   if you can’t beat them join them and I’ve been running with surface temps only. Benefit means as surface temps quickly cool back down to optimal levels on straights. So I can run with higher pressures which means less tyre wear. Just finished Australia 50% with soft/medium strategy. Both sets off tyres didnt wear beyond 60%.  That was with maxed tyre upgrades. 

Not ideal but it does put you on a level playing field/track with the au and also mean I can turn up ai difficulty which makes for better on track gameplay.

@ScarDuck14 

I still see them having a spin here and there, but not as frequently as they did in earlier editions.

But as expected, the workaround (surface only) worked in GP mode around Belgium on 75, and was more reflective in what I had managed to do in a driver career with carcass* and surface.

I've provided all the information I can on this subject. So I'm definitely dropping it.