The AI appears significantly stronger in qualifying than in race conditions. At 103 AI difficulty I am regularly qualifying around P18-P20, but finishing races around P5 through on-track overtakes rather than strategy.
Additionally, the AI seems unable or unwilling to overtake effectively during races. Cars often sit directly behind me for multiple laps without attempting a pass, even on long straights. The only time they become a threat is when my battery charge is very low.
This creates a large mismatch between qualifying and race performance and makes races feel much easier than qualifying!