F1 2002 - Strategy Guide (Page 02)
Below are the cheat codes, hints and help for F1 2002 - Strategy Guide (Page 02).
Williams
Duration: Complete nine full-lap races
Racing: Win two races in a row
Milestone: Win two seasons**
Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team
Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team
Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the
team
Williams (Silver) Williams (Bronze)
Duration Duration
Racing Racing
Milestone Milestone
Team Duel Team Duel
Basic Challenge Basic Challenge
Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge
McLaren
Duration: Complete 17 races of at least half
full race distance (i.e., a race of
at least 39 laps at Monaco, which
has a full race distance of 78
laps)
Racing: Lap a backmarker
Milestone: Earn 200 points
Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team
Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team
Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the
team
McLaren (Silver) McLaren (Bronze)
Duration Duration
Racing Racing
Milestone Milestone
Team Duel Team Duel
Basic Challenge Basic Challenge
Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge
Ferrari
Duration: Complete 17 full-lap races
Racing: Lead race from start to finish*
Milestone: Earn maximum points in a season
Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team
Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team
Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the
team
Ferrari (Silver) Ferrari (Bronze)
Duration Duration
Racing Racing
Milestone Milestone
Team Duel Team Duel
Basic Challenge Basic Challenge
Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge
*If another driver can put the nose of his car just one pixel
ahead of yours for just one millisecond, your chances of
attaining this EA Sports Card at the current race are
destroyed.
**While it is obviously possible that a player can 'win' a
season before the final race, the CPU does not recognize a
season as officially having been WON until the player at
least goes to the starting grid of the final race. However,
for those races the player chooses to 'skip,' once the car is
on the grid for the race, the player can elect to 'Retire
from Session.' If this is done before the final race, the
CPU will simply move on to the next round of the season; if
this is done at the final race of the season, the CPU will
first show race results and championship points (as usual),
THEN award any appropriate EA Sports Cards if they have been
earned during the season.
This checklist can be used for strategy purposes. By
studying this checklist carefully, players can determine the
best approach for the game to gain as many of the EA Sports
Cards as possible in the shortest possible time.
Note that there are indeed some rewards for attaining ALL the
teams' EA Sports Cards at Gold Medal level. These are
detailed in my F1 2002: Unlockables Guide.
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EA SPORTS CARDS ACQUISITION SUGGESTIONS
Here are some suggestions for acquiring the medals as quickly
as possible. However, A LOT of time will still be spent
trying to collect each of the EA Sports Cards.
General F1 2002 permits players to effectively 'skip'
medals. There is no reason to first earn a
team's Bronze Medal before working on its
Silver Medal. Instead, players can immediately
work toward earning a team's Gold Medal.
Earning a higher medal will still grant access
to those features unlocked with the acquisition
of a lower medal.
F1 2002 also permits players to acquire more than
one EA Sports Card (per team) per event.
'Event' is specifically used here, as even when
working on Challenges or Team Duel, other EA
Sports Cards (such as a team's Racing Card) can
also be earned.
Not surprisingly, the EA Sports Cards requirements
for the 'lesser' teams (Toyota, Minardi, etc.)
are far easier than those for the 'greater'
teams (i.e., Williams, McLaren, and Ferrari).
Acquiring the various EA Sports Cards can be made
a little easier by using Normal Handling with
Tire Wear, Fuel, and FIA Rules deactivated, and
with only dry Weather. Also, using shortcuts
where available can be very handy, especially
for those cards where one must gain first place
and keep from being passed for a specific
period of time. (For information on shortcuts,
see my F1 2002: Illegal Times Guide. I find
that Monza is the best circuit to use when
shortcutting could be an integral part of
attaining one or more EA Sports Cards.)
Toyota The Racing Card can be easily acquired in the hunt
for any of the other Toyota cards.
Ten finishes in the points are required to gain
Toyota's Milestone Card. One of these can be
earned simultaneously by scoring in the points
in an eight-lap race, which itself will grant
the Duration Card.
Minardi The Racing Card requires overtaking a teammate,
which is the entire point of Team Duel. Thus,
winning Team Duel will also grant the Racing
Card.
Arrows Somewhat similar to Minardi, the Arrows Racing
Card requires finishing in a position higher
than where one began an event. Therefore,
since Team Duel always begins with the player
at P22, successfully passing Team Duel will
grant two cards at once: the Team Duel Card and
the Racing Card.
This comes from Nick Wade, who e-mailed me with
this tip for getting the Arrows Milestone Card:
'...for the Arrows Milestone Card, which is
getting 20 pole positions, you don't actually
have to do the race that you get pole position
for. I was able to just go to any track I
wanted and qualify, then once I got pole
position, I would get to the screen where the
only choices left are 'warm up' 'race' and
'exit'. I would choose 'exit' and just quit
the whole event. Then I would begin a new
event, either at the same track or another (it
doesn't matter which track), and repeat the
same process 20 times. And on the 20th time, I
got the silver card, so there you have it.'
Renault The requirement for Renault's Milestone Card
(winning twenty races) inherently means taking
first place, which is the requirement for the
Racing Card. Since the Duration Card requires
completing five sixteen-lap races, winning a
single sixteen-lap race will grant the Racing
Card. Successfully earning the Duration Card
with ONLY RACE VICTORIES means that five of the
required twenty wins for the Milestone Card
will have been successfully attained.
The Basic Challenge and Advanced Challenge for
Renault both involve interactive Pit Stops at
Indianapolis. In both scenarios, the Challenge
begins at the entrance of Turn 12 (where the
infield course rejoins the Indy 500 banking).
To shed a few milliseconds and especially to
ensure getting TO Pit Lane before the rival in
the Advanced Challenge, the CPU WILL permit
using the access road FROM TURN 11; this means
that as soon as the Challenge begins, the
player needs to cross the rumble strips to the
right and get on the access road (the one used
by Indy and NASCAR in their events), even
though the official F1 Pit Entry is between
Turn 12 and Turn 13. Also, a caution: In the
Advanced Challenge, the player begins with an
automatic speed boost due to inherent drafting
from starting the Advanced Challenge directly
behind the rival entering Turn 12, so it is far
too easy to miss this 'extra' Pit Entry road
and put all four wheels into the grass.
Jaguar The Jaguar Milestone Card requires scoring twenty
Fastest Laps. This is NOT 'Fastest Lap at
twenty races,' which is the misinterpretation I
included in earlier versions of this guide.
This means that if a player elects to compete
in a race of at least twenty laps, the
Milestone Card could easily be attained at just
that one race. However, such a tactic could
almost certainly never be realized, as a player
will occasionally be slowed by traffic, make a
mistake and run off-course, etc. On the other
hand, a good driver can easily set the required
twenty fastest laps within five races of at
least half the full race distance, which is the
requirement for attaining the Duration Card.
BAR The BAR Milestone Card requires earning 100
points. Fortunately, this is cumulative
across the entire game, so simply playing as
usual in virtually any race or event and
placing consistently within the Top Six will
amass points which will automatically be put
toward the acquisition of this card.
The Racing Card requires never leaving the track
for a single lap. Since the Duration Card
requires completing five full-lap races, even
a novice player should be able to keep to the
track for one full lap in a full-distance race
and not lose so much time that the player
cannot perform well in the race. I personally
tried attaining the Racing Card while working
on the BAR Team Duel (held at A1-Ring), and it
was a major handful trying to keep to the
track for an entire lap AND maintain position.
The BAR Milestone Card is earned by accumulating
100 points. This can be earned quickly by
competing in and winning ten four-lap races.
Jordan Jordan's Racing Card is earned by starting last
and finishing first. Depending on a player's
skill, this can be easily done while working
toward the Duration Card, which requires the
completion of nine sixteen-lap races.
For the Milestone Card, a season can use races as
short as four laps each.
Sauber The Racing Card is earned by setting the Fastest
Lap for a race. The best way to do this is to
choose a four-lap race, and start P22. Those
with excellent skills combined with prime
shortcut knowledge (and FIA Rules turned off)
can quickly catapult themselves from P22 to
P1 in just one lap, inherently resulting in a
Fastest Lap (since F1 2002 awards Fastest Lap
beginning with Lap 1 - this is a programming
error which can be greatly exploited!!!).
From here, a player must simply stay in front;
if challenged seriously, dirty tactics such as
banging wheels or cutting off the challenger
should preserve the Fastest Lap set on Lap 1,
unless the player can better that lap time in
the three laps which remain. Note: Team Duel
is a great place to attain the Racing Card,
although it will be eight laps in length.
As with BAR, the Milestone Card is based upon
points, which are gained cumulatively across
most racing events. Consistent performance in
the Top Six will result in points being
automatically used toward the acquisition of
the Sauber Milestone Card.
Williams The Williams Basic and Advances Challenge Cards
take place at Monza, finishing just beyond the
exit of Ascari (the left-right-left chicane
leading onto the back straightaway). The key
to a Gold Medal time here is to take Ascari at
full acceleration, which requires intimate
familiarity with this portion of the Monza
circuit as well as fast reflexes. This is
actually an important skill to have at Monza,
as the traditional top-running drivers (both
Schumachers, Barrichello, Montoya, Raikkonen,
and Coultard) are all able to fly through
Ascari at top speed, so a player able to do
the same can maintain position in relation to
these CPU-controlled drivers.
Winning two seasons is required to earn the
Milestone Card. It is certainly possible
within a season to win two races in a row,
which just happens to be the requirement for
the Racing Card.
For the Milestone Card, a season can use races as
short as four laps each.
McLaren McLaren's Racing Card requires lapping a
backmarker. This can easily be accomplished
in one of the seventeen half-distance races
required for the Duration Card. Depending on
the CPU, this may also occur in Team Duel or
even in a standard four-lap race is Failures
is activated, as cars may have trouble and
go to Pit Lane for repairs - thus giving the
player a chance to lap the backmarker(s).
As with BAR, the Milestone Card is based upon
points, which are gained cumulatively across
most racing events. Consistent performance in
the Top Six will result in points being
automatically used toward the acquisition of
the McLaren Milestone Card.
Ferrari Ferrari's Racing Card requires starting AND
finishing a race P1 WITHOUT EVER BEING PASSED.
This effectively means no Pit Stops without
having a large enough lead to maintain P1 (a
lead of at least thirty seconds should be
adequate for this purpose). This also places
prime importance upon gear ratios and circuit
selection - if a player wishes to attain the
Racing Card at a circuit which requires long
gear ratios (such as Hockenheim), the player
will likely fail at the standing start due to
long ratios' inherent slow acceleration. A
circuit with good shortcutting opportunities,
such as Albert Park or Monza, can work to the
player's advantage.
The Milestone Card requires earning maximum points
in a season - in other words, the player must
win EVERY race in the season. This will be
extremely difficult at circuits where passing
is fairly rare, such as Monaco and
Hungaroring, unless the player can qualify P1
and never be passed during the race. It may
also be a good idea to disengage Autosave, so
that if a player does not win a race within a
season, progress can be reloaded and the loss
wiped clean, allowing the player to make
another attempt; of course, the player should
save game progress after each win!!!!!
Ferrari's Duration Card is one of the hardest of
the EA Sports Cards to acquire - after all,
who really has the time to spend playing
SEVENTEEN full-lap races??? Fortunately,
HondaF1 from the GameFAQs message board for
F1 2002 (PlayStation2 version) has discovered
a nice time-saving measure: At the start of a
race, pass the Start/Finish Line, then pull
aside (out of the optimum racing line to
avoid getting speared from behind) and walk
away; come back about ninety minutes later,
finish the lap, and since the leader should
have won the race by then, the game will end.
(It is important to note that on the race
results, the CPU will deem the player 'DNF'
for the race, but this does not matter.)
Doing this seventeen times results in
'earning' the Ferrari Duration Card :-)
Note that this same strategy can be used
for other teams which require simply
completing a specific number of races at a
given distance.
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SURVIVAL DRIVING: BRAKING
The first step in driving fast is knowing when, where, and
how much to slow down (braking). In some games, a brake
controller can be acquired or purchased, allowing the player
to customize the brake strength by axle or by adjusting the
bias of the brakes toward the front or the rear of the car.
The use of a brake controller will affect the braking zone,
as will other factors. Specifically, the car's speed on
approaching a corner, the amount of fuel in the car at a
given moment, the drivetrain of the car, the weight of the
car, and even the car's center of gravity can all affect the
braking zone. Similarly, the driving conditions - sunny,
overcast, damp, wet, icy, snowy etc. - will affect the
braking zone for each corner (as well as the car's ability to
attain high speeds).
Except for purely arcade-style games, the braking zone will
differ somewhat for each car depending upon its strengths and
weaknesses. It certainly helps for the player to try a Free
Run or a Time Trial (if these modes exist in a given game) to
learn the circuit(s) - including the braking zones.
When looking for braking zones, try to find a particular
stationary object near the entry of each corner; it helps
tremendously if this object is far enough away from the
circuit that it will not be knocked over during a race. To
begin, try using the brakes when the front of the car is
parallel with the chosen stationary object. If this does not
slow the car enough before corner entry or if the car slows
too much before reaching the corner, pick another stationary
object on the following lap and try again.
Whenever changes are made to the car - whether to the brake
controller or to other aspects of tuning and/or parts - it
would be a good idea to go back into Free Run mode and check
that the braking zones still hold; if not, adjust as
necessary using the method in the paragraph above.
For those races which include fuel loads, the car will become
progressively lighter during a race. The lesser weight can
often mean a slightly shorter braking zone; however, if tire
wear is excessive (especially if there have been numerous
off-course excursions), that might dictate a longer braking
zone.
Cars with a higher horsepower output will inherently attain
faster speeds, and will therefore require a longer braking
zone than cars with a lower horsepower output. Try a Renault
and a Ferrari along the same area of a circuit and note how
their braking zones differ.
A final note on braking: To the extent possible, ALWAYS brake
in a straight line. If braking only occurs when cornering,
the car will likely be carrying too much speed for the
corner, resulting in the car sliding, spinning, and/or
flipping. (Some games purposely do not permit the car to
flip, but a slide or spin can still mean the difference
between winning and ending up in last position at the end of
a race.)
If nothing else, players should strive to become of the
'breakers' they possibly can. This will essentially force a
player to become a better racer/driver in general once the
player has overcome the urge to constantly run at top speed
at all times with no regard for damages to self or others.
Also, slowing the car appropriately will make other aspects
of racing/driving easier, especially in J-turns, hairpin
corners, and chicanes.
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SURVIVAL DRIVING: CORNERING
Ideally, the best way to approach a corner is from the
outside of the turn, braking well before entering the corner.
At the apex (the midpoint of the corner), the car should be
right up against the edge of the pavement. On corner exit,
the car drifts back to the outside of the pavement and speeds
off down the straightaway. So, for a right-hand turn of
about ninety degrees, enter the corner from the left, come to
the right to hit the apex, and drift back to the left on
corner exit. See the Diagrams section at the end of this
guide for a sample standard corner.
For corners that are less than ninety degrees, it may be
possible to just barely tap the brakes - if at all - and be
able to clear such corners successfully. However, the same
principles of cornering apply: approach from the outside of
the turn, hit the apex, and drift back outside on corner
exit.
For corners more than ninety degrees but well less than 180
degrees, braking will certainly be required. However, for
these 'J-turns,' the apex of the corner is not the midpoint,
but a point approximately two-thirds of the way around the
corner. J-turns require great familiarity to know when to
begin diving toward the inside of the corner and when to
power to the outside on corner exit. See the Diagrams
section at the end of this guide for a sample J-turn.
Hairpin corners are turns of approximately 180 degrees.
Braking is certainly required before corner entry, and the
cornering process is the same as for standard corners:
Approach from the outside, drift inside to hit the apex
(located at halfway around the corner, or after turning
ninety degrees), and drifting back to the outside on corner
exit. See the Diagrams section at the end of this guide for
a sample hairpin corner.
If there are two corners of approximately ninety degrees each
AND both corners turn in the same direction AND there is only
a VERY brief straightaway between the two corners, they may
be able to be treated like an extended hairpin corner.
Sometimes, however, these 'U-turns' have a straightaway
between the corners that is long enough to prohibit a
hairpin-like treatment; in this case, drifting to the outside
on exiting the first of the two corners will automatically
set up the approach to the next turn. See the Diagrams
section at the end of this guide for a sample U-turn.
FIA (the governing body of F1 racing, World Rally
Championship, and other forms of international motorsport)
seems to LOVE chicanes. One common type of chicane is
essentially a 'quick-flick,' where the circuit quickly edges
off in one direction then realigns itself in a path parallel
to the original stretch of pavement, as in the examples in
the Diagrams section at the end of this guide. Here, the
object is to approach the first corner from the outside, hit
BOTH apexes, and drift to the outside of the second turn.
FIA also seems to like the 'Bus Stop' chicane, which is
essentially just a pair of quick-flicks, with the second
forming the mirror image of the first, as shown in the
Diagrams section at the end of this guide. Perhaps the most
famous Bus Stop chicane is the chicane (which is actually
called the 'Bus Stop Chicane') at Pit Entry at Spa-
Francorchamps, the home of the annual Grand Prix of Belgium
(F1 racing) and the host of The 24 Hours of Spa (for
endurance racing).
Virtually every other type of corner or corner combination
encountered in racing (primarily in road racing) combines
elements of the corners presented above. These complex
corners and chicanes can be challenging, such as the Ascari
chicane at Monza. See the Diagrams section for an idea of
the formation of Ascari.
One thing which can change the approach to cornering is the
available vision. Blind and semi-blind corners require
ABSOLUTE knowledge of such corners. Here is where gamers
have an advantage over real-world drivers: Gamers can
(usually) change their viewpoint (camera position), which can
sometimes provide a wider, clearer view of the circuit, which
can be especially important when approaching semi-blind
corners; real-world drivers are obviously inhibited by the
design of their cars and racing helmets. Great examples of
real-world blind and semi-blind corners would be Turns 14 and
15 at Albert Park, and each of the first three corners at A1-
Ring.
Also important to cornering - especially with long, extended
corners - is the corner's radius. Most corners use an
identical radius throughout their length. However, some are
increasing-radius corners or decreasing-radius corners.
These corners may require shifting the apex point of a
corner, and almost always result in a change of speed.
Decreasing-radius corners are perhaps the trickiest, because
the angle of the corner becomes sharper, thus generally
requiring more braking as well as more turning of the
steering wheel. Increasing-radius corners are corners for
which the angle becomes more and more gentle as the corner
progresses; this means that drivers will generally accelerate
more, harder, or faster, but such an extra burst of speed can
backfire and require more braking. See the Diagrams section
at the end of this guide for sample images of a decreasing-
radius corner and an increasing-radius corner.
For traditional road racing circuits, increasing-radius and
decreasing-radius corners may not be too much of a problem.
After several laps around one of these circuits, a driver
will know where the braking and acceleration points are as
well as the shifted apex point (should a shift be required).
One particularly interesting aspect of cornering is one which
I honestly do not know if it works in reality (I am not a
real-world racer, although I would certainly LOVE the chance
to attend a racing school!!!), but which works in numerous
racing/driving games I have played over the years. This
aspect is to use the accelerator to help with quickly and
safely navigating sharp corners. This works by first BRAKING
AS USUAL IN ADVANCE OF THE CORNER, then - once in the corner
itself - rapidly pumping the brakes for the duration of the
corner (or at least until well past the apex of the corner).
The action of rapidly pumping the accelerator appears to
cause the drive wheels to catch the pavement just enough to
help stop or slow a sliding car, causing the non-drive wheels
to continue slipping and the entire car to turn just a little
faster. Using this rapid-pumping technique with the
accelerator does take a little practice initially, and seems
to work best with FR cars; however, once perfected, this
technique can pay dividends, especially with REALLY sharp
hairpin corners, such as La Source at Spa-Francorchamps.
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SURVIVAL DRIVING: RUMBLE STRIPS
Depending on car set-up and weather conditions, rumble strips
(sometimes also called 'alligators') can be either useful or
dangerous. The purpose of rumble strips is to provide a few
extra centimeters of semi-racing surface to help keep cars
from dropping wheels off the pavement, which can slow cars
and throw grass and other debris onto the racing surface
(which makes racing a little more dangerous for all involved,
especially in corners). Generally, rumble strips are found
on the outside of a corner at corner entry and corner exit,
and also at the apex of a corner - these locations provide a
slightly better racing line overall.
If a car is set with a very stiff suspension (i.e., there is
not much room for the suspension to move as the car passes
over bumps and other irregularities in the racing surface),
hitting rumble strips can cause the car to jump. Even if
airborne for only a few milliseconds, at speed, it could be
just enough so that the driver loses control of the car.
Obviously, if one or more wheels are not in contact with the
ground, the car is losing speed, which could be just enough
of a mistake for other cars to pass by, and the lack of
contact with the ground could result in excessive wheelspin
which risks to flat-spot the tire(s) when contact is regained
with the ground.
When the racetrack is damp or wet, however, it is generally
best to avoid using the rumble strips. Since rumble strips
are painted (usually red and white), ANY amount of moisture
will make the rumble strips extremely slick as the water
beads on the paint, so that hitting a rumble strip in the
process of cornering (especially at the apex of a corner)
will cause the tire(s) to lose traction and often send the
car spinning.
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SURVIVAL DRIVING: CONCRETE EXTENSIONS
Similar to rumble strips are concrete extensions. These are
generally (much) wider than rumble strips, and may or may not
be painted (at FIA-approved F1 circuits, for example, these
are generally painted green). Also, whereas rumble strips
protrude slightly above the level of the racing surface,
concrete extensions are at the same level as the racing
surface.
Concrete extensions can be used in the same manner as rumble
strips. However, if painted, concrete extensions should be
avoided for the same reasons listed above for rumble strips n
the event of wet or damp racing conditions.
Players should note that in some games - especially where
challenges or license tests are involved - concrete
extensions are often NOT designated as part of the official
track, resulting in an 'Out of Bounds' designation. This is
true, for example, in EA Sports' F1-based series (F1 2000, F1
Championship Season 2000, F1 2001, and F1 2002).
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SURVIVAL DRIVING: TIRE CARE
At the beginning of a race and immediately after a Pit Stop,
the tires are brand new ('stickers') and need to be brought
up to temperature as quickly as possible so that they can
provide the best possible grip. During this period, sharp
turns or extremely-fast cornering will almost certainly cause
the car to slide, and perhaps even spin. However, slides and
spins will bring the tires up to optimum temperature even
faster, so you may wish to purposely induce slides when
entering corners, but only with extreme caution, as the
already-thin line between having control of the car and
losing control of the car will be at least halved until the
tires come up to optimum temperature.
The longer you run on the same set of tires, the more you
need to take better care of your tires. This is especially
important if you have had one or more off-course excursions.
You may experience slides when cornering.
If you have several offs with the same set of tires and find
yourself sliding around the circuit a lot more than usual,
you definitely need to return to Pit Lane for a new set of
tires. Essentially, you are driving on pure ice, and the
only way to 'reliably' get around the circuit is to bounce
off the rails - which is extremely difficult to do
'correctly' to keep yourself pointed forward.
One of the best ways to reduce the durability of the tires is
to corner at high speeds. The manual for Gran Turismo 3
gives an excellent, detailed description of what occurs with
the tires when cornering. In short, cornering at high speeds
causes a high percentage of the tire to be used for speed,
and a low percentage to be used for the actual cornering. To
combat this and thus extend the durability of the tires, try
to brake in a STRAIGHT line before reaching a turn, thus
reducing overall speed and providing a lower percentage of
the tires to be used for speed, and a greater percentage used
for cornering.
Note that if the percentage of the tires used for speed is
too high compared to the percentage used for cornering, the
car will slide and/or spin.
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SURVIVAL DRIVING: DRAFTING (SLIPSTREAMING)
Drafting (also called slipstreaming) can be a very valuable
technique for passing, especially on high-speed circuits with
long straightaways. Drafting entails closely following a
car, and allowing that car's aerodynamic vacuum to draw your
car closer and closer while simultaneously giving your car a
short boost in speed; just before colliding with the other
car, dart out to the side and speed past as the 'extra' speed
gained slowly drains away. This tactic is best used on long
straightaways, and can be a prime passing method when
combined with late braking at the end of a straightaway. If
at all possible, try to draft off multiple cars, making
several passes at once while gaining a TRULY dramatic spike
in top-end speed.
However, QUICK reflexes and good tire grip are very important
to edging your car far enough out of the way to safely make a
pass while drafting, otherwise you will ram or clip the lead
car. Also, in F1 2002, some CPU-controlled cars will
actually slow (sometimes significantly) if you try to use
their aerodynamic wake to pass, adding more necessity to a
player's quick reflexes.
On the right side of the race screen, a set of bars will
slowly light up as a driver gets closer and closer behind
another car, thus able to take advantage of the lead car's
slipstream (aerodynamic vacuum) to suddenly jump out and make
a pass. When racing in very wet weather when cars are
launching a tall 'rooster tail' of spray in their wake, the
slipstream meter can be used to approximate the distance to
the car in front as well as the closing speed.
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FLAGS AND BOARDS
Auto racing presents a number of flags and boards to quickly
convey information to drivers as they speed around a circuit.
Many of these flags are shown by corner workers, track-side
personnel who display the various flags to warn drivers if
there is potential trouble ahead or behind them. Boards are
generally shown only at the Start/Finish Line. Please note
that not all of these flags and boards are used in F1 2002,
but they are used in real-world F1 racing.
Boards
Safety Car (SC): What is called the Safety Car in many
countries is better known as the Pace Car
in American motorsports. When this board
is displayed at the Start/Finish Line
(the board is painted white with the
letters 'SC' painted in large black
font), there is a significant incident
somewhere on the circuit warranting that
all cars at all areas of the circuit must
slow down and follow the Safety Car. The
main reason a Safety Car may be used is
to allow safety personnel to get to areas
of the track which are otherwise not
easily accessible when cars pass at full
speed; this situation usually means that
there has been a collision or mechanical
problem which has left one or more cars
sitting idle in a vulnerable situation.
The Safety Car board may also be
displayed in the event that the weather
does not permit full-speed racing.
Flags
Black Flag: Generally shown only at the Start/Finish
Line, a driver is shown this flag when
her or his car has suffered severe damage
which the race marshals deem MUST be
repaired immediately, or when a driver
has committed an infraction of the racing
rules. Depending on the form of
motorsport, a Black Flag may also mean
automatic disqualification from the
event, especially if it is being
displayed due to an infraction of the
racing rules.
Blue Flag: The Blue Flag is generally displayed by
the corner workers to indicate that a
slower car must pull aside to allow a
faster car to pass. This generally means
that the slower car is not on the lead
lap, as many forms of auto racing allow
for drivers to fight to remain on the
lead lap, especially in oval-track
racing.
Green Flag: The Green Flag means that full racing
conditions are in effect. If a driver
is coming out of a Yellow Flag area of
a track, this flag indicates that the car
can at least be brought back to full
racing speed.
Red Flag: Generally shown only at the Start/Finish
Line, the Red Flag indicates that a race
has been suspended temporarily. The
rules regarding what can take place
during a Red Flag period vary by the
form of motorsport in question. For
example, NASCAR parks all cars behind the
Safety Car/Pace Car on the track and all
drivers must remain in their cars unless
NASCAR officials (usually at Race
Control) grant drivers permission to
leave the vehicles (this usually only
occurs in inclement weather). In F1
racing, if a race is Red Flagged, the
race essentially begins again once the
condition creating the Red Flag situation
has passed or has been remedied.
White Flag: Shown at the Start/Finish Line, the White
Flag indicates that there is only one
more lap remaining in a race. Not all
forms of motorsport use the White Flag.
In some endurance races, the white flag
is displayed when it is calculated that
the official race duration (in terms of
time) will expire by the time the lead
car completes one more lap of the
circuit.
Yellow Flag: A Yellow Flag means that drivers must
slow due to a potentially-dangerous
situation. On oval tracks, a Yellow Flag
covers the entire circuit, although some
forms of oval-track racing (such as
NASCAR) permit drivers to race back to
the Start/Finish Line to 'take' the
Yellow Flag there. On road courses, the
Yellow Flag usually only applies to a
specific section of the circuit, which
allows for full-speed racing elsewhere;
should a full-course Yellow Flag
situation be warranted, a Safety Car or
Pace Car will be used to collect all the
competitors and lead them slowly around
the race venue.
One of the STRANGEST Yellow Flag
situations took place in 2000 at the F1
Grand Prix of Germany at the high-speed
Hockenheim circuit. A local Yellow Flag
was issued for one of the long,
insanely-fast straightaways (where cars
can easily achieve 180MPH... or more)
because a spectator somehow made his way
out of the grandstands and onto the track
itself. Fortunately, this EXTREMELY
dangerous situation did not result in any
injuries or accidents, and the imbecile
was quickly grabbed, hauled off the
track, and arrested.
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