I agree, aggressiveness can be rewarded but, as you say, is a big risk to yourself and others. The other incident shows where a dive up the inside of two other cars ended very badly for a lot of innocent drivers.
The only thing I remember from the Race 2 incident, was going into the slow left T5 uphill and getting pushed from behind which put me into @Darren Day and unfortunately turned him around
Having been a controller driver in the past, I understand your point of view. However, from my perspective I disagree with Apex entirely. The high tyre wear combined with the long pit times has really opened up strategy options and has also rewarded drivers who can look after their tyres This is racing simulation and because we don't want to be sitting down and racing for hours, using high wear rates to "simulate" a race is the only way to do it, otherwise it's just an outright sprint race
it's not that only he agrees with you on tyre terms. Pre-season we set regulations we think will work. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't. I personally also struggled with the tyres last night, but it is what it is. I had some good battles and was bested at the end of both races. Also we don't always run higher wear rates. I think the nissan GT500 was a flat out push season, and some guys enjoyed it more than others, just like this season. You can't please everybody
Here we go. From every drivers perspective. Under the circumstances not a whole lot that could be done differently to affect the outcome
That is where the problem lies with this sort of aggression. To maintain the speed through the corner, cars are using contact with other cars to maintain speed through the corner to complete an overtake. Rather than backing off when their chosen driving line can not maintain that corner speed, without thought of others, some are using other cars as turning helpers to complete the pass. Usually the car they are passing. Forcing into a gap with two wheels on grass is over aggressive and unsportsmanlike, and will always compromise your line, and speed through and out of the corner. Too many are willing to compromise or ruin another drivers race via aggression and unsportsmanlike behaviour. Yes passing is a thrill, but so is clean racing side by side, or waiting for a few laps to find the right place for a clean pass, with skill not muscle. Needs to be more effort to keep the paint on your own car, and not create a Picasso.
That is a still image. There was 1 1/2 cars gap when the move was made which quickly closed to 1/2 cars width (not surprising given 3 cars on the outside).
Therein lies the problem. The races are trying to be something they aren't and that to me is artificial.
The main issue with the setting this season is the early season big increase in pit stop time, it skewed the strategy towards no stopping. If the pit times were the same as at the start of the season then optional strategies would still be available.
That update was on 4th March before the season started so long pitstops were always going to be a thing. Not that I'd benefit from it, but probably due for a lower tyre wear season soon
In a real race you have to deal with tyre wear and drive accordingly. So I'd say the high tyre wear is making it as authentic as possible without making the races hours long. The only other option is to make it an outright sprint race every round where tyre wear just doesn't come into it ... is that really authentic?
In Real Life racing series, such issue can or are often managed through the supply of sticky but quickly wearing tyres. Teams and drivers construct a strategy accordingly. How do you simulate that in something like GT Sport? Oh, yes, tyre wear multipliers. Having said that, in future I'd like to see a lower tyre wear rate in exchange for say a lower starting fuel amount, one that would strongly influence a pit stop.