Sim Racing Etiquette | Basic tips to race cleanly and respectfully

Improve your racecraft and behaviour on track to become quicker and more consistent, as well as more confident and more trustworthy.
Start: 0:00
1. Race starts: 0:54
2. Avoiding Incidents: 4:20
3. Overtaking: 8:22
4. Defending: 13:41
5. Blue Flags: 17:11
Final Thought: 22:22
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[@DigitalMotorsportscom]

Great advice, most people could learn something here

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Thanks! I love making videos like these.

[@GoldenCobraa]

The tip about accident avoidance and moving towards the rear of the opponent’s car was eye opening. Sure it’s not 100% going to work, but for the vast majority of scenarios I can think of, this technique applies. Great stuff!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

GREAT

[@raithrover1976]

"Most sim racers are in their 20s and 30s". Way to make this 44 year old feel like a character from Last of the Summer Wine! I took part in my first ever online race (aside from daft GTA5 wreckfests) on ACC last Saturday and I found it genuinely thrilling as well as a little intimidating. It didn't help that I made the mega-noob mistake of picking a GT4 car for a multi-class race meaning that I spent the rest of the race wondering why everyone else was so much faster than me. D'oh!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Hahaha if it’s any consolation, the average age of sim racers is increasing :) I race with some people in their 50s and 60s ;)

[@shanerobinswpr7027]

@@LaurenceDusoswa 55 here and loving it..

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

@@shanerobinswpr7027 I'll be doing it at 55, that's for sure. It ticks many boxes for me as a perfect hobby :)

[@msenecal]

I am 70 and just started Sim Racing. Way cheaper and more convenient than when I was racing a formula car in the 1980's.

[@jandd6617]

I got the bug to sim race and was very concerned about race etiquette as I don't want to be "that guy." I feel smarter about the topic because of this video. Thank you very much for putting it out there.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

You’re very welcome :)

[@polygonbahn4979]

This video should be mandatory for everyone getting into sim racing :)

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

You’re very kind! Glad you enjoyed it and I’m delighted that it has helped some people to get some confidence and maybe even some awareness

[@Christian_Bagger]

In addition regarding defending, the rule of thumb is ofc. you are allowed to make one adjustment, and it’s up to the overtakes to do it safely, for the most part… the exception where you can actually make one more adjustment if you’re shrewd enough! If you time your first adjustment, towards a corner, you’re allowed to go back again to the race line in order to hit apex according to etiquette. So you get a zig and you get a zag in that instance.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Yep there are subtle ways to push the boundaries of the rules. The quickest drivers know all of those 😂

[@Salutifer0us]

Very good video and really in depth. I have a feeling that the people who need to see it the most won't be interested in it though 🤣

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Hahaha thanks. That’s is my fear but if it helps some people who are maybe nervous or looking to become calmer and more consistent, then it’s worth it :) Thanks for commenting dude!

[@Thizzlyadams88]

I'm new to Sim Racing and this video is a huge help and has tons a ton of great info. Thank you dude. Much appreciated.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

You’re very welcome! Sorry for the delayed reply

[@stantonlagua308]

Great tips! Thanks for the info! Keep it up!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

You’re very welcome!

[@simonwall23]

Really sound advice Laurence! Excellent video.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Thanks Simon! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for taking the time to comment dude

[@FOGTinTops]

Well said mate, great advice - like you say, the reason we do this is to have fun first, being near the pointy is a bonus - There's always going to be someone quicker that yourself.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Exactly. People lose sight of that. And by being a decent person on track we ensure not only that we enjoy it more, but we make the experience even better for others too.

[@Jimster71]

This is gold. Your manner is great too 👍

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Wow thank you very much. Thanks for the comment ❤️

[@egorpavlikhin969]

Amazing video, so much good advice!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Thanks for the nice comment ❤️

[@LJSR07]

Excellent video, thank you for helping me understand better the racing etiquette. I am basically one of those, crash and bang racing games. Forza was always a mystery to me, until ACC (Trainer?maybe?) then I learned of iracing (esports! Yeah, that's money? Maybe?) I will be in the top 5 by this time next year, maybe sooner with tips and information like this. Thank you.

[@gregsorensen6192]

On the subject of overtaking I think you missed one important rule, especially in multi-class races.. It is the role of the overtaking car to make the pass cleanly, 100% of the time. Too many drivers think it is the job of the slower car to get out of the way, especially in a turn. I cannot even count the number of times I've been bumped off track mid-turn while in a GT4 by a GT3.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

yeah i want to do a video dedicated completely to blue flag etiquette. It's so important!

[@gavancorrigan8813]

I must find a community of people who also get lapped constantly.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

You’ll be surprised dude. Everyone gets lapped at times and there’s no shame in it. Eventually it gets less frequent

[@youridevries1734]

Meeee :)

[@K4RZOLIA]

Great advice mate!!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Thank you kindly! Hope it helps some people

[@garybond3388]

keep up the great work love these vids

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Thanks Gary! I have lots to talk about 😂 would love to dedicate more time to them

[@Tuvok_Shakur]

ive been taking a stab at playing F1 with a controller and while its difficult, it helps me try to learn how to race properly should i get good enough that id like to spend some more money on a sim racing setup but etiquette is one of the things that i was afraid of and this video helps tremendously and gives me some new things to practice

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@jcsquared1111]

Funny you say about keepijg the inside line, last on iracing was doing nurgurgring grand prix with the tight chacaine, and i got completly dive bombed as i swung wide to hit that tight chicaine properly and ruined my entire race even though it was totally his fault. Wish i had watched this before hand lol. Love the vids

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Haha nice one ❤️

[@rdeh1678]

I love to sim race and constantly best the best times posted yet I always afraid to race online as I do not want to wreck anothers person race thats my biggest fear

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Yeah that’s common. I think it should have named this video differently in ways. It’s very much for new drivers, not for actual dickheads 😂

[@KrasnyMajak-he8xh]

useful advice

[@JosueLopez-un5zt]

Great video, helped me avoid making myself look like a jerk on the raceway

[@nikolausrouse19]

Thanks!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

You're very welcome!

[@MsTheCops]

Great video. I just subscribed. I agree with you & the fella below ...great advice. I'm new to Sim Racing (my first year) This is my retirement hobby ...I'm an old Dude (63) ...slow & patient. I practice the tracks of my choice & know the turns where one CAN pass. It seems the only repeatable advantage I have is where all cars must slow down ...the turns. I know better than to try a pass where there is little room & don't. However; my entire mind set going into those turns with passing opportunity's is just waiting for an opening & hoping it IS on the inside where I can "clip the apex" & execute a proper turn. I'll be honest ...I almost never make contact (my Racecraft Rating in ACC was 98 at one point & is near 90 today) I'd rather hit sand than another car. I NEVER blocked faster drivers ...it just doesn't make sense unless the finish line is 100 feet away ...perhaps that's why I seldom win ...lol. I'm slower but often finish in the top 10 & even a podium rarely ...but oh man ...do I get shit in the chat window for the clean passes I make & I do get called a Dive Bomber ...lol. My argument is "Simulation should Simulate" ...& in real life racing there is no rules not to pass in turns & in fact ...THAT is where the majority of passing occurs!!! So do we want "realism" or?? I know very little of Blue Flags ...if there are two cars in my mirror ...which is the faster blue flag car? ...& as I said earlier ...I just let faster cars pass & hope I finish well.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Thanks for the sub! There are aggressive driving styles for sure and they're fine as long as the other car isn't being used as a brake. They're unpleasant to be the victim of, but that's racing. However, you don't always need contact to consider something a divebomb either. At the end of the day, it's the car in front's job to close the gaps, that prevents most dives. One issue that we have with sims is that we suffer a disconnect due to a lack of forces and cannot react well to lockups or feel the edge of grip the same way real drivers can. Finally on the blue flag thing, you need to run your 'relative' time black box or on screen utility. that highlights the cars that are a lap ahead vs the ones you're battling with. All in all, seat time is the best way to get better. Be slow and proud. be patient and disciplined. Celebrate your victories and losses, big and small. Keep enjoying it, and make it as enjoyable as possible for those around you. Thanks for the great comment

[@MsTheCops]

@@LaurenceDusoswa Good advice again. In fact ...I don't actually know the rules or "etiquette" in Sim Racing & I certainly do not want to be one of those "Dick Heads". Rammers are my biggest beef! This morning I set up a Live Lobby on AMS2 & practiced etiquette ...I did not make a single dive bomb ...lol. Hey ...we're never too old to learn. How did I do ...Well ...I seldom won anyway ...& as per your sage advise ...I had a lot a good clean (racing) fun.

[@mrjeppe12345]

awesome ivd!!!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Thanks ❤️

[@haywireog]

"He Laurence, that actually worked" ;)

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Haha thanks for the comment

[@mrjeppe12345]

only 4000 views? dang bro you should get more!!!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Haha yeah my channel is relatively new. I’m happy with 4K views. Hitting the thumbs up or sharing with your racing communities helps ;)

[@peterk15]

Very good advice but I have completely different experiences with ai, they just crushing and pushing me out of the track. Also I found very difficult to find places to race online if you beginner or not too experienced.

[@jackyharrisracing750]

Wish more people would this advice to heart. Good video! Giving you a signal boost on my Twitter...

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Thanks very much! All shares welcome. It’s tough to get people to watch your content, both recorded and live. Getting some help from a share here and there can make all the difference.

[@jackyharrisracing750]

@@LaurenceDusoswa Tell me about it. I’ve got 8 subscribers! 🤣😭

[@yuvi85]

Very very nice video and advices!! Do you have any suggestion for a good community for Assetto Corsa? Thx!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Yes, try www.legacorsa.com. Or join my discord, there are regular races on Saturday evenings (20:00 UK/Ireland time)

[@thepicklemonkey1]

A question regarding defending, when I make my 1 adjustment, can I go all the way to side of the track or am I supposed to leave “half a cars width” or can I completely close off the edge of the track? Thanks!

[@johngoncalves4738]

Great video Laurence. I learned a lot from your advice. Thanks a lot. But one question, I'm trying to join a Forza Motorsport community for racing online. I've had no success. Can anyone advise on how to go about it? Sometimes you feel there must be better clean races online from private communities than the caos of FM online. Thank you.

[@Thebluedevil078]

I'll be watching myself in Real Racing 3 today after looking at your tips.... Most of the time it's me giving a frustrated grunt as I slam into a car, damage mine, and change their line, while not wanting to do any of that at all. Hopefully that changes

[@Thebluedevil078]

Also can u make a vid for giving tips about racing in circuits that have no runoff areas after turns(No place for spun out cars/cars going too wide to go off track.... They go smack into the wall), and also about self-spin outs( The type in which you misgauge the position of the car you just passed, end up bumping your tire/bumper against their nose, and then spinning yourself out( It happens a lot to me)

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

sorry for being so late with my reply! I am planning to do more avoidance videos in future and will take not of what you're saying. thanks for watching and hopefully, it helped a little?

[@Coach15Advo]

Laurence, do you race in any leagues (iracing). If you do, maybe a video about leagues could help people. I was on iracing for almost a year before I really looked into them. Now, I hardly race in "Official" races. League races tends to be alot cleaner and will give people more of a chance to use the types you discussed here!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Yeah I have a few leagues that I race in :) some cleaner than others hahaha. My favourite one is an Assetto corsa league called legacorsa.com. The driving is sensational and the people are like family. I know exactly what you mean. Might be a good video. I did do a video on how to enjoy sim racing and finding a community was one of the main points :)

[@EmanHowells]

Just found ya thanks for the vid. Man I have fun but Im so annoyed. My etiquette is good but Im a mid to the back driver seems like no matter what I do or how I change my driving style it seems like ive hit a wall to how fast I can go. Even in spec racing Everyone pulls away and ill let drivers by. IF i try to do a smoother clean lap im just slow, If I try to push Im a little faster but Seems like i hit the limit before i sliding all over, spinning or go off but everyone just pulls away I cant seem to find a sweet spot.. I can just face the fact I suck LOL.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Hahaha everyone has good races and bad races. Try to set small goals, like finishing without spinning. Or like being within a second of your fastest lap for each lap that you do. ‘Mid pack’ depends on the pack. In a 30 car grid, if you were mid pack (p15), you would be mid pack. But if you faced only the 14 drivers behind you, you would be winning races. It’s a psychological battle, but there will always be faster people than you. What sims do you use?

[@EmanHowells]

So i main race room and then asetto then acc. But today i found a sec all around when i put drift mode into positive 2. Now im fighting the wheel. I started with a tmx for 6 months just got csl elite this week

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Finding good settings is very important. If you’re only sim racing for 6 months, don’t expect much unless you’re racing 4 hours a day at least. Sim racing requires experience, discipline and loads of seat time (practice) before you can be competitive. Have you considered trying iRacing? The match making is great and you always face people of a similar skill level.

[@EmanHowells]

@@LaurenceDusoswa first off thank you for your help. I had to realize you are right I get good really fast at things in my life when you said 6 months I think that im to slow but I need to see people put years to get good at things. Yes when i said mid pack I ment in like a 30 grid race. I think I expect to much for what little time ive put in. I find my self way better then people in normal races but anything ranked I usually just sand bag qually and pass everyone crashing LOL. There is lots for me to learn and thank you for your vids and your help. As for Iracing ive spend so much these year and did alot of research and I dont think i wanna put the money into i racing for the content I want but Im taking acc more serious and doing better over all even since my first comment I will keep watching and learn.

[@MrFedorR]

Very, very good advices, especially about lap 1. But the question is how many bad drivers will watch the video?)

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Hahaha I guess it’s your job to share it ;)

[@MrFedorR]

@@LaurenceDusoswa always trying to drive safely, always struggling because of it:) but in general I'll probably send this link next time to reckless driver in chat instead of persuading that he is "wrong"... need to bind a button for this😂

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Hahahahaha

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

What's funny about this is... In Nascar most of this no one follows.

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Yeah I’m no nascar expert either :p

[@pstoppani]

I find it hard to "find a small community". Got any tips on how?

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

In Assetto Corsa, try Legacorsa.com ;)

[@trevz1048]

I joined a league on Acc ps4 through discord,best desicion I made redline racing on ps4 they have a pc league aswell but no xbox

[@thorus528]

Blue-flag us please!

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Hahaha ok :) I will when I finally get some time to invest in the channel again

[@thorus528]

@@LaurenceDusoswa I hope you DO. Not much good AC basics out there for us Noobs ....

[@williamsmith1671]

why dont acc put laybys on the tracks as blue flags mean pull over and let the whole field pass

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Because a blue flag simply means that you should not make life difficult for the faster car. It doesn’t mean “stop racing”. The ideal blue flag doesn’t impact pace for either driver. Blue flags are about timing and position, not speed.

[@eye-ann4937]

What prompted this vid la?? Lol

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Hahah a moment of inspiration last night :p

[@Draax1]

Count how many times he said d*ckhead or d*ck

[@fredpel1089]

Maybe some visual examples to accompany the talking head ? .....

[@LaurenceDusoswa]

Yep, unfortunately though, that’s 10x the work and not much more reward. When I give visual examples people often comment “that’s not a good example” 😂😂😂 so it’s easier to let people use their imagination.