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*                                               *
*       F-1 WORLD GRAND PRIX WALKTHROUGH        *
*   Written by Jordan Stopciati (superstar64)   *
*       VERSION 1.0 revised on 01/05/2002       *
*                                               *
*************************************************
===================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
===================
1. Legal Stuff
2. Modes of Play
3. A typical Formula One race
4. Race Setup
5. Teams and Drivers
6. Circuits
7. Strategies
8. Challenge Mode
9. Codes
10. Questions
11. End
=========
UPDATES
=========
V0.9 - September 20, 2001
First version, contains most of the stuff I want to put in. In the next
version coming soon, I expect to have:
* Challenge mode strategies
Not much to expect of myself, is it? There's a lot more to come, so keep your
eyes peeled for updates. If you have anything to add, just drop me an e-mail
at:
js_sstar64@hotmail.com
V1.0 - January 5, 2002
Finally, I have a complete version 1 out (found that I forgot to put the basic
Australia strategy in... :P). Challenges are done, I've elaborated on some
information (including track lengths and full race distances for each of the
tracks). Hopefully I'll be able to have other stuff for version 1.5, including
some driver profiles.
==============
1. LEGAL STUFF
==============
There are lots people out there who are just willing to take any good FAQ that
they can find, rip it off, and do all sorts of weird and wonderful things with
it. Not if I can't help it. Here's what I ask before you even start reading
this guide, it is very short, very sweet, and very polite. I don't ask much
from you.
This game walkthrough is supplied to you free of charge. You most likely have
to pay for Internet access but they are giving you access to this information -
which I supply to you for no charge. Because I really don't pay much for this
sort of thing, I don't charge anything. Therefore, I don't make a profit.
Selling it without my permission doesn't just deprive me of the credit, it also
deprives me of cash that is rightly mine. (Not to mention it wouldn't hurt to
pay for some of those unregistered shareware programs...)
Please do not use any of this information if you are writing a game guide for
this game unless you give me credit. There are no exceptions to this. I will
find out if you rip me off, and you can be sued for it. I can easily use that
money that I win for a lot of things. What am I talking about? Something called
"plagiarism". It is a fact that I am under eighteen (yeah, I write FAQs and I'm
not eighteen yet. Your point?). It is fiction that I can not sue you. That is
nonsense. Just cite your source and I'll just mind my business. I do the same
thing.
Myself, GameFAQs, or any other website that publishes this FAQ can not be held
responsible for any injury, small or large, that directly or indirectly is
connected to this document. I can not be held responsible for any of these
unsolicited or solicited events. (this is just a small sample)
- Damaged F-1 World Grand Prix game
- Damaged video game system
- Damaged reputation
- Damaged house(s)
- Damaged privilege(s)
- Damaged body part(s)
- Damaged land area(s)
I don't care if somebody ends up dying because of this. The intention of this
FAQ was not to drop an H-bomb on the Internet and cause everything within a
five hundred mile radius to cease to exist. My intention was to lend a hand to
people who need the extra help with this game. So don't blame me for anything.
================
2. MODES OF PLAY
================
There are five modes of play in F-1 World Grand Prix:
Exhibition: Go against 21 other drivers in a race. You can change the settings
and have a four-lap sprint or as much as the full race distance. You can start
from first and get a head start or try to navigate your way through the pack
from twenty-second, among other things. Pick any track, any driver, and you're
ready to go on any of the 1997 Formula 1 tracks!
Grand Prix: Go through the seventeen races of the 1997 Formula 1 World
Championship. You score points if you finish in the top six of a race (ten for
first place down to one point for sixth place.) If you can finish the season
with the most points, you win the championship and become the greatest driver
in the world. Sounds like a good title to put to yourself, doesn't it?
Challenge: You've been stuck in a pretty good, or bad, situation from the 1997
season and you'd better make the most of it. You start with three situations in
three categories: Offense, Defense, and Trouble. You score points for making
merit out of each situation. Doing well on each challenge will open up the next
challenge in that category.
Time Trial: Take a test drive on any one of the seventeen Grand Prix tracks.
It's just you, and your ghost (which appears if you set a new best time). Try
to put in the best time you can - it works when you start getting into Grand
Prix and Challenge modes - then you have to know the tracks pretty well if you
wish to succeed.
2 Player - Go head-to-head with a friend, an enemy, or anyone that you want to
go head-to-head with. It's just you and the other guy. Pick any driver, any
track, and you're ready to go. There isn't much other stuff to do - just try to
beat that other guy and you shouldn't have to do much anything else (other than
stop for fuel, etc.)
===========================
3. A TYPICAL FORMULA 1 RACE
===========================
The race all starts with the Friday practice session. In this session, you
receive four laps in Rookie or Professional difficulty, up to twenty on
Champion. You are not obligated to use all these laps, and they have no effect
on your starting race position. Generally, times in this session are half a
second slower than the qualifying pace.
You get another practice session on Saturday, which is also limited to four
laps in Rookie and Professional, twenty in Champion. This is the last
opportunity you're going to get to pick a set-up before the moment of truth:
qualifying. This will not count towards your position in the race, however.
Then, the moment of truth: qualifying. In actual F1, a one-hour session is
allotted, and you get twelve laps (including your in and out of pit laps.)
Well, the only thing you'll get here is twelve laps to take the pole position.
There's no time limit. The times are fixed at the beginning of the session, so
you won't have to worry about someone besting your time. On Champion
difficulty, if your time is not within 107% of the pole position time, you will
not be allowed to start the race.
On the race day, there is a short warm-up before the race starts. Same rules as
practice apply.
Finally, there is the race. You start on the grid in the position you qualified
in. Above the car, five lights will illuminate, one by one, separated by one
second each. After approximately three seconds, the lights will go off, an air
horn will sound, and this signals the start of the race.
Occasionally, you may see a flag waving on the left side of your screen. These
are what the colours mean:
Yellow - Passing is not permitted in this area, slow down.
Green - End of the caution zone (shown at the end of a yellow flag area)
Red - The race has been stopped due to a major incident.
Black/white divided - A warning flag, shown if you have tried to run
across a chicane, pass a car under a yellow flag in the intent of gaining
position, or drive backwards on the track for extended periods of time. Eight
of these in Rookie or Professional and you are given a black flag, four of them
must be shown in Champion mode.
Black - You have been disqualified from the race (also shown if you have a
severe accident and your car is disabled and unable to continue the race).
Chequered black and white - Signals that the race will end when you cross
the finish line on this lap. It is shown as you go up the grid for the last
time.
The information on the bottom of your screen corresponds to current
information. Here's an example:
__________________________________________________________
|                              _______                     |
|  M. SCHUMACHER (5)   A      |   __  |      0:32.63  D    |
|                             |     | |                    |
|  FERRARI (G)                |     | |                    |
|                B            |     | |  C                 |
|                             |_______|                    |
|__________________________________________________________|
A - Shows the name of the driver that you are currently using, and the driver
number. In this case, the player here is using Michael Schumacher, who has
driver number 5.
B - Shows the name of the team that you are currently using, and the tires that
they use (G stands for Goodyear brand, B stands for Bridgestone brand. There is
no performance difference between the two.) In this case, the player here is on
the Ferrari team, which uses Goodyear tires.
C - Shows your current ranking in the race. In this case, the player is in
seventh place.
D - Shows your current lap time. In this case, the player is 32.63 seconds into
the lap.
This changes regularily, showing the gaps between you and the next player up
the road, for example. If you're in first place, you'll just hear your pit crew
saying, "Frentzen is fifteen seconds behind you" or something like that - the
screen won't change. In qualifying and practice, as you pass each split time,
it shows the split time and compares it to the split times of the lap that
earned pole position. When you go across the start/finish line it shows the
position that you now stand in, your final lap time, and how much you were
behind the first place time (unless you took the lead, of course!).
=============
4. RACE SETUP
=============
Your setup for a race is all condensed into the Paddock Computer. Believe it or
not, it's actually a somewhat scaled-down version of actual F1 setup and it's
not as precise, but it's certainly sufficient for the purpose. Here are the
categories of race setup, and what they do:
Front Wing - (10 to 40 degrees) - The front wing angle determines the
aerodynamic efficiency of your car. The lower the angle (I refer to this as
running less wing on the car, or having less drag), the more top speed on the
straights you will have. However, your braking performance will decrease and
it'll get harder to turn through the corners. On the other hand, the higher the
angle (more wing, more drag), the lower your top speed. However, it allows
better braking and better turning.
Rear Wing - (10 to 40 degrees) - The rear wing angle, like the front wing
angle, determines the aerodynamic efficiency of your car. The same as "Front
Wing" applies here. Note that if the front wing angle is higher than the rear
wing angle, the car will oversteer. Likewise, if the rear wing angle is higher
than the front wing angle, the car will understeer (or is it in reverse ?). You
can change this as you want.
Fuel - (5 to 100 percent) - The fuel in your car, believe it or not, is very
important in deciding how many times you will come into the pits. The more fuel
that is in your car, the longer that your car will be able to stay on your
track before having to go into the pits. At the beginning of the race, the car
will have more sluggish acceleration, but as the fuel load lightens the
acceleration starts to improve. A full fuel tank will get you near the end of
the race. Pit strategy is your call. You may want to go for a light load at
first to get ahead of the pack, then make a stop with plenty of fuel to take
you to the end of the race.
Tires - (Soft & hard slicks, intermediates, rain and heavy rain tires) - Tire
choice is another very important decision. The easiest way to break it down is
the wear. If rain is looking likely or it is raining, you may want to opt for
the rain or heavy rain tires. Dry weather will call for the soft or hard
slicks. If conditions are variable, you might want to use the intermediate
tires. Soft slicks break down sooner than hard slicks, but are faster. The same
applies for intermediates, rain tires, and heavy rain.
Gear Ratios - (Low, semi-low, medium, semi-high, high) - The gear ratios will
affect how often you have to shift up. Unfortunately, like in some other racing
games, you can't adjust gear ratios precisely. Lower gear ratios are good for
low-speed tracks like Monaco, but be careful, because you'll hit top speed and
damage your gearbox easily. On the other hand, higher gear ratios are better
for high-speed circuits.
Suspension - (Soft, medium soft, medium, medium hard, hard) - Suspension has
an effect on how much damage your car can take. Harder suspension will allow
your car to go a little bit faster, but it will get damaged more easily. On the
other hand, softer suspension is a little bit slower, but takes a little bit
more punishment. If you're not worried about having accidents, you might want
to go with harder suspension.
Steering Sensitivity - (14 to 28 degrees) - Steering sensitivity determines
how sensitive your car is to steering. For tight turns, you might want to go
with a larger steering sensitivity. For turns which are mostly sweeping, go for
a smaller steering sensitivity. Be careful, however. If you get this wrong,
your car may want to understeer (not want to turn as well as you want it to),
or oversteer (turn too much, turning the car into the inside wall or getting it
to turn the wrong way backwards into the outside wall).
-=-=-=-=-=-=-= OTHER OPTIONS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
You can select some other options, but not in the Paddock Computer: you have to
set it up on the menu.
Grid position (Exhibition mode only) - (1st to 22nd) - When you go into
Exhibition mode, you can set the grid position you want to go to. You can
choose to make it easy for yourself and start in first, or give yourself a
challenge and start from the back of the pack. Since you can't qualify in
Exhibition mode, this is the only option you have to set your grid position.
97 Events - (On/Off) - If you turn 97 Events on, the cars will be lined up on
the grid in the same way that they were for the actual race during the season.
They will go out of the race at the exact same time as the time that they
retired from the race in 1997. They'll change positions at the same time. Only
you can change the outcome of what happens, for example if you qualify 15th
when the driver you chose qualified 5th, the game will adjust accordingly and
move everyone that is advantaged by the change up one position.
Damage - (On/Off) - If you turn this on, running into a wall, into another
car, or revving your engine too high, will cause damage to your car. In the
race screen, there are six indicators, each indicating different sectional
areas of the car:
- SUS - Suspension
- TYR - Tires
- AER - Aerodynamics (wings, etc.)
- GER - Gearbox mechanism
- ENG - Engine
- FUL - Fuel
As they become more damaged or more in need to be looked after in the pit, a
red indicator comes on next to the appropriate section of the car. As the
damage becomes more severe, the indicator becomes brighter. And if the damage
requires an imminent stop in the pits, it will flash between bright and dim.
(Note: Tires and fuel indicate wear and current fuel level, respectively.)
Suspension is usually first to get damaged, immediately followed by
aerodynamics and the engine in an accident.
Pit In - (On/Off) - If you turn this on, you will have to worry about tire
wear and fuel. Leave it off if you want to stay on the track all the time and
not worry about stops. This emphasizes pit strategy quite a bit. In a future
version, I'll have some pit strategies for you.
Flags - (On/Off) - If you check above, you can see that flags are shown. The
flags are only shown if you have this method on (the only flags that are always
shown, regardless of whether this mode is on or off, are the black flag and the
chequered flag). Turn this on if you want to play fair. If you want to break
the rules all the time and not be penalized, keep this off.
Acceleration/Braking Assist - (On/Off) - When you select your driver, if you
select Rookie mode, this option will become available to you. If you turn it
on, the computer will select the optimum places to start accelerating and the
braking points, and do all that work for you. All you have to worry about is
steering. Turn it off, on the other hand, and the A and B buttons are under
your control. Keeping it off is the best idea, as staying with this mode for a
long time will not give you much of an advantage.
Gears (Automatic/Manual) - As this is a racing game, you can shift up or shift
down appropriately. If you want, you can leave this off and let the computer
shift for you automatically when you reach maximum revs in each gear. If you
want control of shifting, go to manual transmission and use the Z and R buttons
to do the shifting for you. Get to manual as soon as possible. It takes a
while, but eventually you get into a shifting rhythm, and it helps you win.
Trust me. ;)
Distance (4/8/16/Half/Full) - Control the distance that you want to race. Four
laps is the shortest distance, but it won't allow you much time to get a jump
on the field if you're starting in last place, for example. The full race
distance (the number of laps that actual Formula 1 racers race on that track,
which is the lowest number of laps that total over 305 km) may give you more
time, but it'll take up quite a large block of your time, one hour and fifteen
minutes at the least. If you don't pause the game, then the experience you're
getting is really similar to F1.
====================
5. TEAMS AND DRIVERS
====================
As all the drivers and teams are roughly equal in performance in this game,
there are a few things you might want to note for each team:
Ferrari
Has seven speeds instead of six, therefore you'll have to shift up more often.
Otherwise it's a pretty good car to have under you.
Williams
Theoretically, it's probably the fastest car that you'll find. The problem,
however, is that it seems quite heavy and not as responsive.
Benetton
A reasonably fast car, and pretty good in the turns. Not a bad option. Really
nice at Hockenheim.
McLaren
Balanced and quick. Pretty good at accelerating, and it's good in the turns.
Prost
It's not all that fast, and it seems a little bit heavy. I wouldn't recommend
this 100%.
Sauber
Not much comment about this car.
Arrows
Still little comment.
Tyrrell - This car is the only one to have a unique X-wing design on the front
of it. Personally, I don't know if it has any effect on the performance.
Stewart and Minardi
Both are powered by V8 engines instead of the regular V10, so you might want
to question using these cars: they will not be as powerful.
Jordan
Has seven speeds instead of six, and I also consider it to be the best
cornering vehicle. It takes the curves really well, in my opinion. This is my
preference to use (either Ralf Schumacher or Fisichella).
===========
6. CIRCUITS
===========
Round 1 - Australia (Albert Park)
5.301 kilometers, 58 lap race
Australia is the first circuit on the Formula 1 calendar and is just a taste of
things to come. It combines several low-speed turns with a few high-speed
turns, but because it is a road course, you can't expect very many of the
straights to really be "straight." The chicane that gives you the first time
split, however, can be quite difficult when you first take it, as the circuit
goes right but you must keep to the left and then turn right, otherwise you cut
the turn right off. And you don't want to do that.
Round 2 - Brazil (Interlagos)
4.292 kilometers, 72 lap race
Brazil is another one of the tough circuits on the F1 calendar. The first
corner (the Senna chicane) is quite tough to master, because it banks heavily
on the left turn, but you have to get right next to the retaining wall on the
left-hand side. It can very easily fool you. Then, there's a right turn
directly after that. Take it wrong and you go right off into the gravel. After
a few more turns, you're in the hairpin section, which consists of several
180-degree turns (be careful not to lock up your brakes when braking for the
turns). The final part of the circuit is a banked section that leads right to
the start/finish line. Get behind another car and gradually dive in and out of
their slipstream, you'll need the tow. I'll get into the slipstream tactic
later.
Round 3 - Argentina (Buenos Aires)
4.259 kilometers, 72 lap race
Argentina, in my opinion, is the most difficult circuit that you're ever going
to race. The corners can get extremely nasty, and this circuit really separates
the pros from the duds. It's especially obvious in Champion mode where you have
to stick to the racing line like glue if you want to have a shot at winning.
That's my strategy. Take the corners as carefully as possible, as you may end
up getting surprised and overshooting the end of the corner and going into the
grass or gravel.
Round 4 - San Marino (Imola)
4.930 kilometers, 62 lap race
This is a difficult track, mainly because it's so easy to make a mistake. One
of the first turns on the track can almost be taken completely flat-out, which
is unusual for a chicane turn (their objective is to slow you down). There are
a lot of off-camber corners on the circuit that turn left but slope to your
right, and if you make a small error it can cost you quite a bit. A chicane in
the middle of the course causes you to slow down quite a bit, otherwise you
crash into the wall on the right side of the course. Generally, you want to
pour it on in some areas, but be a little bit more cautious in other sections
of the course.
Round 5 - Monaco (Monte Carlo)
3.366 kilometers, 78 lap race
The Monaco circuit is the slowest one on the calendar, which means you want to
keep your wing angle high and the fuel high, plus you have to keep the gear
ratios low. There are only two areas where you really get to pour on the speed:
the Beau Rivage uphill rise, and the tunnel. On all the other parts of the
circuit, there's just a lot of Armco barrier. This circuit is extremely hard to
pass on. Catching up to a driver is one thing, passing them is another. And try
to keep off the Armco barrier. If you just graze it, you might be okay, but
continuous hitting will really start to hurt.
Round 6 - Spain (Barcelona)
4.728 kilometers, 65 lap race
This course has the longest straight in F1, and it's the front straight. The
remainder of the turns are mainly sweeping, and the hairpins are a lot slower.
On some curves you can just lift off a little and then go flat-out, and on some
of the turns they are gradually sweeping: you have to ease off the throttle, go
to the outside, go back to the inside, and complete the turn. The first couple
of turns after the first chicane are a prime example of this. They seem to last
forever, but you have to hit both of the turn apexes, otherwise you run off
onto the gravel.
Round 7 - Canada (Montreal)
4.421 kilometers, 69 lap race
Canada is a very difficult circuit, because the straights are very long and
you're going to have to hit the brakes to get around the chicane turns, not to
mention the low-speed hairpin turns at each end of the course. After the first
hairpin (the Senna hairpin), you'll learn about the stop-and-go nature of the
Canadian track. The truth is, it's just two long straights separated by two
hairpin turns, broken by the occasional chicane. Most of the chicanes should be
taken in third gear, with the exception of the second one after the Senna turn,
which requires second gear. You may be tempted to brake as late as possible,
but you don't want to ruin your tires.
Round 8 - France (Magny-Cours)
4.247 kilometers, 72 lap race
Like Canada, France is very much stop-and-go style. It's mainly several
straights that seem to be connected by several hairpin turns. This means you
want to go for speed. There's only one area that you might not get the
opportunity to go all-out and that's the final chicane and right turn before
the start/finish line. Go for speed at around 15 to 20 degrees, and you can
take some of the turns flat-out. After the slowest curve on the track, the
chicane that immediately follows is a flat-out one. But if you don't feel that
you can go through it, you don't have to.
Round 9 - Britain (Silverstone)
5.140 kilometers, 59 lap race
It's difficult to determine whether this circuit can be called high-speed or
low-speed because it has a little bit of everything. For example, the first few
turns are reasonably fast, but after a little while you start to get some
slower turns. The last few hairpin turns - left, and then right - are quite
difficult because you might think that the turn is ending when in fact, it is
not. Expect a lot of wear and tear on the tires, especially if you're racing on
Professional. If you put soft slicks on, you'll probably be making three stops
instead of two if you go with them for the whole race.
Round 10 - Germany (Hockenheim)
6.823 kilometers, 45 lap race
One of the high-speed circuits on the Formula 1 calendar, the Hockenheim
circuit is situated in the forest, for the most part, and the speed runs high
on each of the extremely long straights. They are all broken by chicanes, so
don't expect to be running at full throttle for all of the lap. Be careful not
to run at full revs (approximately 350 km/h, 230 MPH) for too long. The stadium
section is the most difficult, because then the circuit is slower and, since
you'll most likely be running a high-speed setup, it'll be difficult to take
the turns because the grip is zilch (err...that was just a coincidence that was
a German word). But trust me...this is one heck of a fast circuit. If it wasn't
for the chicanes you could speed around all your life.
Round 11 - Hungary (Hungaroring)
3.968 kilometers, 77 lap race
The Hungarian circuit is one of the slower ones on the calendar, but it
certainly does not feel slow. As a matter of fact, it's absolutely insane to
drive. If you want to do well on this track you're going to have be careful.
The first turn is most likely the most difficult, it is a blind curve and gets
gradually sharper towards the end, so expect it coming and exercise caution.
The hairpin turns are the worst, though. Try not to brake too fast and wear out
the tires. Some curves, however, you can take flat out. If you see the chance
to gun past a few cars if you can take a turn faster than them, floor it. You
probably won't get another chance for a little while. A 30 to 35 degree wing
angle will work best, but try not to hit maximum revs too often. Damon Hill
learned this the hard way when his gearbox broke at this track in that actual
1997 season, leaving him with two gears and a stuck throttle. He eventually
finished second. You'll have a Challenge with this in the game.
Round 12 - Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
6.968 kilometers, 44 lap race
Spa-Francorchamps is a circuit where you have to be extremely sure of yourself
if you want to get past other cars. There are not very many passing
opportunities on the track, even though you have several long straights to get
into another car's slipstream, accelerate, and try to get past. However, that
strategy doesn't really work here. The best places you will get to pass are the
start/finish straight, and into and out of the first turn. If you want to pass
anywhere else, you're going to have to have a lot of guts. It's especially hard
trying to pass the Williams driver or Michael Schumacher. They are hellbent on
defending their position (usually first or second place). They put up a major
fight. A 20-20 setup for wing angles and semi-high gear ratios is, for the most
part, the best way to go. And may I please mention the final chicane? Take that
carefully. Learn the racing line perfectly, because if you mess up here you're
screwed.
Round 13 - Italy (Monza)
5.770 kilometers, 53 lap race
This is the ultimate high-speed track. If you're looking for true speed, this
circuit is for you. However, this is a very difficult track for passing. You
don't have too much of a speed advantage on most of the straights (with the
exception of the straight leading up to the final turn and the start/finish
line). The chicanes don't create too many passing opportunities either. They
are extremely tight. But when you're in the lead, you want to take them as fast
as possible, so stay to the outside, cut across, then repeat. It's especially
difficult at the second chicane after the start/finish. Have a major speed
setup. You'll need all the velocity you can get.
Round 14 - Austria (A1-Ring)
4.323 kilometers, 71 lap race
Austria is a tough (albeit very simple) circuit, but extremely hilly. The first
couple of turns are sharp and uphill. There's very little run-off on these
turns at the exit, so try to stay on the track and stop cutting the grass. The
middle section is just as difficult to stay on the track...face it - try to
stay on the track and you might just have a shot at winning! You do, however,
have plenty of opportunities to pass, because the computer players tend to get
into traffic jams at the first two corners, especially on lap one. Keep out of
the way and you can just breeze by and gain a lot of ground.
Round 15 - Luxembourg (Nurburgring)
4.556 kilometers, 67 lap race
The Luxembourg track is no real challenge, it might be impressive, but it's not
all that difficult. There are two hairpin turns on the track, both are all
right, but on the second one (the one where you see the electronic results
tower), be careful not to go off the track. As for the rest of the circuit,
it's just several kinks. It's certainly not simple, but the chicane towards the
end of the track may become difficult. Believe it or not, you can actually take
it flat-out. You can easily damage your car if you take it wrong, though.
Generally, it's quite boring. Don't expect too much overtaking in the middle
section of the course.
Round 16 - Japan (Suzuka)
5.864 kilometers, 53 lap race
Suzuka, Japan is an extremely difficult circuit, and has plenty of nasty kinks
waiting to spoil you. This is not an easy circuit, it is very hard to get a
setup and it seems as if the computer is always faster than you. What you want
to do is try to find a way through the turn sequence after the start/finish
line and ends at the underpass. If you have a low steering sensitivity and/or
your tires are getting worn out, it will be hard to be able to get through
without running off onto the gravel. And you don't want to do that. So go for a
high steering sensitivity. After the underpass, you want to be careful at the
spoon curve, which may catch you out. From there on, it's easy going.
Generally, if you can stay clean through the esses, it's possible to catch up
to computer players.
Round 17 - Europe (Jerez)
4.428 kilometers, 69 lap race
It's the championship showdown, and you couldn't ask for a stranger place to
hold it. The European track is one that does not lean towards high speeds or
slow corners. There are three long straights that allow you to hit high speeds,
but all the same, there is a section of the track that consists of several
complicated turns. Because most of the time you are most likely going to be
going for speed, that's what you should go for - a speed setup, but all the
same, 15 to 20 degrees will most likely do the trick for wing angles.
Bonus Track - U.S.A. (Hawaii)
3.003 kilometers, 99 lap race
This circuit is awarded to you after you win the championship on Professional.
Or, you can change the Williams' driver's name to "DRIVER VACATION" if you want
this circuit. Personally, I despise this circuit with all my heart. It only
takes a minute (53 seconds is possible) to complete a full lap, but there are
so many difficult sections of the course that it's unreal. I can easily compare
this circuit to the Hungarian circuit. When you're on the bridge, it rises up
and curves down extremely sharply, so when you're going down the bridge, the
car may want to bottom out pretty nastily on you. If you get unlucky, the car
could completely lose control and cause some severe damage. In the volcano
section, after the gentle right-hander be prepared to slow down for the turn to
get sharper. Otherwise just brace yourself for this hideous track.
=============
7. STRATEGIES
=============
Burning out is a big problem, and you especially don't want to burn out at the
start on Grand Prix mode. It can, and may, happen sometimes, but there really
is no reason to burn out as the starting sequence is the same at every start
and it is very easy to learn (gap between the fifth red light illuminating and
the starting horn in particular). It does happen, though, and in case it does,
the most important thing to remember is to GET OFF THE THROTTLE. You want to do
that as soon as possible before cars start to overtake you and you end up at
the back of the grid. So anyway, get off the gas for about a second, then start
accelerating again. Your car should get better traction and accelerate faster.
Slipstreaming is a very handy technique that works quite well to pass cars on
very long straights (Germany, Italy, Canada). To get it going, get directly
behind another car. Your car will start to accelerate a lot faster and you'll
most likely find yourself pulling up behind the car in front of you. This is a
great passing opportunity, but be careful. The risk is hitting top revs, after
which you can't go any faster and continuous operation at those RPMs will cause
damage. To avoid this, gradually dive in and out as you hit top revs. When you
think you can get past, get as much speed as you can, pull out, and just go for
it. Once you're running side by side, try to make the move.
On Rookie mode, you don't have to worry about acceleration and braking. On
Professional mode, you can take the turns faster than a real F1 driver would
take them. But on Champion, the turning physics resemble an F1 car quite well.
That means you can't follow the same ways that you did before - your driving
style will have to change quite a bit. First of all, stick to the racing line
like glue. That's how you get the fast times. Stray one inch off of it and the
chances are you're gonna screw up. Second of all, slow down at most of the
curves that you took flat-out before. The steering is very exaggerated at high
speed. You could very well make an error and slam right into the retaining
wall. That damages your car quite severely, if it doesn't disable it. The
crashes get really nasty in Champion.
Be careful when lapping traffic! What this means is if you're passing a car
that's a lot slower, but not for position - they don't always move out of the
way and let you through, but don't suddenly duck out from behind. If you make a
mistake you'll ride right into the back of the other car. If the speed
differential is not major, you might not have any major damage. On the other
hand, if the other car is just crawling around the track, expect a lot of
flying parts.
If you have "pit in" on, you really have to decide what pit strategy you want
to use. A two-stop strategy is usually the norm and you usually have to put
hard or soft tires on with a medium load of fuel. Three stops is useful if you
want to gain a lot of ground in each of your stints, where you will need soft
tires and a light fuel load. Then, there's just one stop, where you want hard
tires and lots of fuel. You'll be able to stay out on the track longer and get
a jump on anyone who is two-stopping, but you won't be able to make up much
ground on the track. Of course, you can combine any of the above and stop
early, gain a lot of ground, fuel for close to the end of the race, keep your
lead, then stop again for just enough fuel to last you to the end. If you're
still confused about this, just e-mail me and I'll tell you. I might even
devote a whole section of this guide to pit strategy, it's so important,
because it can make or break your race.
Cheating just doesn't cut it. There are plenty of subtle differences between
F-1 World Grand Prix and actual Formula 1 racing. Most of them apply only when
you have flags on. In F1WGP, if you overtake a car if a yellow flag is waving,
you automatically get a black and white flag. The game does not care if you
yield back the position (in F1 if you passed under a yellow flag but yielded
back the position you would not be penalized). In addition, if you cut a
corner, you'll get a black and white flag. In reality, the only time you would
be penalized is if you gained an advantage by cutting the corner. Generally
F1WGP isn't very good at calculating what an "advantage" is. You'll know,
however, when you get penalized, because it'll seem like you hit an invisible
wall (car spins sideways and back onto the track...how realistic is that?)
More information on overtaking: there are some times and places where you just
don't overtake: in the rain, it's going to be very hard to pass, because your
car will be slower. Strangely enough, the computer players will not. Chicanes
are also a bad overtaking location, as if you get to the inside the other car
will try to T-bone you if you're not completely past. The best way to get an
advantage and pass them is to get a nice run off a turn. Just after a hairpin
is an EXCELLENT place to pass. If you can get a nice clean acceleration out of
the turn you stand a great chance of getting ahead. I especially emphasize this
if there's a very long straight after it, because eventually you'll get past
and the other car will drop back.
Last but not least: you get some problems at some of the narrower chicanes. The
final turn sequence at Belgium, the first two chicanes at Italy, both cause
problems, as they are extremely narrow and easily damage your car if you ride
up over the curbs. So be cautious.
=================
8. CHALLENGE MODE
=================
Challenge Mode is a special mode in F-1 World Grand Prix that is indeed the
cool mode if you want to jump into the closing laps of a race in a rush to get
back to the front, or a situation where you need to defend your position, or
even a situation where the driver here has gotten themselves royally screwed up
and you need to worry about trying to still be competitive even though you're
going to lose the race. All these challenges, by the way, are on Professional
difficulty, with an automatic transmission.
If you get at least one point in a challenge, you open up the next challenge in
that category (e.g. getting at least one point in Offense A will unlock Offense
B). At the beginning of the game, only Offense A, Defense A, and Trouble A are
available to you. If you get at least one point in all fifteen of the regular
challenges, you will open up the Ultimate Challenge. Strategies for all of the
challenges are indicated here.
--- OFFENSE A ---
Driver: Olivier Panis (Prost)
Race: Spanish GP, Circuit de Catalunya
Scenario: In 1997, Bridgestone began to supply F1 tires to selected teams.
Goodyear, their rival, had previously monopolized the F1 tire market and were
supplying all teams. At the Spanish Grand Prix, Goodyear introduced a new
super-soft tire compound which many teams used. The extra grip in these tires
produced excellent qualifying times, but in the race, they couldn't put up with
the heat and required more pit stops than calculated. Olivier Panis is on the
better Bridgestone tires, and your objective is to gain as many places as
possible as the Goodyear users make an unscheduled pit stop.
Strategy: Because most drivers that you will pass will be in the pit lane, you
need to know if you can pass them in the pit lane or not. Most pit stops take
approximately ten seconds, but in reality it is a lot more than that as you are
required to slow down when coming in and out of the pit lane. Therefore, the
time you lose can be much greater. This allows more drivers to pass you.
Generally, if the driver ahead of you has less than a twenty-five to thirty
second advantage when they enter, as long as you don't mess up, you stand a
chance of passing them. If you can pass some cars out on the track, that's even
better and if you can get up into third place, that's certainly worth five
points.
--- OFFENSE B ---
Driver: Giancarlo Fisichella (Jordan)
Race: Canadian GP, Montreal
Scenario: At the Canadian Grand Prix, Goodyear re-introduced the super soft
tire compound. It had been improved, but there were still problems. Towards the
end of his stint, Giancarlo Fisichella decided to stay out more laps than
calculated, even though his tires were badly blistering. Try to gain as many
positions as you can in this final stint and try to get on the podium. Your
tires are extremely worn, however, so be cautious.
Strategy: Believe it or not, you can win this race if you can take the lead
before the end of lap 53 (as indicated by the lap counter, which doesn't always
start on one in Challenge mode.) I am absolutely serious. If you drive your
heart out (while trying not to severely damage your tires), you can win. You
will be assisted by some drivers coming in for their pit stops.
(In case you're wondering why the end of the race is lap 53 instead of the
regular 69 in Exhibition, it was because Olivier Panis had a severe accident on
the 53rd lap, causing the race to be red-flagged. He broke both of his legs,
however, he did recover and is still driving in F1 today. This has been another
one of my trivia tidbits. :)
--- OFFENSE C ---
Driver: Shinji Nakano (Prost)
Race: Hungarian GP, Hungaroring
Scenario: In the closing laps of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Shinji Nakano found
himself in a situation to score some points. He had been battling with Eddie
Irvine and the two Schumacher brothers for a good part of the race. Try to pass
Irvine as soon as possible. This will allow you to challenge Michael and Ralf
Schumacher, and possibly have a shot at getting a podium.
Strategy: You want the podium. You want nothing else. Once the challenge starts
the ranking will be as follows: Hill, Williams (Villeneuve), Herbert,
Schumacher, Ralf, Irvine, Nakano (you). Just drive your butt off around the
track. Pass Irvine and the Schumacher brothers as early as possible so that you
can challenge for the podium position. I can't give much advice other than
that. To do so would just be useless. Follow the track strategy and you should
be just fine.
--- OFFENSE D ---
Driver: David Coulthard (McLaren)
Race: Italian GP, Monza
Scenario: The Monza circuit is extremely high speed, and has very few
opportunities for you to make any overtaking manoeuvers. Therefore, if you can
get into the lead, it is a big advantage. In the 1997 race, David Coulthard was
challenging Jean Alesi for the lead but was failing to pass him. When the came
time for both him and Alesi to refuel, Coulthard realized that the only chance
that he had to pass Alesi was if he made a faster pit stop. As Coulthard, try
to pass Alesi out on the track, otherwise follow him into the pit, refuel
faster, and try to hold onto the lead.
Strategy: You have to refuel after two laps. Alesi can hold out until the final
lap of this challenge. So, in order to guarantee yourself the win in this
challenge, it's good if you can pass Alesi down the straights. Just use the
slipstream tactic, get in behind him, then pull out and overtake. Once the time
comes for you to refuel, two laps into the challenge, attack the pitlane with
all you've got. One of the advantages of the Monza pitlane is that you can dive
right off the track and hit it at full speed before the pit limiter kicks in
and limits you to 88 km/h. Just go for a lap or two of fuel. You might have to
pass Hakkinen when you come out, but that should be easy enough to do. Alesi
will stop on the last lap, so it'll be easy enough to pass him.
--- OFFENSE E ---
Driver: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
Race: European GP, Jerez
Scenario: The championship of 1997 ended at the circuit of Jerez de la
Frontera. Michael Schumacher led the Williams' team's top driver by one point.
At the end of the first stint, Schumacher was in third position, and Mika
Hakkinen needed to refuel. If he could stay ahead of the Williams driver,
Schumacher could win the championship. Your objective is to build up a large
lead between you and the Williams driver. Frentzen, in the lead, will attempt
to hold you up in order for your margin to peg back.
Situation: This is not the easiest challenge that you will ever have. At the
beginning of the challenge, you are in fourth place. The Williams driver
(Villeneuve) will pull into the pits right at the beginning of the challenge as
you come up to the final turn. Just drive the circuit like the racing driver
that you are. Make the move on Frentzen, and then just shoot off into the
distance. It's a pretty effective method to get the five points that you will
need to win the race.
--- DEFENSE A ---
Driver: David Coulthard (McLaren)
Race: Australian GP, Albert Park
Scenario: David Coulthard surprised everyone during the Australian Grand Prix
by taking the lead several times during the race. With the laps winding down,
Coulthard was under pressure from Heinz-Harold Frentzen, while Michael
Schumacher attempted to catch the leaders. Your objective is to hold the two of
them off and score McLaren's first victory in three years.
Frentzen might not be all that aggressive, but Schumi certainly is. When I ran
this challenge, HHF retired. Therefore, you only have Schumacher to contend
with. Just try to run as clean a race as you can. Don't try to play dirty.
Follow the track strategy for Australia, and if you can do that, you shouldn't
have a problem scoring the five points.
--- DEFENSE B ---
Driver: Gerhard Berger (Benetton)
Race: German GP, Hockenheim
Scenario: In the German Grand Prix, Gerhard Berger had a big lead over the
second place car of Fisichella. Berger's car began to run short of fuel,
meaning that he had to enter the pits. Fisichella had enough fuel on board to
overtake Berger while he was in the pit. Try to build up as much of a lead as
you can. Then when you pit, try to keep your lead as much as possible, and
possibly even try to build it up again.
Strategy: You are driving a very good car. It has a little bit more cornering
grip than the sort of car you would usually drive at Hockeheim, so use this
advantage to take the chicanes and the corners as fast as you can. This really
helps to build up your lead. If you open up an effective gap - at least thirty
seconds should be enough -  you can come out of the pits ahead. This should be
after two laps of racing. Use the final lap of the challenge to open up the gap
as much as you can. Fifteen seconds should be more than enough.
--- DEFENSE C ---
Driver: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
Race: French GP, Magny-Cours
Scenario: In the closing laps of the French Grand Prix Michael Schumacher was
en route to a victory. He had built up a comfortable lead over challenger
Heinz-Harold Frentzen and victory was looking extremely likely. However, his
brother Ralf Schumacher, who had entered F1 for the 1997 season, was also
running a good race in sixth place. If he could stay on the lead lap, he might
be able to benefit from a car dropping out of the race in front of him. As
Michael, lap the French track for the final time and win the race. Ralf's car
will come up eventually, but don't lap him so that he may be able to score some
points as well.
Strategy: You get to show a little bit of brotherly love in this challenge. The
challenge is very short - one lap. Don't push through the corners. Get to the
point where you're almost allowing Frentzen, who is approximately five seconds
behind you, to pursue you for the lead, but don't take it that far. Try to keep
Ralf's yellow car out of sight until the last couple of turns (possibly start
getting on the gas in the middle of the straight after the 180 degree turn).
--- DEFENSE D ---
Driver: Heinz-Harold Frentzen (Williams)
Race: San Marino GP (Imola)
Scenario: In the final laps of the San Marino Grand Prix, Heinz-Harold Frentzen
desperately tried to hold off Michael Schumacher. There were several cars in
their way, though. If Frentzen could get through them faster, they would become
an obstacle to Michael Schumacher. Use the cars that you are lapping in order