Croft, Thruxton, Vanwall Vandervell LMH And London E-Prix rFactor 2 Trailers

Posting late due to a work trip.

Prior to the release of their new build and content drop, Studio 397 released a series of trailers and information on the content, including:

– Croft Circuit
– Thruxton Circuit
– London E-Prix Circuit
– A.I. Improvements

These previews coming after the already-announced Bahrain International Circuit and BMW 330i M Sport BTCC.

You can check out the full content from their announcements below.

Vanwall Vandervell LMH Announcement:

Hello sim racers!

We’ve had an endurance racing classic track, a British Touring Car Championship car and now it’s time for another change of pace, as we introduce the wonderful Vanwall Vandervell LMH – built in direct collaboration with Vanwall themselves!

Yes, an LMH has arrived in rFactor 2! Although the real world entry into top level endurance racing has been a little more complicated than initially expected for the Vanwall Vandervell outfit, the squad have been super keen to engage fully in the world of virtual motorsports, expanding their presence from the Virtual Le Mans series into designing and manufacturing this beautiful prototype for rFactor 2.

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When Vanwall Vandervell reached out to Studio 397 to explain their idea of creating an official version of their real world machine in rFactor 2, we were understandably excited to see what the team could come up with in our simulation software – utilizing their wealth of insider knowledge and data to help bring to life in virtual form one of the most attractive of the new breed of endurance races ahead of the new era of sportscar GT racing. Having already been on the track several times testing the real world machine, Vanwall Vandervell have been incredibly keen to utilize that experience and data with this new car, and what they have created is a sensational experience behind the wheel, and a great early look at how this type of car might feel in an rFactor 2 environment.

While Vanwall Vandervell continue their own real world preparations as they bid to face off against some of the biggest names in motorsport on the world stage, sim racers will have the opportunity to sample the striking Vanwall Vandervell LMH in rFactor 2 on our many laserscanned circuits, putting the new car through its paces in an array of different driving conditions, and getting that important first taste of how this new breed of car will behave in a racing environment within the simulation.

We’ve been incredibly excited to watch this one develop, and the results of all that work have produced a wonderful car to look at, and one that’s even better once you get it out on the circuit!

Croft Circuit Announcement:

Hello sim racers,

The Croft Circuit is coming to rFactor 2!

Expanding our offering of British racing venues within the simulation, the Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire is the latest addition to our collection of high quality, ultra detailed and laserscanned circuits for rFactor 2. A mainstay of the British Touring Car Championship schedule, as well as home to numerous high profile two and four wheeled championships throughout its time, Croft is a real driver circuit, where accuracy, commitment and driving skill are the differentiators between those who complete the lap, and those who can extract the maximum time the circuit has to offer.

Running to a total of 16 corners, the layout at Croft often produces incredibly close racing regardless of the type of car competing. A mix of high speed turns and commitment heavy sections, right alongside technical complex segments and heavy braking zones, all lead to a circuit layout that is universally loved by both drivers and fans alike.

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Starting a lap at Croft, the driver is immediately presented with one of the biggest pinch points of the circuit, as cars will need to funnel down into the fast yet challenging Clevaroux corner, before immediately going single file through the tricky chicane – many a race has been brought to an early conclusion at this point of the lap, starkly reminding drivers that although an incredibly fun circuit to drive, you will need a fair amount of concentration and self-preservation in order to come out on top at the chequered flag.

Although the Croft Circuit is clearly tight at certain points, one of the most exciting features of this track is the ample opportunity for a committed driver to make an overtake on their rival, with several key corners representing solid opportunities to at the very least run two wide with another car. Committed on corner entry, good on the brakes and not afraid to put yourself and the car in the firing line? If this sounds like you, then Croft may well be a happy hunting ground in the virtual battlefields of rFactor 2.

The Track

Clervaux

The opening corner of the circuit is one not to underestimate. Approached in top gear with limited visibility around the tyre stacks that mark out the off track areas of the circuit, drivers need to be accurate on the brakes and cautious with the inside curbing, take too much apex here and expect the car to become unsettled mid-corner, potentially running you out wide on exit and quickly off into the surrounding countryside.

Hawthorne Bend

Once clear of the opening turn, drivers then approach the long radius right-hander of Hawthorne, a seemingly never ending corner that requires drivers to be aware of not just the corner in question, but to begin the preparation required to slice your way through the upcoming chicane. Here, drivers have a lot of balancing with the car to contend with, something that becomes challenging on older tyres, or if you don’t quite have the car in the correct setup window. The key tip to success here is preparation. Make sure you approach Hawthorne Bend with full understanding of what comes next, and place your car on the correct bit of tarmac in advance.

Chicane

Through Hawthorne Bend and immediately drivers are right on top of the chicane, a very tight but deceptively quick piece of circuit that requires pinpoint accuracy. Keeping the car in tight and modulate the throttle to avoid running deep into the tyres or even compromise corner exit and the run out onto the following straight. This is a critical corner, both in terms of self-preservation, and also the need to pull as much speed as possible into the following straight.

Tower Bend

Approaching Tower Bend you will hit a number of bumps and undulations on the circuit – remember, this is not a new venue, so be prepared to react to the car moving underneath you as you approach this next part of the circuit. The corner itself is a relatively straightforward 90-degree right-hander, however, to add a bit of spice the circuit here features two distinct crests in the road, again unsettling the car and making it potentially challenging should you veer away from the ideal racing line.

Jim Clark Esses

A thrilling section of corners, named after a thrilling Grand Prix driver from the 1960s. The Jim Clark Esses present, usually, a flat out left-right section that requires absolute commitment from the driver. Make sure you get this section absolutely right, if you lift, you’ll be heading off the circuit at one of the fastest points – not good for car preservation!

Barcroft

Now we are in to the quickest part of the Croft circuit, having whizzed through the Jim Clark Esses flat in top gear, we begin the approach to the Barcroft turn – another flat out corner that requires big commitment, but also a firm eye on the fact you will quickly need to get on the brakes once through the corner, so be generous with the amount of apex curb used here as you carry the speed, before straightening the car as efficiently as possible before getting up close and personal with the middle pedal…

Sunny In / Sunny Out

Having navigated through Barcroft, drivers must swifty transition to the brakes and down through the gears for the double right of Sunny In and Sunny out. Approached immediately after the previous turn, these two corners can still be attacked at a good speed, but remain ultra vigilant to keep the car within the confines of the circuit, as a slight over enthusiasm on entry quickly leads to progressively more problems further down the road – probably one of the best parts of the Croft Circuit.

Complex

Following a short blast down the back straight on the exit of Sunny Out, next up is ‘The Complex’ – featuring three corners comprised of a long left and two shorter, tighter right-hand turns. The first part of the Complex can be attacked at speed but requires drivers to think ahead and keep the car tight in preparation for the right, an increasingly tight double corner that again, much like the rest of Croft, invites drivers to overcook the loud pedal and push off into the tyres that surround the circuit.

Hairpin

The final corner of the circuit, and easily the best overtaking opportunity for drivers to try a last minute attempt on their rivals. One of the tightest corners in UK motorsport, the hairpin is exactly what it says on the tin – a hairpin. Tight, slow and critical to get out of quickly for a strong launch onto the start / finish straight – get it wrong here, and all that good work earlier in the lap will be for nothing.

Thruxton Announcement:

Hello sim racers,

Thruxton is coming to rFactor 2 this November, as we are proudly welcome the most dramatic and high speed racing venue in the United Kingdom.

Opened in 1950 utilizing one of the many former World War 2 airfields left over at the conclusion of hostilities, little has changed at the Hampshire venue in the following 70 years, making Thruxton a true testament to a bygone age of motorsport in the country, and with it providing one of the most thrilling and potentially dangerous active race circuits in the UK.

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Thanks to the former airfield location, Thruxton is a predominantly flat circuit, with only mild elevation as cars run up to the final Club chicane to close out the 3.791 km high speed lap. Despite the lack of notable undulations, a feature so loved by racing enthusiasts, Thruxton is no less dramatic behind the wheel. Starting out on a tour of the circuit feels much like any other track throughout Europe, with a mix of fast corners and good passing opportunities quickly giving way to the long and high speed blast into the woodland countryside – and this is when things get very exciting indeed!

Once clear of the Campbell / Cob / Seagrave section, drivers will find the next few kilometres a thorough test of their racing pedigree and nerve, with foot planted firmly to the floor and the delicate dance between grip, speed and almost certain disaster one of the most thrilling experiences in modern motorsport.

How much you lift the throttle through the back section of circuit will strongly determine how quickly you break the timing beam at the end of the lap, a true adventure where driving skill, car setup and mechanical sympathy are all critical ingredients to scoring big results.

The Track

Allard

Unusually for a traditional race circuit, turn one at Thruxton is far from the usual big braking event one comes to expect. Here at Allard, the majority of cars can take this corner at near unabated speed, with often just a small lift, or light feathering of the brake required to slow the car down enough to make it through the right-hander. Having approached at speed from the fast back straight, this makes Allard a very exciting corner to drive.

Campbell, Cobb, Seagrave

On the approach to the Campbell, Cobb and Seagrave section, the circuit gently rolls to the left – here, drivers need to keep the car tight to that left hand side on approach to position yourself on the best line possible into the opening section of this iconic part of Thruxton – Campbell. Here a hard brake is required for the first right hand second, minding the bumps trying to unsettle the car, before bringing the car back over the left apex curb while managing the throttle, then hard on the loud pedal at full speed just kissing the outer edge of the curbing for the long run down into Noble.

Noble

The fastest part of the track – in fact the fastest part of any track in the UK, the run down and through Noble is simply breathtaking in any type of racing machine. Keeping the foot firmly to the floor and trying to minimize steering input while finding the line of least resistance to maximize overall speed, get it wrong here and the only thing left to do is hold on very tight indeed.

Goodwood, Village, Church

Just like the run through the Noble section, here we are simply holding on and trying to keep the car as absolutely stable as possible. Aside from potentially a mild lift for the final Church turn, drivers can keep fairly comfortably flat through here, however, flat doesn’t mean easy, as it is critical to hold the car on a stable line and avoid upsetting the balance over the bumps, and whatever you do, stay well clear of the curbs…

Brooklands

Brooklands represents an easy arc to the left hand side and is more of an acceleration zone than an actual corner of the lap. Here, all that a driver can do is hope they carried enough speed through the previous turns as the circuit gently starts to wind up hill and into the approach to the final chicane. In race conditions, here is a good place to attempt to capture the slipstream of the car in front, giving you plenty of time to line up your rival for a late dive onto the brakes into the chicane.

Club

The Club Chicane – scene of many a race ending shunt and two wheel heroics for those that get a touch too enthusiastic on the monster curbs that make up this final corner at Thruxton. Usually approached from the middle of the circuit at absolute top speed, the braking zone here can be tricky thanks to a small amount of steering lock having to be applied, plus of course the ever present bumps and sheer speed at which you will be travelling on corner entry. Key to getting through this section quickly is to use the curbs to your advantage, just flirting with the first right hand curb on entry, but then heavily using the second and third curb to try and straight line the last part of the chicane as much as possible for a good run back onto the start / finish straight and into another lap.

London E-Prix Announcement:

Hello sim racers!

The latest in our line of laserscanned Formula E circuits is about to hit rFactor 2, as we proudly introduce the innovative and very different ExCeL London Circuit.

Developed and built by Formula E themselves for use within rFactor 2 – this is truly the ultimate representation of this circuit in sim racing.

Having caused quite a stir when the current location made its debut on the Formula E calendar, the ExCeL London Circuit is a perfect mix of drama, excitement, innovation and controversy that Formula E racing thrives upon.

Coming in at a surprisingly lengthy 2.252 km and comprising no less than 22 turns, the ExCeL London Circuit runs along the famous Thames waterfront through a series of tight and twisty corner combinations, before dramatically diving into and back out of the ExCeL London arena, a highly unique proposition for drivers to get accustomed to in a top level racing series, and something that we think will provide a unique and rather challenging experience within rFactor 2.

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Uniquely identifiable thanks to the part street, part indoor area layout of the track, it would be fair to say that this is a circuit unlike any other within the world of rFactor 2.

To really emphasize this unusual arrangement, drivers can be in no doubt about their surroundings right from the very off, as a lap of begins immediately within the indoor section of track. Here, grip will be at an absolute peak thanks to the specially laid asphalt, before diving out onto the main part of the outdoor portion of the lap, and with it the unpredictability of street racing.

As is always the case with a tight and twisty Formula E street circuit, here the walls line the full perimeter of the track, waiting to invite the unwary driver into an early finish or lengthy stop for repairs, and with 22 corners plus the aforementioned transition from indoor arena to the streets of London itself, that risk is amplified yet further as the cars squirm their way through the circuit fighting for each and every inch of available tarmac.

Aside from the obvious focal point of the arena itself, London also features a number of interesting corner sections and diverse challenges for the drivers to overcome, not least of which is a steep downhill drop from the exit of turn 5 into the outdoor section of 6, 7 and 8. Here, as well as the change in road surface, drivers will have to quickly acclimatize to the additional acceleration offered by the descent, before plunging back into darkness and hard on the brakes into the tight 6 and 7 complex, getting as close to the wall as possible in a bid to shave off those all important last few thousands of a second.

Studio 397 have worked exceptionally closely with the series for the creation of this DLC, and as such, the detail and levels of accuracy for this new track are second to none. Ever wondered what it would be like to race on one of the most distinct venues in Formula E – well, wonder no more, as the London ExCeL Circuit s coming to rFactor 2 as part of the Q4 2022 November release in just a few short weeks time.

A.I. Improvement Announcement:

Hello sim racers,

Now it’s time to switch things up a little, from talking about new content coming to rFactor 2 this November, to new code that will make that content all the more enjoyable in an offline environment – that’s right, for the Q4 2022 build update of rFactor 2 we’ve been working on the AI behaviour in the simulation – throttle and brake blipping be gone!

Yes, we admit this has been a little while in the making here in rFactor 2 land, but now we are absolutely delighted to be able to bring a substantial improvement to the way the AI responds in game – from more controlled and believable behaviour on the track, to the abolishment of the frustrating on and off throttle pedal control – literally a game changing fix and improvement to the core offline racing experience!

– Eradicated erratic throttle and brake behaviour.
– Smoothed out steering inputs and car control.
– Improved AI ability to adhere to racing surface and avoid unnecessary off track excursions and spins.

These changes will be rolled out globally across the simulation, so expect the improvements to be seen and felt immediately when playing against the AI, regardless of content type. With these changes, the AI should now offer a much more balanced and realistic racing experience, helping to not only remove the previously mentioned behaviour problems, but properly put the AI experience in rFactor 2 back on track again (no pun intended) as we continue to push the simulation forwards. Aside from the obvious improvements highlighted above, this development exercise has also allowed us the opportunity to go digging around in the previous AI code, and perform a significant amount of code cleaning and optimizing, helping us to untangle some of the historic complexities of how AI has been implemented in rFactor 2, and giving us a much stronger base on which to work from going forwards.