Another day, another live stream highlighting further updates heading to one of our favourite simulator platforms.
Yesterday, ‘Aris’ provided details on a version 1.9 update to sit alongside the optional 2023 GT World Challenge DLC that launches on PC on 19th April. Then, he covered tyre pressure changes and how the rubber will behave differently.
Today, 16th April, he covered suspension component changes, which could change the way your approach kerbs.
New bump stop system
Unlike in the existing version 1.8 physics set, 1.9 will introduce a maximum compression travel of 20-30mm for the suspension’s bump stops.
In the past, the bump stops could compress infinitely, which opposes their primary real-world role of limiting suspension travel to avoid parts making contact that could cause damage.
It would mean you could create a custom set-up with soft springs to ride the bump stops continuously. This pushed the car lower to the ground, resulting in less drag and more straight-line speed.
In theory, now, this will be no longer possible, as they stop compressing after a short travel. Which in turn, forces drivers to use a set-up that includes stiffer springs and rebounds in order to have enough useable travel.
Dampers tweaked too
Another revised element, alongside the new bump stops and tyre pressure management, will be dampers that work differently when changing the slow speed damper stiffness.
Fast damping simulation is also said to have been reworked, the net result being different car behaviour over kerbs, bumps and undulations.
Force feedback changes
Last, but not least, it wouldn’t be a significant update to a simulator without tweaks to force feedback. This is to match all the suspension and tyre physics changes.
Once again, to mitigate against the negative affects of excessive negative toe – which should now create less-than-ideal tyre temperatures – it will also result in vagueness around the steering wheel’s centre when applied to the front of a car. If at the rear, the force feedback system will now provoke fishtailing under braking.
Changes to tyre pressures are said to portray sidewall movement more noticeably through the steering, with low pressures requiring mor steering input, and higher pressures providing less input.
The end goal
The net results should be, once you’ve dialled in a set-up, cars in Assetto Corsa Competizione that can travel over kerbs in a more pliant fashion. In theory, this avoids some of the moments where a car could crash over a kerb and then aggressively bounce out of control.
“The end result is that you can [still] make mistakes that will make your car bounce,” said Vasilakos.
“You will also have to work on your set-up in order to find the correct amount of stiffness, bump stop and dampers to make it work.
“I’m not saying you’re going to get 1.9 and instantly jump over all the kerbs, and… Nothing will unbalance your car. That’s not going to be the case.
“But for sure, I believe we have a very good improvement and now you can also control even better the bouncing by working together with springs, dampers and bump stops.”
Version 1.9 will also include tyre model changes, detailed earlier, and provide the basis for the paid DLC which includes the Ricardo Tormo Circuit (Valencia) circuit and three new GT3 cars. 2023-season liveries for these are set to follow at a later date, alongside console support.
