GGGGG TTTTT 33333 FFFFF 11 G T 3 * F 1 1 G GG T 333 FFF 1 Gran Turismo 3: F1 Guide G G T 3 * F 1 GGGGG T 33333 F 11111 By Wolf Feather/Jamie Stafford FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM Version: FINAL Completed: November 14, 2001 ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== JOIN THE FEATHERGUIDES E-MAIL LIST: To be the first to know when my new and updated guides are released, join the FeatherGuides E-mail List. Go to http://www.coollist.com/group.cgi?l=featherguides for information about the list and to subscribe for free. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== CONTENTS Spacing and Length Permissions Introduction Acquisition Tuning Input from Others Caution The Cote d'Azur Circuit Wish List Contact ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== SPACING AND LENGTH For optimum readability, this driving guide should be viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier. Check for appropriate font setting by making sure the numbers and letters below line up: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ==================================== PERMISSIONS This guide may ONLY be posted on FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com, PSXCodez.com, F1Gamers, Cheatcc.com, Absolute- PlayStation.com, InsidePS2Games.com, RedCoupe, CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru, gamesover.com, cheatingplanet.com, vgstrategies.com, GT3 High Speed, GT3TuneShop, hellzgate, ps2fantasy.com, and neoseeker.com. Permission is granted to download and print one copy for personal use. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== INTRODUCTION The Gran Turismo 3 series has completely neglected open-wheel racing - until now. GT3 presents the opportunity to win up to six historic modern-era F1 vehicles and race them alongside the traditional closed-wheel cars the Gran Turismo series has so thoroughly supported since its inception. For F1 enthusiasts like myself, this is a very eye-opening experience. Having never had the opportunity to see open- wheel and closed-wheel vehicles (this does not include fantasy-/future-inspired racing games, like San Francisco Rush 2049) compete against each other in any real-world or gaming venue, I was absolutely amazed at the agility of the F1 vehicles compared to any other car in a given race. I am certainly not a physicist, but I assume that the lack of vertical height makes an F1 car's center of gravity much lower, thus allowing it to both respond better to steering and corner at higher speeds (averaging about 30MPH/50KPH faster, and up to 70MPH/110KPH faster). For my personal driving style, I also find it much easier to both induce and recover from a slide when taking tight corners with an F1 car. Ultimately, this means - in my opinion - that the F1 cars are a nearly-sure bet for winning a race. Of course, there are some races for which an F1 car cannot meet the requirements. But for the races for which an F1 car IS a legal entry, the superior cornering and powerful acceleration will usually result in impressive leads over the rest of the field. Yet the response to steering could lead to turning just a little too much just a little too soon, thus rubbing a wheel against a barrier, and potentially bringing your car to a standstill if this occurs at the right (or, depending on point of view, wrong) angle. However, the cars are not the only F1 influence on Gran Turismo 3. The Cote d'Azur circuit is virtually (no pun intended) identical to the real-world Grand Prix of Monte Carlo (Monaco) street circuit. I have also written a guide specific to the Cote d'Azur circuit (based on driving guides I wrote for F1 2000 and F1 Championship Season 2000, with appropriate modifications), and have included its course details in this guide; other information has been left in the original guide, which should be available at the same site where you acquired this guide (but ALWAYS available at FeatherGuides). ==================================== ACQUISITION There are six F1 cars in Gran Turismo 3. Most can only be acquired by winning specific Endurance races. Even then, they are assigned at random, so those trying to win a specific F1 vehicle will likely face the frustration of running the same Endurance race multiple times. (Of these, the Super Speedway race is the fastest to win if you have a fast car already. An excellent vehicle for this race is the Suzuki Escudo, maxed out to over 1800HP with super-slick tires; simply ride the walls for about 50 minutes and change tires once or twice to win the race.) Fortunately, once you win an F1 car, it can be used in almost all the Endurance races, instantly giving you a huge advantage over the rest of the competitors. Upon winning ALL the Endurance races, you will be rewarded with another F1 car. Therefore, it is possible to collect all six F1 cars available in Gran Turismo 3. So, what are the F1 cars and how can you get them? Car Acquisition* History** F094/H Trial Mountain 2 Hours, 10-cylendar driven Tokyo R246; win ALL by Damon Hill Endurance races F090/S Grand Valley 300km, Super 1990 McLaren with Speedway Honda Power F686/M Laguna Seca 200 Miles; Nigel Mansell's 1986 Win ALL Professional Williams League races*** F686/S Mistral/Cote d'Azur ** F687/S Seattle 100 Miles, Ayrton Senna's 1987 Special Stage Route 11 Lotus F688/S Passage to Colosseo, 1988 McLaren Roadster Apricot Hill * Thus information is partly derived from personal progress in Gran Turismo 3, and partly from the excellent Gran Turismo 3 Event Guide [J-spec] compiled by Xombe (available on GameFAQs). ** This information is from the August 2001 issue of PSM (page 83). However, there appears to be a misprint, which potentially affects the car history information and the entry for the F686/S. *** This is also from the August 2001 PSM (page 83), but I cannot yet confirm this information. ==================================== TUNING It appears that Sony and Polyphony Digital were unsuccessful in obtaining a license from FIA (the body which regulates F1 racing and grants licenses for F1 games), which would explain the lack of options in some areas. Wheels cannot be changed, but this is probably not an issue for most players. Also, there are no N/A Tuning, Intercooler, or Turbo levels which can be purchased to increase horsepower. However, I have received e-mails from several people stating that none of this is due to licensing issues, but the general construction of F1 cars themselves. Most significantly, there is NO choice of tire compound; only Medium tires are available. However, given the horsepower and agility advantage of the F1 cars to virtually all other entrants in a given race, you should gain a significant enough lead over the rest of the field that stopping in the Pits to change tires should not present a problem; if anything, one or two cars may gain a lap back the first time you pit to change tires. On most circuits, you will need to change tires about every 5-7 laps, depending on your driving style and how often you bang the barriers and/or other vehicles. Also, because of the lack of tire choice, an F1 car cannot participate in any dirt-based Rally race. Gear Ratios CAN be adjusted to fit your personal driving style. I find that for most circuits, a fairly low gear ratio is best, providing excellent initial acceleration for races with a standing start, and excellent acceleration exiting tight corners. However, for Test Course and Super Speedway, a rather high gear ratio (combined with the lowest possible settings for both Ride Height and Downforce) is best to provide a faster top-end speed; in this case, riding the rails may be necessary at Super Speedway, especially if the tires are very worn (orange tire indicators) or practically non-existent (red tire indicators). ==================================== INPUT FROM OTHERS Please note that the e-mails included here are only edited for formatting purposes and - if necessary - language. I often receive e-mails from others on my game guides, and this one in particular from GTXpert and ViperMask (e-mail addresses withheld per request) has some good information: Let's take F094/H for example. F is for the formula the car was in...(In this case Formula 1) 0 is for Cylinders in the engine...0 is 10 6 is well 6 cylinders. 94 is the year. In this case 1994. /H is the driver...in this case Damon Hill... Now for a REAL LIFE counter part you need to know what team the driver was on...in this case the F094/H is the FW-16 Williams Renault driven by Damon Hill in 1994. the /S cars are for Ayrton Senna and the /M car is Nigel Mansell (you know that already) Here's a more complete detailed list of the cars. Maybe there were more in the Japanese version. F094/H - 1994 FW16 Williams Renault V10 - Goodyear - Damon Hill F094/S - 1994 FW16 Williams Renault V10 - Goodyear - Ayrton Senna - This is the car he got killed in. F090/S - 1990 MP4/5B McLaren Honda V10 - Goodyear - Ayrton Senna F688/S - 1988 MP4/4.03 McLaren Honda V6 Turbo - Goodyear - Ayrton Senna F687/S - 1987 99T Lotus Honda V6 Turbo - Goodyear - Ayrton Senna F686/S - 1986 98T Lotus Renault V6 Turbo - Goodyear - Ayrton Senna F686/M - 1986 Williams Honda V6 Turbo - Unknown tyre - Nigel Mansell In my opinion having the Ayrton Senna cars in the game are a great tribute since he was a legend and a superstar in Japan. Ayrton Senna car info from this URL: http://www.csn.ul.ie/~snake/res_senna.html. If your interested here is some info on his death but it's not much... May 1st 1994 2:17 PM San Marino Grand Prix 7th lap Fatal crash where his tyre came off and punchered his helmet...Pronouced dead at hospital. A more detailed story about his death is here: http://www.sennadasilva.com/ In an earlier version, I noted that F1 cars seem to have more trouble than closed-wheel cars with the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca. This e-mail from XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX gives a great explanation on how to handle one of the trickiest sections of racetrack on the planet. From: "Shawn Lamey" To: Subject: Gran Turismo Guide to F1s Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 20:10:57 -0600 Jamie, I just read your guide to the F1 cars containened in GT3 - A Spec. It was a great read, and informative to boot. (Thanks for clearing up the\ alphanumeric designations of the different cars. Maybe they'll put a Greg Moore CART car in next time.) I particularly noticed your statement about the F1's handling of Laguna Seca's 'Corkscrew' turn seems to be a bit touchier than that of closed wheeled sports cars. After running the Laguna Endurance race (and only having an Altezza GT-LM to show for it at the end of 2 hours), I noticed that the best way to take the turn is the hit the brakes hard and downshift on the crest of the approach (right where the skidmarks are, on the right hand side), slow right down and take the turn. While the approach requires you to scrub off speed VERY agressively, you do get some return on your investment. If you go to the inside as best you can and and hit the accelerator about a third of the way down the hill, the F1's grip the following curve at full power beautifully, brushing the track markers ever so slightly. The downwards grade also give you an extra shot of momentum, and you rocket around the corner hitting a respectable 150 before having to slow down for the next sharp corner. Thanks again for taking the time to write such a great guide. ==================================== CAUTION One of my dreams is to see an F1 race take place at Laguna Seca. However, given the aerodynamic requirements of today's real-world F1 vehicles, the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca probably renders this dream unrealizable. While Gran Turismo 3 does allow F1 cars to race at Laguna Seca (a semi-fulfillment of the dream), the Corkscrew is particularly troublesome. Many traditional closed-wheel cars have trouble on the Corkscrew as well, but the F1 cars seem to have an even harsher time clearing the Corkscrew safely. Admittedly, this may be simply a misperception (especially since both CART and Dayton Indy Lights - American-based open- wheel winged-racer series - both race at Laguna Seca), or perhaps due to my highly-aggressive driving style, but it is a caution worth noting nonetheless. ==================================== THE COTE D'AZUR CIRCUIT 'To finish first, first you must finish.' The Cote d'Azur circuit is a highly daunting temporary street course, especially from the Driver View, as the barriers are FAR too close for comfort, and passing is extremely difficult for even expert drivers. All drivers must be constantly wary of slow or stopped cars around the many blind corners. The most significant key to simply finishing a race at Cote d'Azur is SURVIVAL, which means a slow, methodical, patient race. If at all possible, try to qualify on pole before beginning the race, thus giving you a better chance of clearing the first corner without incident. While driving this circuit, players may want to have "I Will Survive" playing on auto-repeat!!! Sample Time: I have been able to make a lap of the Cote d'Azur Circuit in 1:28.618 using the F687/S (914HP). Pit Straight: Not straight at all, the 'Pit Straight' fades to the right along its entire length. Near the end, the Pit Lane rejoins the main course from the right. Turn 1 (Sainte Devote): This is a TIGHT right-hand semi-blind corner; heavy braking is required long before reaching Sainte Devote. To the left on entering this corner is one of the few areas to pull off the course if there is a problem. Overshooting the corner results in smashing against the unmoving barrier, but if you slide into the barrier at a good angle, you can slip along it and around the corner. The uphill portion of the course begins here. Straightaway (Beau Rivage): Not really straight with its varying-direction fades, the circuit climbs steeply uphill here. Because of the fades, this is actually NOT a good passing zone; you may think you have enough room to pass a slower car and actually pull up alongside it, but then you and the slower vehicle will end up bumping each other and/or a barrier because of a fade. Even worse, the sun is directly at the top of the hill here, making visibility very difficult for quite some time until your eyes can adjust to the brightness (another reason to try to qualify on pole before the race begins). Turn 2 (Massanet): This is a sweeping decreasing-radius left- hand blind corner requiring moderate braking on entry and light braking as you continue through the turn, unless you ride the right-side barrier. The exit of Massanet is the highest elevation of the circuitŠ which has only just begun, even if it IS all 'downhill' from here!!! Turn 3 (Casino): Hard braking will be needed for the right- hand Casino. This corner almost immediately follows Massanet, and begins the long downward trajectory of the course. This corner is actually wider than most, to the extent that a car in trouble may be running slowly along the barrier on the outside of the corner. Be careful not to scrape the left-side barrier while exiting Turn 3; similarly, do not overcompensate and scrape the right-side barrier at the apex of Casino, or ram into the barrier of the tiny pull- off section to the right on exiting Casino. If you have extreme tire wear, brake VERY early for Casino, or else you will find yourself sliding into the wide paved recovery zone to the outside of Turn 3. Straightaway: About halfway between Casino and Mirabeau, there is a potential glitch in the game, resulting in a corner worker (wearing red) flickering on the left side of the course. Turn 4 (Mirabeau): Following a long downhill straightaway, heavy braking is needed for this right-hand blind 'J' turn. A small pull-off area is provided on the left on entry. If you miss the braking zone, your front end will be banging against yet another barrier. This corner continues the course's downhill slope, which adds to the difficulty of the turn. Turn 5 (Great Curve): Following an extremely short straightaway, this left-hand hairpin is one of the slowest in Gran Turismo 3 (rivaled only by certain segments of the Complex String circuit). If you have excellent braking ability, you can actually PASS (a rarity!!!) by taking the tight inside line, or you can pass by riding the right-side rail around Great Curve; otherwise, it would be best to drive through Great Curve single-file. Cars tend to bunch up here, so try not to get stuck behind a pack of traffic entering Great Curve. Turns 6 and 7 (Portier): This pair of right-hand corners form a 'U' shape, but neither can be taken at any respectable speed without riding the left-side rails. Between these two corners is a pull-off area on the left. Turn 7 is the slowest of the two corners, and is the most difficult in terms of the almost-nonexistent view of the track. If you can accelerate strongly coming out of Portier, you can pass several cars entering and driving through The Tunnel. Straightaway (The Tunnel): This 'straightaway' is actually a very long right-hand decreasing-radius fade in a semi-tunnel (the left side provides a clear view of the water). Unlike the REAL Tunnel (or its versions in F1-based games), visibility here is excellent. Start braking for Nouveau Chicane shortly after entering back into the sunlight. Chicane (Nouveau Chicane): The course narrows as you come around the chicane, but then 'widens' back to 'normal' at the exit. Unfortunately, there is a very nasty barrier here to force you to keep to the official circuit; short-cutting is simply not possible here. If your tires are very worn (tire indicators orange or red), Nouveau Chicane will cause you A LOT of headaches. If you happen to ride up on the rumble strips, you may find a corner of your vehicle banging the adjacent barrier at just the right angle to either bring your car to a standstill or tip the vehicle in a bad direction. Turn 8 (Tobacco): This left-hand corner is best taken with moderate braking. The barrier prevents a good view around the corner on approach, but taller vehicles can be seen nonetheless. Turns 9-12 (Swimming Pool): This is essentially a double chicane around the swimming pool in the classic 'bus stop' configuration. Turns 9 and 10 form a tight left-right combination, for which moderate braking is required (although experts with fresh tires and a flawless racing line can clear Turns 9 and 10 without braking). After an extremely brief straightaway, Turns 11 and 12 form the opposite configuration (right-left), but are even tighter. This opens out onto a short straightaway where you MIGHT be able to pass ONE car. Turns 13 and 14 (La Rascasse): This is a tight left-right chicane requiring heavy braking for Turn 13 and VERY heavy braking for Turn 14. Even worse, Turn 14 is a 'J' turn, so the racing line is also very important here. The Pit Lane begins to the right at the exit of La Rascasse. If you have very worn tires, La Rascasse will also cause you significant amounts of frustration as you slide uncontrollably toward the outside barrier. Turns 15 and 16 (Anthony Hoges): A tight right-left chicane, these are the final corners of the Monaco circuit. The course narrows here through the chicane, then 'widens' to 'normal' for the Pit Straight. Moderate or heavy braking is required entering Turn 15. Pit Entry: The entrance to the Pit Lane is to the right immediately after clearing La Rascasse. Given that La Rascasse is a blind corner, on every lap, expect a slower car here headed for the pits. Keep hard to the right to avoid the narrowing barrier on the left when entering Pit Lane. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== WISH LIST Here are a few things I would like to see in future incarnations of the Gran Turismo series in relation to F1: 1.) Include more F1 circuits, past and present. Some suggestions: Adelaide (Australia), Suzuka (Japan), Spa- Francorchamps (Belgium), Monza (Italy), and especially the high-speed Hockenheim (Germany). 2.) Acquire the appropriate license from FIA to allow for more-recent F1 cars, a wider range of tire compound selection, etc. Also, it would be GREAT to see an F1 game using the Gran Turismo 3 physics and graphics engines. The F1 cars in GT3 are pure beauties in visuals and in handling, and all the technology and hard work put into GT3 should be fairly adaptable to an all-F1 game. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== CONTACT For questions, rants, raves, comments of appreciation, etc., or to be added to my e-mail list for updates to this driving guide, please contact me at: FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM; also, if you have enjoyed this guide and feel that it has been helpful to you, I would certainly appreciate a small donation via PayPal (http://www.paypal.com/) using the above e-mail address. To find the latest version of this and all my other PSX/PS2 game guides, please visit FeatherGuides (http://www.angelcities.com/members/feathersites/). The latest version will always be posted at FeatherGuides, while other Web sites may lag behind by several days in their regularly-scheduled posting updates. ==================================== ==================================== ====================================