Master Momentum and Survival at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez - combined
How to maximize consistency, safety, and maximizing exit speed for the Ray FF1600 (Formula Ford) at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez - combined.
November 8, 2025
1) TRACK SNAPSHOT
- Location & layout: Mexico City, Mexico. Length: ~2.75–2.80 mi (≈4.4–4.5 km), clockwise. Official turn count: ~17 (assumed for Combined; some servers number the esses differently).
- Character:
- Flat overall with subtle cambers; very high altitude reduces engine punch and exaggerates momentum driving.
- Surface: generally smooth but with notable bumps on the entry and mid-way through the final Peraltada-style right-hander and some patchwork transitions in the stadium.
- Curbs: low-to-medium profile on most apexes; inner “sausage” deterrents exist at some chicanes/stadium entries — avoid the big ones.
- Three corners that matter most for lap time:
- T17 (Peraltada-style final right): Fast, long exit onto the main straight; momentum and minimal scrub are everything.
- T3 exit (end of the T1–3 chicane): Sets up your run to the fast esses section. Clean exit = lap time and defense.
- T11 exit (final fast right of the esses onto the back straight/stadium run): Another critical exit feeding a long acceleration zone.
2) INCIDENT & TRACK-LIMIT HOTSPOTS (Rookie Priorities)
- T1–T3 opening chicane: Biggest Lap 1 pileup risk. Deep dives and double-stacks. Over-optimistic re-entries cause 4x.
- Esses (T4–T11): Off-tracks from greedy apex cuts or exit kerb overuse; quick left-right transitions can snap the rear if you input too much steering or lift abruptly.
- T12 stadium entry left: Heavy braking while turning; inside sausage can launch the car; easy 1x on exit if you run out of road.
- T15–T16 (stadium complex): Slow, tight; rear lock if brake bias too far rearward; walls are close if you get greedy on exit.
- T17 Peraltada: Understeer into the outside wall; aero isn’t saving you — respect the entry. Late-lift panic = rear slide.
- Pit entry: Right side before the final corner; commit early. Last-second cuts from the racing line will cause contact.
- Pit exit: Long, right-side exit lane; stay to the right until the blend line (don’t turn across T1 traffic).
- Safe rejoins:
- After chicane spins: hold brakes, wait for a gap, rejoin parallel to flow.
- After Peraltada slide: use the inside grass pit-entry apron to straighten and rejoin far right on the straight, not across the lane.
3) RACECRAFT PLAN (Ray FF1600)
- Drafting zones:
- Main straight (start/finish): Prime passing into T1 — set up 2–3 corners ahead by maximizing T17 exit.
- Run from T11 to T12 (into stadium): Good slipstream; inside move into T12 left is common.
- Clean passing spots:
- T1: Prefer inside on entry. Brake straight, commit early. Prioritize T3 exit to avoid repass.
- T12: Inside line; brake in a straight line before turning; leave room on exit to avoid side contact.
- Light moves into slower stadium corners (T15/T16) are possible if you get a superior run out of T14; avoid divebombs.
- Defensive lines that don’t kill exit:
- T1: Slightly shallow entry, late apex T1 to protect T2/T3 path and keep a strong T3 exit.
- T12: Center-right brake point; slow in, strong exit line to deter switchback.
- T17: Mid track entry, early maintenance throttle to stabilize; don’t pinch yourself — prioritize exit.
- Start/first-lap survival:
- Brake 20–30 m earlier for T1/T2 than your practice points.
- Expect stack-ups through T1–3 and the first two esses. Use wider lines and lift early to maintain gaps.
- Escape routes: use the T1 runoff if boxed-in; better a 1x than a pileup.
4) DRIVING LINE & MARKERS (Corner-by-corner)
Assumptions: T1–3 opening chicane; T4–11 fast/medium esses; T12–16 stadium; T17 Peraltada. Adjust numbering to your in-sim map as needed.
| T# | Name | Priority* | Approach Ref | Brake Point | Trail? | Apex Type | Min Speed (rookie target) | Throttle On | Exit Trackout | Kerb Use | Risk/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | R of chicane | High | 150/100 boards on R | Start ~120–100 m | Yes, gentle | Late | 38–42 mph | After turn-in, modulate | L to kerb | Use low kerb, avoid sausage | Don’t divebomb; protect T3 exit. |
| T2 | L of chicane | High | Visual flow from T1 | N/A or slight brush | Minimal | Late | 35–40 mph | Feather | R to kerb | Clip, not climb | Set car for T3, don’t overrotate. |
| T3 | R exit | High | Left wall ending | Small lift or maintenance | Light | Late and open | 42–48 mph | Early, smooth | Full L | Exit kerb ok | Key exit for next acceleration. |
| T4 | L esses entry | Med | Marshals/100 board | Small brush | Slight | Early | 65–72 mph | Maintenance | R to L set-up | Use flat kerb | Don’t over-slow; keep flow. |
| T5 | R | Med | Visual cadence | None or lift | No | Early | 70–78 mph | Maintenance | L | Light kerb | Smooth hands; avoid big steering. |
| T6 | L | Med | Next apex sight | Lift set rotation | No | Early | 68–75 mph | Maintenance | R | Use exit kerb | Keep car balanced, no big stabs. |
| T7 | R | Med | Apex paint | Maybe brush | No | Early | 70–78 mph | Maintenance | L | Light kerb | Build rhythm; eyes up two corners. |
| T8 | L | Med | Trees/fence refs | None or lift | No | Early | 70–75 mph | Maintenance | R | Light kerb | Momentum is king. |
| T9 | R | High | End of kerbing | Brief lift | No | Early-late | 68–74 mph | Early | L | Use exit kerb | Sets speed for T10–T11. |
| T10 | L kink | Med | Visual | None | No | Brush | 80–90 mph | Full | R | Minimal | Flat in clean air; lift in traffic. |
| T11 | R onto straight | High | 50 board / marshal | Short brush | Slight | Late | 60–66 mph | Early, progressive | Full L | Exit kerb ok | Don’t pinch; max exit. |
| T12 | L stadium entry | High | 150/100 boards | ~120–100 m | Yes, long | Late | 32–38 mph | When aligned | Mid R | Avoid sausage | Common dive zone; protect apex. |
| T13 | R | Med | Cones/fence | Small brush | Yes | Late | 35–40 mph | Early, gentle | L | Minimal | Keep rotation for T14. |
| T14 | L | Med | Kerb start | None or tiny | Minimal | Late | 38–42 mph | Early | R | Use exit kerb | Don’t clobber inner kerb. |
| T15 | R | Med | 50 board/paving | ~60–50 m | Yes | Late | 30–35 mph | On at apex | L | Minimal | Rear lock risk if bias low. |
| T16 | R opener to T17 | High | Wall/end of fencing | Small brush | Yes | Late-open | 40–45 mph | Early | Mid | No | Set the car for T17 entry. |
| T17 | Peraltada R | High | Entry seam/paint | Lift or tiny brush | Minimal | Late-open | 80–85 mph | Early maintenance then build | Full L | No inner kerb; use track | Commit; understeer into wall is common. |
Priority = effect on following straight.
5) BRAKING & GEARS (Rookie Baselines)
- Gears (Ray FF1600 has 4 forward gears):
- T1–3: 2nd gear.
- Esses (T4–T11): mostly 3rd; brief 4th in kinks if clear, but favor stability.
- T12–T16 (stadium): 2nd gear.
- T17: 4th if you can carry it; otherwise 3rd entry upshift to 4th mid-corner as the car settles.
- First laps: starting references
- T1: Begin at ~120–100 m board; increase margin if in traffic.
- T12: ~120–100 m.
- T15: ~60–50 m.
- T17: Early lift before turn-in, reapply maintenance throttle; skipping a brake tap is safer once confident.
- Brake release notes: Use long, gentle trail in slow corners (T1, T12, T15). In the esses, avoid braking; if needed, brush brake with quick release to keep platform flat.
- Mid‑stint adjustments:
- Tires warm by lap 3–4; shift brake points ~5–10 m later if consistent.
- If rear begins to float on entries, nudge brake bias +0.5% forward.
- Validating gears: Watch delta and revs. If bouncing off limiter too long on straights, upshift earlier; if engine bogs mid-corner, drop to the lower gear.
6) CAR CONTROL CUES (Momentum Car Emphasis)
- Rotation method: 70% with brake release (soft trail) at slow corners; in medium/fast esses, use a planned, tiny lift to rotate without large steering.
- Steering discipline: Aim for one clean arc per corner. If you add steering beyond ~90–100 degrees, you’re scrubbing — reduce entry speed and open your hands earlier.
- Throttle patterns:
- T1/T12/T15: Brake → coast/rotate → early but gentle throttle.
- Esses: Maintenance throttle with micro-lifts; keep weight neutral.
- T17: Early maintenance throttle to settle front, add gradually; avoid a mid-corner lift which destabilizes.
7) CURBING, BUMPS & SURFACE CHANGES
- Attack:
- Low profile kerbs in T4–T11 can be used lightly to open radius; exit kerbs are fine if flat.
- Avoid:
- Inner sausages at T1/T12 — they’ll launch the Ray and cause 1x/slowdowns or spins.
- Big Peraltada inside bumps — stay off the inner seam; hold a meter from the white line initially.
- Bumps/camber tricks:
- T17 Peraltada has a mid-corner bump — hold steady throttle and avoid sudden steering adds when crossing it.
- Stadium entries often have a slight positive camber; use it by turning in a touch earlier with confident but smooth trail.
8) SETUP / DRIVER ADJUSTMENTS
- FIXED assumed. Driver adjustments:
- Brake bias start: 58.5–59.5% front. Increase to ~60% when tires go off or if rear gets lively.
- In-car tools (if available): small coast diff tweak toward more coast lock can stabilize entries; use sparingly.
- Tire pressures: Use series default. Don’t chase pressures; focus on consistency.
- FFB: Ensure you can feel front scrub and lightening under trail; avoid clipping. Lower FFB if you’re sawing at the wheel.
9) TELEMETRY & METRICS TO TRACK
- Sector breakdown (suggested):
- S/F to end of T3 (chicane and exit).
- T4–T11 (esses complex).
- T12–T17 (stadium + Peraltada).
- Rookie targets:
- T3 min speed: 42–48 mph.
- T11 min speed: 60–66 mph.
- T17 min speed: 80–85 mph.
- Lap variance goal: ±0.3–0.5 s over a 5-lap run.
- Inspect on traces:
- Brake release timing at T1/T12 (smooth, no spikes).
- Throttle pickup delay vs. min speed at T3/T11/T17.
- Steering saturation: long periods at high angle = entry too hot; fix with earlier/lighter brakes.
10) PRACTICE PLAN (45 minutes)
- 0–10 min: Out-lap + references
- Find T1/T12 brake boards; note pit entry line before T17 and pit exit blend line.
- Gentle tire warmup; build to 80%.
- Success: 0x; clean braking references set.
- 10–25 min: Key corners and exit focus
- Drill T3, T11, T17. Do slow-in/fast-out laps; log min speeds and exits.
- Success: Hit target min speeds within ±2 mph; no 1x in esses.
- 25–35 min: 2×5‑lap race-pace runs
- Aim for consistency and clean laps; practice safe side-by-sides vs AI/ghost if available.
- Success: Each 5-lap stint within ±0.5 s; 0x or ≤1x total.
- 35–40 min: Pit in/out practice
- Enter pits cleanly from racing speed; no late swerves. Exit staying right to blend line.
- Success: No speeding; predictable lines.
- 40–45 min: Draft practice + cool-down
- Practice timing a T1 pass and a T12 pass from draft.
- Success: One clean overtake each zone without contact; 1 cool-down lap to reset.
11) QUICK CHECKLIST (pre‑race)
- Brake bias start point: 59% front.
- First‑lap brake margins: +25 m at T1, +15 m at T12.
- Two “free time” fixes:
- Open your hands earlier at every exit; if you’re adding steering late, you entered too hot.
- Commit to early, gentle throttle at T17 — carry speed, don’t stab.
- Two safety traps to avoid:
- Don’t attack inner sausages at T1/T12.
- Don’t cut across to pit entry late before T17.
- Fuel note: For sprints, add your race distance + 2 reserve laps. If unknown, assume ~2.8–3.1 mi/lap and add a 10% buffer.
12) ONE‑PAGE SUMMARY
- Survive Lap 1: brake early for T1, leave space through T1–3 and first esses.
- Momentum > everything: small lifts to rotate, avoid big brakes in the esses.
- Three lap-time corners: maximize exit at T3, T11, and especially T17.
- T17: early maintenance throttle; don’t pinch or lift mid-corner.
- Passing: T1 and T12; set up exits, brake straight, leave room.
- Defense: shallow T1 and T12 entries; protect apex, preserve exits.
- Curbs: light over flat kerbs only; avoid sausages.
- Bias: start ~59% front; add more forward if rear is lively mid-stint.
- Draft: expect big runs on S/F and into stadium; manage positioning early.
- Consistency goal: ±0.5 s stints; no 1x in esses; clean pit in/out rehearsed.
Notes on assumptions: This guide assumes iRacing’s “Combined” configuration uses the modern GP infield plus a full Peraltada-style final corner and a 17-turn numbering scheme. If your in-sim map differs, remap the corner numbers to the same sequences (T1–3 chicane, T4–11 esses, T12–16 stadium, T17 Peraltada) before practice.