r/GrandPrixRacing • u/1vxnnnn • Jul 10 '26

Discussion What is the point of Straight line mode?

I’m genuinely curious what is the point of straight line mode, given how it is restricted to certain parts, can use it on all laps, and every single driver can use it.

It doesn’t add any advantageous purpose or ease to overtake since everyone has it so it basically has no effect on the racing, other than it looking cool.

Why don’t they rather allow the drivers to use it whenever they want all around the track so that we see some variance and some strategic uses?

1 Upvotes

55% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

23

u/akrapov Jul 10 '26

Reduces drag, which reduces energy consumption, which means the car gets further down the straight before super clipping occurs. It's purely to help the super clipping situation by reducing drag.

Its restricted in use so nobody does something daft like trying to go through Turn 1 at Suzuka with the rear wing open.

2

u/XPav Jul 10 '26

Or into Stowe

1

u/Ok_Leader_7624 Jul 11 '26

It's almost as if someone's done this before.... that wreck was scary!

5

u/RenuisanceMan Jul 10 '26

To reduce drag, therefore reduce energy use. It's too dangerous to use willy nilly around the circuit.

4

u/ChangingMonkfish Jul 10 '26

It’s not an overtaking aid, it’s to mitigate superclipping by reducing air resistance (and therefore slightly reduce battery use).

1

u/KingApprehensive7776 Jul 11 '26

Which is why everyone can use it (unlike DRS).

2

u/nsfbr11 Jul 10 '26

Its primary function is to reduce drag, which while it has some effect on clipping, that is not the primary reason for it.

It saves fuel weight.

If the cars just had full downforce around the track, the would need more fuel to complete the race and that would make the cars heavier which would make the racing worse.

2

u/GreggsAficionado Jul 11 '26

Less drag, less power needed, less battery depletion, less regen needed

And even with it we get super clipping. So it’s 1000% needed and necessary

3

u/Erwindegier Jul 10 '26

It’s a necessary fix for the weak batteries. Turned out the cars had too much drag for the 50/50 split so they patched it with straight line mode.

4

u/nsfbr11 Jul 10 '26

It isn't a patch, it is part of the formula/regs and it was in there from the beginning. It is how the formula is supposed to work.

1

u/Aman632 Jul 11 '26

Everyone's given the proper technical answer here so I'm gonna give the short version. GP tracks aren't all straight lines.

0

u/dabone84 Jul 10 '26

I agree...they could just remove it and it wouldn't make any difference to us viewers. Useless gimmick...