When F1 2011 was first released, one of the most requested features that was featuring in the video game was the fact there was now a safety car. This makes the game have a much more realistic feeling that if someone crashes, there are consequences to that crash being the safety car. For those doing longer races, this will prove to make strategy decisions very exciting. However, after playing the game for around 6 months now, I have yet to see the safety car. The thing that annoys me is that I have crashes in nearly every race of mine too! Why is the safety car so difficult to bring out?
As much as I have not seen the safety car, I have friends that have managed to get the safety car out. From this, I can give you some tips which will increase the chances of you getting the safety car out:
- Make sure the safety car setting is turned on – This sounds stupid but many people don’t even have access to the safety car because it is not enabled in options. Therefore, make sure you enable it before the race.
- Crashes made by Al are more likely – It appears that if you make a crash happen on purpose, they are less likely to get the safety car than Al to Al crashes. But, if you are impatient and want to force the safety car out…
- Damage other cars but not yourself – Try to cause as much damage to other cars and less to yourself. F1 thinks that you forcing the safety car out is a tactical strategy where you want the safety car to come out so you can pit (like Pique did with Alonso a few years ago) and come out first. But reducing damage to your car will reduce the chances you will want to pit increasing the chances of a safety car coming out.
- Keep moving after a crash – For about a day, I tried to get the safety car out in Monaco. I was getting pile ups of cars crashing which was plenty enough to get a safety car. However, I found that the fact I stayed around the scene of the crash stopped me getting a safety car. Before the safety car could even come out, cars that had crashed were disappearing into thin air reducing the chances of a safety car coming out. Therefore, when you crash, accelerate as far away from the crash as possible.
- Make sure the crash is an obstruction – Just like with real F1, if the crash is in the gravel far away from the race course, there is no need to bring a safety car out as the crash is so far away from the circuit that it won’t be hazardous or dangerous to the cars along the circuit in anyway. This is why Monaco is perfect for getting the safety car: every crash will sure enough obstruct the circuit bringing the safety car out.
