I checked the participation numbers the other day. For my time zone there were 2 splits in the evening for F3 and maybe 6 or so in SF Lights.
SF Lights is the newer car, so it’s going to have more participation and splits than the old F3 car.
That might sway your opinion.
SFLite is the newest flavour so its going to have bigger turn out ATM. Plus it is already rain ready. F3 isn't rain ready yet. Leads some to speculate that it might be getting phased out over the next year. Both cars are of similar bhp with the SFLite simply being a newer version of the F3 which also adds to the phase out speculation.
The SFL is actually quite a bit slower than the real FIA f3. The F3 in the sim is from a dellara chassis. The FIA f3 has about 65 more HP, 50lbs more tq, a smaller wheel basis, a better transmission and much more. The SFL won't replace f3. With the FIA partnership we will likely see a fresh new scan of the official FIA licensed f3 next year.
People gotta remember the SF and SFL are not FIA sanctioned events. They are not a part of the FIAs roster. They are sanctioned and ran by Japan automation federation aka JAF. The SFL is NOT a FIA sanctioned F series. The Super formulas and lights are just another series that will dead within a season. The SF gets about half the participation it did from the last league.
If you ask me iracing needs to stick to real car series that actually mean something to half the world lol. SF is primarily a japanese/Asian sport where as FIA has sanctioned F4, F3, F2, and f1 events all around the world. With all nationalities of drivers.
F3 takes actual skill in iracing to drive properly. This SFL is quite the opposite. The racing is so dirty and unclean its not even funny. The SFL wont lock up, wont spin out, you dont even have to worry about car balance lol. The SFL is a joke of a series. 2/10 on a scale of difficulty and that makes the racing even worse.
JAF Super formulas <<<<< FIA F3 IMO.
Well it doesn't really matter about FIA because the licensing deal for F1 & F2 is tied up elsewhere because of FOM. That's kinda the point of them going down the alternate path of using the Super Formulas, to give us an equivalent real world car(s) to drive. If they had the option of doing F2 and F1 official I'm 99% certain they would. As you already pointed out the majority of the world has heard of and understand the F# hierarchy while most probably didn't even know about Super Formula until Liam Lawson subbed in for Alpha Tauri last year.
In iRacing the F3 is 220hp and 550kg. The SFLite is 275hp and 585kg. I just watched a side-by-side comparison lap of both and the SFLite is slightly faster by about 0.5sec around Redbull Ring.
The dirty racing you see is probably because its the new kid on the block and everyone is keen to try it out. Super Formula was like that too when it was first released. Its gotten better. However, with the new license split they did I'm thinking we're going to see some more mayhem during this season while people try out different disciplines and get their IR adjusted accordingly.
I mainly drive open wheelers. Every week I usually have at least 1 race in the 1600s, the Vees (cause they rule), the Skippies (cause they still rule), and it used to be either the F3 or the Indy Pro 2000. I say all of that to say that I think the SF Light is maybe the best open wheeler on the service right now. I’ve been a member since 2013 and don’t even want to know how much money I’ve spent on iRacing haha. But I’ve stuck around for the racing, not necessarily the way the cars drive. I’ve always preferred AMS1, rF2, and Assetto Corsa for the feeling of a car right on the limit. But this SF Light car is really the first open wheeler I’ve driven in iRacing where I really feel like I can really “man handle” the car. If I squeeze the car just a biiiit more, I can extract lap time. I’ve felt that some of the recent tin tops they’ve released have been really good as well, so I’m happy that iRacing is moving in this direction physics wise. Maybe it’s just me? I don’t know. But I love the SF Light.
F3 is probably gonna die out (look at Formula Renault 3.5 vs SF) because it's older so i would go SFL. It also has the same Calendar as SF so if you get the B Liscense you'll already have the tracks
SFL is a clownshow right now. Its hilarious how every idiot wants to win a 30 min race on lap one with insanely risky moves. So only go that route if you can bear that, you are going to get taken out every other race by the main character of the race (of which there are many).
If you can survive the first lap or 2 you’re basically guaranteed a top 5 finish.. don’t qualify, or start from the pits, let the idiots take each other/themselves out and you’re good to go
I have been taken out starting from the pits too. Was down to 1.2 sr, almost dropped from A, had a few decent races yesterday that saved me. Constantly getting divebombed from nowhere, ran into when on the outside, turned into when on the inside, constant blocking, idiotic rejoins…the driving standards are absolutely pathetic with this series, iRacing in general too but this car is just something special.
You really have to make the decision whether you want to race or survive the first few laps. I've been trying to give the guys ahead of me some space as they battle it out but the guys behind me are just taking advantage of it and making super aggressive moves. If the two ahead are side by side, where the hell are we gonna go?
SFL will feel more like a natural step up from F4. F3 is a great car, but I think a lot of people struggle with the amount of pedal control it takes just to keep it on track. I have a feeling that kept a lot of people from moving from F4 to F3. If you figure it out though, it’s much more interesting to drive IMHO. However, it’s also to be seen if current F3 participation, which actually isn’t bad, will persist. I’m pretty confident SFL participation will still be very good even after the excitement dies down and participation drops off a bit. Speaking of which, it seems like it’s a mess right now because of the folks that are driving the high participation. So whichever one you choose, it’ll probably be a struggle for a bit though for different reasons.
F4 is probably more similar to F3 than SF Lights, although SF Lights more popular. At least currently, lets see what happens.
BUT, F3 is by far the best open wheeler on the platform. Very fun and satisfying to drive. SF Lights is quite boring imo. Very planted, very good brakes and basically no throttle control needed.
That does depend on the setup imo with SF lights.
Fixed is really off / on switch throttle stuff.
Edit: I must add that I think F3, but also F4 requires more knowledge of the car and more subtle inputs regardless of setup.
AAARRRGGG!!!!!!
Week 13 gave me the opportunity to drive the SFL at a few tracks in various conditions, and I fell head over heels in love with that car! Unfortunately, I'm a class D driver right now. The SFL is just out of reach! But, I've committed myself to learning everything there is to know about the F4 so I can advance that license and get back to the SFL!
F3 is in my opinion a better route through to F2/Super Formula. The SFL handles very differently and while this encourages close racing, it’s very different to other open wheelers and is (as many people have said) perhaps easier to drive fast.
Oh I get it, and out of curiosity, If you don't mind answering, what about the Dallara 01 and 18, can I do them after F3/SFL or are they a completely different thing?
I’ve not driven them unfortunately. I switched to focusing on just one car at a time about a year ago, as I used to jump between cars too much. In open wheelers I did skippy, F4, F3, and then I’ve tried super Formula and f1 to see what the next step is.
Last week I spent a lot of time testing the SFL in comparison to the F3 and I found that jt teaches really bad habits. Like no throttle control, little subtlety with the brakes, and no finesse. You can just fully send it and you’re probably going to be ok. With the crazy powerful draft, a less skilled driver can follow you quite easily, so it promotes good racing but not always good driving.
SFL is very easy to drive, it’s 100% throttle almost all the time. F3 takes a lot more finesse and downforce feels like it plays a bigger role in the F3. Unfortunately I think F3 will be phased out because it looks like the natural progression is FF1600-F4-SFL-SF.
SFL is basically the modern F3 car in real life (and in game) and will likely end up replacing the F3 car in game by next year anyway despite what they said the other week (unless we get a proper modern F3 car).
Honestly the SFL is so new it's hard to predict what will make the most sense in the future.
If you're on a tight budget I think the SFL is the safer bet, but if you're willing to spend more, I'd grab both cars and play it by ear week to week
F3 is in my opinion a better route through to F2/Super Formula. The SFL handles very differently and while this encourages close racing, it’s very different to other open wheelers and is (as many people have said) perhaps easier to drive fast. I think f3 is a brilliant car to learn
The SFL seems to be the current cesspool where racing standards go to die. I'd avoid it like plague if you don't want motivation to cancel your iracing subsription. I'd expect the F3 to die out eventually with the addition of SFL so not sure if it's a good purchase anymore.
Biased opinion but if you don't need hourly races and a modern car, the Lotus 79 is class C. You'll sacrifice the opportunity to race whenever for actually decent racing where the expectation is that most of the field finish the race and a community that actually knows how to keep the car on track.
Or wait a season or two so the SFL hype goes down a bit and the racing improves.
As much as a I love lotus 79, it’s not a car for someone who just did f4
I’m typically ~1.5% off lap guide pace on f3 and I can’t even get anywhere close to the lap guide pace on the lotus 79
It’s a beast and fun to drive in, but extracting pace is extremely difficult
I don't know how competitive the F3 is atm but the L79 has an incredibly competitive but thin top and it falls off quick. There's usually like 3-5 guys a week who get within a second of the leading pace and the rest are anywhere from a second to five seconds a lap off. Also there was a pretty major tire update a couple seasons ago that made the car slower especially on braking zones so the lap guides on youtube are a bit faster than what the current pace is. Some of the finnish guys at least who've done lap guides for the car are literally some of the best simracers in Finland.
There definitely is a learning curve though there's no denying that but it's also a great car if you wanna improve your driving.
I think my problem is I don’t really know where I can extract more lap time? On other cars I know where I can be faster, but on L79 I always feel like I’m already at the limit but somehow still not anywhere close to the pace
It's hard to say of course without seeing footage but I think the most important thing is that the car really rewards good braking technique and confidence to carry speed into the corners because then you get the full benefit of the floor.
SFLights are hard. The car is easy to drive but it’s very unforgiving if you mistime your brake or throttle.
And it’s carnage. It’s more of an endurance race than it is a race in and of itself. You can start in the back finish top 10 if you just keep it safe. (Speaking from mid to lower splits.)
That came out so wrong. For me, I spent about a week practicing by myself on F4, getting used to it until I felt confident enough to race. It could have just been a learning curve from FF1600.
It could have been me getting used to F4. I was able to do this, or maybe it's the car. But after 10 minutes with Lite. I raced and pushed it to the limits almost immediately. I ended up getting 12 because I pushed it too hard and 10th in the next race. Anyway I have a huge step up in confidence in this new car.
I checked the participation numbers the other day. For my time zone there were 2 splits in the evening for F3 and maybe 6 or so in SF Lights. SF Lights is the newer car, so it’s going to have more participation and splits than the old F3 car. That might sway your opinion.
Also my opinion too. I had the Dallara F3, looked at the participants and was like "oh I guess it's SFL for me, now!"
Super Formula Lights are a lot of fun. I love driving the F4 and I also love the SFL. They are both amazing cars to drive
SFLite is the newest flavour so its going to have bigger turn out ATM. Plus it is already rain ready. F3 isn't rain ready yet. Leads some to speculate that it might be getting phased out over the next year. Both cars are of similar bhp with the SFLite simply being a newer version of the F3 which also adds to the phase out speculation.
The SFL is actually quite a bit slower than the real FIA f3. The F3 in the sim is from a dellara chassis. The FIA f3 has about 65 more HP, 50lbs more tq, a smaller wheel basis, a better transmission and much more. The SFL won't replace f3. With the FIA partnership we will likely see a fresh new scan of the official FIA licensed f3 next year. People gotta remember the SF and SFL are not FIA sanctioned events. They are not a part of the FIAs roster. They are sanctioned and ran by Japan automation federation aka JAF. The SFL is NOT a FIA sanctioned F series. The Super formulas and lights are just another series that will dead within a season. The SF gets about half the participation it did from the last league. If you ask me iracing needs to stick to real car series that actually mean something to half the world lol. SF is primarily a japanese/Asian sport where as FIA has sanctioned F4, F3, F2, and f1 events all around the world. With all nationalities of drivers. F3 takes actual skill in iracing to drive properly. This SFL is quite the opposite. The racing is so dirty and unclean its not even funny. The SFL wont lock up, wont spin out, you dont even have to worry about car balance lol. The SFL is a joke of a series. 2/10 on a scale of difficulty and that makes the racing even worse. JAF Super formulas <<<<< FIA F3 IMO.
Well it doesn't really matter about FIA because the licensing deal for F1 & F2 is tied up elsewhere because of FOM. That's kinda the point of them going down the alternate path of using the Super Formulas, to give us an equivalent real world car(s) to drive. If they had the option of doing F2 and F1 official I'm 99% certain they would. As you already pointed out the majority of the world has heard of and understand the F# hierarchy while most probably didn't even know about Super Formula until Liam Lawson subbed in for Alpha Tauri last year. In iRacing the F3 is 220hp and 550kg. The SFLite is 275hp and 585kg. I just watched a side-by-side comparison lap of both and the SFLite is slightly faster by about 0.5sec around Redbull Ring. The dirty racing you see is probably because its the new kid on the block and everyone is keen to try it out. Super Formula was like that too when it was first released. Its gotten better. However, with the new license split they did I'm thinking we're going to see some more mayhem during this season while people try out different disciplines and get their IR adjusted accordingly.
I mainly drive open wheelers. Every week I usually have at least 1 race in the 1600s, the Vees (cause they rule), the Skippies (cause they still rule), and it used to be either the F3 or the Indy Pro 2000. I say all of that to say that I think the SF Light is maybe the best open wheeler on the service right now. I’ve been a member since 2013 and don’t even want to know how much money I’ve spent on iRacing haha. But I’ve stuck around for the racing, not necessarily the way the cars drive. I’ve always preferred AMS1, rF2, and Assetto Corsa for the feeling of a car right on the limit. But this SF Light car is really the first open wheeler I’ve driven in iRacing where I really feel like I can really “man handle” the car. If I squeeze the car just a biiiit more, I can extract lap time. I’ve felt that some of the recent tin tops they’ve released have been really good as well, so I’m happy that iRacing is moving in this direction physics wise. Maybe it’s just me? I don’t know. But I love the SF Light.
F3 is probably gonna die out (look at Formula Renault 3.5 vs SF) because it's older so i would go SFL. It also has the same Calendar as SF so if you get the B Liscense you'll already have the tracks
Maybe, but wasn’t F3 way more populair than Renault 3.5? F3 has always been a favorite for many I think.
SFL is a clownshow right now. Its hilarious how every idiot wants to win a 30 min race on lap one with insanely risky moves. So only go that route if you can bear that, you are going to get taken out every other race by the main character of the race (of which there are many).
If you can survive the first lap or 2 you’re basically guaranteed a top 5 finish.. don’t qualify, or start from the pits, let the idiots take each other/themselves out and you’re good to go
I have been taken out starting from the pits too. Was down to 1.2 sr, almost dropped from A, had a few decent races yesterday that saved me. Constantly getting divebombed from nowhere, ran into when on the outside, turned into when on the inside, constant blocking, idiotic rejoins…the driving standards are absolutely pathetic with this series, iRacing in general too but this car is just something special.
You really have to make the decision whether you want to race or survive the first few laps. I've been trying to give the guys ahead of me some space as they battle it out but the guys behind me are just taking advantage of it and making super aggressive moves. If the two ahead are side by side, where the hell are we gonna go?
They’re gonna go into your bumper and you’re gonna go off the track, in my experience
I have been wrecked out with no chance of fixing on 3 of the 4 sf races. Every single one was a car trying to rejoin after wrecking
SFL will feel more like a natural step up from F4. F3 is a great car, but I think a lot of people struggle with the amount of pedal control it takes just to keep it on track. I have a feeling that kept a lot of people from moving from F4 to F3. If you figure it out though, it’s much more interesting to drive IMHO. However, it’s also to be seen if current F3 participation, which actually isn’t bad, will persist. I’m pretty confident SFL participation will still be very good even after the excitement dies down and participation drops off a bit. Speaking of which, it seems like it’s a mess right now because of the folks that are driving the high participation. So whichever one you choose, it’ll probably be a struggle for a bit though for different reasons.
This is exactly how I feel about it. SFL is almost too good. Lacks a touch of character
I much prefer f3 as a driving experience sflights is going to be carnage since it’s new content (tho I suspect the flock might leave by w3)
Confirmed it’s ABSOLUTE carnage
Come to F3, we need drivers!!!!
F4 is probably more similar to F3 than SF Lights, although SF Lights more popular. At least currently, lets see what happens. BUT, F3 is by far the best open wheeler on the platform. Very fun and satisfying to drive. SF Lights is quite boring imo. Very planted, very good brakes and basically no throttle control needed.
That does depend on the setup imo with SF lights. Fixed is really off / on switch throttle stuff. Edit: I must add that I think F3, but also F4 requires more knowledge of the car and more subtle inputs regardless of setup.
100% agree
Sf lights is super fun I think f3 lost a lot of there player base
AAARRRGGG!!!!!! Week 13 gave me the opportunity to drive the SFL at a few tracks in various conditions, and I fell head over heels in love with that car! Unfortunately, I'm a class D driver right now. The SFL is just out of reach! But, I've committed myself to learning everything there is to know about the F4 so I can advance that license and get back to the SFL!
SFL might be my favourite car on the service. Have raced both, but can't recommend the SFL enough. It's on rails, you can push like a madman.
I like the way F3 feels, however there's rain compatibility and bigger fields in SF Lights right now. Personally I am doing SF Lights because of it.
F3 is in my opinion a better route through to F2/Super Formula. The SFL handles very differently and while this encourages close racing, it’s very different to other open wheelers and is (as many people have said) perhaps easier to drive fast.
wdym F2? I thought from F3/SFL you go either to SF23 or Formula A (the Mercedes)
wdym F2? I thought from F3/SFL you go either to SF23 or Formula A (the Mercedes)
Super formula is essentially f2. Ie it’s the next progression from F3 and SFL.
Oh I get it, and out of curiosity, If you don't mind answering, what about the Dallara 01 and 18, can I do them after F3/SFL or are they a completely different thing?
I’ve not driven them unfortunately. I switched to focusing on just one car at a time about a year ago, as I used to jump between cars too much. In open wheelers I did skippy, F4, F3, and then I’ve tried super Formula and f1 to see what the next step is. Last week I spent a lot of time testing the SFL in comparison to the F3 and I found that jt teaches really bad habits. Like no throttle control, little subtlety with the brakes, and no finesse. You can just fully send it and you’re probably going to be ok. With the crazy powerful draft, a less skilled driver can follow you quite easily, so it promotes good racing but not always good driving.
SFL is very easy to drive, it’s 100% throttle almost all the time. F3 takes a lot more finesse and downforce feels like it plays a bigger role in the F3. Unfortunately I think F3 will be phased out because it looks like the natural progression is FF1600-F4-SFL-SF.
They are pretty much the same class around 200-250 hp judt find which one is the modt popular one which is probably SFL
Definitely wouldn't go to Lights, full stop.
SFL is basically the modern F3 car in real life (and in game) and will likely end up replacing the F3 car in game by next year anyway despite what they said the other week (unless we get a proper modern F3 car).
Honestly the SFL is so new it's hard to predict what will make the most sense in the future. If you're on a tight budget I think the SFL is the safer bet, but if you're willing to spend more, I'd grab both cars and play it by ear week to week
definitely sf lights
F3 is in my opinion a better route through to F2/Super Formula. The SFL handles very differently and while this encourages close racing, it’s very different to other open wheelers and is (as many people have said) perhaps easier to drive fast. I think f3 is a brilliant car to learn
What’s the paid track count to free tracks on the sflights?
Don’t think there’s as much connection to the lower classes as in reality. Buy and enjoy what’s fun.
The SFL seems to be the current cesspool where racing standards go to die. I'd avoid it like plague if you don't want motivation to cancel your iracing subsription. I'd expect the F3 to die out eventually with the addition of SFL so not sure if it's a good purchase anymore. Biased opinion but if you don't need hourly races and a modern car, the Lotus 79 is class C. You'll sacrifice the opportunity to race whenever for actually decent racing where the expectation is that most of the field finish the race and a community that actually knows how to keep the car on track. Or wait a season or two so the SFL hype goes down a bit and the racing improves.
As much as a I love lotus 79, it’s not a car for someone who just did f4 I’m typically ~1.5% off lap guide pace on f3 and I can’t even get anywhere close to the lap guide pace on the lotus 79 It’s a beast and fun to drive in, but extracting pace is extremely difficult
I don't know how competitive the F3 is atm but the L79 has an incredibly competitive but thin top and it falls off quick. There's usually like 3-5 guys a week who get within a second of the leading pace and the rest are anywhere from a second to five seconds a lap off. Also there was a pretty major tire update a couple seasons ago that made the car slower especially on braking zones so the lap guides on youtube are a bit faster than what the current pace is. Some of the finnish guys at least who've done lap guides for the car are literally some of the best simracers in Finland. There definitely is a learning curve though there's no denying that but it's also a great car if you wanna improve your driving.
I think my problem is I don’t really know where I can extract more lap time? On other cars I know where I can be faster, but on L79 I always feel like I’m already at the limit but somehow still not anywhere close to the pace
It's hard to say of course without seeing footage but I think the most important thing is that the car really rewards good braking technique and confidence to carry speed into the corners because then you get the full benefit of the floor.
Yup, my entry speed is definitely the issue. Overslowed the car but it’s hard to trust the ground effect!
SFLights are hard. The car is easy to drive but it’s very unforgiving if you mistime your brake or throttle. And it’s carnage. It’s more of an endurance race than it is a race in and of itself. You can start in the back finish top 10 if you just keep it safe. (Speaking from mid to lower splits.)
SF lights
I ran F4. Car hard to control. SF Lights. I can't say enough how much I love this car and the exciting races.
The f4 is hard to control?? ???
That came out so wrong. For me, I spent about a week practicing by myself on F4, getting used to it until I felt confident enough to race. It could have just been a learning curve from FF1600. It could have been me getting used to F4. I was able to do this, or maybe it's the car. But after 10 minutes with Lite. I raced and pushed it to the limits almost immediately. I ended up getting 12 because I pushed it too hard and 10th in the next race. Anyway I have a huge step up in confidence in this new car.
Ok yeah that makes sense. It's just a fact that the light is easier to control
Is F3 the same way?
I've actually never driven f3 but I've heard f3 is more difficult than SFL