Racing offline against AI can be challenging but generally relaxing in the sense that there isn't as much pressure to succeed when compared to racing online against real people.
Racing online where a crash could lead to a loss in Safety Racing and maybe even a drop in license class like in iRacing and Assetto Corsa Competizione creates a level of pressure that mimics real racing.
For some, this can increase immersion and challenge them to work harder at getting better as a sim racing driver. For others, it can reach a point where you find the pressure too much and you just don’t want to race anymore.
This article aims to help those who struggle with the anxiety of sim racing and give you ways of managing it to get back to racing regularly and competitively.
AI Racing
One way to get back in the groove is to race against AI. You can setup a race and push yourself to race cleanly at a relatively high level of difficulty with the aim of not only getting a good result but also give you the opportunity to enjoy the racing again and also improve your race craft.
We firmly believe that the best way to practice racing is to actually race against other cars and not just do hot laps. Racing against AI helps you learn where the overtaking zones are and how to change your lines to improve your chances of making a clean pass. It will also help you understand what the challenges are on the race start where most accidents occur and how to stay out of trouble.
The best part about racing against AI is that you can try things you wouldn't normally do in a race but if it fails, you can reset and try again without fear of losing iRating/ELO/Safety Rating etc.
Change to a different sim
If for example you're on iRacing and feel that you don't want to race anymore because you're afraid of losing iRating because of other drivers taking you out, consider driving in a different sim like Assetto Corsa Competizione or Le Mans Ultimate.
You can then start from the bottom and slowly work your way up the license classes where you can enjoy racing again without the pressure of trying to preserve your iRating.
Step away from racing
Sometimes it may be worth taking a break from sim racing completely. You can go play something completely different like Counter-Strike 2 or even Pokemon Go. Taking your mind off sim racing completely may help you realise that sim racing isn't the only thing that you find fulfilling in gaming and may eventually get you to find your way back to sim racing with a different mindset.
Doing practice and races week in, and week out can become mentally draining and taking a break may be just the thing you need to get you to enjoy racing again.
Final thoughts
One thing we didn't cover was in-game stress. This is where you tighten up as a race is about to start and actually drive a lot slower than you did in practice. We think that this is essentially you stiffening your body because of stress and sometimes over-gripping the wheel because you are so tense.
This of course will slow you down and sometimes makes you prone to mistakes because you are too stiff to counteract slight oversteer/understeer moments or even changes in braking.
Some of the tips we mentioned earlier in the article can help but we also think that taking a few deep breaths before the start of the race can help and focusing on small targets can also make a difference.
For example, if you're starting a race in P12 and give yourself the target finishing in the Top 10, focus on that. If it means backing out of risky overtakes or giving up your position because the driving behind is being too aggressive, then do it. This will allow you to finish the race and after a few good finishes, you'll slowly get the confidence to push slightly harder next time.
We hope that these tips will help you get back to racing again. See you on track!
