Black Angel Team - Notizie

David Perel's Verdict on the New Tire Updates

The sim racing world is buzzing. Le Mans Ultimate (LMU) and iRacing have recently released major tire model updates for GT3 cars, sparking a heated debate in the community about which is more realistic. David Perel, professional Ferrari GT3 driver and test driver for LMU and Assetto Corsa Evo, offers his unique perspective on this crucial issue for the future of driving simulations.

The Challenge of Realism in Simulators

The Fundamental Problem

According to Perel, tire models in simulators suffer from a recurring problem: they are too sensitive to slides and spins. "In real life, we have room for movement across the tire surface," explains the driver, "but in simulators, if we improve drivability in this area, we increase grip too much and lap times become unrealistically fast."

This search for the right balance represents one of the most complex challenges in simulator development. The goal is to allow virtual drivers to attack corners with the same aggressiveness as in reality, but achieving this goal is proving more difficult than expected.

iRacing: Progress and Criticisms

Cold Tire Behavior

The new iRacing model presents significant improvements, but Perel immediately identifies a crucial problem: cold tire behavior. "The way a cold tire behaves in real life isn't so abrupt," he observes. "You get these micro-snaps on a cold tire that make you go 'wo wo wo', instead of these long lazy slides."

This discrepancy is particularly evident for Perel, who has direct experience with cold tires in ELMS, where tire warmers are not used.

Appreciable Improvements

Despite the criticisms, once the tires reach optimal temperature, the new iRacing model becomes "quite a lot of fun to drive" and moves closer to realism. The most significant change is that slides no longer permanently destroy lap time during a race.

"Before you had to underdrive so much," recalls Perel. "You had to be extremely sensitive with the brakes, ABS, steering inputs. That's not the case in real life. In real life, we are aggressive and we can attack the corner."

Le Mans Ultimate: Feedback-Driven Evolution

Direct Involvement in Development

Perel reveals he has a direct line to LMU developers and actively contributed to testing and developing the new tire model. The team tested three different models before releasing the final update, with the main goal of providing greater rear stability.

New Model Results

LMU's new tire model successfully addresses one of the main problems of the previous version: excessive tendency to spin. "The main improvement they made, which has made the game fun again, is that you don't instantly face backwards," explains Perel.

To emphasize this point, the driver shared videos of his near-spins on real track with developers, demonstrating how far you can push a tire before actually losing control.

Areas for Improvement

Despite progress, LMU still needs work on force feedback. "You do get a lot of feedback from what's happening on the road, like bumps and ABS, but I'm still missing a bit of what the tire itself is doing," notes Perel, acknowledging that iRacing still maintains an advantage in this area.

The Complexity of Real Tires

Not All Tires Are Equal

A fundamental aspect Perel emphasizes is the variety of tires used in real motorsport. Throughout his career, he has driven on Goodyear, Pirelli, Yokohama, and different versions of Michelin, each with drastically different characteristics.

Yokohama at Nürburgring: "Had so much grip that it felt like we'd jumped into a sim and turned the grip setting up to like 1.5x. It felt like a hack."

Goodyear: "Is a kind of tire which is really good when you just give it one input. It's not great at combined entry."

Pirelli: "Much more neutral. It has a peak when you try and attack on the first two laps and then it has this progressive drop off."

This variety makes the question "which simulator is more realistic?" even more complex, as it depends on which tire you're trying to replicate.

The Final Verdict

A Constructive Draw

Perel refuses to declare a definitive winner, and for good reasons. Both simulators have made significant progress that has increased both fun and realism.

The data speaks clearly:

• iRacing: More people are driving GT3s after the update, as Delta data shows
• LMU: Steam charts show a surge in popularity after the release of version 1.0

The Future of Sim Racing

Perel's conclusion is optimistic but realistic: "Too often, sims feel too difficult compared to real life. If you lose the rear, you're going to snap into a spin. iRacing used to be really bad with that, and the previous time model in LMU was way too punishing."

The driver will continue working with LMU and AC Evo developers, and is open to collaborating with iRacing if they reach out. His goal is clear: "I am here for sim racing. I want to see sim racing as a whole get better, and it's going to be a benefit to all of us if these sims are more realistic."

Conclusions

Perel's analysis offers valuable perspective in the debate about realism in simulators. Instead of seeking a "winner," it highlights how both platforms are making significant progress toward the common goal: creating a virtual driving experience that captures the essence and emotion of real motorsport.

The message is clear: the future of sim racing lies not in competition between platforms, but in collaboration and continuous improvement based on feedback from those who truly know the difference between virtual and real. And with professionals like Perel actively contributing to development, that future looks more promising than ever.