Since the beginning of September, rally gaming fans have found a new home in WRC 9. The racing simulation demands absolutely everything from drivers because driving errors are mercilessly punished. With our WRC 9 tips, we will get you fit for the stages of Monte Carlo, Sweden or Germany.
The racing simulation WRC 9 is finally here and after our extensive testing, it is nothing less than the biggest racing surprise of the year. Here are 7 WRC 9 tips to help you get started in the virtual rally world.
1. Start With the Challenges
Before you hit the track in WRC 9, you should first visit the Challenge Mode in the main menu. Here, you won't be going straight to the hard stages, instead you will be introduced to the basic gameplay via short events.
2. Start in the Junior WRC Class
Practiced enough? Then the extensive career mode is your next stop. At the beginning, you can choose between two car classes: WRC 3 and the Junior WRC. The WRC 3 class is driven with R5 cars, the slowest car class in the World Rally Championship.
Even more beginner-friendly are the racing cars of the Junior WRC class. Start with the junior class and then slowly work your way up the career ladder.
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3. Listen to the Co-Driver
Always at your side in rally racing is the co-driver. During a stage, they provide important information about the course and its route. But it's not so easy for beginners to understand what they mean. To a newcomer what does "five right in two left, close, through depression, brake sharply and one left" sound like?
Here is a Short Overview:
One to six indicates the sharpness of the next curve. One is a very sharp curve for which you have to brake hard. Six, on the other hand, is a slight bend in which you hardly or not at all need to take your foot off the gas. The number does not indicate which gear you should drive - this is a common misconception.
Close: The curve becomes tighter towards the end.
Open up: The curve opens at its apex; you can accelerate again earlier.
Do not cut: There is an obstacle inside the curve, such as a rock, bales of hay or a crash barrier. If you shorten the curve, you risk crashing.
Keep inside: When driving through the curve, there are dangers or obstacles on the outside (steep slopes, ditches, crash barriers and similar objects)
Over hilltop: The route leads over a small hill. Be careful, because you might not be able to see exactly what happens next.
Thirty to two hundred: This number at the end of the co-driver's announcement reveals that a straight line (thirty to two hundred meters long) follows the bend.
(Narrow) Hairpin: The tightest corners that await you in WRC 9. Here we recommend you use the handbrake, to drift around the corner.
4. Which Upgrades Are Worthwhile
In the career mode, WRC 9 uses a research and development tree as you may have already seen in from F1 2020. For completed rallies and events you will earn research points that you can invest in upgrades in four different talent trees.
First, focus on the reliability tree (blue, bottom right) - this will help you minimize damage and repair times of your car. After that, you can distribute the points freely. The Performance (red, top right) and Crew (yellow, bottom left) trees make the most sense, as you can use them to improve the acceleration or speed of your cars, recruit new crew members or ensure that you gain more experience points in events.
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5. WRC 9 Career: Maintenance, Tests & Recovery
In the WRC 9 Career Mode calendar, you set the next events. Besides the official rally events, there are several other options to choose from.
To make faster progress, the manufacturer test runs are recommended. Here you compete in a car from another manufacturer and if you do well a new cockpit awaits. This makes it possible to move up to a higher category in the current season.
In the course of your career, maintenance events are also important. Here, the goal is to reach a certain point on a stage in a given time (and without co-drivers). If you succeed, you will automatically repair your damaged race car. To achieve 100%, you have to make it to the finish within the time limit - but that sounds more difficult than it actually is.
The recovery between the rallies is also important. Especially for your crew of mechanics, agents, physiotherapists or meteorologists. If a crew member is exhausted, he will not be available for the next event. And to start a stage without mechanics or weather forecasting is not recommend.
6. Concentrate on the Track
The stages in Monte Carlo, Mexico, or Finland invite you to marvel at the scenery. However, you should not get distracted and keep concentrating on the track. WRC 9 punishes every driving mistake mercilessly and if you are not careful, your car will crash hundreds of meters off the track. Leading to long repair times and a possible loss.
7. Experiment With the Cars
What is the fastest WRC 9 car? There is no clear answer to this question. There are three cars in the WRC class: Ford Fiesta, Hyundai i20, and Toyota Yaris. On paper, they are hardly different but, on the track, they do differ in terms of acceleration and handling.
Be sure to test all three cars and find the one that works best for you. What good is a higher speed if you just don't like the handling?
The Toyota Yaris WRC is currently at the top of the leaderboard - regardless of rally or stage. It is perhaps the most beginner-friendly car in the WRC class and offers more precise steering in direct comparison.
The Hyundai i20 WRC is much faster, but due to its size, it is a bit more difficult to maneuver around tight corners.
The Ford Fiesta WRC, on the other hand, marks the golden mean of speed and handling.
With our WRC 9 tips you are ready for your first steps into racing simulation. Rally racing games require a good deal of knowledge of the track and until you have acquired this knowledge, a few hours of play are needed. Until then, it is better to brake a little too hard or to take your foot off the gas a little too much than to risk crashing into the next guardrail by going too fast. Because there is no rewind function to correct driving errors here. in WRC
Read more about racing and esports on EarlyGame. In the F1 2020 Monza Setup Guide we provide you with the perfect settings for the track in Italy.