Update day!
Zandvoort has been a very busy place in recent weeks, having not so long ago hosted a certain rather popular victory for home hero Max Verstappen in Formula One, in what was universally heralded as a triumphant return of Grand Prix racing at the Dutch venue.
Ahead of the big race, we were keen to get our substantial new 2021 update out into the public domain for you all to have the opportunity to experience this track for yourselves, and we must admit we have been very happy to note the exceptionally positive reaction the track update has generated. However, with Formula One heading into town since we closed initial development, Zandvoort have introduced a few important changes to the overall look and feel of the circuit – something that we have addressed in this new build to ensure we have the latest version of the track available within rFactor 2.
In this new build, our track development team have taken the opportunity to mirror the Formula One specific changes introduced for the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix. From a driving perspective, the new V2.58 release adopts the DRS placements introduced just ahead of the race, with the start of the DRS Activation Zone having now moved from before the mighty banked final turn, to several meters into the short start and finish straight on the run down into the Tarzan hairpin.
Other changes brought about for the long awaited return of Formula One include the placement of the pit exit speed limit, with drivers now able to disengage the limiter at the first set of lights immediately after the last garage, rather than the more traditional point at the very end of pit road. This means drivers can now get back on the power earlier, but have to navigate the tricky right-hand turn at the end of the pit lane, before joining the track before the kink left on the approach to Gerlachbocht.
Of course, one of the most requested updates to be introduced in this new build has to be the addition of curb colour changes the circuit brought to the track in the days leading up to the Grand Prix. Cementing the corporate identify of the Zandvoort Circuit, many of the trackside curbs received a fresh lick of red, white and grey non-slip paint – a small change, but one that has really helped to make the circuit stand out against some of the more bland looking venues on the Formula One schedule. For this new build, our track team have gone round the virtual track and updated all the areas where the new colour scheme applies, so make sure to check out the various curbs and the strip of colour on the outside of T3 for some new Zandvoort themed branding!
Speaking of Turn 3, thanks to Fernando Alonso, a much higher line into and out of the corner became favoured by Grand Prix drivers over the course of the weekend, and alongside various other AI tweaks and block path improvements, this new optimal line has also been introduced into our latest build update – so expect to be really, really sure you can pass the AI on the inside, only to have them drive right around you on corner exit!
You can check out the full list of what is new and improved in the update notes below –
Zandvoort V2.58 Update Notes:
- Updated Curb and Run off colours
- Corrected Pit Exit location
- Updated DRS Zones
- AI Fixes:
- Adjusted T3 Lines
- Reduced chance of touching curbs at T5
- Improved Block Paths
- Fixed AI error on start finish straight
- Added missing brake markers
- Added missing road lines on GP circuit cut through
- Fixed some assets which were sinking into the terrain or floating over the terrain
- Fixed an issue where roads would not reflect over the start finish line
- Fixed Pit Object groupings so fixtures only rendered when a car is present
- Fixed missing wheels on Food Trucks
- Some minor optimization fixes
These changes have been developed in order to maintain our desire to host the most realistic and up-to-date version of the circuit as possible in rFactor 2, and as a free premium track we very much hope you enjoy this new build, and we look forward to seeing you all out on the virtual tarmac in the coming weeks and months!