Driver Skills & XP
Skill System
Each driver has three core skills that
always sum to 100:
| Skill | Effect |
|---|
| Pace | Direct speed bonus (up to 3% faster in clean air). Affects fast-corner, straight-line, and traction setup errors. Increases tyre wear (up to +30%) - pushing harder costs tyre life. |
| Racecraft | Reduces slow-corner setup error (suspension/brakes). Reduces tyre wear (up to -60%). Affects overtaking attack and defence. |
| Technical | Narrows the suggested setup range, reduces setup fine-tuning penalty (up to 25%), reduces lap time variance, reduces weather penalty in rain, reduces mechanical failure chance, improves race starts. Slightly reduces tyre wear (up to -10%) from smoother inputs. |
Effective Skill
A driver's actual performance depends on their
effective skill, which combines their level with their natural talent percentage:
effectiveSkill = level x (skillValue / 100)
For example, a Level 10 driver with Pace 50 has effectivePace = 10 x 0.50 = 5.0. If that same driver levels up to 11, their effectivePace becomes 11 x 0.50 = 5.5. This means both the level and the skill percentage matter. A Level 8 driver with Pace 70 (effective 5.6) can outperform a Level 10 driver with Pace 50 (effective 5.0).
XP & Leveling
Drivers earn Experience Points (XP) by participating in race weekends. The more they do, the faster they level up:
| Activity | XP |
|---|
| ---------- | ----- |
| Practice lap (per lap, max 5 per round) | 2 |
| Set a qualifying time | 5 |
| Started a race (on grid) | 1 + effectiveTechnical (capped at 5) |
| Finished a race (not DNF) | 4 |
| Overtake (per pass) | 2 |
| Fastest lap | 5 |
| Crash (participation) | 2 |
| Full season bonus (all 12 rounds) | 20 |
Level-Up Formula
The XP needed to go from one level to the next increases steadily. The formula is:
xpNeeded(N) = 50 + (N - 1) x 30
This means going from Level 1 to 2 costs 50 XP, from Level 2 to 3 costs 80 XP, and so on. Each level costs 30 more XP than the previous one.
| Level | XP Required | Cumulative |
|---|
| 1 to 2 | 50 | 50 |
| 2 to 3 | 80 | 130 |
| 3 to 4 | 110 | 240 |
| 4 to 5 | 140 | 380 |
| 5 to 6 | 170 | 550 |
| 6 to 7 | 200 | 750 |
| 7 to 8 | 230 | 980 |
| 8 to 9 | 260 | 1,240 |
| 9 to 10 | 290 | 1,530 |
| 10 to 15 | 320-440 each | 3,430 total |
Level cap is 15. If a driver earns more XP than needed to level up, the leftover carries over to the next level. Reaching Level 10 requires about 1,530 total XP, which takes most of a season with good attendance. Level 15 requires 3,430 total XP and is genuinely exceptional.
Career Arc
A driver's age (0-10) determines their starting level:
- Age 0-1: Rookie (L1-2)
- Age 2-3: Developing (L2-4)
- Age 4-6: Solid prospect (L4-6)
- Age 7-8: Prime-age (L5-8)
- Age 9-10: Veteran (L7-9)
Ageing
At the end of each season, a driver will go through an ageing process. Their age will increment by 1, and this may bring a level up or a level down depending on where they are within their careers. Table TBC.
Skill percentages are
locked at creation - only the level increases. This means a driver's natural talent profile stays the same for life.