Real-life Pit Stop Logic: Wing and Brake Duct Adjustments Should Run in Parallel with Refueling

A

Asmodeu

New member
Hello Studio 397 Team,
First of all, thank you for your fantastic work on Le Mans Ultimate. The driving dynamics and multi-class racing environment are incredible.
I would like to submit a feature request regarding the current pit stop logic. In the game, making adjustments to the rear wing angle or modifying the brake duct blanking adds sequential, fixed penalty seconds to the overall pit stop duration.
In real-life FIA WEC Hypercar and LMGT3 regulations, these aerodynamic and thermal adjustments are performed manually by mechanics completely in parallel with other pit activities, such as refueling and tire changes.
Here is how it works in reality:
  1. Rear Wing Adjustments: Mechanics use a click-screw mechanic or quick-turn tool to adjust the flap angle. It takes roughly 2–5 seconds and is done while the fuel hose is connected.
  2. Brake Duct Blanking: Mechanics simply apply or remove rigid blanking plates/tapes on the ducts, taking only a few seconds during tire swaps or driver changes.
According to the FIA WEC Sporting Regulations, refueling takes approximately 25 to 35 seconds depending on the fuel energy allocation, and tire changes take around 10–15 seconds. Because these manual setup adjustments easily fit inside the refueling or tire-change window, they cost exactly 0 seconds of additional lane time in real life. They do not stack sequentially.
Proposed Solution:
Please modify the pit stop timer logic so that wing adjustments and brake duct blanking changes run concurrently with the longest pit stop operation (usually refueling). The extra time should only be added if the car is neither refueling nor changing tires.
Implementing this would fix a major strategic discrepancy, allowing players to adapt to rain or night conditions dynamically—just like real WEC teams do without losing track position.
Thank you for your time and dedication to simulation accuracy!
 
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I think you may have misconstrued the rules. The wing adjustments or brake blanking do require little time, but they cannot be performed while the car is being fueled. Further, only 4 people are allowed over the wall so items like the wing or brakes would have to wait til the tire changes are complete(which were already waiting for the fuel to be finished) A tire tech from the manufacturer can examine the tires and crewmembers can visually inspect the brakes or ducts but neither can touch anything while the fueling is being completed.
They do allow, for safety, a person to assist the driver getting buckled in(often the exiting driver) and someone to clean a windscreen. But all repairs, tire changes, tearoffs, gurney flaps all must wait til the fueling hose has been disconnected.

DUCK AI summary:

Restricted Activities​

All other types of pit work must wait until the refueling is complete. This includes:
  • Tire Changes: Mechanics cannot change tires while the car is being refueled.
  • Mechanical Repairs: Any repairs or adjustments to the car must be postponed until after refueling.
 
From the FIA-WEC rulebook:
12.2.2 Pit stop procedure
[...]
c) Refuelling
During all the sessions and the race, refuelling is authorised at the beginning of a pit stop and exclusively in the stopping area, unless the car has entered the garage for repairs, in which case the refuelling can be done at the end of the pit stop, only in the stopping area.
A refueller can intervene only to put fuel into the car and only when:
- The car is resting on its wheels
- The engine is off
- The car has been grounded
- The deadman valve attendant is in position and operating thevalve
- The fire extinguisher attendant is equipped with an extinguisher
A maximum of four persons, wearing the appropriate armbands, may do the following operations:
- Ground the car
- Manual cleaning of the car
- Visual checks of tyres / brakes under the condition that no bodywork panel and no part of anysort is removed from the car or brought into the working area.
Tools are not allowed during the refuelling phase.
A maximum of two industry representatives and/or technicians, wearing the appropriate armband, are permitted to check the tyres and/or the brakes.
The measurement of tyre temperatures and pressures is allowed in free practices (with manual tools only).
During racing at night, it will be allowed to bring a torch to chec kthe tyres/brakes as long as its use does not put other Competitors in danger.
Only the person(s) mentioned above are authorised in the working area.
Click to expand...
 
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