So I cut the pit line, I didn't win time with this, but it's a dangerous behavior so I'm OK with a penalty But penalty displayed in game was 30 seconds, this is huge, and in real time it's closer to 1 minute. In the video I stopped race after around 35 real seconds of penalty, but the countdown was not yet finished, I don't remember exactly but there was around 10 seconds left, that will take more in real time (total penalty was probably around 50 real seconds). Does a so huge penalty is really expected in this case where I didn't win time with the cut? EDIT: I forgot that SDP starts when you accelerate after a brake, so it removes 5-6 seconds to what I wrote above.
The time you are shown is the time you gained. To pay it back you need to lose that amount of time. So if you gained 10 seconds you need to lose 10 seconds. To lose those seconds you need to slow down. At full stop you lose 1 second per 1 second. When you keep moving, we compare your speed to an estimated speed and then limit you to 80% of that, at which you lose 0.2 seconds per 1 second. So to sum it up, you're shown time you need to pay back. Since you're moving, paying it back takes longer. About five times longer if you're at the capped 80% speed. (2 seconds takes 10 seconds to pay back, for example.) As for why you got 30 seconds... Well, that might be a bug?
Thanks for explaining the details Kitsune. Is it possible that the cut detection considered I drove from pit lane to track? That could explain the huge penalty.
Did some testing and I couldn't get 30, but around 15-20 at least. I have some ideas on why, not sure if there is an easy fix though. Easiest fix is to not cut though.
I've had this cut before in a race, was very frustrating and actually got a drive through for it. I soon rage quit
Is this something new? a year or two ago, I brought this same issue up (10 second penalty turned into 20 seconds - I think. I had supplied a video). I found that if I was slowing down for a corner, the timer did not count down. But if I slowed down on a straight, the timer started. AND I had to be on the brake. If I was on the throttle, even though I was decelerating and going way slower than the other cars, the timer did not count down. * a side note, I got rear ended by the AI cars everytime I got a slow down penalty.
It's not a perfect system, clearly. Especially in corners. It's looking at an estimated speed to compare to. In corners, that speed is obviously lower than on straights. That's usually why the count down stops in corners, you're going faster than the 80% of your estimated speed. Just turn them off in options mate.