Interesting discussions here and I'm happy to see a lot of you still deserve attention to it.
Few months ago I explained in detail what, with the new public build (released just a couple of days ago), will be changed in the steering wheel. We are not into a real car and what we feel with the steering wheel is much more important than in real life.
I explained that I didn't change the geometry of chassis/suspensions/steering wheel. The new steering wheel uses the same values of the old one to avoid different behavior and different feeling BUT we have now 2 big differences:
1. a more "direct", more sensible steering wheel vs. tire's lock
2. a different ratio and different tire's lock
Point 1, more or less, addresses to a little different driving style, because you need to rotate the steering wheel a little less (few degrees only) to have the same tire's angle in turning
Point 2, without doubt give you the chance to rotate the steering wheel much more than in the past: max = 540 degrees vs. 360!
I was dubious to apply this value, because of I expected what you are debating Also because I have direct info and confirmations by some GP3 team, that you must never rotate the steering wheel more than 360 degrees, usually max 320 degrees!
Previous builds in fact allowed max 360 degrees, but for realism we have taken the decision to have same values of real life, also because the mod must be used by few GP3 drivers for training. They tested a private build with changes and now the build is public.
A lot of times I also remembered that the driving style is something to take care with the GP3 that are naturally under-steering (also if now the 2018 tires help to reduce it).
And, in fact, to the above points we have to add a third one: the new CPM in use ONLY with the 2018 cars. In details I'm not the entitled people to explain what exactly changes, but the feeling in driving the car is a little different and for sure better than the previous ones.
In conclusion, what I think about the 2018 series that some of you noticed, mainly depends of the fact you can rotate the steering wheel more than before, giving more angle to the tires, with the result that front tires are forced to sliding too much. Keep in mind that a lot of racing cars of minor classes used to stop the rotation of the steering wheel exactly to avoid driver can rotate it too much! In the GP3 it is forbidden BUT one of the MUST DO for drivers is to stop at 320/360 degrees. I'm not saying new tire aren't the reason for what you wrote... but I think not important like what I explained.
It is not a case if in the description of the steering wheel options in the tuning (that usually nobody reads) I added the following sentence: PLEASE NOTE GP3 drivers do not use more than 320° - 360° to avoid stressing tires!
If you have time and wish you can do 3 tests and comparisons:
- lock rotation of the steering wheel device to 360 and do not allow the mod to manage the steering wheel rotation into the settings of the game. Drive and feel...
- with same max 360, drive a 2018 car and then drive a 2017 car and you will immediately feel the different behavior of cars... and compare
- come back to device to set it as usual (900 or more degrees), then check on the mod option to allow management of the steering wheel degrees in game and repeat a comparison between 2017 and 2018 cars
I'm almost sure that you will feel how much is important the driving style: trying to simulate a driving style of a real racing car in braking, turning, playing with throttle without exceeding in rotating the steering wheel.
