How to drive faster in The Crew Motorfest

Even though The Crew Motorfest has pushed its handling model closer to racing-sim level, it is still an arcade video game. Therefore, there are certain rules that only apply to this game world and work nothing like that in reality. By identifying how this system works, we may be able to exploit it and become faster drivers.

Best driving techniques for The Crew Motorfest

After playing for a while I realized there are some implicit rules the game doesn't tell you about, which will be essential if you want to learn the best driving techniques for The Crew Motorfest.

• The first: there is a momentum penalty whenever you hit an object or you go off-road. Since vehicles don't suffer damage, it might seem like a good option to send it flat out into a corner and dive bomb against a wall, but in truth, most of the speed will be lost; starting to accelerate again will result in a much bigger loss of time than if we took the corner properly.
• The second one: countersteering also breaks momentum and results in a loss of speed. This is the main reason why Oversteery builds are slower than Understeery ones (contrary to real life where four-wheel-controlled-drifts can be faster).

The Crew Motorfest Advanced tips and tricks

Related: Best controller settings for The Crew Motorfest

Drive manual

Choosing a manual or sequential gear will give you a pace advantage over anyone with automatic shifts. This is because you can shift faster than the computer (you also have more control over what gear you are at, how much engine brake you want to use, and where and when you combine your gears with the nitro).

Traction Control

As much as it pains me to say it, traction control on Sport is faster; this comes into play mostly on the race starts, as it minimizes wheelspin. I have tested this a lot, and even with perfect gear shifts, I tend to lose a couple of seconds at the start of a race just by not having this assist on.

Use the whole track

You may have heard the phrase before. What it means is the optimal way to traverse the track is by opening up every turn, cutting towards the apex, and opening up again on the exit. I try to use the map to look ahead so I can position the car always on the outside of a curve and chain corners.

Choose your line before a jump

There is no benefit in going full speed and prioritizing the nitro before a jump if your car isn't straight and balanced. It is preferable to jump less and land flat than to fly far and off the road, or land on two wheels and lose time by countersteering.

Brake early

Because of the heavy handling model of most cars in The Crew Motorfest, I find benefit in braking early, turning early towards the apex, and doing a "Slow in-Fast out" approach.

Use your Nitro properly

If you noticed your nitro bar switches from teal to red once you are in the bottom half, there is a reason for that: while it is on the top half, it recharges faster and is more powerful. Therefore, try not to use all your N02 and only press it when you are above half.

Get a boost out of the corners

This wouldn't be possible in real life, but in The Crew Motorfest, you can use your nitro to get some traction on your wheels and stop a slide. A gentle boost can be enough to stop oversteering and get your car moving forward.

Related: The Crew Motorfest Codes (September 2023)

What is the Gutter Technique?

The Gutter technique is named after Rudolph Caracciola, a German driver from the 1930s who hooked his inner tires to the drainage of a corner in the Nurburgring circuit. The drainage ditch on the inside of the curb held the inner face of his tires and stopped his car from understeering, effectively acting as a rail. The technique has been popularized and tried by many drivers to this day, following the principle that the gutter counteracts the centrifugal force of the vehicle and allows it to turn beyond the grip of its tires.

The Crew Motorfest has a simulation model that allows for the use of the Gutter Technique. To use it, place two of your tires outside of the road (on the inner side of a corner), where the tarmac ends and there is a dip in the terrain. You can either hook the tires in the gutter when the corner begins, which will give you a fast entry speed and a slower exit, or you can hook them after you touch the apex which will require a lower entry speed but allow for a faster exit.

How to control understeer

We have already established that as a general rule, understeery cars are faster in The Crew Motorfest. The best way to manage a car that understeers is to brake early and if you still feel it isn't turning enough, ease off the steering angle (that means straighten back up) and turn again. This may restore the grip on the front tires. Another thing that can help is to ease off the throttle on corner exit— this will slow you down but also transfer the weight of the body back to the front and give the front tires a little more downforce.

For more information on The Crew Motorfest, check out The Crew Motorfest – Beginner tips & tricks on Pro Game Guides.