The Long Run Analysis plugin provides detailed insights into the sustained performance of every car throughout extended runs in your selected session. This tool is particularly valuable for analyzing consistency, tire degradation patterns, and relative pace across different stint lengths, making it an essential component for race strategy analysis and performance evaluation.
How the Plugin Works
The Long Run Analysis plugin visualizes lap data using a coordinate system that displays each car's performance progression from left to right across their driven laps compared to a imagined referenced car, which is constantly running on the 0-axis. The visual representation uses distinct line colors and line-styles based on your preference settings.
Coordinate System:
- Y-axis: Represents gap in seconds (faster or slower relative to reference)
- X-axis: Represents the laps in the stint
- Line positioning: The fastest car appears as the highest line, while the slowest car appears as the lowest line in the coordinate system
Configuration Options
The plugin features three primary configuration parameters located at the top of the interface that allow you to customize the analysis scope and display criteria:
Minimum Stint Length
- Default setting: 5 laps
- Function: Controls which runs are included in the analysis based on their stint length
- Increasing the value: Filters to show only runs of the specified length or longer
- Decreasing the value: Includes runs with shorter stint lengths in the analysis
Maximum Lap Time Deviation
- Default setting: 1.0 seconds
- Function: Defines the acceptable lap time variation window for data inclusion, lap times that have a higher deviation than this setting will be replaced by the median lap time of that stint
Note: This parameter helps filter out outlier laps caused by incidents, traffic, or pit stops, providing cleaner data visualization.
Reference Lap Time
The reference lap time setting offers two operational modes:
- Enabled (checkbox ticked): Allows manual input of a custom reference lap time that serves as the "0" baseline on the Y-axis
- Disabled (checkbox unticked): Automatically uses the session median lap time as the reference baseline
Tip: Using a custom reference lap time is particularly useful when comparing performance against a specific target.
Interactive Controls
The Long Run Analysis plugin provides several interactive features for enhanced data exploration and customization.
Right-Click Menu Options
Right-clicking anywhere within the coordinate system reveals the following display options:
- Dark Background: Toggle between dark and white background themes for optimal viewing preferences
- Show Legend: Displays or hides the legend showing all car identifiers at the top of the coordinate system
Left-Click Data Access
Left-clicking on any car's performance line provides instant access to detailed information:
- TLA: Three-letter abbreviation identifying the driver/car
- Stint: The specific stint number for the selected data point
- Lap: The exact lap number within that stint
- Offset: Time difference in seconds compared to the reference time
Tip: This click-to-reveal functionality allows for quick identification of specific performance points without cluttering the visual display.
Practical Applications
The Long Run Analysis plugin serves multiple analytical purposes:
- Tire degradation analysis: Observe how lap times deteriorate over stint length
- Consistency comparison: Compare driver performance stability across extended runs
- Race strategy evaluation: Analyze optimal stint lengths and pit window timing
- Performance benchmarking: Identify the most competitive cars over sustained distances
Note: This plugin is compatible with all session types, making it valuable for both practice session analysis and post-race performance evaluation.