Assetto Corsa Competizione is Kunos Simulazioni's officially licensed GT World Challenge sim, built in Unreal Engine 4 and narrowed deliberately to GT racing rather than the open car buffet of the original Assetto Corsa. It carries more than thirty GT3 cars under Balance of Performance, eleven GT4 cars, six GT2 cars, the GTC single make racers and the BMW M2 CS Racing in TCX, across 24 laser scanned circuits. The endurance calendar matters here too, with the Spa 24 Hours and the 24H Nurburgring as full events rather than set dressing.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best builds, equipment worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Balance of Performance
Every GT3 car runs under BoP, so a Ferrari 296 GT3 and a Porsche 992 GT3 R are pegged to similar pace by weight and power adjustments. Car choice becomes a question of driving style and track suitability rather than raw speed.
Tyre pressure window
Dry GT3 tyres want roughly 27.5 psi hot, and you set cold pressures in the garage knowing they will climb with heat and load. Outside the window the contact patch deforms and lap time disappears whatever else the setup is doing.
TC and ABS driving aids
Traction control and ABS are real systems on these cars, not arcade assists, and you change them from the wheel mid stint. Higher TC costs exit speed, lower TC costs you the car when the tyres go off.
Track grip evolution
Circuits start green and rubber in over a session, so the same setup and the same driver will find several tenths between the first practice run and qualifying. Weather, ambient temperature and track temperature all shift the grip level again.
Safety Rating and ranked servers
ACC tracks Safety Rating alongside Racecraft, Consistency, Car Control, Track Competence and Pace. Competition servers require a Safety Rating of at least 70, which is earned by clean laps rather than fast ones.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our Assetto Corsa Competizione combat guide.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| GT3 | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| GT4 | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| GT2 | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| GTC | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| TCX | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our Assetto Corsa Competizione builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Aero and wing angle | Rear wing angle trades straight line speed for corner grip and shifts the aero balance forward or back. | Matching the car to a track's ratio of straights to fast corners |
| Damper settings | Bump and rebound on both fast and slow damper channels control how the car settles over kerbs and how quickly weight transfers under braking. | Kerb heavy circuits and fixing a car that skates over bumps |
| Tyre pressures | Cold pressures are what you set, hot pressures are what matters, and the dry GT3 window sits around 27. | The first thing to fix on any setup, before touching anything else |
| Brake bias | Moving bias forward stabilises the car under heavy braking and moving it back helps rotation. | Curing entry understeer or a rear end that steps out under braking |
| TC and ABS levels | Both run on numbered scales you can change while driving. | Managing tyre degradation across a long stint and driving in the wet |
Aero and wing angle: Rear wing angle trades straight line speed for corner grip and shifts the aero balance forward or back. Monza wants the wing down, Zandvoort and Brands Hatch want it up.
Damper settings: Bump and rebound on both fast and slow damper channels control how the car settles over kerbs and how quickly weight transfers under braking.
Tyre pressures: Cold pressures are what you set, hot pressures are what matters, and the dry GT3 window sits around 27.5 psi. Ambient and track temperature move the required cold value every session.
Brake bias: Moving bias forward stabilises the car under heavy braking and moving it back helps rotation. It is adjustable from the wheel, so it can change corner to corner.
TC and ABS levels: Both run on numbered scales you can change while driving. Raising TC late in a stint keeps a car with dead tyres pointing forwards instead of into the wall.
Full breakdowns in our Assetto Corsa Competizione weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Spa Francorchamps | All | Commitment through fast corners, elevation reading, endurance pace |
| Monza | All | Braking technique, slipstream racing, low drag setup practice |
| Nurburgring | Intermediate | Traction out of slow corners, chicane discipline, 24 hour event access |
| Brands Hatch | Intermediate | Blind apex confidence, elevation change, close British GT racing |
| Zandvoort | Advanced | Banking technique, overtaking under pressure, high downforce setup work |
Spa Francorchamps: Seven kilometres through the Ardennes forest with Eau Rouge and Raidillon at its heart, and the venue for the Spa 24 Hours. A GT3 lap sits around 2:17.
Monza: The lowest downforce circuit in the game, defined by the Variante del Rettifilo, the two Lesmos, Ascari and the long run to Parabolica. A GT3 lap is around 1:47.
Nurburgring: The Grand Prix circuit, roughly 1:54 in a GT3 car, running from the Mercedes Arena through the Schumacher S to the Coca Cola Kurve. The separate 24H layout adds the Nordschleife for the full endurance event.
Brands Hatch: The Grand Prix loop is under four kilometres and around 1:24 in GT3, opening with the blind drop into Paddock Hill Bend and the climb to Druids.
Zandvoort: Tight, banked and unforgiving, with the Hugenholtz banking and the banked Arie Luyendyk final corner feeding onto the pit straight. A GT3 lap is around 1:35.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Fix tyre pressures before touching anything else in the setup, because a dry GT3 tyre outside the 27.5 psi hot window will hide every other change you make.
- Set cold pressures with the session temperature in mind, since a cool morning practice and a hot afternoon race need different starting values to land in the same window.
- Remember that Balance of Performance pegs the GT3 field together, so pick the car whose front end and braking stability suit you rather than hunting the fastest chassis.
- Run enough practice laps for the track to rubber in before judging a setup, because a green circuit can hide several tenths of real pace.
- Move brake bias forward if the rear steps out on entry and backward if the car refuses to rotate, and use the wheel controls rather than returning to the garage.
- Raise traction control in the last third of a stint. Worn tyres spin up far earlier, and one extra TC step is cheaper than a spin at the exit of a slow corner.
- Learn Monza with the wing wound down and Zandvoort with it wound up, since those two circuits sit at opposite ends of the downforce range.
- Build Safety Rating deliberately by running clean laps in public lobbies, because Competition servers gate entry at Safety Rating 70 regardless of how quick you are.
- Start in GT4 if you are new to GT racing. Eleven cars with less downforce give you time to feel a slide developing instead of arriving already sideways.
- In the wet, drop to a lower engine map, raise TC and ABS, and brake far earlier than the dry markers suggest, because aquaplaning arrives without warning at Spa.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Downloading a fast setup and driving it without adjusting cold tyre pressures for the session temperature, which puts the tyres outside the working window.
- Chasing a supposedly faster GT3 car when Balance of Performance means the difference between the Ferrari 296 GT3 and the BMW M4 GT3 is driving style, not lap time.
- Turning traction control down to zero for a faster single lap and then destroying the tyres before half distance in a race.
- Judging a setup on the first three laps of a green track, before the circuit has rubbered in enough to show what the car actually does.
- Jumping into Competition servers without the Safety Rating to be there, which produces contact, penalties and a rating that falls further.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Competizione different from the original Assetto Corsa?
Competizione is the licensed GT World Challenge sim built in Unreal Engine 4, limited to GT3, GT4, GT2, GTC and TCX cars on 24 laser scanned circuits. The original Assetto Corsa covers everything from road cars to open wheelers and has a far larger modding scene.
Which car class should a beginner start in?
GT4. With eleven cars including the Alpine A110 GT4 and the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, and much less downforce than GT3, mistakes develop slowly enough to correct.
What tyre pressure should I run?
Around 27.5 psi hot on dry GT3 tyres. You set cold pressures in the garage, and how much they rise depends on ambient temperature, track temperature and how hard you are pushing.
What Safety Rating do I need to race ranked?
Competition servers require a Safety Rating of at least 70. It is built from clean, incident free laps rather than fast ones, so patience in public lobbies is the route in.
Do I need a wheel to play?
A controller works, but the game is built around the feedback a wheel gives you through the tyre model. Reading the point where grip starts to slip is much harder without it.
More Assetto Corsa Competizione Guides
- Assetto Corsa Competizione Best Builds
- Assetto Corsa Competizione Tier List
- Assetto Corsa Competizione Walkthrough
- Assetto Corsa Competizione Beginner's Guide
- Assetto Corsa Competizione Tips & Tricks
- Assetto Corsa Competizione Weapons Guide
- Assetto Corsa Competizione Combat Guide
- Assetto Corsa Competizione Boss Guide
- Assetto Corsa Competizione Maps & Locations
- Assetto Corsa Competizione Crafting Guide
- Assetto Corsa Competizione Classes & Characters
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