Rest assured that this is intentional and not a bug.
To mitigate this change in car physics/performance, we have re-balanced the difficulty for AI opponents in Duels, Career and Events modes to better suit the adjusted power stat weighting. Additionally, we have adjusted the distance at which slipstream is in effect during races.
- Why this decision?
In Update 28.1, we have adjusted the power stat weighting for all R&D setups to re-balance car performance and resolve extreme high speeds. This choice comes from a desire to have more realistic speeds that do not exceed +400/450 km/h (like they used to be) and which do not correspond to the speed of real-life Formula One cars.
The difference in speed before versus after the update is more noticeable if you had a high power stat value in your R&D setups.
- Why did you reset the Track Records?
Since everyone's car performance has been reduced, we have reset all the lap records that appeared on your profile so you can register new track records with the new car physics/performance.
- Additional information
Please keep in mind that this change in speed affects all the players and shouldn't make your car less competitive in Duels.
- Where can I find the release notes of Update 28.1?