The ACC HUD throws a lot of numbers at you. You need about five of them while you drive. The rest is for the straights, the pit lane and the replay.
Here is what each widget does, which ones I would keep on and when to look at them.
The widgets
You switch each widget on or off in Options, on the HUD page.
| Widget | What it shows | Keep it on? |
|---|---|---|
| Car and electronics | Gear, speed, revs, TC, ABS, brake bias, engine map, fuel, lights and wipers | Yes |
| Tyres | Pressure for each tyre in psi, with colours for tyre and brake temperature | Yes |
| Lap timing | Current lap, last lap, best lap and the delta to your best | Yes |
| Radar | Cars close to you, beside and behind | Yes, always in a race |
| Real time gaps | The cars just ahead of you and just behind on track, with the gap | Yes in a race |
| Standings | The full order of the session | Qualifying yes. In a race the MFD page is enough |
| Track map | The circuit with every car as a dot | Useful in qualifying to find a gap |
| Weather | Conditions now and the forecast for 10 and 30 minutes | Yes when the weather can change |
| Race info | Position, session time, flags, penalties and the pit window | Yes |
| MFD | Pit strategy, standings, gaps and electronics pages | Yes. You need it for pit stops |
| Virtual mirror | A rear view at the top of the screen | On a single screen, yes |
More is not better. Every widget you add is one more thing pulling your eyes off the track.
The tyre widget
This is the one to learn first. It shows the four tyres with the pressure of each in psi, and it colours the tyres and the brakes by temperature.
| Colour | Tyre | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | Cold. Low grip, nervous car | Build temperature over a lap or two. Check the pressures are not too low |
| Green | In the window | Nothing. This is the target |
| Yellow to red | Too hot. Grip is going away | Slide less. Lower the pressures or open the brake ducts at the next stop |
Two numbers to keep in your head: 26.0 to 27.0 psi hot on slicks, and 30.0 to 31.0 psi on wets. If the widget shows 28.5 on the rears after three laps, your cold pressures are too high and the car will slide. The method to fix it is in the ACC tyre pressure guide.
The widget tells you what is happening now. For the full picture after a run, with temperatures across the tread, use the setup screen or MoTeC. All of that sits inside the ACC setup guide.
The delta
The delta compares the lap you are on with your best lap of the session. Green and negative means you are ahead of it. Red and positive means you are behind.
It is the best practice tool in the game. Change one thing in one corner, a later brake point or a different line, and the delta tells you within seconds if it worked.
One warning. Do not chase it in a race. A driver staring at a red delta overdrives the next corner and makes it worse.
The radar
The radar shows the cars close to you, beside and behind. It is there for the moments when a car sits in the blind spot of your mirrors.
Keep it on in every race, and glance at it. Do not study it. It tells you one thing: is there a car next to me, yes or no. If yes, leave a car width.
The MFD
MFD means multi function display. It is the small panel with several pages, and it is the only widget you work with while driving.
| MFD page | What you do there |
|---|---|
| Pit strategy | Set fuel, tyre set, compound, pressures and the next driver before you pit |
| Standings | See the order and the gaps without a second widget |
| Real time | See who is around you on track, including lapped cars |
| Electronics | Check TC, ABS, brake bias and engine map |
Press Insert to open it and to go to the next page. The arrow keys move inside a page and change the values. Put those on wheel buttons if you can. The full key list is in ACC keyboard shortcuts.
Set the pit strategy page on a straight, a lap or two before you come in. Not in the pit entry. How the stop itself works is in the ACC pit stop guide.
The weather widget
It shows the conditions now and the forecast for 10 and 30 minutes ahead. In a dry sprint you can forget it. In anything longer, it decides your tyre call. I go through how to read it in the ACC weather guide.
When to look
In a real car you check the dash on the straight. Same here. From the brake point to the exit your eyes are on the track, on the apex and then on the exit kerb.
On the main straight, go through it in the same order every lap: tyres, fuel, gap behind. It takes two seconds and it becomes a habit.
Hiding, cycling and moving the HUD
- F2 cycles the whole HUD through its modes, including one with everything hidden.
- Insert cycles the MFD only.
- Options, HUD is where you switch single widgets on and off.
You cannot drag the widgets wherever you want. ACC gives you limited control over the layout, and that is a common complaint on triple screens, where the HUD ends up far from the centre.
If you want full control on PC, the usual answer is an overlay app. SimHub and Race Element are the two names you will see most. They draw their own widgets over the game, and you place them where you like. I would only go there once the standard HUD is holding you back.
The layout I would run
Practice and qualifying: car widget, tyres, lap timing with delta, track map. Nothing else. You are working on the lap.
Race: car widget, tyres, radar, real time gaps, race info, MFD. Add the weather widget when the weather can change. Standings off, because the MFD has a page for it.
Endurance: the race layout, with the weather widget always on.
FAQ
How do I hide the HUD in ACC?
Press F2. It cycles through the HUD modes, and one of them hides everything.
How do I change HUD settings in ACC?
Go to Options and open the HUD page. You can switch each widget on or off there.
Can I move the HUD in ACC?
Only in a limited way. You cannot drag each widget freely. On PC, overlay apps such as SimHub or Race Element let you place your own widgets.
What do the tyre colours mean on the ACC HUD?
Blue is cold, green is the working window and red is too hot. The number on each tyre is the pressure in psi.
What is the MFD in ACC?
The multi function display. It has pages for pit strategy, standings, real time gaps and electronics. Insert cycles the pages.
What does the delta show in ACC?
The time difference between your current lap and your best lap of the session, updated as you drive.
Which HUD widgets should I turn off in ACC?
In a race I would turn off the standings and the track map. Keep the car widget, tyres, radar, gaps and the MFD.