More knowledge of irl motorsports = pickier needs for most enjoyment

This really became apparent to me once I started installing the livery packs that became available for the different Formula cars on RD.

It's amazing to me how having authentic liveries and drivers and helmets just elevates the immersion and enjoyment factor of racing these cars. Authentic, time accurate tracks also add to this. I've found that if I'm racing 90s Formula 1 cars, racing on a period correct 90s Silverstone with the bridge sector is more fun than racing at modern Silverstone.

And then something hit me when racing the 60s, 70s and 80s formula cars. Because I wasn't familiar with the actual car designs, but I was familiar with some of the real-life liveries, it was acceptable to put the liveries on the cars. But once I learned a little more about the cars of the era, all of a sudden, not having the actual physical car, knowing that's not an v16 car on the back of that particular Formula car, it bums out the immersion.

So now I actually try to not learn too much about some series because I don't want to notice how that one car in that livery shouldn't be dominating this one race. Or I don't want to know that this one driver has the wrong helmet. For instance, driving GT1s with fictional liveries, or with the wrong cars leading, is unbearable! So I must have only the real life liveries show up in the race - or else it's kinda ruined! To the point where seeing custom liveries on historical cars in multiplayer settings - I almost feel like it's disrespectful, almost!

Or, I'm somewhat familiar with modern day IMSA and WEC, and I see there's a modern WEC livery pack for the DPi class - but because I know that those are actually Cadillac DPis and not a LMH Hypercar, it just looks wrong and I can't get into it! But I don't have a problem with assigning random IMSA liveries to the DPis because I'm not too, too familiar with the series, I'm okay if the livery actually went on a Mazda or an Acura, because I just don't know any better. So I know it's probably not 100% accurate, but I've seen the livery before in IMSA, so it makes it okay!

Similarly with the tracks - I don't want to know if this specific chicane profile existed before or after this specific year of car raced on this track. Just the general knowledge is fine so I'll stay ignorant on purpose because ignorance is bliss! But if I do find out by reading the wikipedia article on the track, and I find out the car I'm racing wouldn't have had to deal with this chicane, then it's like a bummer!

It's funny and sad.

Anyone else experience something like this?

 

I like knowledge and my ignorance for these details