How to Play Race! Formula 90: Expansion #1 – RF90 Series Championship

Objective of the Game

The RF90 Series Championship allows players to engage in a full motorsport racing season consisting of multiple races. Players can compete as individual drivers or as part of a team, or both. The goal is for racing drivers and teams to earn Championship points based on their finishing positions in each race. After all races are completed, the driver and team with the most Championship points are crowned the RF90 Series Champion!

Preparation (Setup)

RF90 Series Director

One player is selected as the RF90 Series Director. The Director acts as the tournament organizer and referee, enforcing rules and resolving disputes during races.

Championship Structure

• A RF90 Series Championship consists of a minimum of 4 circuits and a maximum of 12 circuits.
• The Director decides which tracks will be used, how many, and in what order. This information must be communicated to all players before the start and recorded in the RF90 Series report, which cannot be changed during the season.
• The same circuit can be raced multiple times.
• The tournament can be played using either the Race! Formula 90 Basic game rules or the Advanced game rules, as decided by the Director.

Team Definition

• Once the tournament calendar is established, players define their teams.
• Teams are always formed from two cars.
• Players can form a team with another human player or pair with a robot teammate. These robot teammates are in addition to any other robots in the game.

Robot Teams

• Robots form three predefined teams: a SUPERFAST team, a FAST team, and a SLOW team.
• The recommended starting number of robot cars in the game is overruled by this three-robot-team configuration.
• Other robot setups are possible, and the Director has the final say on the number and type of robot teams participating in the Series.
• SUPERFAST team (Advanced game only): First driver: Bruno Gourdo, Second driver: Don Matrelli.
• FAST Team: First driver: Travis Daye, Second driver: Cal Tyrone.
• SLOW Team: First driver: Peter Kurtz, Second driver: Vito Giuffrè.

RF90 Series Report

The Director will note the following in the RF90 Series report:

• The name of the players and the composition of the teams.
• The car chart chosen by each player, which cannot be changed during the season.
• The skill selected by each player, which cannot be changed during the season (Advanced Game only).

Robot Teammate Setup

• Each player desiring a robot teammate takes one of the robots of the highest category (a Fast robot in the Basic game or a Superfast robot in the Advanced game) and replaces it with a car miniature of a color associated with their team.
• If no robots of that type are left, the robot teammate will be an additional robot of the highest category participating in the game.
• In qualifying, robot teammates use a randomly drawn qualifying chit of the corresponding robot type (Fast qualifying chit in Basic game, Superfast qualifying chit in Advanced game).
• After establishing the starting grid and before placing refueling chits on the Turn Indicator, replace the qualifying chit with the refueling chit matching the robot teammate car color to identify which robot teammate needs to refuel during the race.

Game Flow

Modular Concept

Race! Formula 90 and its expansions are built on a modular system, allowing for variable levels of game complexity. This expansion introduces two additional tracks, Monaco and SPA Francorchamps, along with rules for team racing and completing a full RF90 Series Championship. These rules can be combined with any of the original modules (Basic or Advanced game).

Teammate Interaction

During movement, players ignore their teammate. You do not spend movement points for overtaking or lapping your teammate, and your teammate does not block you in a braking or corner section, and vice versa. You simply continue your movement as if the teammate car was not there.

Robot Teammate Movement

• Robot teammates follow all rules that apply to robots.
• They do not have a car chart and automatically benefit from trajectory bonuses on the track.
• In the Basic game, a robot teammate has 3 movement points at the beginning of each turn.
• In the Advanced game, a robot teammate has 4 movement points.
• During movement, robot teammates ignore other robots and overtake and lap other cars according to the usual robot overtaking/lapping rules.

Player Support for Robot Teammates

During the teammate robot turn, the associated player may discard one card to help the robot teammate car with one of the following actions:

• DURING THE TEAMMATE ROBOT MOVEMENT: Discard one speeding card (red) to increase the total robot movement by 1 point. Ignore the symbols on the card.
• AT THE END OF THE TEAMMATE ROBOT MOVEMENT: Discard one driving card (green) to force your teammate to attempt a Late Brake or to take an Extreme Trajectory at the end of his turn. Ignore the symbols on the card. The subsequent blind check will always benefit from a +20 bonus. Any subsequent check required along the Off-Track trajectory will not benefit from this bonus.
• WHEN THE TEAMMATE ROBOT SECTION IS ACTIVATED: Discard one gear card (orange) to force your teammate to declare contest against other cars in a corner section with a +3 bonus, or to defend in a contest declared by other cars with a +3 bonus. Ignore the symbols on the card. Contested cars can be robots, humans, or a mix. In a contest, a teammate robot draws two random cards like any other robot.
• AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TEAMMATE ROBOT MOVEMENT: Discard one event card (yellow) to place a yellow flag or to remove a yellow flag (green flag) on the track, or to move the weather marker one step in your chosen direction. The event card used must have the corresponding symbol on it. Ignore any other symbol on the card.

While you will usually try to help your robot teammate, remember that they are racing their own race and will also compete against you.

Special Situations

• Contest between teammates: If both teammates start their turn in a corner section, the teammate in the back of the section may declare a contest to overtake their teammate. This is legal, and a normal contest takes place.
• Other players control on your robot teammate: If the orange flag is in play, the controlling player can force your teammate robot to attempt a Late Brake or to take an Extreme Trajectory. You cannot prevent these attempts.
• When in doubt about a robot teammate's behavior, always treat it as a robot.

Actions and How to Play

Monaco Special Rules

• Monaco Braking sections: Several braking sections on this track have no Late Braking symbol. In these sections, you cannot attempt a Late Braking. If your car reaches such a section and finds it occupied by another car with the same number of laps, you must stop and lose any remaining movement points.
• Lapping: Always possible by spending 1 movement point per car to lap in that braking section.
• Banging Wheels: Allows overtaking in braking sections by spending 1 movement point per car to overtake.
• Pit stop: The minimum number of sections you move back when pitting at Monaco is 9 sections.

SPA Special Rules

• Extreme Trajectory (ET):
  • Extreme Trajectories are marked on the board with a green diamond symbol containing a movement bonus.
  • When a car finishes its movement in a section containing the initial point of an Extreme Trajectory, it can choose to occupy this spot instead of a standard trajectory point.
  • Only one car can occupy an ET spot at a time, and this car cannot be removed by other cars arriving later.
  • At the beginning of their next turn, before declaring movement cards (or a pit stop), a player occupying an ET spot can either:
    • Decline to follow the Extreme Trajectory, moving normally without any trajectory bonus.
    • Decide to follow the Extreme Trajectory. In this case, the player must immediately perform a blind check against the ET Target Check printed on the board (green diamond shape). The card drawn for checking is then discarded.
  • If the Extreme Trajectory check is passed successfully, the player adds the indicated bonus to their total movement value, resolves card effects, and moves their car.
  • If the player fails an Extreme Trajectory Check, no movement cards are played, and the car follows the corresponding Off-Track Trajectory, resolving any Off-Track event and eventually finishing in a re-entering position of the track, ending their turn as per normal Off-Track rules.
  • To add an Extreme Trajectory bonus to your movement, one of the two cards used for movement must be of the corresponding color (typically green).
  • If you have the Balance strategy, you may use a green, orange, or yellow card to satisfy this requirement. Balance will also score a special bonus when you use a matching colored card on an Extreme Trajectory.
  • The Reflexes skill does not offer benefits when attempting an Extreme Trajectory Check (no +20 modifier to the initial Blind check), but can still be used if you go off-track and need to regain control along the subsequent Off-Track trajectory.
  • Some SPA Track cards in the Advanced game portray a "no ET" symbol. This card can be played to succeed in an Extreme Trajectory blind check in the straight section before the corner specified on the card, discarding the card instead of performing the Blind Check.
  • Robots in the Basic game never occupy an Extreme Trajectory point; they ignore these spots. In the Advanced game, the player controlling the orange flag can force a robot terminating its movement in a section containing the initial point of an Extreme Trajectory to take that spot. In the next turn, the robot will attempt a blind check against the ET check value on the board, adding the bonus if successful, or going off-track if unsuccessful.
  • Pit stop: The minimum number of sections you move back when pitting at SPA is 6 sections.

  Rules Clarifications

  • Use of track cards: You can only play a track card for movement when you are guaranteed that your car will use part of the associated corner. You cannot use a track card if you need to pass a leader check or attempt a Late Brake to land or pass through the specified corner.
  • First turn, last turn and race restarts: At the start, during a restart after the safety car leaves the track, and on the last turn of the game, all sections are considered as if straights for overtaking purposes. This means you spend only 1 movement point for overtaking/lapping, but other game elements remain unchanged.
  • Contests: If two or more cars are in a corner section in the last turn or during a restart, a contest may take place before any of these cars can move.
  • Yellow flags: Yellow flags are played before moving your car, only in a corner section. They forbid overtaking/lapping in that section and cost 1 movement point to pass. They remain valid on the first turn, last turn, and race restarts. A green flag can be played to remove the issue and allow overtaking/lapping.
  • Blue flags: Used for lapping more efficiently during movement. In a race restart and during the last turn, blue flags allow you to lap like on a straight (spending no movement points). A leader check may still be needed despite the blue flag.
  • Lapping skill: Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.
  • Late Braking: Available on the first turn, last turn, and race restarts. A Late Braking attempt is the last action in your movement, so you stop after it.
  • Trajectories: Available on the last turn of the race. They are not available at the race start and restarts to simulate not attacking the track at full speed yet.
  • Skipping a game turn: A player may choose not to play any cards and skip their turn. The car does not move, and the player is allowed to change their strategy. A car that has skipped its turn can be overtaken/lapped by spending 1 movement point, regardless of the section it is in.

  End of Game and Scoring

  Championship Points Assignment (Drivers Championship)

  At the end of each race, Championship points are assigned to each driver based on their finishing position:

  • 1st place: 10 Pt
  • 2nd place: 6 Pt
  • 3rd place: 4 Pt
  • 4th place: 3 Pt
  • 5th place: 2 Pt
  • 6th place: 1 Pt

  For robot teams, the first driver always scores the highest points of the two.

  Drivers Championship Tie-breaker

  In case of a tie at the end of the tournament, the driver with the most 1st places achieved during the tournament prevails. If a tie still persists, the winner is the driver with the most 2nd places, and so on.

  Teams Championship Scoring

  Each team scores the sum of the points of both its drivers.

  Teams Championship Tie-breaker

  The team winning the championship is the one with the most points at the end of the tournament. In case of a tie, the team with the most 1st places achieved during the tournament between its two drivers prevails. If a tie still persists, the winner is the team with the most 2nd places, and so on.

  Tips for Winning

  • Monaco Strategy: Avoiding traffic is critical at Monaco. Try to leave the pits with a clear track ahead.
  • SPA Extreme Trajectories: Do not take excessive risk. Extreme Trajectories can give you a real boost, but always consider the penalties if you lose control and ensure you can utilize all additional movement points. Look in your rear mirror – could someone overtake you this turn while you sit on the ET spot and spoil your exciting plans of escaping at full speed next turn?