I agree with Al in that the assist should slow you down just a little more in order to make a significant difference for pilots who might not be able to do 4 or 5 perfect laps at tracks with lots of tight corners.

But then what really bothers me is this: What if some players turn the assist on just before they reach a critical corner - go smoothly around that corner - and turn it off again? What if some of the online records are from such players? The thought alone somewhat spoils the excitement of the competition for me. There certainly are people who simply care about being first and nothing else, I can't see why that wouldn't be happening...