Solved

Reasearch

It depends. The gains are that percentage of research power taken from the difference between your team and the team that's highest in that attribute. So for 11% to gain 2 points the difference has to be 10 points (the result is always rounded up). If the difference is 6 points you'd need 17% research power, for 4 you'd need 26%.

Also that's why some are red, there you're the, or among the, best and any percentage from 0 would simply result in 0 gains and putting any research into those would just waste that research power while (possibly) lowering the other results. Unless you're sure you can't improve the other results and are betting on the competition making a last minute car improvement there.

Easy enough system but it can take some thinking to get the most out of it. ;-)

Be happy to have the best car in everything. ;-)

In that case I'd mark all the not yet maxed attributes out of the big 4 or maybe the 4+1, so if someone else makes a last second car upgrade before a race I'd be able to salvage a point or two.