What am I doing wrong?

I am a pretty new fan of the sport, mainly playing F1 2013. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong. I absolutely suck at quali, and seem to lack the one-lap pace overall. All my races go the same way - I am starting from a poor place, gaining A LOT of places on lap one with questionable and agressive moves, and then lose the leaders with a 10-15 second loss, creating a train behind me in the process. Just like I mentioned, I'm new. Could you help me improve? Any ideas, tips?