I have noticed, more and more improved files, which improves sound and "picture".

People are updating tracks and sounds and ..

Could this be a problem, driving online. I think of - If 23 racers races without changes, and we compare with 23 racers which have updated all their files !?

Could this create lag ? Or be a factor in creating lag ?

no they will only effect the users fps, what ppl are doing to these files are just altering the pics or doubling the texture size.

your online experience wont change.

as far as i know anyway.

can't see how loading a new texture would generate lag unless their pc crashes - which i can't see anyway!

Well, it could, if the computer isn't powerful enough to do the calculations in time, it would create lag (locally), as it wouldn't send the packets in time... Even then, how do you think it would affect someone on another connection?

graphical lag and network lag are 2 completely different things.

First can lead to second (if you have a bad netcode, that is)... And trust me, I HAVE seen a server almost crashing because one computer couldn't handle the calculations and the server was waiting for updates from that particular connection...