This work applies numerical simulations and a drive cycle perspective for the estimation of wear on rail vehicle collector strips using an existing heuristic wear model. As it is crucial to understand the origin of wear patterns to ensure long service life, the proposed analysis method allows to identify the contribution of each drive stage during operation to the wear pattern and to compare their wear rates against each other. Input data is created by numerically simulating the power intake of a rail vehicle during a drive cycle between two stations and extracting power-speed couples for characteristic drive stages. The dynamic interaction between pantograph and catenary is then simulated using a FE-representation of the catenary and a pantograph model with two individually suspended flexible collector strips. Using these transient time signals as input data to the heuristic wear model, the lateral wear distribution along both collector strips can be estimated for each drive stage. Here, a representative run of a Swedish X2 higher speed train is used as a case example. The results show that mechanical wear dominates on average, but that there is a considerable electrical wear intensity, especially during acceleration. This contribution is however relativised by the short distance covered in this stage, and the total wear pattern is dictated by the cruising stage. The wear patterns show high dependence on the evaluated frequency range in the force signal.