So that's why Remnants are so fun to fight against. I thought they were just wired never to retreat. But they really go for weaknesses with dogged determination. Except for the capital. Those bastards play peekaboo all the time.
I mean... I sympathize with OPs point. We want a screwdriver for every screw. If one ship is just superior to another in every aspect, well, that ain't fair! Here's the thing though.. SS isn't fair and neither is combat in real life. You can mitigate a situation that looks bad on the strategic map by various means of evasion. But once you're in combat, you're in combat. I don't think an inferior ship should be given a tool just so it gets to 'have a chance'.
I haven't yet heard of a perfect solution to kiting, and I don't even know if kiting's a problem. It is annoying if you're the one being kited, but it is a valid and efficient tactic used in real warfare. As was said, the AI doesn't exploit this mechanic to its fullest extent anyway. It only becomes a problem if you're a player who habitually and exclusively kites or solos. And even then.. tedious for me, but if it's fun for you, go for it.
I would say "1v1 combat in starsector can be problematic" and leave it at that. The beginning of the game is full of risk and plays a little differently, and I love that about it. It is really quite rare to end up in 1v1s. You get a bunch of free ships at the start.