General tips to improve lap times

Definitely. And I assume it would not be a huge coding task. You could even name it the "Aris recommended line" view!

By the way, this is slightly off topic and you guys may not have much time for this but I encourage the devs to race online more with us. I remember the thrill of unsuccessfully chasing @LordKunos (or a pretty fast impostor using Stefano's real name at least!) in a C9 for first place a couple of months ago when the old Silverstone track was released!

 

He was using the name "Stefano Kunos" in his last stream and not Stefano Casillo. Maybe he like to change name, donno.

 

Great thread!! Thank you to all the drivers who are giving much appreciated advice.

I'm an average skilled driver, at best...and it really ticks me off because I 'know' what I'm supposed to be doing...it's the execution that I have trouble with. Seriously though...that's just the truth and it bothers me a lot because I think I've actually gotten worse in some ways compared to, I don't know, maybe 12-18 months ago.

A big problem that I have, especially on the fast turns/bends is I turn in too late. Take the very fast right-hand bend just a little past the Start/Finish line at Vallelunga. I drive a lot of street cars - today I was driving the Countach and I need to just start turning that wheel before I even really see that bend so I can get my car from the left edge of the track to the apex of that kink. Yet, much more often than not I blow it and it means I have to stay off the throttle so I can get my car through that bend without parking it on the sand. I could list 100 examples of where I know I'm turning in too late on various race tracks.

Thank you, Aristotelis, for the great suggestion of moving the camera into a position where I can fully analyze my driving. I never would have thought of that. Well, I'll be putting some laps in later. Let's see if I can knock some time off those lap records of mine.

 

ALB123: Actually the video Tim posted (Skip Barber going fast) has a good section on your issue, from around 9:00 onwards.

Basicly you have to find and memorize refference points for turn-in (and exit) as well as you might just only would search for refference points for breaking and then the apex.

 

My 2c (and a bit) from racing many others in mp, the general mistake most slower or new guys make is try to find time at the wrong end of the corner to only end up losing lots of time there.

Using all the road is key as others have said but this also means hitting every apex. It will let you get on power sooner and gain more exit speed which is the most critical part of the corner.

Many are trying to be late brake heroes thinking thats where the big gains are when in fact its only tiny gains, braking 5m later may be worth .05 per corner. Brake too late miss the apex by just half a car width, your blowing 1 or more seconds per corner due to slower speed o the next straight.

Sure there are gains to be made on entry, but focus on these once you can consistantly hit every apex and your looking for the last few tenths, not when your still chasing seconds.

Simple method to use on every corner is did you make the apex? if not you simply went in too fast so brake sooner next lap.

If you made the apex but then exited with lots track left outside your car, next time you can brake a bit later to carry more speed at the apex and so more speed on exit where the car will naturaly use all the road on exit.

The braking event itself is fairly short so traveling faster for 5m by braking later is going to gain much less time then getting a better exit an carrying a few kmh more down the next straight which can be 500m or more so just a few kmh more can easily add up to lots of time over that distance.

 

MX5 Cup car is (was like that few months ago) a car which makes you question what you've learned about driving fast. Sometimes "no-go"-things like coasting can be the fastest way to go. Very tricky car to give advices. Delta is your best friend (and worst enemy ).

Just use every inch of the track and do not kill the momentum!

 

I finally got some time to try finding my new style around the track in te MX5 yesterday. I changed from Spa to the [italian track with all the 90° corners] and had big trouble LOL All fun though.
Unwinding the wheel to stop understeer works! Awesome. Now I have to learn how to brake without locking up as well as finding the correct moment to stop braking and shift to turn in.
I think I'll change cars to the Ginetta instead too. Have laptimes on all tracks with that one which is great for comparison.

 

Perhaps try a car like the BMW E30 or the KTM for practicing. They are slower but require accuracy in your racing lines and let you know exactly what you have done wrong.

 

The KTM and I are not friends It's like a bucking bronco trying to throw me off all the time. I'll try it again when I have the basics set a bit better

 

One of my big mistakes is that I tend to approach a lot of corners from the middle of the track, rather than the outside. This obviously makes the corner tighter than it should be. I keep telling myself to correct this, but the information is apparently still trying to reach the main processing centre in my brain

 

Same here My reflexes seem chiseled in and are very hard to unlearn. I tried the Paul Ricard Club practice track just now and find that all the cones are placed at impossible places LOL. Have to practice more and perhaps delete all my ghost times to stop being stressed by seeing that car.

 

If you have a ghost car that using the wrong line you will probably have a harder time to change that line aswell.

 

I do not like ghost cars. You end up concentrating on the ghost car, rather than your current lap. Get rid of it!

 

I think the same, ghost always distracted me.
Delta app is the way to go is you see where you lose/gain with different lines.

 

Agreed, nothing is as usefull as having a simple timer which goes red or green so you don't have to look at it but can just glance at it.

i did read in another thread that you drive with a flight sim yoke... Well, that's probably the cause of most of your issues I assume this is coupled with some sort of yaw pedals or do you have racing pedals?
Is the wheel just 180° or does it have more rotation?

 

Keep your eyes focussed as far ahead as possible on the track. The furthest piece of track on the screen is a good start but on tight corners, focus on where you know the track will be (i.e. further around the corner than you can actually see). Turn in will improve as you will gradually start to turn as the corner becomes exposed. You'll hit the apex more consistently when looking beyond it than when looking at it. Corner exit will improve as you will gradually start unwind the wheel and know when to get on the gas as the following straight becomes exposed.

Speaking only for myself, this is like a magic "go faster" pill (assuming you already know to use the full width of the track).

 

Yeah, that's the first point I made in my comment, but chksix already acknowledged the issue.

 

My personal "secret trick" is not trying to be fast.
I close all apps fill the tank and start to drive, with a mindset like: just for fun.

For me each track has its own rhythm. Inputs and visual cues form it. It is a bit off at first, but soon it starts to shape itself.
After several laps i start to hear more and more tire squeal, while i think about what i did one or two corners ago.
Why is there 3 upshifts now, it used to be only two? Why did i overshoot, i started braking at the same point?
The answers are like: The corner before i turned in a tiny bit later, earlier, had a tiny bit of oversteer under braking, whatever, that must have been faster. Next lap i will try to reproduce that, but in order to do so i need to know what corners will come next.

Speed comes naturally if you allow yourself to go at a pace where you can manage lap after lap without spinning, improvising, catching slides.
Slow is boring and trying to be fast is often cause for incidents, which then interrupt the flow.
Stay in between and you will improve by refining inputs, lines, markers through repetition.
Once you are able to lap consistently, you will start experimenting at certain places and be able to recognize the effect it had.

If you get tired, stop driving and watch/read some more racing related educational stuff.
Corner priorities, theoretical ideal lines for each type of corner, weight balance, things like that.

The best thing in simracing is that there is allways more to learn, even if you are a veteran, enjoy your journey!

 

exactly related to me. i tend to drive more relaxed for almost a year already - just enjoying the process. even the race proceeds the same way - i enjoy opponents near me, a constant check of their behaviour gives undescribed joy for me cause otherwise i will crash. but anyway for me realising that i suck at entering and exit at Nurb GT part of Endurance was just a mindbomb

 

I've got the same problem. I'm better at getting to the outside edge of the track if it's the same side my steering wheel is on (cockpit view). However, if I am in a LHD car and a left-hand turn is coming up I often approach the turn from middle'ish part of the track and vice-versa for RHD cars. It costs me so much time. I've been trying to drive some warm up laps at about 55-70% just so I can get my car into proper position without the stress and speed of going all out. It helps me understand the flow of the track a bit. I'm not worried about braking points and turn in points yet. I just want a clean, smooth stroll around the circuit. I think it's helping me a little bit.