6 min read
What is it?
The racing line is the route a driver follows to take corners in the fastest way possible. When using all of the available space on a track, cars have the ability to travel in a straighter line faster before reaching the limits of physical and aerodynamic grip. Knowing how to find the best line is one of the most essential skills to master as a racing driver.
What we are going to cover
Finding a racing line hangs on the following elements:
- Your braking point.
- Your turn-in point.
- The apex of the turn.
- The position and direction of the next corner.
Let’s get this fact out of the way: there is no such thing as a perfect line for all circumstances. Numerous factors determine the best line to take: your car, your cornering strategy, and the position of other cars on the track. You should experiment with alternate lines and politely bug people who know the track.
The Breaking Point
How good are your brakes? How long does it take you to reduce speed from 100mph to 60mph without locking the wheels? How does your car react to the braking? How aggressive are you? All these factors determine your braking point.
The main objective when braking before a corner is to slow down enough to clip the apex. Too fast and you’re likely to push wide. Too slow and you might need to accelerate mid-turn. Either way you’ll end up slowing the car.
You should always brake early while learning a track, adjusting distance dependent on how your car reacts. The golden rule is that you should be 100% off of the brakes before turning into the corner. However, slight pressure inputs on the brake prior to entry can reduce understeer and create a better turn-in (this is known as trail braking, read about it here).
The Turn-In Point
To find your line, you have to know what point you need to turn into the corner. Exiting too late and you’ll overshoot the apex, too soon and you’ll undershoot, having to adjust mid-corner. When you get this right, you’ll find your driving line.
Remember that the apex may be further around the turn than you can see, so make sure you learn the track (walk it!) and the clipping points before attacking the corner. It’s also useful to use the corner markers as a reference point. Even a crack in the asphalt can be used as a reference point. Use whatever works best for you.
The Apex
The apex is the closest point at which you are inside of the corner, also referred to as the clipping point. Once you have hit the apex you should be able to reduce steering lock, begin increasing throttle input and focus on your exit. Determining the apex can be tricky, but I’ll try to my best to help you find it.
There are actually two different kinds of the apex: The geometrical apex and the racing apex. The geometric apex of a constant radius corner is the central point on the inside and this can also be the racing apex, depending on the context. This can be confusing and is determined by your cornering strategy.
There are two main strategies for cornering:
- Minimizing the severity of the turn and carrying speed through the corner (great for less powerful cars or when driving in the rain).
- Getting the power on early for a faster exit speed (great for powerful cars and when racing).
The geometric apex
For carrying speed through a corner and minimizing the turn severity, you need to take the line that minimizes the tightness of the arc of the corner. This reduces corner force and maximizes the grip for maintaining optimal speed. This line usually uses the geometric apex of the corner and is usually referred to as “the classic racing line”. In Diagram 1, the turn illustrated is a constant radius 90 degree right hander and the geometric apex is exactly halfway around the corner.
Advantages of the classic racing line:
- Smooths corners out in the most efficient way.
- Maintains momentum (can be useful for lower powered cars).
- Reduces the chances of understeer or oversteer (especially helpful in the rain).
- Helps preserves the life of tires.
Disadvantages:
- Not necessarily going to yield the fastest possible lap times.
Late Apex
Let’s get on the power early.
Interestingly, having the highest average speed around corners is usually not the quickest route around the track. If you’re entering a corner that exits into a straight, taking a line through the late apex can be beneficial as you can straighten out the car and get on the power earlier for a higher speed exit. This is usually regarded as the best strategy for racing; slower lower entry speed but faster exit speed. How much grip you can keep on the pavement will determine how late you can brake and hit the late apex.
Advantages of the modern racing line:
- Increases the chances of a faster lap in a powerful car.
- Allows you to get on the power earlier.
- Maximizes the use of any straights following the corner.
- Later braking.
Disadvantages:
- May not be the fastest route in a lower powered car.
- Places greater demand on tire grip.
Common mistake:
One of the most common issues for drivers is to apex too early while approaching the corner and trying to hold the turn. The racing line apex is often out of view at the point of your turn-in, or further around the corner than you expect (see Diagram 3 below), be prepared when committing. This is where experience and track knowledge come in.
Hairpins
Hairpin corners are usually tight 180 degrees turns in nature. For this case, the apex for the line is almost three quarters into the corner (Diagram 4). For most cases halfway through the turn you should be pretty much the middle of the track.
Where is the next corner?
The position and direction of the next corner will also affect on what line you should take through the current corner. If the next corner is a left, you’re going to need to be as far over on the right-hand side of the track, and you’ll need to apex later and pursue a tighter, slower line. If the next corner is another right, a wider and faster arc can be used (Diagram 5).
