When you’re not able to spend time in the simulator, it’s important to try and make up for the lost time. You can do a few things to help make up for that lost time.
Let’s start with understanding just what it is we’re trying to accomplish. The goal here isn’t about learning how to brake (that’s another topic) but rather about developing smoothness in our cornering. We all know the best way to lose control of a car is to abruptly lift off or jab on the brakes.
If we look at this in a simulator, what we see varies from person to person. Most people instinctively brake as they enter a corner and either keep braking throughout or begin lifting as they near the apex. We need to get away from this to improve our overall cornering abilities.
Psychology of braking in sim racing – and in general
As with any change, it’s not going to be easy. There’s a reason why people initially do what they do, and changing that behavior will take some effort on your part. To increase our chances for success, let’s look at some potential causes of this braking behavior before working on fixing it.
One thing that jumps out at me as a possible cause is that I tend to be such a smooth driver, and braking is when most people aren’t thinking about cornering. So why think about how much you need to slow down when you can stomp on the brakes?
Another potential factor is that I tend to want to “ride the brakes,” which means I try to coast through the corner with the throttle only slightly on. Unfortunately, this also tends to require braking to happen more gradually.
It should be pointed out here that it’s not a magic trick where you install this idea and suddenly don’t have to brake in corners anymore. Instead, it is a mindset change, but once you get the idea of not breaking, it will become second nature after a bit of practice.
Now that we’ve identified the problem, it’s time to determine what your braking goals should be. Of course, we want our braking done earlier, but we don’t want it to be abrupt. There might even be a few races where we can get by with no braking at all. But that takes a lot of practice and knowledge about your track.
What is the proper brake technique?
Braking can make or break your race at the right moment, so you need to be stylish with it. The best drivers in this world use their brakes as an art form and take advantage of every bit they have available grip. This means braking early enough before sudden turns while still slowing down after passing through these curves smoothly without overconfidence (or under-braking).
Braking late and hard at the perfect spot can make your lap time. Almost all of it is found inefficient, but that’s what we do when playing racing games, right? Maintain car control by turning in anticipation for an upcoming corner while braking earlier than expected to avoid losing ground too quickly before taking corners at high speeds!
Reading the corner
When it comes to braking for corners in a racing simulator, it’s important to know what type of corner you’re dealing with. This is important because the radius of the turn will affect how much braking you do, or if you even need to brake at all. Braking can help you maintain control of your car, but it also slows you down.
There are three types of race track corners:
- The flat corner: this is the simplest type of corner; it’s just a straight line. The car can be driven through the corner in a straight line, so there’s no need to brake.
- The banked corner: this is a bit more complicated. The angle of the banking causes the car to “lean” into the corner. This means that it takes less braking force to slow down the car so that you can brake later and harder.
- The chicane: this is the most complex type of corner. It’s made up of two or more flat corners placed close together. This type of corner requires a lot of braking because you have to slow
Once you know what kind of corner you’re up against, start thinking about breaking. In general, you want to start braking as late as possible while still maintaining control- this will depend on the corner’s radius. For tight corners, you’ll need to brake much earlier than for wide ones.
How to brake?
It is good to know the different kinds of turns in a race. When you are at a corner, you want to brake. Brake too soon, and your car might not turn the way it should, but if you brake too late, your vehicle will slide. If it is a tight corner, you’ll need to brake earlier than wide ones.
The amount of braking pressure you apply will depend on if it is a low or high-speed corner. For low speeds, brake earlier and more gradually, while you should brake much harder and decisively for high speeds.
Right before the apex, release the brakes suddenly while increasing throttle input. The objective is to generate a rapid weight transfer- in the blink of an eye, your car’s center of gravity shifts from being on top of the front wheels to the bottom of the back wheels. This will result in your car rotating faster around its center (the axis passing through the front and rear axles) and thus achieving a higher apex speed.
If you brake too late, your car will slide. This is especially the case if you are going at high speeds.
When you are braking, make sure to keep pressing on the brake pedal. This is called “trailing”
When driving in a simulator for a race, you’ll use less brake pressure when turning corners with a large radius. This is different from when you’re approaching a small radius corner, like a hairpin. This is because you need to use more brake pressure to stop the car for a hairpin.
When driving around a corner, there is a point called the apex. The apex moves depending on the corner, which changes how you see things.
Braking stages
When driving, you need to know when to brake. Your first job is to find a reference point. That is something that you can see out of the corner of your eye, like a marshall post or brake board. When you are approaching the corner, identify your reference point.
Stretch brake in at the end of a long straight. We pick up a reference point, a marking on the barrier as we approach. Stretch brake in immediately after passing it or as you approach it.
The second thing to do is to be smooth. It’s important to brake all the way smoothly through the braking zone.
Smoothly control your speed as you enter into a corner. Be smooth, and the grip of your tires will be better than with a sudden jolt of the brakes.
On most tracks, you’ll find that the braking phase is followed by at least 50% of the track is under acceleration. So to place yourself well for this part of the circuit, brake well.
This is a general rule of thumb for sim racing, but it needs some adjustment based on the circuit. For example, if you brake well, you set yourself up to place well for the next part of the track.
A circuit can be confusing when it comes to identifying the breaking points. But you can find some landmarks. For example, you might see a part of the track or feel something through your car before you brake.
Conclusion
It is important to brake smoothly and control your speed as you enter a corner when driving a race car. This will help you stay in control of the car and maximize the grip of your tires. How to trail brake when sim racing and how to use regular braking?
Those two main types of braking in a race car, trail braking, and regular or straight-line braking need some explanation. Trail braking is when you brake into the corner and then apply pressure on your brakes as you go into the turn. If done correctly, this should slow down your speed enough to prevent you from running off the track and will help set up.
Trail Braking
- Trail braking is when you brake into the corner and then continue to apply pressure on your brakes as you go into the turn. If done correctly, this should slow down your speed enough to prevent you from running off the track and will help set up for an even better lap time
- Trail braking can be performed in most racing simulator games
Regular Braking
- Regular or straight-line braking is where before entering a corner, one holds their foot lightly on the throttle. Gently applies full pressure on the brakes once they are within 2 car lengths of slowing down before entering the turn.
- This type of braking requires more precision than trail braking because there’s less room for error
Thank you for reading! I hope this article was helpful, and now you have a better understanding of two types of braking in a race simulator. Remember, there is no limit to learning!
