I felt like writing this guide, didnt find anything similar on search, so i've posted it.
The first race craft skill a racing driver has to learn is how to survive the most dangerous part of the race, turn one - usually written as T1, where the combined velocity of a pack of race cars could very well be in excess of mach 2. There's a lot of cars in a very small part of the race track, and each one wants to come out of the first corner with the best position posible.
For new drivers the first thing to learn is not how to maximise your position on T1, but to survive it. Many race drivers claim they are often crashed out of T1 by other, over-agressive drivers. They are wrong. Good drivers rarely crash in T1, almost every drive who ever said that is in actual fact their own worst enemy and those in the know are laughing at them.
Keeping yourself alive is the first rule of any hostile situation, and there are few situations as hostile in racing as getting through T1! So the first thing we need to do is look at the glaring mistakes made by many less experienced drivers.
At the start of the race your tyres and brakes will be cold, these are not the reasons to brake early for T1 though. You brake early for T1 because there are other cars infront of you! You are'nt in a rhythm, and you need margin for error to avoid other cars.
Always allow yourself a little margin for error, always know how you are going to get out of a situation should it arise. Much like driving a road car, constantly ask yourself "What if?". Try and pre-empt what the cars around you are going to do, dont blindly have faith that they will avoid you, assume they have not seen you.
Now lets imagine you and the car infront of you are approaching the corner at 100mph exactly. Let's also assume you both decide to break at exactly 50m distance from the turn-in point. Now imagine that there is a 1m gap between you. What happens when the car infront of you brakes at the 50m board?
What happens is this, the car infront starts braking and you need to react very fast indeed, but now you're on full brakes too and they've been braking longer so you are carrying more momentum! 1+1=2 kids, you're going to hit that car. Don't panic though, the crash was actually his fault!
Braking at full strength on the approach to T1 should only be done whilst avoiding the car infront. You are not hotlapping here, you're mission is to survive T1 in the best position possible, you can't do that by pushing the envelope to a millisecond of perfection. Give the driver behind you a fighting chance of surviving by braking early, gently, and letting your car coast up to the car infront.
Note that I said coast up to the car infront. Most rookie drivers will be dead keen on making a move if they see a gap, it is afterall a gap right? Well maybe it is. What you have to remember though is regardless of what car you drive you do have a blind spot and 39 cars around you.
Never overtake on impulse in T1, make your plan as you approach the corner and if your plan comes off take that place you saw as you approached the braking point - but dont change your mind mid-corner. There are other cars around you who wont expect it. The only impulsive decision you should make in T1 is avoiding the other driver who acted on impulse and are likely on their way to an accident.
One of the reasons drivers who claim to be taken out in T1 get their attitude problem is because they dont realise they are doing it wrong, because sometimes their lunacy puts them up against an experienced driver. Experienced drivers will try to help the idiots stay on track because it's in their interest to do so.
If you can help a car around you to not spin then 7 times in 10 it pays off for you even if you fail to gain a position, because now that car wont crash into you.
Who would have thought it, but i'd rather not force my way past a spun car, i'd rather wait for the circuit to clear than get involved myself. I get less damage on my car this way... You might find the track infront of you is blocked, what will you do? Pile through or wait?
Instead of trying to gain positions at T1, consider the merits of positioning your car to make up places at T2 instead. T1 is often bedlam, but if you place your car sensibly and dont force your way into an accident then you can line yourself up for a more ambitious move in T2 when there are less other cars around you.
On a track with grass around the track be prepared to use that grass to avoid an accident, it's far better to loose 5 positions than to crash - and repassing 5 cars slower than you often wont take that long. Just be cautious when you rejoin, do so gently and at a shallow angle so that the cars behind can see what you are doing and give you the room to rejoin.
Surviving Turn One
The first race craft skill a racing driver has to learn is how to survive the most dangerous part of the race, turn one - usually written as T1, where the combined velocity of a pack of race cars could very well be in excess of mach 2. There's a lot of cars in a very small part of the race track, and each one wants to come out of the first corner with the best position posible.
For new drivers the first thing to learn is not how to maximise your position on T1, but to survive it. Many race drivers claim they are often crashed out of T1 by other, over-agressive drivers. They are wrong. Good drivers rarely crash in T1, almost every drive who ever said that is in actual fact their own worst enemy and those in the know are laughing at them.
Keeping yourself alive is the first rule of any hostile situation, and there are few situations as hostile in racing as getting through T1! So the first thing we need to do is look at the glaring mistakes made by many less experienced drivers.
Braking Point
At the start of the race your tyres and brakes will be cold, these are not the reasons to brake early for T1 though. You brake early for T1 because there are other cars infront of you! You are'nt in a rhythm, and you need margin for error to avoid other cars.
Always allow yourself a little margin for error, always know how you are going to get out of a situation should it arise. Much like driving a road car, constantly ask yourself "What if?". Try and pre-empt what the cars around you are going to do, dont blindly have faith that they will avoid you, assume they have not seen you.
Braking Force
Now lets imagine you and the car infront of you are approaching the corner at 100mph exactly. Let's also assume you both decide to break at exactly 50m distance from the turn-in point. Now imagine that there is a 1m gap between you. What happens when the car infront of you brakes at the 50m board?
What happens is this, the car infront starts braking and you need to react very fast indeed, but now you're on full brakes too and they've been braking longer so you are carrying more momentum! 1+1=2 kids, you're going to hit that car. Don't panic though, the crash was actually his fault!
Braking at full strength on the approach to T1 should only be done whilst avoiding the car infront. You are not hotlapping here, you're mission is to survive T1 in the best position possible, you can't do that by pushing the envelope to a millisecond of perfection. Give the driver behind you a fighting chance of surviving by braking early, gently, and letting your car coast up to the car infront.
See a gap? EXECUTE! >>WRONG<<
Note that I said coast up to the car infront. Most rookie drivers will be dead keen on making a move if they see a gap, it is afterall a gap right? Well maybe it is. What you have to remember though is regardless of what car you drive you do have a blind spot and 39 cars around you.
Never overtake on impulse in T1, make your plan as you approach the corner and if your plan comes off take that place you saw as you approached the braking point - but dont change your mind mid-corner. There are other cars around you who wont expect it. The only impulsive decision you should make in T1 is avoiding the other driver who acted on impulse and are likely on their way to an accident.
Help Idiots Survive
One of the reasons drivers who claim to be taken out in T1 get their attitude problem is because they dont realise they are doing it wrong, because sometimes their lunacy puts them up against an experienced driver. Experienced drivers will try to help the idiots stay on track because it's in their interest to do so.
If you can help a car around you to not spin then 7 times in 10 it pays off for you even if you fail to gain a position, because now that car wont crash into you.
Be Prepared to Stop
Who would have thought it, but i'd rather not force my way past a spun car, i'd rather wait for the circuit to clear than get involved myself. I get less damage on my car this way... You might find the track infront of you is blocked, what will you do? Pile through or wait?
T2 is T1
Instead of trying to gain positions at T1, consider the merits of positioning your car to make up places at T2 instead. T1 is often bedlam, but if you place your car sensibly and dont force your way into an accident then you can line yourself up for a more ambitious move in T2 when there are less other cars around you.
Be Prepared to Leave the Circuit
On a track with grass around the track be prepared to use that grass to avoid an accident, it's far better to loose 5 positions than to crash - and repassing 5 cars slower than you often wont take that long. Just be cautious when you rejoin, do so gently and at a shallow angle so that the cars behind can see what you are doing and give you the room to rejoin.
Above All: Be Predictable
If I know what you are likely to do, if I can guess where you are going to put your car, I can avoid you. Maybe that's true with you and the guy next to you too...
Possible sticky?
