Braking is a very important part of driving on track; you won’t get very far without it! Aside from the obvious, the corner really starts with the braking zone. Poor braking will put you on the back foot for the rest of the corner, as you desperately try to stay on the track and can’t focus on your corner or exit speed. Good braking, on the other hand, will give you the confidence to come off the brakes and carry the speed through the corner. It’s not as simple as just applying the brakes as you do on the road every day, of course, you have to consider your brake pressures and your modulation a lot more.
HOW SHOULD YOU BRAKE ON TRACK?
You want to start the brakingbraking on the threshold/limit of grip and braking performance your car has to offer at that moment. Try to reach the threshold as soon as you can in the braking zone so that you can scrub most of the speed off early, and from there, you can smoothly and slowly release the brake pressure on the approach to the corner. This enables you to brake late, but it also gives you the confidence to carry speed through the corner, as you’ve really been able to feel the car slow down. The gradual bleed off the brakes is key to getting the car turned in for two reasons: speed and weight transfer. The last bit of braking can be the difference between slowing the car down enough to make the apex of the corner or running wide, but a slow release of the brake will also mean that there’s still some weight over the front of the car, which will help it to turn.
