Accelerating - Race to 100%

A3

Introduction

"Achieving a higher speed when exiting a corner is crucial in racing, as it enables the driver to maintain more momentum down the ensuing straight and ultimately gain an advantage by going faster with each subsequent lap."

The theory of the driving discipline

Getting to 100% throttle without losing traction is a critical skill to learn. Achieving 100% throttle as early as possible is golden rule of driving. Sure there are exceptions ot the rules but you find your lap times dropping if you can create a quick acceleration. Here are some techniques that drivers use to achieve this:

  1. Gradual acceleration: Rather than slamming the accelerator down, drivers will gradually increase their speed, allowing the vehicle to maintain traction as it picks up speed. The skill is to work out how fast you can accelerate whilst keeping traction.
  2. Smooth driving: Smooth and consistent driving can help maintain traction throughout the race. Drivers will avoid sudden movements or jerky inputs, which can upset the balance of the car and cause it to lose traction. A straight or near straight wheel can make a big difference in your cars handling. Oversteering being the most dangerous consequence.
  3. Proper gear selection: Choosing the right gear for the conditions can help maintain traction and prevent the wheels from spinning. In low traction conditions, drivers may need to select a higher gear to avoid excessive wheelspin.
  4. Traction control: Many modern racing vehicles come equipped with traction control systems, which can help prevent wheelspin by adjusting the power output to each wheel. Traction control can sometimes be adjusted to suit the conditions, allowing drivers to get maximum acceleration without losing traction.
  5. Tyre management: Proper tyre selection and management can also help maintain traction. Drivers will choose tyres with the right compound and tread pattern for the conditions, and may adjust tyre pressure and temperature to maximize traction throughout the race.

By using these techniques, drivers can get to 100% throttle without losing traction, maximizing acceleration and maintaining control and stability throughout the race. Like most of the skills that you have and will be learning, it is absolutely fine to push the limits to find where the boundaries are. Enjoy the process, test and retest until you judge with a second nature the limits.

Understanding the telemetry

On the telemetry chart on the left. The orange line initially accelerates quickly however towards the final push to 100% there is an indecision that results with the driver with the orange line to ease off too much. This easing off means that they hit 100% throttle later than the reference lap and the result will most likely be a slower top speed on the ensuing straight. In contrast to this, in the telemetry on the right hand side the orange driver is very fast on the gas and reaches 100% throttle at almost the same time as the reference lap. There are differences, as can be seen with the start of the acceleration however, their speed of exit will be fairly similar.

Video

Extra Tips from the Instructors
  • Many factors will aid in a fast exit out of a corner. Apart from the standard ones highlighted above, adjusting for weather conditions, inclination of the track as well as camber will be define how and when you can reach 100% throttle.
  • As you drive the corners, think about how you are feeling at the beginning, middle and final part of the exit from the corner. Are you always nervous that you run out of track? Do you have to fight the car due to oversteer at the beginning of the corner. Do you hear excessive tyre screeching? All these areas are useful indicators of how you are managing your acceleration.