Matthew Kay - Training Plan No. 2
Goal
Develop consistency and hone racing skills
Conclusion
Really good session, fast consistent times. To push through to the next level, you need to concentrate on trail braking into corners instead of being on/off the brakes. Careful with your gear choice as sometimes you drop too low on some segments.
Assigned Task
Spa is a great track to push the car and also develop your trail braking skills. Spend your next few sessions at Spa and drive sets of minimum 5 laps at a time. Concentrate purely on trail braking until it becomes second nature.
1st key mistake:
On the brake for too long
Why it matters
Same as your first training plan. You need to try to let off the brakes a little earlier and trust the braking power of the car.
How much of a problem it is for you
With 22% of all your mistakes relating to braking for too long, this needs to be your main focus point.
See an example in your own sessions
Take a long at how you brake compared to the reference lap in segment 2, try to trail brake as you turn into the corner, instead of coming completely off the brakes.
Learn to improve
Trail braking is sometimes more obvious when you are are not trying to set up for a chicane. However, these types of segments it is also critical to trail brake as it will help rotate your car.
2nd key mistake:
Braking too early
Why it matters
Also a mistake that you had with your first training plan. You have great consistency over many laps but you might be playing things a little on the safe side.
How much of a problem it is for you
At 11% it is also a mistake that is costing you a lot of time on track.
See an example in your own sessions
Another chicane example, this time segment 8, notice how even though you brake earlier than the reference lap, you also finish braking later that it.
Learn to improve
Here is a tutorial for chicane technique that can be useful to understand. Your technique is generally good in chicanes but there might be a couple of pointers for you.
3rd key mistake:
Too early on throttle
Why it matters
Being too early on the throttle is a contradictory mistake. You want to get the full gas quickly but not at the expense of possible wheel spin or having to come off the gas.
How much of a problem it is for you
Not a large mistake at only 8% of your errors through this training session.
See an example in your own sessions
This is a perfect example of how your desire to reach full throttle quickly is actually costing you time on the track. Segment 5, shows us that the early application of the throttle was too much and you had to 'back off' a little before getting to full throttle.
Learn to improve
Each time that there a lift or dab, it indicates a lack of smoothness. Very hard to achieve perfection but any time that you have a change that is more than 10% pressure needs to be looked at.
Your predicted potential lap time improvement
0.4s - 0.6s
11