One of the topics I’ve been focusing on the more advanced drivers I work with is how we can use understeer to actually finish off our deceleration.
Before we dive into how to do this, let’s first talk about when to do this. Here are some example corners where I want to use the understeer:
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Turn 6 + 7 at Watkins Glen
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Turn 6 at Summit Point
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Riverside at Buttonwillow
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Turn 6 at COTA
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Turn 14 at Road America
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Turn 8 at PittRace
One of the main commonalities you will find here is these are all longer duration sweepers with a somewhat light brake application zone. In these corners you can’t brake later and hard because you are always worried about losing the rear.
Instead in these corners we want to focus on being light on the brakes and trying to get off the brakes as early as possible. Because we are off the brakes, the car should understeer in all these corners. We can actually use the understeer to scrub off the last few mph.
Here is my process for doing this:
Step 1: Figure out the corner exit first. I first need to figure out where I want to place the car at corner exit, where I want my initial throttle application spot, and where I want to apex. This is the foundation that we build off of.
Step 2: Get my relative peak brake pressure where I want it in this corner. How late vs. light can I brake here?
Step 3: This is the focus area of today. At this step I am working on trying to get off the brakes earlier and earlier to use more of the understeer to slow down the car. The goal here is you want enough speed so the car understeers until the point where I need the front end to start biting so I can hit the apex with the right angle that I determined earlier.
Because I first established step 1, I now know what too little or too much entry speed is because I can work on the timing of the rotation. Too much entry speed will cause too much understeer and I won’t get the front end to bite where I need it to and I’ll have a compromised apex. Too little entry speed means the front will actually bite too early and my apex will again be compromised.
As your stint continues you will continually be working and adapting your end of brake zone point to find the right balance of entry speed!
This is yet another reason why coasting is important on track… you don’t always need to be on the brakes or throttle.
Check this out at turn 7 at Watkins Glen before the repave: https://youtu.be/B5tPSivCYSs?si=0ttRndEHNMd20ZSm&t=63. This is an onboard with me and you can see me using the understeer to scrub off those last few mph.
