How can I be quicker?

[MPincombe]

Hi guys, I'm approaching A+ rating, just from driving consistently and keeping it on the black stuff, problem is I am going to be out of my depth against the top boys especially when the real seasons come back. I've made a video of 4 of my quickest time trials from the 3 most recent FIA races and one daily race and I would welcome any feedback, positive or negative. I am using a controller but I know there are quicker guys out there who don't let a controller stop them being quick.



Nurburgring time 1:57.3, 1.8 seconds off top time
Mount Panorama time 2:03.0, although I have done a 2:02.6 since, still 2.4 off of quickest time
Autodrome Maggiore time 1:23.3, think a low 1:22 was the quickest so 1.2 seconds off of top time
Circuit de Sainte-Croix time 3:03.5, about 3 seconds off of the top time

I know I'm not using the best car but I have seen faster lap times all in the same cars.

Thank you

 

[craig1992cs]

I actually need a bit of advice from you lol. your 2.5 seconds faster than me on Nurburg GP and im on a wheel ! whats your trick to corner exit? i was watching your telemetry and if im full throttle at most of the places you are il be doing 360s !

 

[HydrotypeR]

Are you using a cocpit view? If yes, then try using bumber or hood views because they are faster and most of the fastest drivers use them

 

[NevilleNobody]

Firstly, anyone with music in their vids should be banned.

Secondly, jesus you look plenty quick Especially at Bathurst, 'Ring Gp i can sort of see it but at Bathurst i can't get near that and i'm Australian.

 

[Woodybobs]

My own times are very similar to yours so I can't really tell you where you're going wrong. One thing that will help is to note down the sector times of the fastest guys so you can at least focus on the parts of the track that you are slowest.

 

[NevilleNobody]

How the HELL are you exiting out of T1 at the ring at full throttle so early. I am all over place even with TC on 2 and I qualified this week with a 1.59.1 so not entirely useless.

 

[MPincombe]

I actually need a bit of advice from you lol. your 2.5 seconds faster than me on Nurburg GP and im on a wheel ! whats your trick to corner exit? i was watching your telemetry and if im full throttle at most of the places you are il be doing 360s !

Blend the throttle

Are you using a cocpit view? If yes, then try using bumber or hood views because they are faster and most of the fastest drivers use them

Na I'm using bumper cam but for the sake of the video I'm using cockpit on the replays so you can see my steering input

Firstly, anyone with music in their vids should be banned.

Secondly, jesus you look plenty quick Especially at Bathurst, 'Ring Gp i can sort of see it but at Bathurst i can't get near that and i'm Australian.

Thanks mean meaning to turn off BGM in replays for a while now haha

My own times are very similar to yours so I can't really tell you where you're going wrong. One thing that will help is to note down the sector times of the fastest guys so you can at least focus on the parts of the track that you are slowest.

Tried it but it's just hard to tell how they're so much quicker. Tried watching Calster who is the pinnacle of controller users imo and I just can't see how he does it.

How the HELL are you exiting out of T1 at the ring at full throttle so early. I am all over place even with TC on 2 and I qualified this week with a 1.59.1 so not entirely useless.

Blending it, half throttle and then when the car's straightened up smash it down

 

[craig1992cs]

I understand blending the throttle, but this here for example:

Thats 90 degrees of steering lock on with wide open throttle. in ANY car iv tried at this track, at 50% or even 25% throttle with that much steering wound on my car would be round instantly. Guess i have alot of practicing to do...

 

[Lost Sheltie]

Looking at your Nurgburgring GP part I think you are a bit to digital with your braking. If you watch the best drivers they hit the brakes and then taper off as they go around the corner, while you hit the brakes hard and then lift off quickly (Think I do the same tbh). Have a look at this to see what I mean

Saying that I would say you are faster than me, so what do I know
I would just keep practising against the best drivers in lobbies and you will hopefully pick up pointers from stalking them in races.

 

[GTWelsh]

Try ABS weak, weird at first but I think you get more control and can manage trail braking better.

I'm on a DS4 too.

At Nurb GP, abuse track limits more. Fast esses before entry be on the right curb, then to the 90deg left hander use the green run off on the right when braking, this can upset the car ever so slightly but you get a nice run through the corner when done right.

Last corner, put as much of your car on the left curb as possible before corner entry, thats how I do it anyway when I'm looking for every tenth.

You're still quick though so it's nitpicking

 

[svenvangent]

Looking at your Nurgburgring GP part I think you are a bit to digital with your braking. If you watch the best drivers they hit the brakes and then taper off as they go around the corner, while you hit the brakes hard and then lift off quickly (Think I do the same tbh). Have a look at this to see what I mean

Saying that I would say you are faster than me, so what do I know
I would just keep practising against the best drivers in lobbies and you will hopefully pick up pointers from stalking them in races.

This lap doesn't count way over the white lines ( 2 tyres on the track ) and yes ..... ok ..... bumper cam view , there go's realism should be cockpit view .

 

[rono_thomas]

This lap doesn't count way over the white lines

If the game doesn’t penalise you for track limits, then it counts.

Its the same IRL, if the race director/stewards don’t penalise you, then it counts.

Its the same for everyone, whilst it might not be correct while applying race rules, it is fair.

 

[Lost Sheltie]

It's not the track limits I was concentrating on, more the driving style. A fast driver is still fast no matter the limits, and TRL_Lightning is one of the fastest in the world no matter the track, car or limits.

Kie's track guides also are very good and I think he does trail brake a little more than us norm's do as well - https://www.youtube.com/user/thekie25/videos

Saying that I agree with you on the 2 wheels inside the white lines thing, but looking at the Red Bull Ring limits and the Le Mans limits, Polyphony don't agree with this

 

[mthomas_95]

Try ABS weak

Pretty much all the top times are on ABS Default, wheel or pad.

Looking at the video basically any future improvements are confidence related. Feeling you can carry more speed on exit and use all the track right out to the edge (and beyond with Daily Race limits ) knowing there's only a slim chance of making a mistake.

Tried watching Calster who is the pinnacle of controller users

Showing him this so he can have a laugh at it.

 

[GTWelsh]

Pretty much all the top times are on ABS Default, wheel or pad.

Doesn't mean it's written off as an option, I only started using ABS Weak after Jomas was using it, not looked back to be honest and he's pretty quick .

 

[T_revisio]

m_thomas95 knows what he is talking about.

Note: abs weak increases tyre wear quite a lot.

 

[MPincombe]

Pretty much all the top times are on ABS Default, wheel or pad.

Looking at the video basically any future improvements are confidence related. Feeling you can carry more speed on exit and use all the track right out to the edge (and beyond with Daily Race limits ) knowing there's only a slim chance of making a mistake.



Showing him this so he can have a laugh at it.

Pinnacle of controller users, that I know of anyway

Maybe more people out there are but I'd be surprised tbh and he's the best that I know of that uses a controller, you use a wheel now so you're out of the equation

 

[AlanH49]

My own times are very similar to yours so I can't really tell you where you're going wrong. One thing that will help is to note down the sector times of the fastest guys so you can at least focus on the parts of the track that you are slowest.

My times are near identical too. With a perfect lap I could probably knock 0.5 seconds off. A wheel may gain me a few more tenths. But I just don’t have the talent to find that extra 1-1.5 seconds the top guys have on me.

 

[jules283]

You're not trail braking. If you can add this skill to your driving it should give you a good chunk of the lap time reduction you seek. Check out a tutorial on trail braking or watch how the fast guys blend their braking input at corner entry.

How's your controller set up? If you have throttle and brakes on right stick then trail braking will be impossible. I have throttle on right stick and brakes on L2 which works OK, although it feels a bit cramped sometimes.

When I started trail braking I was faster almost immediately but I also gained more control over corner entry phase. It might feel counter intuitive at first...releasing the brake more to tuck the front end in more ( blending, as you say )...but it works and all the fast guys do it.
Check out Tidgney, FT Nico_R, TRL_Lightning on YT.Good luck!

 

[Venster]

To be honest once you get to the point where you are a second off the top times it’s by far the hardest time to find. It’s very difficult to analyse where you are slower as it’s more than likely a tenth or two on each corner, and that’s what sets the top apart, they can find those tenths. A lot of it really is fractional stuff, like braking a tad too much, getting on the throttle a bit later, slightly different line it all adds up.

I’m in a very similar position, I need the last second less in some cases and I’m really not sure I’m ever going to find them. If I had the time, not that I’m suggesting the top spend hours setting times they simply don’t, but I do need the time I just don’t hit times I want quick enough.

For me it’s purely down to repetition, and for me personally lots of it!

 

[mthomas_95]

Pinnacle of controller users, that I know of anyway

Maybe more people out there are but I'd be surprised tbh and he's the best that I know of that uses a controller, you use a wheel now so you're out of the equation

True, I'd say probably Roflwaffle takes the crown for now but Calster has big potential considering his age. Naturally gets a bit carried away, can afford to slide every corner and still win in a Super GT lobby but do it in a Final Season FIA top split race and you're finishing down in 15th

 

[Franjo]

I'm running on ABS weak and never run any TCS on any car. It's interesting read that ABS weak cause more tyre degradation. Is this really true? I'm by no means the fastest guy, I'm ranked 18th in the Mini Race A qualifying time at 1:06.040 with a G29 but always run races in ABS weak.

 

[rono_thomas]

I'm running on ABS weak and never run any TCS on any car. It's interesting read that ABS weak cause more tyre degradation. Is this really true? I'm by no means the fastest guy, I'm ranked 18th in the Mini Race A qualifying time at 1:06.040 with a G29 but always run races in ABS weak.

That would get you a rank of 90th on EMEA boards.

 

[MPincombe]

You're not trail braking. If you can add this skill to your driving it should give you a good chunk of the lap time reduction you seek. Check out a tutorial on trail braking or watch how the fast guys blend their braking input at corner entry.

How's your controller set up? If you have throttle and brakes on right stick then trail braking will be impossible. I have throttle on right stick and brakes on L2 which works OK, although it feels a bit cramped sometimes.

When I started trail braking I was faster almost immediately but I also gained more control over corner entry phase. It might feel counter intuitive at first...releasing the brake more to tuck the front end in more ( blending, as you say )...but it works and all the fast guys do it.
Check out Tidgney, FT Nico_R, TRL_Lightning on YT.Good luck!

I'm using L2 and R2 to brake and accelerate, never used to on the old GT games, was always square and X but on this game I realised you couldn't blend the throttle with X, it was either on or off so I transitioned to L2 and R2

Yeah I've tried trail braking, I know what it is but putting it into practice is easier said than done, I find myself overshooting the corner most of the time, maybe I'm releasing the brakes too early. Why is it so much quicker though? Watched Tidgney's live stream on wednesday and within 2 laps he'd beaten my lap around Bathurst, bare in mind in took me at least 20 to get my quickest lap

True, I'd say probably Roflwaffle takes the crown for now but Calster has big potential considering his age. Naturally gets a bit carried away, can afford to slide every corner and still win in a Super GT lobby but do it in a Final Season FIA top split race and you're finishing down in 15th

Ahh ok didn't know Roflwaffle uses a controller, that season you had with the Ferrari was unreal considering you were using a controller at the time.

 

[jules283]

I'm using L2 and R2 to brake and accelerate, never used to on the old GT games, was always square and X but on this game I realised you couldn't blend the throttle with X, it was either on or off so I transitioned to L2 and R2

Yeah I've tried trail braking, I know what it is but putting it into practice is easier said than done, I find myself overshooting the corner most of the time, maybe I'm releasing the brakes too early. Why is it so much quicker though? Watched Tidgney's live stream on wednesday and within 2 laps he'd beaten my lap around Bathurst, bare in mind in took me at least 20 to get my quickest lap



Ahh ok didn't know Roflwaffle uses a controller, that season you had with the Ferrari was unreal considering you were using a controller at the time.

Trail braking is faster because it uses the blending technique we have been discussing, which you already do on corner exit under power.
We are always blending steering, throttle and brake and often two of them simultaneously.
The tyre can give 100% in one direction, or 90/10, 80/20,etc. in two directions. So at the apex, when we have reached our maximum steering lock for a given corner, and we are at the tyre's limit we have 100% cornering. But if you backtrack from there to slightly earlier in the corner with less steering lock applied then we have, say, 90% cornering force which means there is room for 10% braking force AND NO MORE!!... backtrack another step and we would have 80/20 and then 70/30, etc.... again your word blending applies here. If you are able to brake deeper into the corner by blending then you can start your braking phase later and improve lap time.
Besides the above, trail braking is an attempt to deliberately induce lift-off oversteer by keeping the car tipped down on it's nose and up at the rear. This is hard to explain with words but watch the fast guys mentioned earlier and you will see that they not only manage to brake later without running wide, but they are also able to induce a slide, turning the car into the corner even further which they then balance with the steering. You don't have to be able to induce these slides to enjoy trail braking, I just mentioned it for the sake of completion.
Again, good luck!

 

[MPincombe]

Thanks mate, appreciate the words.

I did a quick video earlier of 3 laps around Brands Hatch, the lap times are consistent but the sectors aren't, they feel like scruffy laps but I'm going a lot quicker than I've ever been around here, I swear only a couple weeks ago when same combo was done I was slower than this.



Am I trail braking in these laps? I feel like I am. My optimal lap time got to 1:27.5 at one point so I know I can go quick, I just have an issue with this track.

Also how does your downshifting effect your braking and corner entry? Was watching Tidgney wednesday night and I noticed after braking from high speed he'd brake and keep it in that gear for a bit then quickly downshift to second or third as he got closer to the corner

 

[jules283]

Yeah, I definitely see some trail braking there. Just work on your timing and you'll improve loads... you're pretty quick now.
Yeah, downshifting can turn the car more also. So choose your best moment ... again, timing.

 

[GTWelsh]

Note: abs weak increases tyre wear quite a lot.

Not in my experience, but given the ABS is weaker you can abuse it of course. You need finesse on the brakes like you have on the throttle when you start pushing into trail braking.
Brake bias makes a much much larger difference with ABS weak too, which gives more control to the car under braking.


Maybe my lambo lap in sport mode will help, 1:56.6
Using weak abs note the brake control when trail braking, not something you really need to worry about with default ABS.

 

[ASH32]

Also how does your downshifting effect your braking and corner entry?

This is the one thing I've been trying to figure out too whilst doing the Circuit Experiences, it's a case of trial and error really but switching down quickly, as soon as you start braking, seems a bad thing to do, it takes longer to stop and unsettles the car sometimes too. Switch down right near the corner and it can really rotate the car but sometimes it goes too much then and you can lose control, I think the only solution is lots of practice for guys like us.

 

[MPincombe]

This is the one thing I've been trying to figure out too whilst doing the Circuit Experiences, it's a case of trial and error really but switching down quickly, as soon as you start braking, seems a bad thing to do, it takes longer to stop and unsettles the car sometimes too. Switch down right near the corner and it can really rotate the car but sometimes it goes too much then and you can lose control, I think the only solution is lots of practice for guys like us.

Yep this is so true, on the rev limiter it can real unsettle the car, only way is to practice I guess.

Really trying hard to put trail braking into practice, when you get it right you can see the time getting eaten up on the telemetry.



Came up with that lap earlier, I feel like this track really promotes the need to trail brake. I'm 1.3 off the top time which I'm pretty happy with at this moment and I feel there's definitely a few more tenths in that lap as I missed one apex and was sliding coming out of the quadruple right hander. I feel like I really nailed the hairpin though.