Improve your lap times with a simple speed/distanc...

Discover the Flats

Most often, on most tracks, you need to both be accelerating or decelerating always. Your minimal velocity for a specific nook ought to happen at or simply earlier than the apex, and apart from that, you’re both accelerating towards the following nook or decelerating towards the apex.

The primary issues you’ll be able to shortly establish on any velocity/distance chart are flat, horizontal areas indicating regular velocity. Sure, some tracks have segments that learn as comparatively flat areas, however even essentially the most fixed of constant-radius corners usually has a reasonably small part of vMin–brief for minimal velocity–as you attempt to exploit the monitor geometry to increase your acceleration space out of the nook and delay your deceleration into the nook. 

Even the Nordschleife’s legendary banked Karussell, which works effectively past 180° and has a continuing radius, reveals a vMin early within the nook as you roll in over the lip. After that, the velocity climbs barely by way of the nook as you feed throttle and the automotive presses more and more more durable into the banking.

Flats are enormous purple flags that should be investigated. If these flats happen in a nook, ask your self should you might alter your line to discover a single level–or at the very least a shorter level–of vMin and successfully prolong the pre- and post-apex straights. 

If that flat happens on a straight, ask your self why you’re lifting and going to a impartial throttle. Possibly you’re working in control on a brand new monitor, during which case some psychological well being lifts are definitely justified. Or possibly you’re simply giving your self extra time to identify visible references to your subsequent main management enter. 

Flats on straights are telltale indications of a novice driver, and it’s completely okay to be a novice. However as a novice now armed with the power to shortly spot areas that would use enchancment, you’re now effectively outfitted to boost your standing.

Sharpen the Peaks

When you’re happy you could produce an inexpensive clarification for all the flats in your chart, it’s time to show your consideration to the stuff on the prime, notably the peaks that present the transition from acceleration to braking.

What did we are saying earlier? In an ideal world, you’re both accelerating or decelerating. In case you aren’t producing some type of pressure on the tires, then you definitely’re simply coasting–and coasting is the enemy of lap occasions. 

An excellent indicator of how effectively you’re maximizing your straights is the sharpness of the transitions from acceleration to braking when coming into a nook. Ideally, you need the acceleration curve to terminate after which instantly drop with as little lag or delay in between the 2 as attainable. The much less lag you’ve, the sharper these peaks will look. Areas for enchancment are usually going to manifest in a single–or a mixture–of 3 ways. 

Crimson flag: A flattening of the velocity hint displays an space the place the automotive is basically coasting and must be investigated. This one precedes a braking space, so it might be indicative of the motive force lifting early and coasting towards the braking marker.

The primary: the overly light entry. The acceleration curve will climb steadily after which taper and shallow out a bit, if not go fully flat, earlier than braking initiates. 

The second: a gentle climb of the acceleration curve to the purpose of braking however then a gradual drop in velocity adopted by a extra dramatic drop indicative of a very light brake software. 

The third: Mix the 2, and also you’ll have the rounded prime displaying that you simply’re each coasting into the braking zone and initially making use of the brakes too gently. This third purple flag is fairly indicative of what you’d see from somebody studying a brand new monitor, so if that applies to you, it’s good to observe how these spherical peaks sharpen from session to session and even lap to lap. This generally is a good indication of how shortly you’re getting in control on the monitor.

There are a couple of real-world conditions the place these indicators aren’t essentially a purple flag–should you’re in a fuel-saving mode, for instance, these lift-and-coast moments earlier than braking will seem pretty continuously–however for many corners, a pleasant, sharp peak on the prime of the curve ought to be your objective.

Thoughts the Dips

Just like the peaks on the tops of the curves, sharp valleys are additionally your objective. Due to the complicated nature of many corners, nevertheless, count on some variation right here. 

For instance, it’s common to see a velocity hint shallow out because it nears the vMin level of the curve. That is as a result of diminished price of deceleration throughout the path braking section, so the space represented by that shallowing goes to differ based mostly on the form of the nook, your path braking ability, and your automotive’s inherent stability when decelerating and including corning load.

Likewise, the far facet of the vMin level, when you’re accelerating by way of and previous the apex, can present a slower constructing of velocity. Just like the corner-entry section, the preliminary acceleration section could be shallow because the automotive digs for traction whereas additionally attempting to speed up, then ramp up shortly as you absolutely unwind the wheel. 

Crimson flags: Transitions by way of vMax and vMin ought to be decisive. That’s one of the simplest ways to spend essentially the most time going quick and the least time going gradual. A velocity hint that peaks with a rounded form is indicative of progressively rolling off the acceleration and gently rolling into the brakes. Likewise, one which bottoms with a rounded form reveals the brakes being rolled off progressively and the throttle being utilized gently. There are corners the place this can be a essential method, however recognizing these in your velocity hint can warrant a deeper examination. Inexperienced flag: Sometimes your acceleration curve ought to finish in a decisive braking software.

So don’t sweat these shallow areas an excessive amount of, though you need to attempt to attenuate them when attainable. Nonetheless, there are a pair strong purple flags to look at for right here. The primary attainable concern is an prolonged space of vMin. Bear in mind, even within the longest corners, your minimal velocity continues to be going to are likely to happen in a really small space between deceleration and acceleration. In case you’re seeing prolonged flatlining at vMin, examine.

Additionally, be aware of humps and spikes on this space. The deceleration price shallowing, then dropping, then shallowing once more towards the vMin level in all probability means you thought you hit the brakes too flippantly and have been going to overcook the entry, then both utilized extra braking or scrubbed an excessive amount of velocity on the entry, then needed to hit the gasoline once more earlier than the apex. 

Likewise, a hump after vMin in all probability means you bought on the throttle too early, needed to again out, after which reapplied throttle because the automotive regained the grip that you simply took away from it.

Watch out for Spikes

Lastly, scan your velocity/distance graph for any humps, spikes or dips–small areas the place the curve detaches from the good stream of the road and bumps up or down. Usually, these curves ought to be pretty clean from peak to valley and again once more. 

Crimson flags: Spikes within the velocity hint normally mirror driver error. Throughout nook exit, a velocity spike can present too-early acceleration that needed to be given up for a course correction earlier than monitor out. Within the braking hint, a spike can point out lockup, aggressive ABS intervention or just misjudging the braking level and adjusting pedal strain too aggressively. Try for the inexperienced flag look of a steadily rising or dropping line into and out of corners.

These anomalies could be attributable to momentary wheelspin, sudden brake lock or a sideways second in a nook, however typically they’re simple to elucidate as a result of there’s normally some drama concerned. And stuff that’s simple to elucidate is usually stuff that’s simple to beat–or at the very least simple to make a plan to beat. If you begin seeing the identical spikes on a number of laps, nevertheless, that would level to a nasty behavior or an precise drawback with the automotive. Add that investigation to your checklist.

Now Go Win

Armed with this cheat sheet and a easy graph that any $30 knowledge program can produce, you’ve now received the instruments to deal with most of the driving errors that may be uncovered by way of fast and simple knowledge evaluation.

And we haven’t even explored further channels but. Having a number of channels of knowledge to pore over between or after classes is nice, however it may possibly additionally result in evaluation paralysis, particularly should you’re simply beginning out with knowledge. 

Begin with a easy velocity/distance chart and don’t overwhelm your self. Chances are you’ll be stunned at how a lot information you’ll be able to shortly entry with a easy, two-axis graph.