Watkins Glen - Turn 1 Racing Line Analysis

READ THIS ⬇️

When aiming for the best racing line without fighting another car, many people choose the RED line. This line sets up a late apex so you can get on the throttle early for a faster exit onto the long straight.

However, the faster line is the GREEN one. This line takes advantage of the corner’s camber (the angle of the road - just like a banking in an oval). By turning slightly earlier, you can use the camber to get more grip and speed into the corner. This helps the car turn smoothly and lets you get on the throttle before you hit the apex.

With the RED line, you risk too much oversteer because you hit the camber when the car needs to turn the most.

[JonRacesCars]

Most follow the red line by accident trying to late brake the corner. This is one of those corners if you brake early you'll carry more speed through the apex and be able to accelerate sooner.

[lilibordei]

Depends on so many thing.. conditions, car, tyres

[lofiRob]

Many world champions swear by the maxim of slow in, fast out.

[spencerhoff]

I've noticed that hugging the inside like the green line allows far more speed to be carried through the turn. If you hit the apex just right you can get on the throttle super early and it'll carry you right to the edge of the track every time. Green for me

[advanced.mtrsprt]

READ THIS ⬇️

When aiming for the best racing line without fighting another car, many people choose the RED line. This line sets up a late apex so you can get on the throttle early for a faster exit onto the long straight.

However, the faster line is the GREEN one. This line takes advantage of the corner’s camber (the angle of the road - just like a banking in an oval). By turning slightly earlier, you can use the camber to get more grip and speed into the corner. This helps the car turn smoothly and lets you get on the throttle before you hit the apex.

With the RED line, you risk too much oversteer because you hit the camber when the car needs to turn the most.

[jeffdavis]

Beings that the next few corners are high speed, I’d take the red line to maximize my speed down the back straight.

[Glawkma]

Red allows you to brake later and gas sooner. Although green is a better looking arch, you slow down less entering the corner and carry more speed, you get on the gas later and lose speed through the s and long straight.

[Blossomy]

Usually, red is faster, however there are times when green is faster, like if its a short straight right after where entry speed to the corner is required and not exit, or if there is a S section, where greens momentum would already be pointing towards the apex of the second corner.

[timtaylor]

Green. You've got a huge run off in this corner you can use so you can drive into the corner hard and not worry about needing to scrub speed on exit. If it was a tighter exit, red for sure for the drive off onto the long straight away.

[WLM-CHRIST-IS-KING]

I struggle with this corner so bad every time. Can never seem to master it.

[Iamuphotography]

It depends on which place you are and if in front you have another driver, in that case I'll take the green

[cookie-pbeu]

It depends how long the straight is after the corner, if it is long you want the red line to straighten your car up as early as possible for earlier application of max acceleration. You will sacrifice corner speed to get the car straight to get on the gas.

[ChristopherWoods]

You have to go for the green line to be fastest, being aggresive with the right hand kerb, working with the camber and being conservative with the runoff to avoid losing tine and invalidating the lap. I've found the green line is always faster despite wanting to late apex.

[JEFF_]

Turn 1 has a ton of banking. The more you are in that banking the more you can carry speed through the apex and exit. There isn't as much banking in the entry when on the red line.

[jcarlospereira]

The fastest one, which gives you a better acceleration towards turn 2, it is most definitely the “Red Line”.
The “Green Line” is a safe line, if someone is- following close, but not too close, which in this case can “Banzai” you on braking.

[apollogaming]

With how banked turn 1 is i would say green is more ideal so you can carry more speed into the flatout treck until bus stop

[KluchaDJL]

I was always doing green one, feels like this corner needs flow

[rickpostema]

Green because of the banking you can turn in earlier, rotate the car in the banking/curbstone

[ItzJustYetii]

Idk. On the red line is seems like you've to brake harder to turn the car into the corner. But you'll get a bit faster exit.
But i always take the green line. Its just the "standart" line

[stfndln]

This corner reminds me of T1 at Suzuka. Downhill, momentum and weak rotation would say green one.