The Racing Line - How to Drive the Perfect Corner (Actionable Tutorial)

The racing line is one of the first things you need to get right to be fast on track. This racing line tutorial explains where you should turn-in, apex and exit a corner.

Our first Driver’s Uni tutorials cover the very basics of circuit driving. Even if you’re an experienced circuit driver we recommend watching, as it’s important to understand the principles behind your driving.

This video tutorial will cover some racing line tips including:

- What is the racing line
- What is the apex of a corner
- The braking point, turn-in and exit phases of a turn
- The geometric line
- The ideal and fastest racing line
- Racing lines for hairpins, medium speed and fast corners

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This video is part of a Driver61's "Driver's University" series. Got an aspect of racing you'd like me to explain? Ask in the comments!

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★ Got racing technique questions? Ask in the comments!

#DriversUni #Tutorial1 #TheRacingLine

[jackmahomes]

Shaved 16.61 seconds off my grocery store commute, get in there Lewis!

[Banana_Cognac]

This helped me get onto the freeway quicker with looped on-ramps

[seriall]

I dont actually drive on tracks in real life, but this has helped me improve my lap times in project cars :) Maybe one day i will race for real. Thanks a lot.

[subarashizeo]

A friend once told that racing lines are pointless and wastes times, says the guy who always ends up last in go karting even agansit kids (yes thats how bad he is)

[ShoopufEatMoogle]

Before I start this (at 0.03 into the video) I'm going to drain a 20l tank at Mid-Ohio driving a Tatuus F4 in Raceroom Racing Experience, report my best lap time, then watch all these, and do it again. Same set up, same conditions, same everything. I'm super curious to see what sort of impact a series like this will have on someone like myself, who's knowledge of vehicle dynamics is growing, but is a bit cluttered right now. A bringing together of facts in my heads sounds like it'd be a huge boon.

Can Scott Mansell help whatever the hell this guy said his name was on YouTube lower his lap times? Find out more over the course of probably a week? Maybe more. I work a lot, and I wish I had more time to dedicate to racing, but dang, life, man! Anyway, time to hotlap.

Edit 1: Breadward Toastwinckel? Really?
Edit 2: We have a basline. 1.28.194. My best still holds at 1.27.346. Let's see what we can do about those times.

Edit 3: After watching five videos, I have banged in a 1.27.219. There's how many more to go? And with what I know so far, I know there's more time out there, just gotta put the pieces together.

[samvanderwerff]

Your video's are so well made and the explanation is so accurate that it feels I should pay money to watch those tutorials! Very well done, keep up the good work!

[SFwheelman]

These videos definitely helped me in ACC

[actionsportsprofy]

Scott, God bless you my friend. U are so generous to us, sharing vital information! You passion for racing goes without saying, but your will to help others get safer and faster is truely outstanding!

[Moto_Medics]

Thank you in advance for all your work you provide for free, truly an invaluable toolbox you’ve given us.

[davyvanderschoot]

Would you stick closer to the geometric line in a less powerful car than in a more powerful car, because the speed difference will be lower?

[hozisalehi]

Kinda wished you compared racing lines in relation to the difference between the two sections before and after the corner.
Your examples point that if there's a straight after the corner how different your line would be, which is correct.
But we have 3 types of apexes, there's the perfect apex, then late apex, and then early apex.
And I'm sure you know that early apex is for when you're coming out of a long straight and then going into a sector that is slower, so you don't brake as much, and you carry that speed with you through the corner. Where as in an early apex, like you said, we want to get on the throttle sooner and exit faster.
I'm just saying, when you talk apex, be sure to mention the 3 types, it sits better in the mind of the student.
Great series, by the way.

[p.c.h.]

You are the best! It took me awhile to learn what you have just explained, but it works so well and it makes driving easier, smoother, faster, but you have to concentrate quite a bit in order to do it perfectly on every bend. Thank you so much! I can’t believe you are teaching all those things for free.

[ethanw]

A few audio bugs, but this is a great tutorial. I like to play racing games, so this is pretty helpful.

[gldrift]

Thank you for this I’m going to watch the rest in this playlist. But this video alone helped me save .9 seconds off my lap time

[luked]

This is amazing, would honestly pay for this if was in an online course. Keep it up

[miva]

Amazingly useful for a beginner! Thank you so much!

[benfinegoldsociety]

Thank you so much. I shaved seconds of my lap time in sim racing at tsukuba and Fuji Speedway with this video alone.

The geometric racing line and ideal racing line helped me get Gold for the Gt7 circuit experience. All I had was a demo video but I didn't understand what I was trying to copy

[Takasukunami]

Excellent tutorial. I really want to thank you. I'm actually starting my driver training at my local race circuit on my country. And my instructor isn't as clear as you are when he explained me all about racing lines.

[MrFrosty]

With slower corners I always have said to friends when we race on sim is try and v it off now I can show them this thanks and I picked up so much more and can’t wait to try this out on track. Cheers loving the vids they are brilliant

[KUP]

As a novice. This tutorial was really a good explaination of racing line basics. Thanks!