Braking Analysis: What Do Pros Do Differently?
 

Braking Analysis: What Do Pros Do Differently?
By Christopher Hurst

Learn how to brake like a pro.

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Thanks for the article. I am still pretty new but advancing in my technique and experience and as I have begun to run with faster more experienced drivers in the same car as me I have learned that I am braking too much. After following a solid driver for a session and listening to his coaching I knocked 3 seconds off my best lap time (and can do that lap time consistently) by not over braking and carrying more speed in the corners. Hard to get the confidence to do that so having an experienced benchmark to go off of in the same exact car really helped build confidence that I could do it.

Glad you enjoyed the writeup and congrats on getting faster! Three seconds is a huge improvement and that is just the beginning as you become more comfortable with what the car can handle.

Great article, thanks so much! A life-long pursuit for those of us who don't get paid to do it!

I believe I understand

"they simply brake less. The limit is much higher than many people think with the main problem being the average driver doesn’t approach the limit smoothly. Once you realize this, you begin to understand the brake pedal is also a tool to balance the car"

that the "limit" you're referring to is the lateral load at turn in, that most drivers don't realize they can enter the corner much faster than they believe (assuming they're smooth and not loading the tires too quickly), not that the brakes can work harder than the driver is aware and that they can scrub off more speed than they initially believe, correct?

Hey Guys, Chris here (the guy who wrote the article).

That's very impressive Pruettfan. Three seconds is a lot of time and to do that consistently is very good. You should be really proud of that. In the hundreds and hundreds of people I coached during my time at Porsche that was one of the harder things to instill into students. Sounds like you are taking the right approach. Everything comes in time, don't rush the learning process.

Hey Chirofirst-
That is correct. I was referring to the "limit" as lateral load on turn in for this example. Assuming you are smooth and not over loading tires you can turn in way faster than you think to a lot of corners. It should always be done with caution, but this is one of the last pieces of the coaching puzzle I work on with even highly skilled drivers. Thank you guys for reading and asking questions. It's really cool to help in the learning process.

If you guys want me to do any other articles feel free to reach out. I have a lot of contacts in the Porsche community and can offer some really good insight. Cheers.