Matt Romanowski

Leclerc is back to pen and paper taking his notes (like many of us) https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...erc-ferrari-2/

Ross and I did a great podcast on this https://speedsecrets.com/speed-secre...-best-friends/ and Ross has made track maps for just about the whole world available https://speedsecrets.com/trackmaps/

CCA

I read something, over the past couple weeks, where Max was saying he doesn't take notes. Saying he keeps it all in his head and has always been that way. I probably fall more into that category. When I started weightlifting in my early teens, I wrote down all the sets/reps and weight I was doing, but I soon dropped that. I learned quickly that the body and how it feels and responds to exercise changes from day to day and even throughout the workout. As long as I was pushing myself and adapting to what I needed to get the best out of myself that day I was good. I see people restrained or maybe contained is better the word, by their notes in the gym all the time. That said, note taking benefits some people with their fitness and at the track. And, I like to reviewing other (fast) peoples notes when learning a new track or refining one, i.e; Is there something about this track/corner I'm missing? And, I couldn't have gotten through college without taking notes

breljohn

On that topic, could one of our favourite coaches on this board chime in?
I take some notes but would love to improve my note-taking.
Any tips, advice or templates?
Looking at you VR and Pro Coach :-)

ProCoach

John, I have people all over the map with this.

My methodology comes from a talk Ross Brawn gave at the MIRA facility in the UK, explaining his debrief with drivers when his eponymous team won the WDC. Basically, he keeps asking the SAME question, over and over again; “what is the SINGLE biggest thing keeping you from going faster?”

Another methodology that’s proved valuable was something I learned from Steve Johnson, a noted engineer, car builder and exceptional driver himself. Steve starts with the end in mind. The goal is 100% WOT, all the way around the circuit. Crazy? Well, no. That is the goal. The tracks (and cars) don't allow this, but that is the goal and all steps taken have to move towards that goal.

I’ve worked with drivers at a very high level who were so consumed with driving the car at the limit, that they couldn’t remember specifics in a verbal debrief. But they were all prodigious note takers... After ten years of studying one driver’s collected logs, it was a fascinating chronicle of how they distilled the essence, cutting right to the chase, of what it took for them to go quicker.

For most, a debrief using a track map is key. Doesn’t need to be lengthy or involved. When people write, they think. It’s good discipline.

Some who are still gaining speed primarily through driver improvement I ask to immediately write down the three places/control input combinations they think they do well, and the three they have the most challenge with.

I audit (or ask them to audit) their performance with data and video to confirm how accurate their memories are, then focus on having them develop action plans for two of of the three largest challenges. This “peel the skin of the onion back” is a key to continuous improvement.

Other drivers who are performing at a high level begin to be able to tune the car, due to the fact that they are able to string together multiple fast laps, sometimes even in traffic, within tenths or even hundredths apart. Only then can we objectively determine if a car change helped or hurt.

Again, what they do is progressively increase the detail and examine smaller pieces of ALL the fundamental skill executions. Cutting up braking, for instance, into MANY parts of braking. 1) transition from WOT, 2) attack or the speed and linearity of application, 3) sustain or how well they can maintain high levels with little or no variation, and 4) decay or the place relative to corner entry as well as the speed and duration of release.

Breaking everything down into smaller pieces and improving the quality of and the execution of these small pieces allows the driver to go quicker more easily, more safely and with less effort. Like a basketball player practicing foul shots.

There’s lots more. Ross has a ton of stuff, the steps Ross and Matt go over together are all good. I’ll see if I have some templates around.

I will say that there is no “one size fits all” solution for this, but this is a part of the science of the sport that has really helped people break through their own perceived “limits” and plateaus. All without adding risk...

TFBoxster

I took great pleasure in seeing this picture!

Thundermoose

I am not a coach, but my coach, Scott Heckert, and I use a simple template. It's basically got 4 sections that fit on a single sheet. Top is general stuff about driver, date, time, temp. Next section is a narrative on the car. Third section is the track map. I just copy these from Ross Bentley's track maps. The final section is a break down of the lap - what I maybe did well and where I need to improve. We refer to data and video to create this narrative. We write a lot of stuff on the map itself as well. We then try to pick 1-3 items to work on for the next session. Even when I am not being coached, I still try to follow this routine between sessions. It forces you to analyze your performance and to develop concrete goals for each session.

Veloce Raptor

I am a believer in driver notes, which focus on track, car, environmental, and driver data/observations. I have kept them for myself and the vehicles I have driven and/or raced on track for probably two decades.
IMO, how much detail and granularity is purely a function of the personal communication and learning/retention style of the client....and everybody is different. It would be counterproductive for me to force my way on someone with a very different style. However, written retention of some baseline info can help everyone IMO. For example,
I am a strong believer in track walks, and every other pro I have ever known or raced with walks every track every time they have a chance, simply because stuff changes month to month and year to year. How much they write down varies by the individual.

LuigiVampa

People think the main purpose of notes is to refer back to them. The primary purpose of note taking is to distill your thoughts and retain the memory. A distant second is to refer back to the notes to refresh and reinforce the information.

Veloce Raptor

Completely agree!

Matt Romanowski

I would disagree with this. I agree that writing the notes down does distill, clarify, and help retain them. No question there. In reviewing them pre-event, they help you start the event at a higher level than if you didn't. You'll see the note and remember small references, track topography changes, curbs, etc. You'll also spot differences quicker. While this is often only one session, if it's a race weekend were you get 3 sessions, qualifying, and a race, losing a session to re-learning and remembering puts you 20% behind at the start.

LuigiVampa

I guess what we learn by my statement and your response is that different people learn and retain information differently.

If I drive a track once and make notes, those notes are much deeper in my brain than if I drive a track once and read someone else's notes. Even if they are excellent notes the notes that I wrote give me a much better understanding because it made me think about every aspect of the track rather than just reading the notes. If notes were merely for a refresher we could all just use someone else's notes.

Again, maybe that works for other people, but I prefer to think about it, and also read other people's notes to see if I missed any nuances.

Manifold

Same for me. I'm willing to read and consider other people's notes on a track, and have sometimes given notes to students, but I generally don't write any notes for myself. I prefer to keep it all in my head and work from sensory cues and rules of thumb (plus I don't want to work too hard at this, since I do it for fun rather than livelihood or serious competition).