The racing line
The racing line is the path through a corner that lets the car carry the most speed for the least grip. It usually starts at the outside edge (turn-in), touches the inside (apex) and finishes back at the outside (track-out), so the corner becomes as wide and gentle an arc as possible.
- Wide arc = higher speed for the same grip. Use all the track.
- Exit speed matters most before a long straight, because you carry it the whole way down.
- A late apex is the safe default: a slightly slower entry, a straighter exit and earlier throttle.
- Reference points (braking, turn-in, apex, track-out) make the line repeatable.
Turn-in, apex, track-out
Turn-in is where you start steering, near the outside edge. The apex is the point where the car comes closest to the inside of the corner. Track-out is where you let the car run back to the outside edge as you unwind the steering and apply throttle.
Move the apex and everything changes. An early apex feels fast on entry but points you at the outside of the exit, so you must lift or add steering. A later apex gives up a little entry speed but lets you straighten the wheel and get on the throttle sooner.
Simplified 90° corner. Real corners trade entry, mid-corner and exit speed differently; what follows the corner decides which matters most.
Why exit speed wins
A mile an hour gained on corner entry lasts for a few metres. A mile an hour gained on exit lasts all the way down the next straight. That’s why, before a long straight, you sacrifice entry speed for exit speed. Before another corner, the balance shifts.
Corner types
Hairpins reward a late apex and patience. Fast sweepers reward a geometric line and commitment. Decreasing-radius corners tighten as you go, so the apex comes late. Double-apex corners are often driven as two corners or as one long late apex. Chicanes and esses are about sacrificing the first part to set up the last.
Making it repeatable
- 1Walk or drive slowly round the track first, or study onboard video, and choose fixed references: a marker board for braking, a kerb end for turn-in, a crack or patch at the apex, a kerb at track-out.
- 2Look ahead: as you reach one reference, your eyes should already be on the next.
- 3Change one reference at a time and judge the result by exit speed, not by how fast it felt.
FAQ
Is there one perfect racing line?
No. The ideal line depends on the car, the tires, the conditions and what comes next. The principles of a wide arc and prioritising exit before straights hold everywhere.
Why does the racing line look different in the wet?
The rubbered-in dry line can be the slipperiest surface in the rain, so drivers often move off it to find grip.
What’s a late apex?
An apex reached deeper into the corner than the geometric middle. It costs a little entry speed and gives a straighter, earlier exit.
- Trail brakingTrail braking means easing off the brake progressively as you turn in, instead of finishing braking in a straight line. Why it works, when to learn it and how to practise.
- Oversteer vs understeerUndersteer is when the front tires lose grip and the car runs wide; oversteer is when the rear lets go and the car rotates too much. Here’s how to tell and react.
- Threshold brakingThreshold braking means braking as hard as the tires allow without locking up. How to find peak deceleration, with or without ABS, and practise it safely.