Smooth driving techniques

Steering

Hold the steering wheel at the ten to three position (Diagram 1) to allow fairly tight radius corners to be tackled without having to take your hands off the wheel. If your car requires a large number of turns from lock to lock you should reposition your hands on the wheel accordingly before taking a tight bend. Shuffling your hands is not a smooth technique.

Dedicated article on steering

Diagram 1: Correct steering position for maximum smoothness

Braking

You can brake much faster than you can accelerate so the forces involved can more easily unsettle the balance of your car. Squeeze the brake pedal smoothly and progressively, never stamp on the brakes, and try not to get into the habit of allowing ABS to sort out locked wheels. This doesn't mean that you can't press the pedal hard, but ensure that the pressing and releasing motions are smooth and progressive. This will keep weight transfer spikes to a minimum and reduce the chances of unnecessary weight transfers or a locking wheel.

Dedicated article on braking

Acceleration

Smooth, progressive accelerator inputs are more important in more powerful cars as there is a greater likelihood of wheel spin. Engine braking is just as important as acceleration, so bear weight transfers in mind when lifting off. 'Lift-off oversteer' can result if you come off the gas mid way through a corner.

Dedicate article on getting a quick start

Changing gear

When changing up or down, avoiding any kind of shock loads through the transmission is essential, especially in a powerful car. When changing down, releasing the clutch rapidly can result in rapid forward weight transfers and in extreme cases, the driven wheels can lock. Use rev matching where possible to smooth out down changes, and release the clutch with mechanical sympathy in mind. When changing up, remember that a missed gear due to a rushed gear change is much worse than taking a little more care with the shifts. Never change gear mid-corner - when approaching a bend ensure you prepare by selecting a gear which will allow you to accelerate out.

Diagram 2: A smooth gear shift is vital to get the best times on the track

Weight transfers

It's essential to keep unwanted weight transfers to a minimum when driving close to the limits of grip. Rapid weight transfers caused by aggressive steering, acceleration, braking or gear changes can upset the balance of the car, and potentially cause you to lose control. Conversely, weight transfers can also work in your favour. For example, lifting off the throttle briefly before entering a corner can increase the available grip at the front wheels, lead to a better turn in, and reduce understeer.

Dedicated article on weight transfers

Diagram 3: Large weight transfers can be produced by aggressive steering

Rev matching

Rev matching is a technique used to prevent unnecessary weight transfer during down-changes in a manual transmission car. For a demonstration of why this concept is useful, select third gear and accelerate to about 3000rpm, then quickly select second and release the clutch fairly rapidly. You'll notice a large forward weight transfer as the engine speed is forced to increase. This can also cause the driving wheels to lock in extreme situations.

Rev matching will make you a much smoother driver when changing down through the gears, a skill which is essential for the track and can lead to faster lap times. This technique is performed by depressing the clutch, selecting the required lower gear, increasing the throttle, and then releasing the clutch smoothly. You'll need more revs if changing from forth to second that from fourth to third. With practice, this can result in very rapid and very smooth changes, and is almost essential if driving on the track. Rev matching can also be performed while braking, this is known as heel and toe. When you first start to learn this technique, you might find it hard to predict the amount of revs you'll need for each gear, but remember any increase in revs is better than none.

Dedicated article on rev matching