The ability to trail brake effectively is one of the core skills of an F1 driver, whether real or virtual.
Modulating your brake pedal usage can seem like an incredibly small detail which is difficult to pin down and realistically improve upon. However, there are steps that you can take to help you in this regard.
Learning to properly modulate the brake pedal will improve your lap times as well as your tyre wear, and as such it’s worth working out how to do it right.
Finding your brake setup
The single most important thing to do when trying to improve your performance on the brakes is to find the brake settings that suit you.
UNDER PRESSURE: This high brake pressure setup will work for some drivers
This means taking a look at the brake pressure and brake bias settings in the setup menu and experimenting with them. When you find the setup that works with your style and makes you feel at ease, trail braking will come more naturally to you.
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I always like to run very high brake pressure with a rearward brake bias. I feel that this suits my driving style which relies on late, hard braking.
The brake pressure gives me the most stopping power, while the rearward bias prevents me from locking up the front tyres every time I get a little over-aggressive.
A SOFTER TOUCH: Some drivers will prefer a lower brake pressure setup
For others, though, lower brake pressures mesh with their style far better. A lower brake pressure allows the driver to make adjustments mid-braking zone with greater ease.
Adapting your configuration
Another way to help you to get the most out of your brakes is to adjust your brake configuration in the game’s settings.
CONFIG: The brake settings can be found in the main controls menu
Here, you can adjust the saturation, linearity and deadzone of your brake pedal or trigger. Just like with the brake setup, it’s best to experiment here.
If you find that you prefer a greater deadzone, or more saturated brakes, then changing your config to match will help you massively.
Building a consistent base
While you’re trying to learn how to trail brake effectively, it’s best to brake earlier than you would usually do to start with. Not only does this give you more time in the braking zone to adjust your input, it ensures that you will be able to build up consistency.
TOO HOT TO HANDLE: Failing to trail brake well will have you locking up consistently
Being able to consistently make every corner because you’re erring on the side of caution will help the speed with which you can improve your trail braking.
Furthermore, the frustration you may feel when braking too late for the umpteenth time could cause you to quit before you’ve got it properly worked out. Therefore, it’s best to brake a little on the early side to start with.
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As you get more confident on the brakes, you should find yourself braking slightly later for each corner every lap until you find your limit.
Of course, being willing to persevere when things go wrong is possibly the most important thing of all. Keep working at it, and soon enough you’ll get there!