Late braking, or out braking your opponent in Formula 1
Formula 1 is the pinnacle of open-wheel, single-seater car racing and arguably the highest level of any motorsport globally. Also... There's more... is when you brake later than them going into a corner
In formula 1, a corner is much more than a turn on the track, it is a considered and deliberate... There's more.... This will allow you to get ahead and take track position, but it can come at a cost.
By braking later, your car will be carrying more speed into the corner, and you will get to the apex
Apex refers to the point of the corner where the car comes closest to the inside of the track and... There's more... of the corner first. If your car is on the inside, then your opponent won’t be able to defend. However, get it wrong and you may overshoot the corner, losing time and likely giving back the position.
It might sound simple to brake later than your opponent, but it’s not. F1F1 is the pinnacle of open wheel, single seater car racing and arguably the highest level of any motorsport globally.... There's more... cars reach speeds over 300 Kph and brake heavily at the last minute. Judging exactly where your opponent will brake and matching, or bettering, them corner after corner is challenging, and taxing on the tyres
Today's F1 cars are running 18-inch wheels (up from 13 inches in recent years) with the widths unchanged - 305mm... There's more.... Drivers need to bide their time and pick the right moment.
If you brake early, you won’t get to the apex of the corner quick enough, and the other driver
OK, so we all know what the driver is, right. I've always liked the description that F1 drivers are like... There's more... may drive around your car through the corner. If you brake too late, then there’s the risk of locking the brakes
F1 car brakes are similar to normal road cars, only they are made with different materials and operate under considerably... There's more... and running wide, costing you more time, and crashing into the defending car or going off the track.
Late braking is a skill and comes with risk, so some drivers are more apt to use this passing manoeuvre than others. For example, Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo is an Australian born F1 driver with Mclaren Racing. View Daniel's full profile - here There's more... is often called “The last of the late brakers”.
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