Which racing line is better, assuming we're coming from bottom, and why?

Red, you get better drive onto the next straight.

If you're coming from top, red, if coming from bottom, blue.

Whatever allows you to enter the following straight with more speed is better, unless the straight is so short that a better entry into the corner after the straight is more important than the speed on the straight.

That looks like FE4R, in which case blue is faster.

Quote from AndroidXP :

If you're coming from top, red, if coming from bottom, blue.

Whatever allows you to enter the following straight with more speed is better, unless the straight is so short that a better entry into the corner after the straight is more important than the speed on the straight.

I see your point. But the curve of blue line is tightest even though that means it'll end sooner and you can go full throttle earlier, but maybe that doesn't compensate for the time lost, or does it? The other one will carry more speed and even though can't accelerate full throttle at exit, it already is faster. Hum..

From bottom, blue is better. You will probably enter a tiny bit slower, but it will allow you a better entry = better speed.

From the top, the red line is good.

I'd say blue from the bottom. You lose entry speed but you can get on the power a lot earlier and exit faster. Red could work too but I guess it depends on the driver.

I think Red is the Best from which ever way you come.
Because you will be carrying more speed, Therefore faster.

Quote from jason0075 :

I think Red is the Best from which ever way you come.
Because you will be carrying more speed, Therefore faster.

According to this http://phors.locost7.info/phors17.htm

1st image shows Line with Fastest Cornering Speed

2nd image shows Line with Lowest Overall Time

So carrying more speed doesn't mean faster.

I'm thinking that the wider the track, the better the red line becomes, and vice versa. The question is, when is the point when it's equal, so we know which one is better for a specific width, like the image on attach, for instance?

On this thinner road, it's clear blue becomes better.

Clearly, from the bottom the blue line is better. With the red line, in most cars you won't be able to accelerate before you're going completely straight because of the sudden sharp turning. Blue is a LOT more smooth.

I would think red is better, as you are turning much less, so losing more speed. Why not try setting up a autocross track with this corner, then seeing what is quicker. I just drive what feels right, no idea which line I would take on a real track

Quote from jasonmatthews :

I would think red is better, as you are turning much less, so losing more speed. Why not try setting up a autocross track with this corner, then seeing what is quicker. I just drive what feels right, no idea which line I would take on a real track

But less does not mean smoother.. You always take the widest turn possible.

The line which is best is the line which allows you to put the most power down on the exit and gain the highest amount of MPH at the exit of the corner. This does not mean having the straightest exit possible, because to have a straight exit you must make a very tight turn, and this costs MPH.

The apex point, the line through the corner, the exit point, and the turn-in point all depend on how the car exits the corner. For the proper exit of any given corner, the car needs to be free. You know the car is free when the steering unwinds smoothly, the throttle is applied smoothly, and the car does not want to push straight off the track, but also does not feel "untroubled" by the exit of the corner. The sensation is "am I going off the track?" not "I am going off the track!" nor "I'm definitely not going off the track".

The fact is the truth of this is between the two lines. The red line pinches the exit too much, requiring you to add more wheel past the apex since the entry is so tame and straight. This will slow you down tremendously. However, the blue line is, quite frankly, a rain line, with an over-exaggerated exit that avoids the rubber buildup.

The ideal line is directly inbetween the two.

Nice post, but my point is...

Give me a track, after a few laps I can tell you what is the best line. Ask me theory or show me a pic, no idea

Also, does the best line change for the different car you drive? e.g. what if you drive a rwd as opposed to a fwd car? The lines are certainly different, surely shirley?

Quote from jasonmatthews :

Nice post, but my point is...

Give me a track, after a few laps I can tell you what is the best line. Ask me theory or show me a pic, no idea

Also, does the best line change for the different car you drive? e.g. what if you drive a rwd as opposed to a fwd car? The lines are certainly different, surely shirley?

Yes, I go on instinct a lot too, but I learned that instinct by learning theory first. It's all about feel, you have to know when the car is bound up or not being challenged enough.

The apex and exit does indeed change. The more understeery the car, the later the apex must be. Therefore, FWD cars have the latest apex, and RWD cars have the earliest. AWD are in the middle, generally, although AWD cars are a bit of a mystery to me. The setup of the car also makes the lines different. For instance a locked diff car will have a later apex than a loose LSD car.

Of the two, and assuming a longish straight afterwards (I.e. Not directly into another corner), then blue is far, far better than red regardless of car power or which end of the car is driven.

With red you can't get on the throttle until you're out of the corner, but with blue you might only be a mph or two slower into the corner, but way faster all the way down the straight.

Easy, obvious answer

but ideal is probably between the two, biased towards blue.

I go by feel so I wouldn't be able to tell you. lol.

some note about difference of ideal lines depend on rwd/fwd/awd...
i did recently few laps on blackwood with different cars and i felt, then analyzed and must say - ideal line is same for rwd, fwd as well as for awd imo and is depend on driver/braking style.
attached picture, 3 of them are wrs, another close to wrs, blue fzr is only different because of mistake (too late) braking.
not "tested" slick cars.

Id say something in the middle of both, blue would require you to go slower through the corner as its quite a sharp line but you get a much tighter exit. The exit on red is quite poor. Something inbetween might work out but i duno what corner your talking about, without driving it i cant really tell you.

From the bottom the blue line would be better because you would get on the power earlier and therefore have a much faster exit. The red line would only be faster up until the apex of the corner whereas the blue line will be faster from the apex right up along the next straight however long that will be.

Blue line from the bottom. Get to 100% throttle earlier, less turn in the car. Better terminal speed at the end of the next straight and less stress on the outside tyres.

Blue for me. If a long straight follows you really want exist speed to make the gains up the straight.