When you race online, you know there are certain corners of particular tracks where there’s without doubt going to be instances.
Whilst some of the corners I have chosen aren’t typically known as challenging corners, these are far too often the location of incidents in sim racing. Perhaps this is down to a lack of awareness/view of a driver’s surroundings, or that a corner is wide enough to try and make a move stick.
In sim racing, it's not uncommon for sim racers to think they have the skill to pull off a move like Verstappen did to Hamilton during the last race of 2021 - or replicating Hakkinen's move on Schumacher at Spa in 2000.
What you do think to our top 10 list? Navigate through our 10 via the buttons below. Have we missed out on a corner that you particularly dread? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Whilst some of the corners I have chosen aren’t typically known as challenging corners, these are far too often the location of incidents in sim racing. Perhaps this is down to a lack of awareness/view of a driver’s surroundings, or that a corner is wide enough to try and make a move stick.
In sim racing, it's not uncommon for sim racers to think they have the skill to pull off a move like Verstappen did to Hamilton during the last race of 2021 - or replicating Hakkinen's move on Schumacher at Spa in 2000.
What you do think to our top 10 list? Navigate through our 10 via the buttons below. Have we missed out on a corner that you particularly dread? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Number 10
Village Silverstone - With this entry I am going to include The Loop and Aintree, as there’s almost no time to straighten your wheel between these corners. Village can be an awkward turn for sim racers, the track is quite wide and encourages opportunity to make a move, but again with the lack of peripheral vision, this corner can also be the location of many driving incidents. If you both manage to make it through Village, you’ll most likely be fighting side by side through The Loop and Aintree - losing a huge amount of time to other drivers. You’ll most likely trade paint and at least one of you will leave the track at Aintree.
Number 9
La Caixa Circuit de Catalunya - Like so many corners on this list, La Caixa is a slow and awkward corner that comes after a long straight. The difference here to some of the other examples of bad corners is that the straight isn’t quite long enough to get alongside your opponent. That means, to make a move, often drivers will have to either out brake their opponent of drive bomb to the apex. Often either of these scenarios result in cars coming together and almost certainly the car on the outside will be forced off track.
Number 8
Chicane Spa - we are back at Spa and this time it’s the final two corners. Here's the scenario - You’ve been closely following the car in front through Stavelot, watched them go slightly wide on the exit at Corbe Paul Frere and hugged their bumper through Blanchimont; then out braking them into Chicane and the feeling is so sweet!! When this works, it is one of the best feelings. When it goes wrong it sees both of you in the tyre wall! Chicane can be incredibly rewarding, but due to the lack of vision and the angle of these corners often this move results in a lot of virtual paint being traded.
Number 7
Paddock Hill Bend (Turn 1) Brands Hatch - There’s a theme here already, so far all of these corners have been turn 1 and Paddock Hill Bend is another to add to the list. With the track dropping away from you, a large sand trap on the outside of the corner and a high kerb on the inside, Paddock Hill Bend is a challenging corner. Turn 1 can often be a mess, but it’s also a corner that can catch you out on any lap. With such a wide entrance to this corner, it does see many drivers attempt to overtake here. The usual line would be to brake before entering the corner (trail braking will see you on the grass heading towards Surtees), with a late apex and running out as wide as possible on exit. How many times have you made it through Paddock Hill Bend, only to find a car sideways in front of you?
Number 6
Haug-Haken (Turn 1) Nurburgring - Another turn one, where the opening lap often results in a massive car crash! The start finish straight at Nurburgring is wide and the race to turn 1 is particularly long. Just like Monza and Spa, pretty much any position on the starting grid is a danger, unless you’re starting from the back where you can see the carnage unfold in front of you. Part of the issue with Haug-Haken is the angle of the corner and single monitor users cannot see enough of their surroundings. Even during races, this corner can be a corner where you see a lot of late braking and dive bombs.
Number 5
Bocht 9 and Bocht 10 Zandvoort - Bocht 9 is an awkward corner, it approaches quickly after MastersBocht and the track doesn’t straighten out between corners. It’s a corner that seems to go on forever and timing your exit incorrectly will definitely see you in the sand or barrier. It is another corner that welcomes sim racers to try and make a move stick, where it usually ends up with both of you awkwardly meandering around the corner a mile off pace. Most moves come from the driver behind trying to snatch the apex, but usually these moves don’t pan out and they are then on the outside going into Bocht 10 - another awkward corner!
Number 4
Hairpin Hockenheimring - Just like Haug-Haken and Chicane at Spa, Hairpin tests the driver's awareness of what’s going on around them. It’s a long race through Parabolika to Hairpin and there’s plenty of time to make sure you know who’s around you. Despite the long run to Hairpin, it is often the location of many incidents. A defensive line can be a crawl through Hairpin and will then leave you open to attack through turn 7 and into Mercedes.
Number 3
La Source (Turn 1) Spa - Your race can be over before it starts. Approaching La Source the track is very wide and the usual racing line would be to approach the corner on the left side of the track, turning late ensures power is applied early for Eau Rouge. Attempting to do this on the opening lap will most likely mean someone will be diving down the inside and it’s not uncommon to see it 3 wide going into this corner.
Number 2
Andretti Hairpin Laguna Seca - The Andretti Hairpin is a slow, awkward, never ending corner - that even the best sim racers feel like they are going at a snail's pace. Combine all of this with 20 plus cars hurtling towards it on lap one and this often leads to disaster. There’s several factors to this corner that make it so bad. Turn one which is prior to this corner conceals the entry to Andretti Hairpin, the entrance to the corner is wide which encourages drivers to go side-by-side and on exit there’s a pinch that often sees cars colliding together.
Number 1
Variante del Rettifilo (Turn 1) Monza - Could it be any other corner? Over the years I have raced (virtually) around Monza in various sims and racing games. I have raced at various levels, anything from an open lobby, to league races and Variante del Rettifilo is a complete nightmare. Unless you’re starting at the very back of the grid, there’s a good chance you’ll be involved in an incident on the first lap. Staring at the front of the grid, you’ll probably get punted from behind, starting in the middle of the pack is just carnage, and starting closer to the back probably means you’ll get taken out by someone re-joining after an incident. On the very rare occasion if everyone makes it through, they all pile up into Valiante della Roggia!
