FWD - throttle helps turning in!?

[Luc Frachon]

Guys,
I noticed something while trying (and failing):o to qualify for Istanbul. With the Chevy (I guess also true for other FWD cars), it seems to help turning when you apply some throttle while braking and steering. It's kinda hard to describe, so let's take an example:
You're coming flat out on the long straight in Istanbul, to the 3rd-to-last corner (very tight left-hander). You start braking hard, and gradually ease off the brakes to prevent locking, while starting to apply some steering. At this point, if you also apply some throttle while using the brakes to control your speed, it seems to reduce understeer.

I wonder whether this is due to the fact that you're effectively shifting the brake balance further to the rear, or if somehow the front tyres "pull" the nose of the car into the corner. But in that case, it means that I am not yet right at the traction limit and maybe I could use the traction reserve in a more efficient way?

I'd be curious to read your comments on that - if I have not confused you too much!

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

If you take the car to higher revs when downshifting and braking at the same time, the engine will brake much better. So that might explain why it works good.
Also if you use this technique you can try lowering the coast a lot, which will help you slowing down better to. Normally a car gets unstable during braking with low coast, but when applying the throttle and the brakes at the same time you wont notice that :thumb:"

Good topic by the way

 

[Sol Leung]

Interesting..
I've noticed that if u do that in RWD, it can made the car more stable during braking into a corner. Especially late braking into a corner.
I did it all the time as i brake with my left foot. hehe

 

[Luc Frachon]

Yes, I use the technique sometimes on RWD cars, but what I am describing is different, I think. It feels different anyway. It's almost as if when you start applying throttle (while still turning and braking), someone pulls the nose of the car towards the inside of the curve with a rope... You should give it a try and let me know what you think!

 

[Attila Domján]

Weel, depends on the actual situation and physics of the car at that very point that you try to explain, but generally in FWD if you apply thorttle right at the start of the turn then you get understeer not oversteer, so your car nose will want to go more to the outside of the turn, not to turn in more.

 

[Luc Frachon]

Well, that's what I always assumed and what happens if you apply too much throttle, but in the particular circumstances that I described, and if you do it properly, it seems to help turning... And it does seem a bit faster in terms of lap times.
But again, maybe it just works if you are not already using all the grip potential of the car?

 

[Stirb Iuliu]

Although I'm using the BMW in the Championship, in my view, downshifting without clutch locks the wheels and you you're going straight forward like a plow with FWD or spin like a top with RWD.

When I blip the throttle, it's somehow better but if I get it wrong, which I usually do, not only that it takes extra meters to brake but I plow ahead even worst.

That's why I'm looking forward to a G25, instead of my crappy Thrustmaster. Every other gaming rig fails if you really want simracing.