Ferrari 296 GT3 Donington Park HYMO Hot Lap Analysis
Let’s take a look at this hot lap of Donington Park in the Ferrari 296 GT3 driven by HYMO.
The Track
This challenging and technical circuit can present difficulties in configuring your car, especially around corners like Redgate, Craner Curves, and the Old Hairpin. Fortunately, HYMO has you covered with the exact setup used in this impressive lap video, available HERE.
Established in 1931, Donington Park is a renowned racetrack with a rich history. Hosting various motorsport events, including the British Touring Car Championship and the Donington Historic Festival, the circuit offers a mix of fast straights, tight chicanes, and challenging corners like Redgate, Coppice, and the Fogarty Esses. Donington Park has been a prominent venue for motorsport enthusiasts, providing thrilling racing experiences since its inception.
Analysis
Let’s use the Track Titan software to analyse and compare a community driver to the HYMO driver through the chicane of Turns 9 and 10. This is a tricky chicane where momentum is key. This requires a lot of commitment, and smooth inputs to keep the car stable. In this case, the community driver is often very abrupt with their inputs, meaning they can carry less speed due to the instability of the car.
Looking at the braking data, we can see that the HYMO driver (in light blue) utilises trail braking. While there isn't a huge amount of braking needed for this chicane, this still helps to keep the car stable and keep up as much speed as possible on the entry. They then smoothly apply the throttle, starting early on in the chicane, which again, keeps the car stable while also retaining the momentum and accelerating to the exit of the corner. The community driver on the other hand, is very abrupt with their throttle and brake inputs, unsettling the car and not giving them as much confidence to take the chicane at full speed. This causes them to lose 0.357 seconds through this section.
You can analyse every other turn in the Track Titan platform; see reference lap here.
You can also take it to the next level and compare it against your own driving, just sign up to Track Titan for FREE today here.
Hot Laps Top Tips
Trail braking is a driving technique that can significantly improve your hotlapping times. This technique involves continuing to brake as you enter a corner, gradually releasing the brake as you turn in. This transfers weight to the front of the car, increasing front tire grip and allowing for a tighter turn-in.
The key to successful trail braking is smoothness and balance. The transition from braking to turning should be seamless, with the brake pressure decreasing as the steering input increases. This requires practice and precision, but once mastered, it can result in faster cornering speeds and improved lap times.
Now that you’ve learned about trail braking, why not put it to the test? Join Track Titan today!
