McLaren 720s EVO GT3 COTA HYMO Hot Lap Analysis
Let’s take a look at this hot lap of COTA in the McLaren 720s EVO GT3 driven by HYMO.
The Track
The Circuit of the Americas (COTA), located in Austin, Texas, is a premier motor racing track that has become a staple in the world of motorsports since its debut. Designed by Hermann Tilke with input from promoter Tavo Hellmund and 1993 Motorcycle World Champion Kevin Schwantz, the circuit was first proposed in 2010 and constructed at a cost of around $300 million, overcoming various challenges including funding issues and the discovery of high-pressure gas lines on site.
COTA is a Grade 1 FIA-specification track, spanning 3.426 miles (5.513 km) and featuring 20 turns. The layout offers a mix of fast straights and technically demanding corners, presenting a challenging drive for competitors. The track's signature element is its steep, uphill run to Turn 1, a blind apex corner, which is particularly challenging for drivers as they have to rely more on instinct than vision due to the corner's nature.
HYMO setups have the answers and you can get the very same setup used in this hot lap video HERE.
Analysis
Below we look at the comparison between a community driver and the HYMO reference hotlap around Turn 7 at COTA. This corner follows the famous swooping esses and the real key is to Turn 7 is to set yourself up for a wide entry for the left hander. In an F1 car this is fairly easy as Turn 6 is easily flat. However, in a GT3 car it can be easy to run too wide out of 6 and end up making the line too tight for Turn 7. You can see this is exactly what happened to the community driver in orange. This tighter line forced them to brake earlier and harder and cost them both minimum speed and exit speed as well as again making the line tighter for Turn 8. Often with these back to back corners, if you get out of sync you can carry and error through three or four corners down the line.
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
Navigating tracks with significant elevation changes demands a nuanced approach to driving. Anticipating how these variations affect your car's behaviour is crucial: uphill sections can burden the engine, requiring more power, while downhills can unexpectedly increase speed. Braking strategies must be adjusted accordingly – earlier and more cautiously for downhills, and potentially later for uphills due to the natural deceleration effect. Cornering also changes with elevation; more grip is often available uphill, while downhill turns may be trickier due to reduced traction. Your line through corners and gear selection should adapt to these dynamics, choosing wider lines or different gears to optimize for either uphill power or downhill control. Lastly, if possible, adjusting your vehicle's suspension settings to better handle the specific challenges of elevation can provide an added edge. Practice and experience on the specific track will further refine these techniques, tailoring them to the unique characteristics of both the track and your vehicle.
No idea what setup to run? Use the HYMO lap as your reference point.
To see full lap analysis of your own driving, you can sign up to Track Titan for FREE today here.
