Spa Francorchamps Track Guide

 

With all the myth surrounding Spa it is actually quite an easy track to drive.  There are not very many corners and they are all technically fairly straight forwards.  What you do need to be quick around Spa, though, is lots of bravery.  Some of the corners, Eau Rouge-Radillion, Pouhon and Blanchimont for example require a third Shredded Wheat before really attacking them.

La Source

The hairpin at La Source used to be a junction on the road from Stavelot as it joined the road between Francorchamps and Malmedy.  Now it is the first turn of the permanent circuit of Spa.  It is a fairly simple hairpin with a wide entry and exit with a steepening down hill exit.  Brake in a straight line, turn in late and on the brake upto the apex, use a bit of the flat apex kerb if you want to then power on out to the exit again using the kerbs if you want as they are flat and smooth.

Eau Rouge-Radillion

Eau Rouge is the simple left flick at the bottom of the hill leading down past the endurance pits, the difficult part of this corner sequence is the climbing Radillion curve.  Eau Rouge sticks as a romantic name however as ‘Red Water’ has all sorts of dangerous connotations.  In fact it is the name of the stream that runs under the track here, so called because the mineral deposits in the water turn the rocks coppery in colour.  Now I’ve shattered you illusions lets look at the corner properly.  Approach down the hill slightly away from the pit wall on the right.  If you get too close you will experience aero drag off the wallwhich will slow the car a touch.  As you approach the bottom of the hill, move over to the right, skim the wall then bring the car over to the left aiming to use all of the kerb on the left.  You want to open out the right hander as much as you can so don’t turn in too early or you will run out of road as you climb the hill.  Nibble the bottom of the kerb on the right and be careful here in a powerful car as there is a slight crest at the apex which can make the car go a bit light and get you in trouble.  Pick up the kerb at the top of the hill and use all of the left kerb as you exit and some of the right kerb on the Kemmel straight as well.

Les Combes-Malmedy

Brake late as you approach Les Combes, the circuit is heading uphill here so you will loose speed more easily.  The ‘S’ is quite quick, not like a modern chicane.  Turn in just before the end of the kerb on the left and use the apex kerb on the right if you want to.  It is high but smooth.  Use the left apex kerb but only try to use 3/4 of the track width to the right as you exit so you can get back over to the left for a good sweep through Malmedy.  It is a short straight after Malmedy but carry as much speed through and out of this corner as you can.  Again use all the apex kerb and flat exit kerb.

Rivage

As you brake down the hill for Rivage it gets a bit bumpy but head almost straight for the inside of the corner.  This is a long hairpin and down hill all the way so get the nose into the bend early to avoid taking too long of a line on a more traditional late turn in.  also by getting into the corner earlier you are fighting less of the downhill camber in the first part of the corner making it easier to turn in.  Brake deep into the apex and get on the throttle about 2/3 around using all the exit kerb

No-Name

The following left hander has no name (that I’ve ever heard) and is a tricky down hill left.  The car will want to oversteer as you turn in but treat it like a ‘textbook’ 90 left.  Brake in a straight line, turn in a bit late, get on the power as early as you can, use all the exit kerb and maximise your exit speed for the run down to Pouhon.

Pouhon

A tricky double apex left which is quick and blind on the way in.  Turn in quite early, a good couple of car lengths before the end of the kerb on the right and aim to apex half way round the first 90 left.  Let the car run out to the right in the middle of the 2 turns, using some kerb on the right here if you need to, then continue the arc with the steering as you come back into the left.  Stay off both apex kerbs but again you can use the exit kerb here if you want as it is flat and smooth.  the second part of the corner is all about building speed so aim to carry speed into the first part but with the slowest part at the turn in then build all the way through to the exit.

Pif-Paf

Its proper name is Les Fagnes but everyone refers to it as Pif-Paf.  A quick ‘S’ bend.  The tightest part is the second corner, the left hander so approach the ‘S’ on the left, brake and bring the car into the right hand kerb.  Don’t overdo the speed here as you need to to keep the car right of centre as you exit to get the best line through the left.  You can use the right hand apex kerb but I suggest staying off the left.  Exit using the flat kerb on the right.

Stavelot1

Another fairly ‘text book’ right hander but one of the slower corners on the track.  You can get away with using the apex kerb here and on the exit, particularly in a well damped and powerful car, use all the exit kerb and stay on the kerb until you turn into the second part of the corner.

Stavelot2

An opening right which leads back up the hill towards the start.  Its important to carry speed through here and not make any mistakes as any lost speed here will hurt you for the next mile up the hilll to the bus stop.  Use the exit kerb if you need to to flatten the exit.

Blanchimont

Fast but technically quite easy.  Shallow out the bend as much as you can and use the exit kerb if you need to.

Bus Stop

This is now a very severe right/left chicane.  Use the flat kerbing but beware of the ‘sausage’ lumps behind the flat kerbs.  Sacrifice the first corner by exiting tighter to the right to open out the left hander to give you the best run onto the start straight.

The following hot lap video should be watched in conjunction with these notes.

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Snetterton 300 Track Guide

The majority of the Snetterton Circuit is covered in the Track Guides in Race and Trackday Driving Techniques.  Here we will look at the new corners which make up the ‘300’ variation of the circuit with a Circuit Guide Video covering the whole track.

Montreal

Approach on the left of the circuit and brake hard.  Turn in adjacent to the last marker board on the left and carry the brake into the apex remembering the ‘Scale of 10’.  Apex about two thirds of the way around the corner and use the full track width on the exit.  Exit at the far side of the ‘cut-through’ that joins the Montreal hairpin to the Bentley Straight for the ‘200’ layout and use the kerb here as well.

Palmer

Turn in from the far right and later than you first think.  The corner is slightly longer than 90 degrees and so you need to turn in later to avoid running out of road on the exit.  turn in as you come alongside the last marker board on the left of the circuit.  Apex two thirds of the way around the corner where exit two thirds of the way down the exit kerb.  The kerbing is very flat through here so use it to your advantage.

Agostini

A fairly simple hairpin.  Turn in late, apex late and straight line the exit as much as you can using the kerbs all the way through.  The turn in is adjacent to the last marker board on the right, apex on the last quarter of the kerb on the inside and exit in the end of the kerb on the left, again using as much kerb as you can but be carful of the exit kerb finishing early as there is a drop to the dirt which can upset the car.

Hamilton

This corner always seems to surprise you even though you can clearly see it coming.  Although it doesn’t realy flow from the previous bend it is quite a challenging corner.  Depending on your power:grip ratio this may need a brake or just a lift.  I find a little left foot brake here helps to point the nose into the corner without loosing too much pace.  Shallow out the curve as best you can using all the width of the apex and exit kerbs and come immediately back to the left on the exit for the next corner.

Oggies

Brake hard and turn in late here but exit initially in the middle of the circuit before letting the car drift wide as the corner carries on turning as it opens out.  Use the apex kerb.

Williams

A long, slightly off camber bend, turn in half way between the two marker boards on the left and hold onto the apex briefly.  Let the car drift wide only when the straight is clearly coming into view as it is easy to run wide here and the exit speed here is critical for a good run down the Bentley Straight.  Use the apex and exit kerbs to their full width to minimise the radius as much as possible.

The video below shows a hotlap with notes of the Snetterton 300 Circuit.

Rockingham ISSC Long Track Guide

A guide to most of this circuit is available in the book Race and Trackday Driving Techniques from Veloce Publishing, however this is the small extension of the circuit between Pif-Paf and Gracelands which adds the Kirby hairpin.

Pif-Paf

No need to turn in from the right hand side now as the left part of Pif-Paf is a much shorter corner than on the shorter version of the circuit.  Pif-Paf now becomes a fast left right flick.  Use as much of the flat kerbs as you can here to straighten the corners and carry as much speed as you can through. As you exit keep the car turning gently right over the brow of the hill to line you up for the braking for the Kirby hairpin.

Kirby

This is one of those corners which will require a differing line depending on what you are driving.  The hairpin is actually two, almost 90 degree, left hand turns immediately after one another.  Braking here is down hill so you will need to be a bit earlier on the brakes to compensate. In a car with more grip than power, turn in relatively early, aiming to clip the kerb on the first left hand turn.  Use the brake all the way into this first clipping point, rolling off the brake all the way into the bend.  Pick up the throttle and continue the curve through the second apex, using all the apex kerb and exit kerbs to shallow out the angle of the corner.  In a car with more power than grip go deeper into the first turn, missing the first apex and come back on yourself after the turn to give a straighter run through the second apex hence allowing you to get the power down more smoothly.

Check the video below for a hotlap around the circuit filmed from a Mazda Mk3 Cup car in testing in 2013.

Red Bull Ring Track Guide

The Österreichring has been re-opened as the Red Bull Ring after lots of investment from the energy drink company.  The circuit mirros the previous incarnation of the circuit, the A1 Ring, which was developed out of the Österreichring in the 1990’s after the old circuit was deemed to be too fast to be safe.  The track looks quite dull on paper but the gradients and the technical nature of the corners makes it a real challenge.  The tarmac is similar to Donington in that it is a really smooth surface so tyre wear isn’t a big issue but ultimate grip can be unless you have a really soft compound.  There are a few bumpy braking zones but the track itself is fairly smooth and the kerbs are user friendly and low.

Turn 1

Steep uphill approach to this corner.  Start on the left hand side of the circuit and as you approach the corner you can brake very late as the circuit climbs steeply in the braking zone.  Turn in about 2 car lengths after the ‘50’ marker and aim to clip the flat part of the apex kerb, avoiding the large yellow ‘sausage’ beyond.  The exit is tight as the track comes back in towards you so use the kerbs on the exit but avoid using the grass matting beyond as this has less grip and will drag you off and the tarmac run-off here stops abruptly which will put you onto the dirt.

Turn 2

Again you have uphill braking into 2 but the braking area is quite bumpy here.  Keep to the right hand side of the white line running up the left of the track.  Its tempting to go over it and use the extra foot of tarmac on the other side but this acts as a drainage gully so has large drain grates dotted along its length.  Turn in just before the marshals hut on the left and use the kerb on the inside, avoiding the yellow sausage.  This corner climbs steeply as you go through it so it is difficult to get the car to do exactly as you want it too.  A touch too fast on the turn in and the front will wash wide, a touch too slow and you will get a load of power oversteer on the exit as the weight distribution shifts mid corner.  Getting the power down is important here as the first bit of acceleration out of the corner is uphill.  Avoid the kerb and grass mat on the exit as this will reduce your traction as you accelerate.

Turn 3

You’ve passed the high point on the circuit now so the rest of your braking and corner entries are all down hill.  Brake early onto the left hand side of the circuit ready for the corner.  The braking zone is bumpy here.  Turn in late to the corner, approx 1 car length before the access road on the left of the circuit.  Your turn in is approximately the same speed as turn 2 above even though the corner is more open as the downhill entry makes the car hard to turn in.  Keep the brake on as you turn in to keep the weight over the front and make sure you get the front of the car into the apex kerb then feed in the power as you walk out to the left, coming alongside the exit kerb about two-thirds of the way along its length.  Keep turning to the right to ease the car back over to the right for turn 4.

Turn 4

Come alongside the right hand side of the circuit just after the ‘150’ marker.  As you go over the crest the corner will start to appear. Brake early and relatively gently and keep the brake on into the corner to keep the weight over the nose and to help the turn in.  Turn in about 1 length after the ‘50’ marker and slowly wind the lock into the corner as the car slows on the brake.  Hold the apex for a moment then release the turn and power out as the next short straight comes into view.  Use the kerb on the exit.

Turn 5

Squeeze the brake and turn in alongside the access road on the right.  Use the brake to help rotate the car in towards the apex kerb.  Use the kerb and the grass inside it and get the power on as early as you can whilst making the following right a flat out kink.  Exit the first part of the corner on the right hand kerb and follow this until it ends (and a little bit of dirt beyond) then let the car drift out to the left on the exit.  Avoid the kerb on the left on the exit as it ends too soon which will leave you on the grass.

Turn 6

Keep on the left as you go over the crest.  Turn 6 only comes into view as you are already braking and turning in.  Turn in early for the corner, just after the ‘50’ marker, and carry as much speed in as you can.  Use all the kerb on the apex and run out wide onto the exit kerb

Turn 7

A short straight then a short, sharp brake for the last turn.  Down hill entry again but a really short apex so rotate the car a bit on the brake then grab what kerb you can on the apex getting full on the power before you get to the inside of the corner.  Run out onto the exit kerb then stay on the left all the way down to the first turn again.

Oulton Park Interational Track Guide

Other than the points below you can follow the guide in the book with the video below.

Old Hall
Only use the extra bit of track on the left as you brake if your car is well enough damped as it is much bumpier than the regular tarmac.  As of 2014 this area has been repaved so it has smooth tarmac all the way out to the white line.  Maximise the width of the track on turn in here.

Druids
Depnding on your power to grip ratio it can be better to turn in earlier here and hit the first apex and the second, or just the first or just the second.  Generally the more grip you have relative to your power the earlier you can turn in and carry speed through to the exit.

The following video was filmed in car during a race to give an idea of an ideal line.  View the hot lap in conjunction with the notes here and in the book Race and Trackday Driving Techniques from Veloce.

Nurburgring GP Track Guide

Castrol S
As you approach the first turn you will be travelling very quickly on the left hand side of the circuit.  The corner is blind,over the slight crest that is adjacent to the pitlane exit.  Over the brow of this slight crest the road kinks to the right so as you brake for the corner arc slightly to the right as if you are aiming for the centre of the track, thi s will bring you alongside the left hand kerb as you get to the turn in for the corner.  Be very gentle on the brake in the last part of the braking zone and into the corner as the front of the car is very heavily loaded with the extreme braking and the down hill approach, it is easy to overload the front tyres here by asking for too much braking and turning at the same time which will cause you to run wide.  Turn in late, approximately 2 car lengths before the kerb on the left ends.  The apex has a sharp downhill drop on it and in a stiffly sprung single seater or GT car you should run a little wide, a front wheel drive car is more stable through here as you try to get the power down but it can still be a benefit to miss the apex a bit (a cars width wide is fine) to avoid picking up too much wheelspin.  On the exit let the car run out wide, minimising the angle of the exit as much as you can.  Use some of the tarmac run-off/extra track on the left at the exit along with the full width of the kerb and a little of the grasscrete beyond.

Mercedes Arena

The Mercedes Arena consists of 3 corners, the first two to the left and the third to the right, I’ll refer to them as 1, 2 and 3.
1: After exiting the Castrol S on the left of the circuit aim almost straight ahead as the roadstarts to turn left.  As you get approx a third of the way out from the left hand side squeeze the brake and bring the car back into the left hand kerb.  This corner has a long apex where you will hold the kerb for a while before moving out to the exit.  From about half way along the inside kerb start to let the car drift out to the right but try to stay off the kerbs on the right on the exit.
2: Follow the kerbs on the right as you approach the downlill entry to the left hander.  Brake hard initially but then immediately start to roll out of the brake as you balance the steering and brake as you start to bring the car into the apex.  This is another long apex and the corner tightens half way round, this is where you want to pick up the apex on the left kerb and hold it until the kerb ends.
3:  Turn into the right hander at the end of the apex kerb for corner 2.  This is the most important corner in this section as a good exit here will determine your speed down the long straight to RTL and Ford Kurve.  The key is to maximise the track width on entry, apex and exit to minimise the angle allowing you to carry as much speed as possible through the corner .  Use all of the apex kerb and some grasscrete beyond if necessary and on the exit use the tarmac runoff, grass matting, kerb, basically any real-estate you can get your car onto to minimise the exit angle.

RTL and Ford Kurve

The turn in point for the left handed part of these corners is approximately 1 metre before the grass stops and a strip of old tarmac (for an old access road) starts at the edge of the road.  Come into the apex but stay off the kerb.  Use the positive banking in the corner to allow you to get on the throttle and carry speed through the bend.  Use the full width of the track on the exit.  Bring the car back to the middle of the track then brake for the right hander.  This has a downhill entry but a positive bank again so you can use this to help get the car turned in (the wider you go the less banking there is so the less help it gives).  Get the car into the right hand side and hold the apex for a couple of metres without using the apex kerb.  Accelerate out using the full track width including the kerb and the concrete strip beyond.

Dunlop Kehre

As you approach the corner bring the car out to the middle of the road to allow yourself a straight-line brake into the left of the track before you turn in as the track gently arcs to the left as it drops down the hill to the corner.  Turn in late and on the brakes but be careful of overloading the front tyres as you are also traveling down a hill.  Bring the car into the inside quite early (but stay off the high kerb) and hold the apex until about two thirds of the way around the corner.  This bend promotes understeer so it is important to make sure you have the nose working well for you and pointed around the corner before you get on the power.  The exit kerb and the concrete beyond can be used unless you have a very low car as the kerb is quite high.

Michael Schumacher S

If you have a VERY well damped car you can use the high flat kerb on the right as you turn in to give you a little bit more of an open angle, otherwise stay off this and also stay off the apex kerb on the first left hander.  This is the slowest of these two corners and you should do all you can to maximise your speed through here as this determines your speed back up the straight to Kumho Kurve.  You can use the gradient of this uphill corner to allow you to carry a bit more speed in than you first think.  The exit point for the left is the apex of the right hander, use all the kerb and the grass matting beyond it to straightline this bend as much as you can and use the full track width on the exit.

Kumho Kurve

You approach this corner uphill and the circuit plateaus at the corner so the braking can initially be a bit difficult to judge.  Brake in a straight line on the extreme right of the circuit and turn in just before the end of the grass matting on the right.  Try to use the camber of the corner to carry as much speed as you can into the bend.  Clip the apex halfway around the corner (staying off the kerb) and run out to the full width of the track on the right (and a little bit of kerb) on the exit.  Immediately point the car back over to the left ready for the Bit Kurve.

Bit Kurve

Turn in from the very edge of the circuit on the left using a little bit of brake to help rotate the car and get the nose pointed into the corner.  The first part of the turn starts to drop down hill so the car will feel like it is floating down to the apex.  Just after the apex the road climbs again gently, giving you more grip and letting you get hard on the power.  Just before the exit the road starts to drop again so you will run a little wider on the exit but use all the kerb and concrete strip beyond to straighten this exit trajectory.  The corner feels like a gentler version of the Bombhole at Snetterton.

Hatzenbects Bogen

A flat out kink.  Stay off the kerbs all the way through and take the shallowest trajectory.

Veedol

There are 2 differant chicanes at Veedol, the on the Formula 1 cars use is the slowest and tightest where you will need to clatter over the kerbs to straighline it as much as you can for the fastest line.  The first part, the left is the tightest and here you need to use as much kerb as your suspension can take, accelerate through the right using the lower, flatter part of the kerb and run out to the kerb on the left on the exit.
The second version of the chicane gets used more for club racing and for the VLN races, it is much quicker and more open and a much more satisfying corner to drive.  The first apex is blind as you approach, being over a small crest, so spot your braking but note that the chicane is fast so you won’t want to loose too much speed.  Turn in just before the crest in the road (and hence, just before you can see the apex) and be careful of the bumps in the end of the braking zone and upto the apex.  Use all of the apex kerb and the grass matting beyond and get back on the power at this point.  Again use all of the kerb on the right and let the car slingshot out to the edge of the road on the left on the exit.

Coca Cola Kurve

A fairly straightforward hairpin, be wary of making sure you get a good exit as this determines your speed down the long start/finish straight.  Turn in 2 car lengths before the split where the GP circuit turns right and the Nordschleife turns left.  Carry the brake a good quarter of the way into the turn making sure you use the extra weight on the front to help turn the car and get the front pointed into the apex.  The apex is a cars length after the start of the pitwall.  Get on the throttle and let the car use all of the track width, the kerb and the concrete strip on the exit.

Overtaking

There are a few obvious spots for overtaking, such as outbraking into the Castrol S, RTL, Dunlop Kehre, Kumho Kurve and the Veedol, but there are a couple of other corners whre you can surprise your competitor.  The second left hander in the Mercedes Arena is one such place, it can be possible to dive up the inside here as the best line in is a wide approach.  This will mean you will need to hold your competitor up on the apex otherwise they will repass you as you exit the following right having taken a cleaner line.  You can also overtake into Ford Kurve as alot of people will try to take the corner with a wider turn-in, so will sacrifice their speed through the preceeding left to position themselves for the right.

Brands Hatch Indy

Paddock Hill Bend

One of the most daunting corners in British motorsport and the first challenge on your lap.  You will cross the start/finish line towards the right hand side of the track and angle yourself slightly left as you climb the hill leading to the top of Paddock Hill.  The track falls from left to right all the way along the start straight so keeping the car to the right along the straight means you will have less of a hill to climb coming out of the last corner at Clark Curve and will therefore be travelling faster.  The start straight also gently arcs to the right along its whole length as well.  The sharp ascent as you move to the left helps to stabilise your car ready for your braking.  The braking is done over the gentle crest of the hill, you will not be able to see the corner or the apex before you brake so you will need to run the corner a couple of times to get the trajectory in your mind so that you can judge the braking point accurately.   Whilst braking try to keep the car as straight as possible but with the track falling away to your right and also gently arcing to the right you will not be able to be perfectly straight.  Also be aware of a couple of bumps in the braking zone which will do their best to destabilise the car.  Aim for the green and white striped board on the tyre wall and your turn in point will be as you get to the edge of the track whilst travelling in this direction.  By the time you turn in you will be already dropping down the hill so you will need to be mostly clear of the brake at the turn in point and don’t pick up too much balancing throttle too early as this can unsettle the car.  The apex is just at the point where the hill is at it’s steepest but stay off of the apex kerb as it is quite high and can easily get you into trouble whilst giving you no benefit in the angle of attack on the corner.  By the time you have reached the apex you should be hard on the throttle.  It’s always a bit of a leap of faith this one as you seem to need to get on the power before the car has fully settled and when your instincts are telling you that the steep descent will make you wash out wide and off of the track.  What you are relying on is the exit of the bend coinciding with the valley bottom between Paddock Hill and Hailwood Hill.  The car will compress dramatically here giving you a large helping of grip just when you are about to run off of the track.  This means you can keep your momentum you gained by getting on the throttle early mid corner and carry the speed up Hailwood.  The exit of this corner is always a point of conflict between the competitor and MSV.  The edge of the track here is marked with a mild rumble strip but has the tarmac of the pre 1976 alignment of the corner outside this strip with the gravel trap placed directly onto the old tarmac.  The fastest line here is to get all four wheels over the rumble strip and onto the old track but MSV would rather you didn’t.  In recent times the gravel trap has seemingly moved a little closer to the circuit but it is still possible to get at least 2 wheels over the rumble strip.  There are limits often imposed on how often you are allowed (?!?) to do this in a race so make sure you don’t fall foul of the rules.

Druids Bend

After exiting Paddock Hill Bend you will be on the left of the circuit climbing Hailwood Hill towards Druids.  Initiate your braking on the left but immediately start to bring the car into an early apex.  Be careful with your braking here as there is a slight crest in the road just under the bridge which can lighten your wheels momentarily, causing them to lock up.  Get alongside the apex kerbing early and follow it around the corner using the gentle banking effect of the hill to help you.  Avoid running up onto the kerb as it has large ‘cow pat’ ridges which will throw you off line.  Try to get the power on smoothly and from the middle of the corner, your speed trace should look close to a mirror image with you braking and reducing speed all the way up to the mid point of the bend before accelerating away from this mid point.  Let the car run out to the left hand edge on the exit.

Graham Hill Bend

A shadow of it’s former self, this corner was re-profiled in 1998 and is now a messy, fiddly left hander which rather spoils the flow of the circuit.  Most people make the mistake of rushing over to the right hand side of the circuit as soon as they have exited Druids and following the edge of the track to the turn in point.  Due to the shape of the track, a slight left kink before the bend, and the descent down the hill this action tends to create instability in the car in the braking zone.  A better line is to aim the car half way between the ‘50’ board and the turn in point and as you approach the edge of the track here start to turn the car to come alongside the track edge, this takes you up to the turn in point where you can continue to turn in the wheel to bring the car into the corner.  This line means you will initiate the braking with the car still in a straight line so you will be more stable up to the turn in point.  You will be braking down hill here to bear in mind the extra momentum you will have as you can very easily run a touch wide of the apex.  The apex is at the foot of the hill so you can turn in on the brake to help the direction change without getting the car out of shape.  The following straight is reasonably long so you want to be on the power as hard and as soon as possible and shallow out your exit line.  Use a little apex kerb and a little exit kerb but be warned that these kerbs increase their height dramatically the further from the track you get and are high and sharp enough to cause damage to the underside of your car if it is low.  This extra height will also unsettle your car so for the best lap times don’t get too greedy.  MSV are also particularly sensitive about drivers repeatedly running over the kerbs and onto the grass here so check of any penalties that may apply before you go on track.

Surtees and McLaren

I’ve included these two corners together as the first has such a direct impact on the second, by which I mean that if you get the first one right the second is takes care of itself.  As the track kinks left along the Cooper Straight you will be hugging the white line on the right.  The proximity of the barrier on the left means the approach to the corner is fairly blind and you won’t see the exit until you are at the apex.  Your turn in needs to be fairly early and fast.  A lot of vehicles can turn in here flat or with just a little lift.  Use as much of the kerb on the left as you possibly can (though be aware there is a dip or shallow point right in the middle of the kerb so try to go one side or the other of this point).  If you’ve used enough kerb at the left of Surtees then the right at McLaren should then be almost straight, use the full track width over the white line on the right but not the rough kerb.  You are gently climbing again now so aim towards the outside of the track ready for the turn into Clearways and Clark Curve.

Clearways and Clark Curve

Braking up hill as you leave the apex of McLaren and traversing the track in a straight line towards the left hand side try to get about a cars width from the left before turning in.  At the turn in point the ascent plateaus so gently ease the brake into the turn, it’s easy to out-brake yourself in the last few feet.  The first apex is at the point where the Indy track and the Grand Prix loop meet.  There is a fairly flat kerb on the inside which has it’s shape disguised by a smooth arc of paint on the tarmac.  The point where this painted tarmac becomes kerb is where you want to aim your right front wheel.  Get on the power smoothly here as the moment you want to be accelerating the track falls away from you down hill which will make you run out wide.  You should aim to get to the left of the track just before the white line which runs across the circuit delineating the restart line for pace car conditions.  This line traverses the track and the pit entrance and is at the bottom of the hill, keep the wheel turned in and the power applied and as the track straightens out come into your second apex which is just past the marshals post on the right where there is a small section of tarmac to the right of the white line.  Keep hugging the pit wall all the way to the start line as this is the shortest route and the bottom of the hill so less work for your engine to do.

Below is a video of a hot lap filmed in car to tie in to the text above: