A few years ago, if you’d told me that learning to ease off the throttle would make me faster, I would’ve looked at you like you were speaking another language. Because really, isn’t this all about going as fast as possible? But here’s the trick: in racing, just like in life, sometimes slowing down a little gets you further. Today I want to share with you a deceptively simple technique packed with wisdom: Lift and Coast.
Let me take you to a race track real or virtual, it doesn’t matter. You’re flying down the main straight at 300 km/h, the roar of the engine and the headwind deafening. Ahead, a tight corner forces a decision: do you brake hard at the last possible second, or lift off early, let the car roll, and brake with surgical precision?
That second option is Lift and Coast: lifting your foot off the throttle earlier than usual, letting aerodynamics do some of the work, and then braking. In a world where every milliliter of fuel and every tenth of a second counts, this technique is pure gold.
I truly understood it when I began analyzing data with tools like Motec during Sim Racing sessions. And believe me, the numbers don’t lie. You might lose a tenth per lap, but if that saves you a pit stop? You finish ahead.
And it’s not just useful in simulators it’s a lesson in strategy. It’s not always about pushing to the limit. Sometimes knowing when not to push is as valuable as knowing how much you can. It’s a dance between efficiency and performance, between using your resources wisely without giving away unnecessary pace.
Applying it isn’t hard, but it takes smart thinking: you have to use it in hard braking zones, where you’re going fastest and the car suffers most from drag. Don’t lift in every corner that would be a disaster. Pick your moments carefully.
Once, during a session at the Barcelona circuit, I lifted early before a fast corner. I lost some time, sure, but by the end of the stint, I had enough fuel to skip a pit stop. Result: I gained positions. Not by being faster, but by being smarter.
And that’s what I love about Sim Racing: it’s not just a passion it’s the perfect lab. You can experiment, fail, adjust. You can even apply this technique selectively: use it on some laps, skip it on others, depending on your race strategy. Because Lift and Coast isn’t just a technique it’s a choice.
So next time you’re on trackn real or virtual remember: sometimes lifting your foot is the best way to keep moving forward.
Happy Racing!
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