What exactly is the racing line in F1 and why do drivers tend to stick to it during grand prix weekend? Why do they also try and avoid it during races?
There are many different ways to drive an F1 car – with all 20 drivers having slightly different driving techniques.
Some like to brake early and roll the speed through the corner before accelerating away – such as Daniel Ricciardo.
Others like a car with oversteer – where the rear steps out – or understeer when the front doesn’t quite turn enough as their perfect setup.
World champion Max Verstappen likes a car with a strong, pointy front-end so he can rotate the car and deal with the unstable rear end as it happens.
However a driver likes to drive their car, one thing is certain for all: they must stick to the racing line for the fastest lap possible.
What exactly is the racing line and why is it so important to F1 drivers during a weekend? Why do they try and avoid it in the wet?
What is the racing line in F1?
Essentially, the racing line in F1 is the fastest, and shortest way around the lap.
Drivers try to make corners as straight as possible to carry as high a minimum speed as they can.
The general aim of each corner is to hit the apex – the closest bit of the corner to the car through the middle of it.
Each corner will typically have one line through it which is the quickest – and this is the one that drivers will use constantly throughout the grand prix weekend.
As a normal, dry weekend develops, this racing line will be subject to what is known as ‘rubbering in’ by the F1 cars.
Due to the cars constantly running the same lines through the lap, rubber will be put down providing extra grip and speed for the drivers.
It is typically lighter than the rest of the track – which is sometimes covered in tyre marbles – chunks of the rubber which have flicked off the Pirellis.
Why should it be avoided in the wet?
During wet conditions, the racing line in F1 can sometimes be tricky and slippery.
A driver can find extra grip and speed by running out wide and trying different lines through corners to find time.
An example came at the 2016 Brazilian GP, run in torrential rain.
Verstappen simply drove around the outside of Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes at Turn 3 after a safety car restart – due to the Mercedes being on the racing line, and Verstappen finding grip on the outside.