Trail Braking in the Simulator: A Complete Guide

After analysing thousands of laps from our professional drivers testing our hardware, we’ve discovered that trail braking is among the single most powerful performance techniques in sim racing. While it’s the mainstay of a professional lap time, newer sim racers can struggle to master the technique.

It’s not just about carrying brake pressure into corners; it’s about managing the precise transition between weight transfer, grip management, and rotating your car to get the best possible exit from a corner.

In today’s article, we’re going to explore the secrets of trail braking and help you understand just how important this technique is to an improved, more professional drive.

Understanding the Trail Braking Foundation

Trail braking fundamentally changes how a car behaves through corner entry. When we release the brakes abruptly, the front suspension unloads quickly, reducing front grip precisely when we need it most for turn-in.

Image: www.formula1-dictionary.net

By gradually releasing brake pressure whilst increasing steering angle, we maintain load on the front tyres, enhancing their ability to generate lateral force. The gradual steering angle with a reducing brake pressure “rotates” the car – allowing you to steer the car through a corner with the maximum available grip in the tyres.

The trick is to gradually lift off the brakes as the car “moves” underneath you. Trail braking is definitely an art and one that you can master with persistence and patience.

Think of your car as a seesaw, balanced on its centre of gravity. Under braking, weight transfers forward, compressing the front suspension and increasing front tyre contact patches. This enhanced grip allows an efficient turn-in (rotation), but only if we manage that weight transfer smoothly.

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If you’re not smooth, the moment we jump off the brakes, that valuable front grip vanishes as the suspension rebounds.

Braking towards the apex, gradually reducing the brake pressure as the car approaches the corner while using your vision to sight the exit of the corner relies on every skill a driver needs to develop to be fast around the track.

Identifying Corner Types and Adapting Technique

Not every corner demands the same trail braking approach. Through extensive testing across circuits like Spa, Silverstone, and Monza, we’ve categorised optimal techniques by corner type.

High-speed corners require minimal trail braking. Think Copse at Silverstone or Pouhon at Spa.

Here, we might maintain just 5-10% brake pressure through initial turn-in, primarily to keep the platform stable rather than slow the car. The goal is maintaining aerodynamic balance whilst gently shifting weight forward to ensure good front tyre grip. These corners punish over-braking severely – excessive front load breaks the rear loose catastrophically, leading to a high speed spin. Smooth is fast!

Medium-speed corners like Brooklands at Silverstone benefit from moderate trail braking. We’ll carry 20-40% brake pressure deeper into the corner, actively using it to rotate the car. This is where trail braking shines, allowing later apexes and earlier acceleration zones. The brake becomes a steering tool, adjusting rotation through pressure modulation.

Hairpins and tight corners demand maximum trail braking commitment. Barcelona’s Turn 10 or Monaco’s Fairmont Hairpin showcase the technique perfectly. Initial brake pressure hits 100%, then gradually tapers to 10-15% held all the way to the apex. This extended trail phase keeps the car rotating, preventing the understeer that plagues drivers who release brakes too early.

How to Trail Brake: Step by Step

Learning trail braking requires methodical progression. We’ve developed this approach through coaching hundreds of sim racers:

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Step 1: Master threshold braking first. (Read our article on threshold braking here) Before combining braking with steering, perfect your straight-line braking. Find each car’s limit – that point just before ABS intervention or wheel lock.

In non-ABS cars like the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, listen for the subtle tyre scrub that indicates threshold braking. You’re seeking 95% of maximum deceleration consistently.

Step 2: Introduce gentle overlap. Choose a medium-speed corner for practice. Begin with your normal braking point but focus on the release phase. Instead of completely releasing brakes before turn-in, maintain 50% pressure as you begin steering.

Initially, this feels unnatural – your instincts scream “danger!” Fight through this discomfort.

Step 3: Extend the trail phase. Gradually increase how deep into corners you carry your brake pressure. Start by extending trail braking to one-quarter of the corner, then halfway, eventually reaching the apex. Each extension requires recalibrating your speed sense. You’ll initially feel too slow, but lap times prove otherwise.

Image: BoxThisLap

Step 4: Vary pressure by corner type. Apply the corner-specific techniques discussed earlier. High-speed corners need delicate touches; hairpins demand extended heavy trail phases. Build a mental library of pressure profiles for different corner types.

Step 5: Integrate with racing situations. Trail braking changes under racing conditions. Following another car requires earlier, lighter braking to maintain options for a pass in the exit phase of the corner. Defending positions might demand later, harder braking. Practice adapting your technique to traffic scenarios.

Common Mistakes and Solutions

As you’re learning, you may encounter some recurring trail braking errors:

Binary brake release remains the most common fault. Drivers hit maximum pressure then completely release before turning. This can upset the balance of your car and trigger a slide. 

The solution: consciously slow your release rate and gradually trail off the brakes. Count “one-Mississippi” during the initial release phase. This builds muscle memory for gradual transitions.

Insufficient initial pressure can plague tentative drivers. They never reach the threshold braking limit, leaving performance untapped. Without maximum initial deceleration, trail braking becomes meaningless – you’re simply driving slowly through corners. Push harder initially; modern sims provide excellent lock-up feedback.

Overextending the trail phase causes mid-corner understeer. Holding brakes too deep prevents acceleration, killing momentum. Remember: trail braking ends when throttle application begins. The transition should be seamless, with no dead zone between brake release and throttle application.

Inconsistent pressure modulation shows as erratic lap times. Each corner demands repeatability. Use references for release points, not just braking points. “Begin reducing pressure at the 50-metre board” provides better consistency than vague “feel” targets.

Hardware Configuration

Your pedal setup dramatically impacts trail braking execution. Through developing our pedal ranges, we’ve learned that hardware configuration can make or break your technique.

Brake pedal resistance must support precise modulation. Too soft, and you’ll struggle with consistency. Too firm causes fatigue and reduces sensitivity. We recommend starting with medium resistance settings, adjusting based on session length and personal preference. Load cell pedals provide superior feedback for trail braking compared to potentiometer-based systems.

Travel distance affects modulation precision. Longer travel allows finer pressure adjustments but requires more leg movement. We’ve found 40-60mm of effective travel optimal for trail braking. Too short makes smooth releases difficult; too long slows transitions.

Pedal positioning influences technique sustainability. Mount pedals at realistic angles – typically 35-45 degrees for brake pedals. Ensure your seating position allows consistent pressure application throughout the travel range. Heel-and-toe compatibility might require compromise, but always prioritise trail braking ergonomics.

MOZA Pit House Brake Configuration Deep Dive

Configuring your brake pedal correctly in Pit House transforms your trail braking capability. We’ll walk through optimal settings for our entire pedal range, from the SR-P to the CRP series.

Start by opening Pit House and navigating to the pedal configuration page. The visual representation shows real-time pedal travel, essential for setting accurate calibration points.

Setting Initial Deadzone (Set Min): Press your brake pedal lightly until you feel the first resistance. This eliminates any free play in the mechanism. Click “Set Min” at this point. For load cell pedals, we typically see 2-5% initial values. This deadzone prevents unwanted brake application from pedal vibration but keeps the engagement point crisp.

Configuring Maximum Travel (Set Max): This critically impacts trail braking. Many sim racers mistakenly calibrate to 100% physical travel, making precise modulation near-impossible. Instead, press to approximately 85-90% of maximum force – where you’d realistically brake hard in extended sessions. Click “Set Max” here. This reserves the final travel for absolute maximum braking whilst improving sensitivity in the trail braking zone.

Force Curve Adjustment: The default linear curve works well for beginners, but experienced drivers benefit from a little customisation. We recommend a slightly progressive curve – softer initial response transitioning to firmer resistance. Set initial linearity to 40%, increasing to 60% through mid-travel. This provides excellent trail braking feel whilst maintaining threshold braking capability.

Quick Travel Presets: Pit House offers three presets – short (40%), long (70%), and full (100%). For trail braking focused driving, we recommend starting with the long stroke setting. This provides adequate modulation range without excessive travel. Endurance drivers might prefer full stroke to reduce fatigue.