Where Does Lap Time Actually Come From?
Lap time is the sum of many small decisions. Breaking a lap into phases shows which ones matter most.
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insight-lap-time.jpg — 1600×900, abstract speed trace
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A lap is rarely lost in one place. It is lost in fragments — a few metres of early braking here, a slightly delayed throttle there. The job of analysis is to find which fragments add up.
Split the lap into phases
Every corner can be divided into braking, entry, minimum speed and exit. Measuring time-delta in each phase separately reveals patterns that a single sector time hides.
- Braking: where and how hard
- Entry: how the brake is released
- Minimum speed: how much speed is carried
- Exit: how early full throttle is reached
Weight the straights
Exit speed onto a long straight is carried for hundreds of metres. A small gain there is often worth more than a larger gain at a slow, short corner.
Find the time that compounds, not just the time that is easiest to see.
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