My teacher back then actually always told me to brake regressively, never progressively. He said "Always break hard in the beginning and go off the breaks smoothly. If you start softly and apply gradually more pressure, you will reach a point where you dont get more break force at the moment you least expect it."
yep the exact opposite of the limo braking. Attack hard (right to the limit) and then ease it out. Even funnier when riding a motorcycle due to front/rear braking balance at will (and front braking in a turn is a big no no 😇)
Can you do a video on alignment setting. And more specifically toe in/out cuz thats what can be changed on every car even without having full aftermarket suspension.
Just put into practice the early braking technique, WOW what a major improvement it has made to my lap times at Spa (sim,accc) many thanks love these driving technique episodes ,enjoy your day, looking forward to tomorrow's next show 🙏
I really love these "tech/how to/tips and tricks" videos! As a beginner track driver it´s really helpful. One thing I would like for you to share your thoughts on, even though you already did a seating position video, is how to find a proper seat made for big guys. Maybe you know of a couple of seats that could be worth checking out or maybe if there is any particular brands that focus on bigger seats. However I would really like to hear your thoughts about it. I don´t have a lot of places to go to try seats out, most of it is only available online. Now I´m not some giant, but I´m 190 cm and 105 kg (for the american viewers, that´s about a full grown man ;) ) and the only place I know of that have seats in shop didn´t have anyone that fit me, Either it was simply to tight to even get in to, or the belt holes where way to low..... Thanks for the great content Misha!
I have been driving around 25 years and have always left foot braked. So many people would give me crap about it or thought it was weird. My perspective was just as you described with reaction time. It always just felt right to me and made sense. Cheers Misha! 😊
Its ok for track but nok good for traffic. Left foot braking stalls the engine as you cant downshift while braking with left brake. Left foot braking is ok only for automatic gearbox.
"Left foot braking stalls the engine". No it doesn't. CAN Left foot braking stalls the engine? Yes, IF you leave it in gear and come to a stop. Or get S U P E R low rev in a given gear. A reverse push start really, and a way to stop a 'runaway' engine. "...as you cant downshift while braking..." whilst true this is also unimportant on the road as one isn't engine braking in the first place. Just pull it into neutral (which one can easily do in a manual, flappy paddles tend to be a glorified automatic with inbuilt anti stalling prog's) whilst braking as you don't need the clutch pedal to pull it out of gear. Even if you get it down to some 200rpm, as soon as you take the drivetrain limitation off it (the clutch forcing the low revs from the wheels through the gearbox) the motor will hop up to idle speed. It doesn't feel or sound the best but it will do it (every engine is a bit different), similar feels/sounds to the 'pig rooting around' in a high gear at too low a revs, same thing there, you hop on the clutch and engine goes to idle. It's surprising how little time one needs to do things and how quick one can react, it's just that not everyone has that ability or awareness. Kind of like with elite tier sports people (more evidently in team sports) who just seem to have all the time in the world to do the things they do, are hard to stop, and usually come out on top.
@@two-eyedRoy as a matter of fact, one can shift down without clutch, a little bit more throttle and you can go neutral without the clutch. After, while on the neutral, rev up to stick to the lower gear have rev matched the engine and transmission.
@OfficialRandomGuy What do you mean Nobody.Ive been left foot breaking for a while now in my fiesta. Especially on a mountain road that you stay in the same gear for a while it is much better for trail breaking and for the transition from breaking to throttle.
Again, a nice subject to bring as far as track is concerned : braking in track conditions is just the opposite of what we're supposed to do on the street. Thanks to be there every day for us Misha
Hi, done left foot braking always, especially winter time but also at autobahn. Lots of benefits : controlling the car and shortening response time when braking.
Trail braking is extending light braking into the corner but then right after, you said try releasing the brakes sooner so the car settles before turning in to reduce understeering. Could you clarify that point Misha? Doesn't the front tires have more grip when the weight is on it? Thanks for the video
I love these types of technical videos, Misha. It makes it more interesting when watching your track videos and it helps when I go to the track. Thanks much!!👍
These instructional videos are great, thanks 😊 A good follow on would be driving lines through corners, accelerating out of corners, etc. Probably basic stuff, but we've probably all picked up bad habits. You could cover both front and rear wheel drives...
Would love to see a video on power vs weight or something similar. Like how increasing power (or tuning) isn't necessarily the best way to make a car faster on a track.
Another interesting take to the traction is to pretend that the tires have exactly as much grip sideways as forward and back. Therefore for maximum cornering performance you cannot apply any brakes and for maximum braking you cannot apply any steering wheel. And for situations where you need to brake and steer at the same time, performance of braking and steering are both limited because the sum vector exceeds the limit. This is not exactly true in real world but close enough to make it worthwhile to pretend it's true.
Very nice video Misha!!! Moritz's advice surprised me too, I'm going to try it out next time... Also, I learned left-foot braking by putting both feet together, using the left to put pressure on the pedal and the rigth (being the meat of the sandwich) to release / control it. After three days I had the feeling down =P
It's also worth mentioning that many cars with drive-by-wire accelerator pedal have stock configuration to ignore accelerator pedal if pressed at the same time with brake pedal. This is designed for fault safety in case the accelerator pedal position sensor fails floored, you can always get the car to idle simply pressing the brake pedal. For this kind of setup, left foot braking doesn't work because every time you touch the brake, the accelerator pedal stops working until you fully lift it and then re-press it.
@@antoine78150 Sometimes you actually press both (partially), especially with FWD cars if you want the car to oversteer a bit. But yes, you're right in general that left foot breaking doesn't mean that you hold both pedals down.
@@MikkoRantalainen true - I learned from a cup car driver that the fastest way through the esses at Sonoma in a certain Porsche is to keep the gas to the floor and brake at the same time at entry/through the turn. It's weird, but it works. Very difficult, because you have to be ULTRA smooth and precise on the braking transitions. If not, you're going for a ride...
Do you have to left foot brake. Could you drive safely round right foot braking with this same technique you’re talking about in this video. I guess what I’m asking is can you only trail brake with your left foot
This was a great video. Now to ask. I have ABS on an old front wheel drive Honda. Will your method work with ABS? Brake hard come off slowly. I was not sure what you recommended for cars with ABS.
Ive no clue what im saying but im trying to understand. So if the brakes are applied, your wheels lock, could u not clutch in let go of the breaks and clutch back in slowly to regain traction? If the wheel dont have enough power lower a gear or 2 and clutch kick and get into a slow drift. Ok the last one is a bit too much. No roasts about my knowledge 😅 thnx
You are so good at explaining!! Could you do a video on explaining the differences needed in how to drive a fwd, rwd and AWD car fast on the track. Like how to attack corners? Your a legend mate 😁
MIsha! What a surprise! I did not kno you were also doing tech tips etc. Ive discovered your expertise watching /studying the various N ring drives you ve been presenting on youtube. And i must say that yours are the most enjoyable and informative sessions ever! Excellent camera work as well. Love watching the telemetry and footwork cornering etc. Misha "RULES" Coincidentaly, I found this vid while recently discovering the advantages of Left foot braking. But one thing I am not sure about, and if you can clarify, is the technique of on-throttle while braking??? Vehicles allow this to different extents. Can you please comment on the do's and dont's of this? FYI - watching F1, Indycar, IMSA etc , I never see on-throttle braking??? Many thanks...
Threshold braking is critical but learning it is not easy. The best way is to find an empty parking lot and work on braking as hard as the tires will accept right before lockup. I began left-foot braking probably 20 years ago. I noticed it just helps with regard to smooth versus abrupt inputs. Regarding weight shift, actually load shift which I learned a few years ago reading about vehicle Dynamics. The weight of the vehicle remains the same. It's the change in direction of the load that varies back to front front to back.
The mass of the car remains the same, but the weight on each tire is dynamic. Much like if you stand on a scale in a moving elevator, your mass doesn't change, but the scale will show your weight as changing dynamically. Weight is technically a measure of force, mass is a measure of "how much stuff".
Weight transfer is not the best wording better is to use load. Weight corresponds directly with the mass, but there is no really any weight transferring anywhere, or if so it doesn't matter. Those loads are important. I know it is better to talk about weight transfer because it works with intuition, but for the engineer like me kinda not 😉 I like to think about braking pedal like a load transfer manipulator, when you can and load to the front tires and turn more, up to the grip limit and not only for the front tires, because if you do it to much back tires will loose grip an you will spin. Best to train this with simulator and on track with caution.
Miah’s great video you are Top A. I would only add that by left foot braking you can have a better balance. Smoother transition and in case of over accelerating (before starting to slide or even during) you can gently apply the brakes to balance the car
4:02 just a quick question regarding ABS: Once ABS triggers I'm guessing the car is detecting slippage and releases the brakes for a milisec -> so on a car with ABS the braking limit should be right before ABS triggers right? So if you stab into ABS you let off a bit? Or do you just "ride" the ABS but don't press any further (does it make a difference or is it dependent on what kind of ABS it is)?
Performance ABS can outbrake an inexperienced driver but every modern car I've driven brakes best just before ABS kicks in. If you feel the brakes shudder let off a hair.
I'd love to see those people who say that professional drivers don't care about the left foot braking telling that bulldroppings to the professional rally drivers looking them in the eyeballs. What a decadent generation of the automatic transmissions and paddle shifting.
At 7:08 is he basically saying you need to give car a quick moment to adjust its weight balance after you release the brake and before you start turning? Im confused cause he also said front weight balance helps with steering due to the extra grip
Braking provides grip in the corner. Accelerating provides grip in the corner. Taking your right foot off one pedal to go to the next provides less grip in the corner. Is it as simple as that or am I missing something?
Great point Misha, it is sure left foot braking better changes stopping car feeling. On street left foot braking is far better in emergency. You explained so well left foot braking effect to driver chest. Just like to be squeezed orange/lemon. Ok I've been using CL RC6 pads for long times. Just a little bit da best 😂
About how i teach braking to students, i teach them to brake in a degressive way, strong at the beginning and letting go a bit at the end. Naturally most of them will brake progressively harder and harder ending in a stop with your head trying to hit the wheel. I spend a little bit of time, first so they brake without shaking the passengers at the end and then i teach them to end up at a precise place, varying speed and distance so they can get in touch with the brake pedal. Later in the training when going downhill i teach them to brake in short but strong pushes of the pedal to let the brakes cool down in between instead of keeping the foot on the brakes during the descent building up heat all the way. What you describe Misha is what i experience in the beginning, they are afraid of loosing control if they brake too much. Most of the students go through that phase. I’m kind of surprised that they’ll reproduce the same mistake while getting on the track.
Very nice video. Is there a chance you would make a video about heeal and toe. Watched quite a lot and still can't do it. Help would be very appreciated!
from video to video to video you keep saying 'ABS PREVENTS lock up...' NO ABS is not preventative.... the tires lock up and THEN ABS kicks ON, THUS relieving brake pressure and reapplying until lock up occurs again and then relieving pressure again and over and over and over.... it's a LOOP of tire lock up, relieve pressure, apply pressure until lock up , relieve, apply ... many times a second.... ABS skid marks on roads show this.... you get a brake pattern on the road in the form of dotted skid marks. VS one long line of a skid mark indicating there was no ABS in use
Was taught to left foot brake at 16, have been doing it ever since (53) still surprises me some people on a track can’t get the hang of it. Feels very wrong for me to right foot brake.
@@daddydoesstupidshit3902 This is never done in racing for a very good reason haha. It's a very good way to turn your gearbox into a grenade (assuming H-pattern)
Hard Braking correctly is the HARDEST thing in driver training. Get the feel of the limit and get to that quickly, get that control while steering at the same time. ie arresting slips but need to power up very very quickly. If not losing precious time....
When I was 15, in the backseat of a rental car ( a littlt toyota - mid 60's, going down a mountain in Puerto Rico, The Driver, burned the brakes out. I shifted the car down ( automictic center stick) while pulling the parking brake slowly as not to skid the car. We skid and then we stopped. He was a left foot brake'r - what would be cool is if you could instead do engine breaking with out blowing the valves and rockers, where also not having to shift too low that would cause the rear end to spin out -
You didn't directly state it, but you definitely hinted at a common misconception of ABS. It is not true that threshold braking is faster than ABS. This is because ABS can modulate the brake pressure on each wheel individually and a human can't. You could put Max Verstappen in a car with a modern ABS system and he will stop faster slamming the brakes as hard as possible than he will trying to threshold brake.
On road cars, 99% of drivers never get even close to the maximum braking force of their car. My guess is that many road accidents could be avoided if drivers stomped the brake pedal as hard as physically possible - but only if the car has ABS!
I disagree with you (in the rain). You can only fully apply brakes when the ‘weight’ is (transferred) on the front axle..... (..trail first to load-up front, brake hard up to turn in point. Reduce brake while turning-in.. and feed in power towards apex...)
To make a memorable screenshot, press brake with left foot :)) It's just how I tried to find the clutch pedal with my left foot on an automatic for the first time after years of manual.
The racing, if we can call it so, technic of breaking can be also applied on the streets and significantly improve driving experience for you and your passengers. You apply large portion of the breaking force at the start. It has to be softly, you're not pushing the pedal very fast, how you'd on a track. When you feel the car starts to slow down, start gradually release the break pedal. By the time the car stops, you should barely touch the break pedal. The idea of this method is to apply maximum breaking force at the start and stretch it all the way to the point where you want to stop. "Maximum breaking force" depends on many factors, like speed, road conditions, distance to an obstacle, etc. So, it doesn't mean that you have to push the pedal all the way down to the limit of the grip, since in this case you can start deceleration to quickly and cause an accident. It might sound complicated, but in fact it is pretty easy and you get a number of advantages: - It creates a good habit of pushing the break pedal harder at the start, instead of the end. This way you can stop quicker and safer; - Maybe just a subjective experience, but I think that constant usage of this method improves your feeling of the break pedal, so with time you can use it more precisely; - * Since the max breaking force is applied for brief moments at the start, when the car has high speed and by the end you barely push the break pedal, the car stops extremally smoothly and doesn't jerk in the end towards the front. Your passengers will thank you, especially if usually the get sick in the car. * Unfortunately it doesn't work that way with automatic transmissions, since if you push the break pedal too lightly, the car applies the throttle. I am somewhat surprised that car manufactures don't implement "gentle" breaking mode or something like that. Even autopilots stop cars pretty roughly.
The tips and tricks videos are fantastic. I really enjoyed this one. I learnt to left foot brake after taking a rally driving course and realizing how much better it is when braking to transfer weight when cornering. My daily driver is an electric car and the left foot brake provides that extra level of involvement.
well explained, Thanks. There is a huge difference between cars and cars. A car with standard springs and not lowered absolutely needs a pressure build-up. The weight must first move forward and the nose of the car dives, only then can the maximum pressure be applied to the brake pedal. If you have a modern sports car with active damping (sports suspension), you can brake almost immediately with full braking force. And for all cars, tactfully taking off the brakes is best.
The first time I tried left foot braking i stalled the car 😬🤣 I had a somewhat heavy clutch on my subie and I lightly tapped the brake with my left foot.... yeah well that's what I thought I did but a light tap on the clutch pedal was not light at all on the brake pedal... I got spooked since i was driving slowly on a empty road and went to press in the clutch and brake to bring the car to a stop... my brain went NOPE and I put my right foot on my left and slammed the bake instead and stalled... I remember sitting there and thinking WTF just happened. 🤣
All is about physics and transfer of masses.If you want a car to turn fast brake before turning the steering wheel and use the compression and mass transfer to rotate the car. Using the left foot does make the difference when you have to break fast.Yesterday I had to avoid a car on the road due to this technique I didn’t crash the car coming next to me.And I was impressed how the car broke quick and ABS helped.Thanks for the videos 😊
Not sure why but stopped receiving notifications for some time...weird. If you haven't already, a vid on camber, caster and toe including how they work together would be fantastic!
Funny that i learned about left foot braking 40 yrs ago from driving a forklift truck as a teenager. On a gas/propane powered forklift, your left foot was always on the brake, as your right foot was pushing down on the gas pedal for power to lift your load into the air. Next thing I knew I was driving like this for the next 40 yrs. I don't know any different now. I have much more control of the vehicle Im driving. Love the channel. Cheers from Canada
learn to left foot brake in a go kart! 👍 Personally, I am smoother using my right foot even though I drive a PDK. But I am not going for lap times, just pleasure.
Left foot braking made me a safer, faster driver... on the street and the track. Tricky to learn and build the muscle memory, but worth it in my opinion.
Just from doing sim racing, i have learned this. In Assetto Corsa Competizione with the GT3 cars, this is really important what ur talking about. I learned by playing for a couple of months.. And when i started trail braking, i got much faster round times.
This easy breaking thing is not a universal or even European thing. It might depend on the school or even regional (exam centre?). I was told to brake hard (enough) and then ease off rather than run the risk of running out of distance when late braking hard. Of course, in traffic you also need to think about people coming up behind you even though in my country the one hitting your tail is always in the wrong (except when the one braking is doing this out of the blue because e.g. they see a shop and suddenly remember they need something...but how do you prove that?).
I am just a middle aged man with zero real life racing experience enjoying playing Gran Turismo, but recently started getting better at exactly getting off the brake earlier (not coming off it faster but earlier) and found it much easier to get around the corners. Great video 😃👍
Great video, Misha. Very useful information! Early in my HPDE training with the BMW club, I had an instructor tell me I should left-foot brake in a certain section of the track, to get the car to rotate (E30 BMW). I had no experience with left-foot braking, so I passed on it. But then he took me for some instructor laps, where he demonstrated the technique, and what it achieved on that section of the track, so I understood it. But I never tried it myself. However, karting is always using left-foot braking, so it’s a great place to practice the technique, too.
Left foot braking in a kart or at the Playstation feels completely natural. Doing it im my car does not feel right at all. Anyway, first I need to unlearn street braking for the Ring. Thanks for that. I assumed hard braking would be the key but never got to that point yet.
When you first try left foot braking, there's also muscle memory that comes into play... You're used to push in the clutch with the left leg which is used to push in the pedal fully, as opposed to acc/break which need to be pressed less. ps to misha; I was amused to see that one of the most replayed parts in your dodge viper video is at the beginning when you rev match between two corners. I guess we are so used to see you heel&toe or left foot break that had to be replayed :p (I assumed you kept 3rd gear earlier to not fall to the viper's curse :p)
You can use left foot braking to create more grip with a rear-wheel-drive car as it pulls the nose down. Very effective. Takes a while to master though.
To learn left foot braking, go practice first in go-carting. After a few laps your left foot will be dialled in to the cart. Only then go try it out in your car. Dialling in should then take less time . Misha is quite right about how suddenly hard you brake when you first try left foot braking in the car and that you must feel properly planted in your seat. Good video, Misha.
Ur right, and brake hard for short time.. is better than little for a long time.. cuz the brakes can and will be hot - in the end - fail... But thank you for very important info..
The gentle braking gives me bad memories of my super car instructions days.. telling people to brake at the board and they start gently pressing.. nooo.. stand on them!!!
i`s like to hear more about suspension, like: high rear/low front- the better the traction/exit speed, but caused initial understeer.. low rear/high front- better turn-in and less traction out of corners. e.t.c. rear higher = more oversteer rear lower = more understeer front higher = more understeer front lower = more oversteer
Misha can you please break down the Audi Quattro system on how at certain high speeds cornering it can reach its limit. Of course i understand the fine line you have to walk without making it an attack on the company itself.
Transition from pavement to gravel on corners, is a great way to improve your understanding of braking and weight transfer control, its even beter if it is a tight corner.
Broooo... got a steering wheel and having issue with my car flippin and swervin when i break as i break like in a regulsr car that im used to driving all my life
I learnt left foot braking but turns out I'm quicker right foot braking I find the time to move the foot settles the car particularly at the apex when I get back on the gas.
Just press on the side of the pedal in the beginning of an unfamiliar car with your heel on the floor, after some repetition, you will gain the sensitivity.
Do you find that the tip Moritz gave you on releasing the brake sooner also helps you on the sim? I'm assuming this helps to settle the car, use the grip of all 4 tires and carry a higher minimum speed through the corner?
i think that the left foot is usually less sensible than the right foot, because to operate the clutch you just engage and disengage, i think that also make a huge difference while learning to brake with left foot
I've thought about that too. Ideally you would have a racing harness to lock your body to the seat. For a street setup you almost need your left foot on the dead pedal to brace yourself
My teacher back then actually always told me to brake regressively, never progressively. He said "Always break hard in the beginning and go off the breaks smoothly. If you start softly and apply gradually more pressure, you will reach a point where you dont get more break force at the moment you least expect it."
Idiot fsfs do not trust that guy you apply heavy breaks you will upset the suspension and go off road or track
I was told the same in driving school. You'll also stop with a jerk if you brake progressively.
Street vs track driving.
yep the exact opposite of the limo braking. Attack hard (right to the limit) and then ease it out. Even funnier when riding a motorcycle due to front/rear braking balance at will (and front braking in a turn is a big no no 😇)
@@buildingspeed8969 I use my front brakes in every turn on the track.
I don't brake.
I win.
Can you do a video on alignment setting. And more specifically toe in/out cuz thats what can be changed on every car even without having full aftermarket suspension.
Just put into practice the early braking technique, WOW what a major improvement it has made to my lap times at Spa (sim,accc) many thanks love these driving technique episodes ,enjoy your day, looking forward to tomorrow's next show 🙏
I really love these "tech/how to/tips and tricks" videos! As a beginner track driver it´s really helpful.
One thing I would like for you to share your thoughts on, even though you already did a seating position video, is how to find a proper seat made for big guys. Maybe you know of a couple of seats that could be worth checking out or maybe if there is any particular brands that focus on bigger seats. However I would really like to hear your thoughts about it.
I don´t have a lot of places to go to try seats out, most of it is only available online.
Now I´m not some giant, but I´m 190 cm and 105 kg (for the american viewers, that´s about a full grown man ;) ) and the only place I know of that have seats in shop didn´t have anyone that fit me, Either it was simply to tight to even get in to, or the belt holes where way to low.....
Thanks for the great content Misha!
Sounds like an XL size Recaro should work, otherwise Sparcos are pretty big.
Good explanation why left foot braking is strange on first tries. Thanks.
I have been driving around 25 years and have always left foot braked. So many people would give me crap about it or thought it was weird. My perspective was just as you described with reaction time. It always just felt right to me and made sense. Cheers Misha! 😊
Its ok for track but nok good for traffic. Left foot braking stalls the engine as you cant downshift while braking with left brake. Left foot braking is ok only for automatic gearbox.
"Left foot braking stalls the engine". No it doesn't.
CAN Left foot braking stalls the engine? Yes, IF you leave it in gear and come to a stop. Or get S U P E R low rev in a given gear. A reverse push start really, and a way to stop a 'runaway' engine.
"...as you cant downshift while braking..." whilst true this is also unimportant on the road as one isn't engine braking in the first place. Just pull it into neutral (which one can easily do in a manual, flappy paddles tend to be a glorified automatic with inbuilt anti stalling prog's) whilst braking as you don't need the clutch pedal to pull it out of gear.
Even if you get it down to some 200rpm, as soon as you take the drivetrain limitation off it (the clutch forcing the low revs from the wheels through the gearbox) the motor will hop up to idle speed. It doesn't feel or sound the best but it will do it (every engine is a bit different), similar feels/sounds to the 'pig rooting around' in a high gear at too low a revs, same thing there, you hop on the clutch and engine goes to idle.
It's surprising how little time one needs to do things and how quick one can react, it's just that not everyone has that ability or awareness.
Kind of like with elite tier sports people (more evidently in team sports) who just seem to have all the time in the world to do the things they do, are hard to stop, and usually come out on top.
@@two-eyedRoynobody left foot brakes in a manual transmission with a floor clutch. Lmao
@@two-eyedRoy as a matter of fact, one can shift down without clutch, a little bit more throttle and you can go neutral without the clutch. After, while on the neutral, rev up to stick to the lower gear have rev matched the engine and transmission.
@OfficialRandomGuy What do you mean Nobody.Ive been left foot breaking for a while now in my fiesta. Especially on a mountain road that you stay in the same gear for a while it is much better for trail breaking and for the transition from breaking to throttle.
Again, a nice subject to bring as far as track is concerned : braking in track conditions is just the opposite of what we're supposed to do on the street.
Thanks to be there every day for us Misha
Миша, отличный контент для теории. Можно пожалуйста в подобные видео прикладывать практические моменты? Типа «вот так это в жизни бывает» 😉
Hi, done left foot braking always, especially winter time but also at autobahn. Lots of benefits : controlling the car and shortening response time when braking.
Trail braking is extending light braking into the corner but then right after, you said try releasing the brakes sooner so the car settles before turning in to reduce understeering. Could you clarify that point Misha? Doesn't the front tires have more grip when the weight is on it? Thanks for the video
More of this tech talk 👍🏻✌🏻✌🏻
I love these types of technical videos, Misha. It makes it more interesting when watching your track videos and it helps when I go to the track. Thanks much!!👍
These instructional videos are great, thanks 😊 A good follow on would be driving lines through corners, accelerating out of corners, etc. Probably basic stuff, but we've probably all picked up bad habits. You could cover both front and rear wheel drives...
Would love to see a video on power vs weight or something similar. Like how increasing power (or tuning) isn't necessarily the best way to make a car faster on a track.
Another interesting take to the traction is to pretend that the tires have exactly as much grip sideways as forward and back. Therefore for maximum cornering performance you cannot apply any brakes and for maximum braking you cannot apply any steering wheel. And for situations where you need to brake and steer at the same time, performance of braking and steering are both limited because the sum vector exceeds the limit. This is not exactly true in real world but close enough to make it worthwhile to pretend it's true.
Its amazing just how hard you can brake before the ABS kicks in. In most cars you can really hammer on it.
Time to conquer the mysteries of left foot braking. Last time i slipped forward as you described and the braking was too heavy.
Great explenation, gonna try this on the streets... uhh I mean the circuit!!
Very nice video Misha!!! Moritz's advice surprised me too, I'm going to try it out next time... Also, I learned left-foot braking by putting both feet together, using the left to put pressure on the pedal and the rigth (being the meat of the sandwich) to release / control it. After three days I had the feeling down =P
It's also worth mentioning that many cars with drive-by-wire accelerator pedal have stock configuration to ignore accelerator pedal if pressed at the same time with brake pedal. This is designed for fault safety in case the accelerator pedal position sensor fails floored, you can always get the car to idle simply pressing the brake pedal. For this kind of setup, left foot braking doesn't work because every time you touch the brake, the accelerator pedal stops working until you fully lift it and then re-press it.
Left foot breaking does not mean you press both pedals at the same time but that you can gain time during the switch
@@antoine78150 Sometimes you actually press both (partially), especially with FWD cars if you want the car to oversteer a bit. But yes, you're right in general that left foot breaking doesn't mean that you hold both pedals down.
@@MikkoRantalainen true - I learned from a cup car driver that the fastest way through the esses at Sonoma in a certain Porsche is to keep the gas to the floor and brake at the same time at entry/through the turn. It's weird, but it works. Very difficult, because you have to be ULTRA smooth and precise on the braking transitions. If not, you're going for a ride...
Do you have to left foot brake. Could you drive safely round right foot braking with this same technique you’re talking about in this video. I guess what I’m asking is can you only trail brake with your left foot
This was a great video. Now to ask. I have ABS on an old front wheel drive Honda. Will your method work with ABS? Brake hard come off slowly. I was not sure what you recommended for cars with ABS.
Ive no clue what im saying but im trying to understand. So if the brakes are applied, your wheels lock, could u not clutch in let go of the breaks and clutch back in slowly to regain traction? If the wheel dont have enough power lower a gear or 2 and clutch kick and get into a slow drift. Ok the last one is a bit too much. No roasts about my knowledge 😅 thnx
You are so good at explaining!!
Could you do a video on explaining the differences needed in how to drive a fwd, rwd and AWD car fast on the track. Like how to attack corners?
Your a legend mate 😁
MIsha! What a surprise! I did not kno you were also doing tech tips etc. Ive discovered your expertise watching /studying the various N ring drives you ve been presenting on youtube. And i must say that yours are the most enjoyable and informative sessions ever! Excellent camera work as well. Love watching the telemetry and footwork cornering etc.
Misha "RULES"
Coincidentaly, I found this vid while recently discovering the advantages of Left foot braking. But one thing I am not sure about, and if you can clarify, is the technique of on-throttle while braking??? Vehicles allow this to different extents. Can you please comment on the do's and dont's of this? FYI - watching F1, Indycar, IMSA etc , I never see on-throttle braking???
Many thanks...
Threshold braking is critical but learning it is not easy. The best way is to find an empty parking lot and work on braking as hard as the tires will accept right before lockup. I began left-foot braking probably 20 years ago. I noticed it just helps with regard to smooth versus abrupt inputs.
Regarding weight shift, actually load shift which I learned a few years ago reading about vehicle Dynamics. The weight of the vehicle remains the same. It's the change in direction of the load that varies back to front front to back.
The mass of the car remains the same, but the weight on each tire is dynamic. Much like if you stand on a scale in a moving elevator, your mass doesn't change, but the scale will show your weight as changing dynamically. Weight is technically a measure of force, mass is a measure of "how much stuff".
Weight transfer is not the best wording better is to use load. Weight corresponds directly with the mass, but there is no really any weight transferring anywhere, or if so it doesn't matter. Those loads are important. I know it is better to talk about weight transfer because it works with intuition, but for the engineer like me kinda not 😉 I like to think about braking pedal like a load transfer manipulator, when you can and load to the front tires and turn more, up to the grip limit and not only for the front tires, because if you do it to much back tires will loose grip an you will spin. Best to train this with simulator and on track with caution.
Miah’s great video you are Top A. I would only add that by left foot braking you can have a better balance. Smoother transition and in case of over accelerating (before starting to slide or even during) you can gently apply the brakes to balance the car
Thanks for this video - keep uploading more! I'm learning so much!
4:02 just a quick question regarding ABS:
Once ABS triggers I'm guessing the car is detecting slippage and releases the brakes for a milisec -> so on a car with ABS the braking limit should be right before ABS triggers right? So if you stab into ABS you let off a bit? Or do you just "ride" the ABS but don't press any further (does it make a difference or is it dependent on what kind of ABS it is)?
Performance ABS can outbrake an inexperienced driver but every modern car I've driven brakes best just before ABS kicks in. If you feel the brakes shudder let off a hair.
My wrx and 911 cut power when left foot braking. Suuuuucks
I'd love to see those people who say that professional drivers don't care about the left foot braking telling that bulldroppings to the professional rally drivers looking them in the eyeballs. What a decadent generation of the automatic transmissions and paddle shifting.
Top video gozer 💪greetings from the Netherlands 🇩🇪🇳🇱👍
At 7:08 is he basically saying you need to give car a quick moment to adjust its weight balance after you release the brake and before you start turning? Im confused cause he also said front weight balance helps with steering due to the extra grip
Braking provides grip in the corner. Accelerating provides grip in the corner. Taking your right foot off one pedal to go to the next provides less grip in the corner. Is it as simple as that or am I missing something?
Great point Misha, it is sure left foot braking better changes stopping car feeling. On street left foot braking is far better in emergency. You explained so well left foot braking effect to driver chest. Just like to be squeezed orange/lemon. Ok I've been using CL RC6 pads for long times. Just a little bit da best 😂
Amazing video Misha! I love these kinds of more technical videos👍 Hope to see you on the opening weekend for my first ever track and NOS experience.
Good stuff. Very easy to understand.
About how i teach braking to students, i teach them to brake in a degressive way, strong at the beginning and letting go a bit at the end. Naturally most of them will brake progressively harder and harder ending in a stop with your head trying to hit the wheel. I spend a little bit of time, first so they brake without shaking the passengers at the end and then i teach them to end up at a precise place, varying speed and distance so they can get in touch with the brake pedal. Later in the training when going downhill i teach them to brake in short but strong pushes of the pedal to let the brakes cool down in between instead of keeping the foot on the brakes during the descent building up heat all the way.
What you describe Misha is what i experience in the beginning, they are afraid of loosing control if they brake too much. Most of the students go through that phase.
I’m kind of surprised that they’ll reproduce the same mistake while getting on the track.
Very nice video. Is there a chance you would make a video about heeal and toe. Watched quite a lot and still can't do it. Help would be very appreciated!
look up Casey Putsch's tutorial it's pretty good
please when using braking with the left foot how to maintain your body since you do not use the toe clip in the turns. thank you and good luck
It's very strange to break with the left foot! I can't do it.
How about different corner aproaches according to car setup
telling me i can use my left feet on street with family bmw touring to be safer driver, we gonna try it soon, thx mate 👣🦶
Love these tips!! I appreciate you talking about breaking “driving school” habits
If you stab the breaks in a corner you are gonna have a bad time you don't believe me go try it
I would like to see this also on the track explained
from video to video to video you keep saying 'ABS PREVENTS lock up...' NO ABS is not preventative.... the tires lock up and THEN ABS kicks ON, THUS relieving brake pressure and reapplying until lock up occurs again and then relieving pressure again and over and over and over.... it's a LOOP of tire lock up, relieve pressure, apply pressure until lock up , relieve, apply ... many times a second.... ABS skid marks on roads show this.... you get a brake pattern on the road in the form of dotted skid marks. VS one long line of a skid mark indicating there was no ABS in use
great video.
Roll on Touristenfahrten
Was taught to left foot brake at 16, have been doing it ever since (53) still surprises me some people on a track can’t get the hang of it. Feels very wrong for me to right foot brake.
What about into braking zones during heel toe? You can't really get away from that with an H box
@@RhodokTribesman it’s amazing what you can do with your feet when you give it lots of practice.
@@RhodokTribesman there’s a time and place for each.
Downshift using the clutch isn’t need if you can float gears.
@@daddydoesstupidshit3902 This is never done in racing for a very good reason haha. It's a very good way to turn your gearbox into a grenade (assuming H-pattern)
Hard Braking correctly is the HARDEST thing in driver training. Get the feel of the limit and get to that quickly, get that control while steering at the same time. ie arresting slips but need to power up very very quickly. If not losing precious time....
When I was 15, in the backseat of a rental car ( a littlt toyota - mid 60's, going down a mountain in Puerto Rico, The Driver, burned the brakes out. I shifted the car down ( automictic center stick) while pulling the parking brake slowly as not to skid the car. We skid and then we stopped. He was a left foot brake'r - what would be cool is if you could instead do engine breaking with out blowing the valves and rockers, where also not having to shift too low that would cause the rear end to spin out -
You didn't directly state it, but you definitely hinted at a common misconception of ABS. It is not true that threshold braking is faster than ABS. This is because ABS can modulate the brake pressure on each wheel individually and a human can't. You could put Max Verstappen in a car with a modern ABS system and he will stop faster slamming the brakes as hard as possible than he will trying to threshold brake.
On road cars, 99% of drivers never get even close to the maximum braking force of their car. My guess is that many road accidents could be avoided if drivers stomped the brake pedal as hard as physically possible - but only if the car has ABS!
I disagree with you (in the rain). You can only fully apply brakes when the ‘weight’ is (transferred) on the front axle.....
(..trail first to load-up front, brake hard up to turn in point. Reduce brake while turning-in.. and feed in power towards apex...)
To make a memorable screenshot, press brake with left foot :)) It's just how I tried to find the clutch pedal with my left foot on an automatic for the first time after years of manual.
The racing, if we can call it so, technic of breaking can be also applied on the streets and significantly improve driving experience for you and your passengers. You apply large portion of the breaking force at the start. It has to be softly, you're not pushing the pedal very fast, how you'd on a track. When you feel the car starts to slow down, start gradually release the break pedal. By the time the car stops, you should barely touch the break pedal. The idea of this method is to apply maximum breaking force at the start and stretch it all the way to the point where you want to stop. "Maximum breaking force" depends on many factors, like speed, road conditions, distance to an obstacle, etc. So, it doesn't mean that you have to push the pedal all the way down to the limit of the grip, since in this case you can start deceleration to quickly and cause an accident. It might sound complicated, but in fact it is pretty easy and you get a number of advantages:
- It creates a good habit of pushing the break pedal harder at the start, instead of the end. This way you can stop quicker and safer;
- Maybe just a subjective experience, but I think that constant usage of this method improves your feeling of the break pedal, so with time you can use it more precisely;
- * Since the max breaking force is applied for brief moments at the start, when the car has high speed and by the end you barely push the break pedal, the car stops extremally smoothly and doesn't jerk in the end towards the front. Your passengers will thank you, especially if usually the get sick in the car.
* Unfortunately it doesn't work that way with automatic transmissions, since if you push the break pedal too lightly, the car applies the throttle. I am somewhat surprised that car manufactures don't implement "gentle" breaking mode or something like that. Even autopilots stop cars pretty roughly.
Thank you good friends for sharing the joy and fun🌈🌈🌻🌈🌈🌻🌈🌈🌻🌈🌈🌻🌈🌈
The tips and tricks videos are fantastic. I really enjoyed this one. I learnt to left foot brake after taking a rally driving course and realizing how much better it is when braking to transfer weight when cornering. My daily driver is an electric car and the left foot brake provides that extra level of involvement.
More grip to the front means oversteer not understeer
well explained, Thanks.
There is a huge difference between cars and cars. A car with standard springs and not lowered absolutely needs a pressure build-up. The weight must first move forward and the nose of the car dives, only then can the maximum pressure be applied to the brake pedal. If you have a modern sports car with active damping (sports suspension), you can brake almost immediately with full braking force. And for all cars, tactfully taking off the brakes is best.
ABS prevents the PERSISTANCE of a locked condition
The first time I tried left foot braking i stalled the car 😬🤣
I had a somewhat heavy clutch on my subie and I lightly tapped the brake with my left foot.... yeah well that's what I thought I did but a light tap on the clutch pedal was not light at all on the brake pedal... I got spooked since i was driving slowly on a empty road and went to press in the clutch and brake to bring the car to a stop... my brain went NOPE and I put my right foot on my left and slammed the bake instead and stalled...
I remember sitting there and thinking WTF just happened. 🤣
All is about physics and transfer of masses.If you want a car to turn fast brake before turning the steering wheel and use the compression and mass transfer to rotate the car. Using the left foot does make the difference when you have to break fast.Yesterday I had to avoid a car on the road due to this technique I didn’t crash the car coming next to me.And I was impressed how the car broke quick and ABS helped.Thanks for the videos 😊
Not sure why but stopped receiving notifications for some time...weird. If you haven't already, a vid on camber, caster and toe including how they work together would be fantastic!
Funny that i learned about left foot braking 40 yrs ago from driving a forklift truck as a teenager. On a gas/propane powered forklift, your left foot was always on the brake, as your right foot was pushing down on the gas pedal for power to lift your load into the air. Next thing I knew I was driving like this for the next 40 yrs. I don't know any different now. I have much more control of the vehicle Im driving. Love the channel. Cheers from Canada
learn to left foot brake in a go kart! 👍 Personally, I am smoother using my right foot even though I drive a PDK. But I am not going for lap times, just pleasure.
Left foot braking made me a safer, faster driver... on the street and the track. Tricky to learn and build the muscle memory, but worth it in my opinion.
Just from doing sim racing, i have learned this. In Assetto Corsa Competizione with the GT3 cars, this is really important what ur talking about. I learned by playing for a couple of months.. And when i started trail braking, i got much faster round times.
This easy breaking thing is not a universal or even European thing. It might depend on the school or even regional (exam centre?). I was told to brake hard (enough) and then ease off rather than run the risk of running out of distance when late braking hard.
Of course, in traffic you also need to think about people coming up behind you even though in my country the one hitting your tail is always in the wrong (except when the one braking is doing this out of the blue because e.g. they see a shop and suddenly remember they need something...but how do you prove that?).
I am just a middle aged man with zero real life racing experience enjoying playing Gran Turismo, but recently started getting better at exactly getting off the brake earlier (not coming off it faster but earlier) and found it much easier to get around the corners.
Great video 😃👍
Great video, Misha. Very useful information!
Early in my HPDE training with the BMW club, I had an instructor tell me I should left-foot brake in a certain section of the track, to get the car to rotate (E30 BMW). I had no experience with left-foot braking, so I passed on it. But then he took me for some instructor laps, where he demonstrated the technique, and what it achieved on that section of the track, so I understood it. But I never tried it myself.
However, karting is always using left-foot braking, so it’s a great place to practice the technique, too.
Left foot braking in a kart or at the Playstation feels completely natural. Doing it im my car does not feel right at all. Anyway, first I need to unlearn street braking for the Ring. Thanks for that. I assumed hard braking would be the key but never got to that point yet.
How to manage brake temperature? I thought I braked well (using trail braking) but I tend to overheat the brakes in some occasions.
When you first try left foot braking, there's also muscle memory that comes into play...
You're used to push in the clutch with the left leg which is used to push in the pedal fully, as opposed to acc/break which need to be pressed less.
ps to misha; I was amused to see that one of the most replayed parts in your dodge viper video is at the beginning when you rev match between two corners.
I guess we are so used to see you heel&toe or left foot break that had to be replayed :p
(I assumed you kept 3rd gear earlier to not fall to the viper's curse :p)
You can use left foot braking to create more grip with a rear-wheel-drive car as it pulls the nose down. Very effective. Takes a while to master though.
To learn left foot braking, go practice first in go-carting. After a few laps your left foot will be dialled in to the cart. Only then go try it out in your car. Dialling in should then take less time . Misha is quite right about how suddenly hard you brake when you first try left foot braking in the car and that you must feel properly planted in your seat. Good video, Misha.
939 left foot breaking.
Ur right, and brake hard for short time.. is better than little for a long time.. cuz the brakes can and will be hot - in the end - fail...
But thank you for very important info..
The gentle braking gives me bad memories of my super car instructions days.. telling people to brake at the board and they start gently pressing.. nooo.. stand on them!!!
i`s like to hear more about suspension, like:
high rear/low front- the better the traction/exit speed, but caused initial understeer..
low rear/high front- better turn-in and less traction out of corners. e.t.c.
rear higher = more oversteer
rear lower = more understeer
front higher = more understeer
front lower = more oversteer
Good video
Misha can you please break down the Audi Quattro system on how at certain high speeds cornering it can reach its limit. Of course i understand the fine line you have to walk without making it an attack on the company itself.
Transition from pavement to gravel on corners, is a great way to improve your understanding of braking and weight transfer control, its even beter if it is a tight corner.
This may. Be a silly question but does tramsmission make a difference to you. I now have a is t ok and feel a worse driver.
Broooo... got a steering wheel and having issue with my car flippin and swervin when i break as i break like in a regulsr car that im used to driving all my life
I learnt left foot braking but turns out I'm quicker right foot braking I find the time to move the foot settles the car particularly at the apex when I get back on the gas.
Just press on the side of the pedal in the beginning of an unfamiliar car with your heel on the floor, after some repetition, you will gain the sensitivity.
Brilliant video.... Well explained.. More of the same 👍👍👍
coud you please cover more manual cars things, such as taking corneers while changing gears in a manual etc, great video btw
Do you find that the tip Moritz gave you on releasing the brake sooner also helps you on the sim? I'm assuming this helps to settle the car, use the grip of all 4 tires and carry a higher minimum speed through the corner?
We’ll first I need my Porsche cayenne turbo
than I can calculate how much brake power to use and all sorts 😇
Left foot breaking is great and easy on short and slower circuits when most of it can be raced on one gear and you shif up only on one straight
i think that the left foot is usually less sensible than the right foot, because to operate the clutch you just engage and disengage, i think that also make a huge difference while learning to brake with left foot
Brakes are for quitters 🤣
Best try not to let ABS kick in.
Totally unnecessary
Please how to maintain the body in a turn when braking with the left foot
I've thought about that too. Ideally you would have a racing harness to lock your body to the seat. For a street setup you almost need your left foot on the dead pedal to brace yourself