BLOG

How to improve your driving skills in Sim Racing

As we explored in this article, there are various approaches to sim racing, but crossing the finish line first always brings a certain thrill.

Some sim racers focus on the pure joy of simulating the act of driving, others prefer a more immediate and fun gaming experience, while some strive for pure performance, chasing every hundredth of a second from themselves or their car.

For the sake of completeness, we can identify a fourth category (or perhaps include it in the second category mentioned earlier): those who are performance-oriented but may not yet have reached the level of the fastest drivers.

We sim racers have all been beginners, looking up at the “aliens” as seemingly unreachable targets. However, with the right approach and proper techniques to develop one’s skills, it’s possible to shave seconds off lap times and close the gap to the fastest racers—and why not? Some may even become the next stars of sim racing.

e-094A0460

How can you improve your performance?

The best way to improve in the world of sim racing is, of course, consistent and dedicated practice. But it’s equally important to define how to train effectively and which tools may be useful for this purpose:

  • Have a rigid and stable cockpit:
    This is a necessary upgrade to optimize your performance. All the feedback from the wheel base is directly transmitted to the steering wheel, and the pedals remain in the same position—essential for developing muscle memory for braking. Pair this with a high-quality load-cell pedal set such as the ClubSport Pedals V3 for the best results. The CSL Cockpit could be a good choice.

  • Perfectly tune your peripherals:
    Properly setting up your equipment helps you better feel the car's behavior and identify areas for improvement in your driving. For example, perceiving understeer can be enhanced by adjusting wheel base settings to feel when the front wheels start "scraping" the asphalt, losing grip and performance. An ideal tool for this purpose is a well-calibrated ClubSport DD+ wheel base.

2024_02_07_CSL_Cockpit_Profile_Driver_Primeshot
  • Optimize in-game audio settings:
    It’s crucial to adjust audio parameters related to tire effects and potential crashes. This auditory feedback can indicate whether your driving needs adjustment or if your tires are performing optimally. A practical tip: increase the volume of tire and crash sounds while lowering the engine noise.

  • Join a team or group of sim racers if possible:
    Driving in a group allows you to learn from others and benchmark your performance against theirs. You’ll improve much faster when training with others, especially if you share insights about driving techniques.

  • Watch, study, and analyze the fastest drivers:
    This is vital to determine whether the racing lines you’re taking are the most effective. If possible, request replays that show throttle, brake, and steering inputs for additional insights.

  • Don’t ask pro drivers for their setups:
    A pro driver’s setup is tailored to their driving style and might not suit yours. It’s far more important to study where they place their wheels on the track than to have “the same car.” A setup might give you half a second at most, but following the correct lines can save you several seconds.

Conclusions:

To improve your lap times, it’s crucial to train in a group, preferably guided by a more experienced and faster sim racer, and to learn from him. The setup is just the final piece of the puzzle.

PRODUCTS IN ARTICLE

RELATED CONTENT