[FUNDAMENTALS] NO BRAKES, GO FASTER? I TRIED IT
Avoiding the brakes cost me 10 seconds per lap and destroyed my confidence
One of the greatest misconceptions in motorsports is that using your vehicle’s brakes makes you slower. I often hear drivers and riders alike uttering the following:
“Less brakes, more gas.”
“The fast guys barely use the brakes.”
“Brakes just slow you down. It’s all about momentum and corner speed.”
These statements are repeated so frequently they are practically accepted as universal truths. Many apply them to any conditions, corner, track, or vehicle.
Taken literally, they are incorrect. The problem isn’t the expressions themselves so much as the dilution of their original meaning.
What do these phrases actually mean?
“Less brakes, more gas” means, “Accelerate longer, brake shorter.”
“The fast guys barely use the brakes” means, “The fastest drivers and riders use the brakes at exactly the right time and with exactly the right pressure—not less braking, better braking.”
“Brakes just slow you down” means, “Using the brakes improperly makes you slower. Proper braking is the tool that allows you to maximize momentum and speed on corner entry.”
Without effective braking, you can’t place the vehicle correctly, control the slow point, or accelerate early. If you don’t develop these skills, you can’t go fast. It’s that simple.
