One of the most effective ways to improve your driving is by comparing your performance with others. Racing data isn’t just for engineers or professional teams; it’s a tool every driver can use to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth.
Sharing data with friends and teammates can accelerate your learning curve, offering insights you might never uncover on your own. Using Coach Dave Delta will help you not only find lap time more quickly, but will also make you and your friends more comfortable with using data acquisition software – a skill usually only known by racing engineers!
By comparing multiple laps, you can break down where and why your driving may differ, helping you pinpoint mistakes and missed opportunities. In this article, we’ll cover how to effectively analyse lap data to identify and correct driving mistakes, focusing on using telemetry data for improvements in braking, cornering, and acceleration.
Why Comparing Data Matters
When you drive alone, it’s easy to assume that your approach is optimal. But comparing your data with others shows you the bigger picture. You might discover that someone is braking later, carrying more speed through a corner, or applying throttle earlier than you – small differences that add up to significant time gains.
Data comparison helps answer questions like:
- “Am I maximising my cars potential?”
- “How do my braking points and throttle application differ from others’?”
- “Am I losing time in specific sectors or corners?”
Coach Dave Delta is a powerful tool for refining driving performance by analysing critical telemetry data. By comparing speed and throttle traces, drivers can identify areas where they are not optimising acceleration or carrying sufficient speed through a corner.
Analysing braking pressure and points of release highlights whether braking is consistent, early, or overly aggressive, providing opportunities to fine-tune braking zones for smoother transitions and shorter stopping distances.
Monitoring the steering angle reveals inefficiencies in cornering technique, such as excessive input or understeer, enabling adjustments to improve car rotation and balance. Together, these metrics offer actionable insights that make each lap comparison a valuable learning opportunity for achieving faster and more consistent lap times.
Quick Steps on how to Compare Multiple Laps using Coach Dave Delta.
1. Identify Your Reference Lap
Before comparing laps, choose a reference lap – preferably your fastest lap, if it felt balanced and controlled. Alternatively, you could use a lap with a solid time where you felt you “nailed” the cornering lines. This reference lap acts as the benchmark for finding areas where other laps deviated.
Comparing data from laps where you felt particularly fast or stable against laps with issues can highlight specific data changes that contributed to better performance. Use these comparisons to refine entry speeds, braking points, and throttle application for each corner type. Coach Dave Delta’s professional reference laps are a great place to look when wanting to use a trusted reference lap, and you can also book an online coaching session with us if needed.
2. Use the Delta Time Graph to Spot Time Loss
Most telemetry software includes a delta time graph, showing time gained or lost relative to the reference lap as you progress around the track. The key areas to examine are:
- Sudden time losses: Indicates areas where you may be braking too early or carrying insufficient speed.
- Gradual time losses: May suggest a line or technique issue where you’re scrubbing speed slowly.
For example, if you’re losing time in the delta right before or through a corner, it’s a sign to look into braking or cornering speed.
3. Analyse Braking Zones
The braking zone is one of the most common areas where lap times can vary. To assess your braking, the elements you want to look for are:
- Brake Pressure: Compare how hard you’re pressing the brakes. If you’re braking softer than on the reference lap, you may be losing time due to incomplete braking. Coach Dave Delta shows you this on the positive slope of the brake trace line, as well as the percentage of pressure that the driver is using.
- Braking Point: Look for differences in where you’re hitting the brakes. Are you braking too early on certain laps? Ideally, you want a consistent braking point close to the corner entry. Coach Dave Delta makes it easy to see where you’re braking via the brake trace, and also via the driving map to ensure that where you are braking is optimal.
- Brake Release: Smooth release helps maintain car balance and minimises understeer. Abrupt brake releases in slower laps may indicate hesitation or lack of control. Coach Dave Delta lets you see this by the negative slope of the braking trace line and the rate of release of the brakes.
If you notice a drop in delta on the approach to the corner, try moving your brake point closer to the corner entry.
4. Compare Corner Entry and Exit Speeds
Cornering is the other major area where mistakes or inconsistency cost time, broken into phases:
- Entry Phase: Compare how much speed you’re carrying into the corner on each lap. Going in too fast might lead to understeer, while going too slow leaves time on the table.
- Mid-Corner Phase: If your speed trace is consistent across laps but suddenly drops in certain corners, you may need to work on maintaining throttle through the turn.
- Exit Phase and Throttle Application: The corner exit is where you start to regain speed. Review how soon and how hard you’re applying the throttle. Delays or abrupt application can indicate a need for improved car balance and throttle control.
If you notice that you’re slower on the exit of a corner, work on applying throttle progressively and earlier, focusing on controlling wheelspin to improve stability.
5. Check Your Steering Inputs
Steering data reveals a lot about your line, confidence, and car control:
- Oversteer and Understeer: If you’re overcorrecting mid-turn, it can suggest oversteer, while excessive wheel turning could mean understeer. Coach Dave Delta provides a clear menu to highlight when you’re experiencing excessive oversteer or understeer, which can be down to how the driver is going through the corner.
- Consistency: Check if your steering angles differ widely between laps in the same corners. Large differences suggest inconsistency in your approach or commitment.
Try to maintain a smooth and controlled steering angle, which usually reflects a balanced car and a confident line. Adjusting your line or speed slightly to reach this level can yield faster and more consistent times.
6. Reviewing Consistency over Multiple Laps
Ensuring consistency over multiple laps is crucial for understanding your driving performance and identifying areas for improvement. Consistent laps show that you have a solid grasp of the track, braking points, throttle application, and car control.
If your lap times vary significantly, it may indicate issues like overdriving, lack of focus, or inconsistent inputs. By comparing laps, you can pinpoint where deviations occur – such as braking too late or carrying too much speed into a corner – and work on refining those areas. Consistency provides a strong foundation for improving pace because once your laps are stable, you can systematically push for faster times without sacrificing control.
Focusing on consistency also helps you build confidence in your driving. When you know you can repeat solid laps, it becomes easier to adapt to changing conditions, such as tyre wear or weather shifts, without dramatically affecting your performance. This is especially valuable in race settings, where maintaining steady lap times can mean the difference between advancing positions and losing ground.
Reviewing consistency over multiple laps not only highlights areas to improve but also reinforces the habits that create reliable performance, helping you develop as a more precise and adaptable driver.
7. Comparing Racing Lines
Comparing different racing lines is important for finding the fastest and most efficient way around a track. Coach Dave Delta makes this easy by letting you overlay data, such as speed, throttle, braking, and steering, from multiple laps. This helps you see how small changes – like turning in earlier or adjusting your apex – affect your lap times. By testing and analysing different lines, you can figure out which one lets you carry more speed and improves your consistency.
Using Coach Dave Delta also shows exactly where one racing line is faster or slower than another, making it simple to spot areas for improvement. It helps you optimise not just individual corners but also how each section flows into the next. By refining your lines with data, you’ll better understand the track and improve your adaptability, leading to faster, more consistent laps.
Comparing With Friends and How To Have Fun Effectively
Sharing data with friends is a great way to learn and grow together, not to compete. Motorsport is as much about mental strategy as it is technical skill, and seeing how others approach a track or solve challenges can spark new ideas and motivate you to improve. The key to getting the most out of shared data is collaboration, experimentation, and keeping the process enjoyable.
Start by overlaying your data with your friend’s to compare speed, throttle, braking, and steering inputs directly. Ask questions to understand their approach – why they take a corner differently or manage certain sections of the track the way they do. Their insights can be as valuable as the numbers. Once you identify differences, experiment with their techniques, like adjusting your braking points or throttle application, and see how they affect your performance. Don’t forget to share your own strengths too; your data might offer something they can learn from.
When analysing together, focus on specific areas like braking zones, corner speeds, or throttle application. Look at where they brake compared to you – are they braking later or more smoothly?
Compare corner phases: are they faster at entry, but you’re stronger at exit? Examine throttle usage to see if they’re accelerating earlier without losing grip. Break the track into sectors to identify exactly where they’re gaining time instead of trying to fix your entire lap at once. Even if their fastest lap is better, your consistency could be stronger, so compare lap-to-lap variation as well.
Keep the process positive and constructive. Approach the data as a way to learn and grow together, and make sure everyone feels comfortable. Focus on improving one area at a time to see clearer progress. Stay open-minded – what works for your friend might not work perfectly for you, so adapt their techniques to your style.
Most importantly, have fun! Sharing data should enhance your enjoyment of the sport and strengthen your connection with others.
Conclusion – Sharing Data is Easy and Fun Using Coach Dave Delta
Comparing data with friends is one of the fastest ways to elevate your driving, and tools like Coach Dave Delta make the process even easier and more effective. The software lets you overlay key metrics like speed, throttle, braking, and steering inputs, helping you see exactly where time is gained or lost. It’s like having a coach that highlights details you might miss, turning raw data into actionable insights.
By working together and using tools like Coach Dave Delta, you can refine your skills faster, learn from each other’s strengths, and make racing more rewarding and fun. Don’t race in isolation – share, compare, and grow!
Sharing data also builds camaraderie, and Coach Dave Delta enhances this by simplifying the analysis. With its intuitive comparisons, you can quickly spot differences and spark friendly debates over the best line or braking technique. It transforms competition into collaboration, creating an environment where everyone pushes each other to improve.
Whether it’s celebrating personal bests or solving challenges together, using tools like Coach Dave Delta makes the process not only productive but also more enjoyable for everyone involved.
