In terms of brakes, I have a set of V3s and a CSW 2.5. I have my brake force set up so the wheels don't lock - I have to really push the brake to get to 100%. Are you saying it is not an issue to hit the ABS or to lock the brakes by going to 100% braking? I always thought that was a no no, so I probably need to turn the brake travel down a bit so I can get to 100% easier.
You have to be able to get to 100% because on the big stops its usually the best way to get it slowed down, relying on ABS is how even the fastest drivers in ACC are doing this.
In terms of trail braking, I thought that was how best to carry speed through the corner - from what you are saying, I perhaps need to brake harder initially and then trail off more quickly rather than being so gradual? And to get my braking done earlier before the corner?
The purpose of a trail braking is two fold. One is that doing things gradually, turn in and releasing the brake you reduce the amount you unsettle the car and move the weight around gradually, this improves the available grip and avoids producing slides when near the limit of the car and you have time to feel what it is doing. The second is that its utilised to move the weight balance of the car forward and back to correct under and oversteer. In ACC the cars are so aero based that I find they get the best cornering speeds with no brakes at all, but turning in some of them do need a little bit of trail to get the nose in, but definitely not 50% and not that deep into the corner, coast them in and through the mid corner on aero they are faster that way.
In effect your braking technique is hurting you in a bunch of ways. Its too deep so you are often early apexing and getting on the power late and less aggressively than others, its too heavy and its stalling the aero reducing cornering speed while also inducing understeer and you have to come off a lot of brake fast so its popping the front suspension up as the weight shifts rapidly and knocking the grip out of the front tires right when you really need to turn mid corner further worsening the understeer.
Trail braking isn't always the same. The rate at which you come off depends on the corner and how heavy it is to begin with adjusts as well. Trail braking has a whole bunch of goals, you can use it to correct balance issues, it is about the G circle and maximising grip all the way around the corner and it does allow moving the braking point a bit deeper into the corner. But ACC uses it a lot less due to being high aero cars.
I recommend two practice drills. The first is look 2s ahead of the car, go as slow as you need to be that far ahead, it means that before you even get to the apex your eyes should be on the exit where the car will go, it will give you more information for when the throttle should be pressed. Driver61 has some good videos about this which are worth a watch but I think this might be the cause of your inconsistent throttle on points
The second drill is to brake earlier, maybe lighter but be mostly off the brake at turn in point and come completely off and feel for the limit by oversteering the wheel a little. Get used to what that edge feels like while in aero turning and see the understeer it causes, try this especially in the higher speed longer corners initially. Should give you a good idea of what normal turn in using aero.
