My path to no-aid driving:
- I stopped using traction control in pretty much EVERY racing game the moment I got my first steering wheel. You just don't need it, as long as you don't mash the gas pedal.
- first Chinese GP: the auto gearbox sucked in turn 1, but I think you could override it manually anyway, so I dropped the gears on my own and after a dozen or so laps it became pretty natural and instinctive. Now I just can't imagine racing on auto...
- first Monaco GP and... I thought it would be fun to start racing using the cockpit camera
Modmate's look-to-apex cameras made it even more fun.
- after my first season in F1 2011 I wanted a bit more of a challenge, so I simply ditched the ABS and started driving without it. Sure, there were some lockups while braking heavily, but overall I felt that the ABS didn't have all that much to do anyway, cause I've always been gentle with the brakes.
- finally, for a last week's league race in Monaco (again) I turned off the racing line. Monaco is a pretty easy track to find braking markers (trees, banners, fences etc.) so I didn't need it anyway.
Hell, the only reason I still used it, wasn't to know which way goes the next corner (I already know all the tracks pretty well), but to remind me, that A corner is coming (I get distracted easily while racing
). Also, the corner apexes from the cockpit camera on a not-so-high video resolution weren't as clearly visible, as I'd like, but a week or two I got a PC that finally lets me play in Full HD
Also how do you know when to brake in the corner
Practice, I guess. Using the racing line as a reference might help, but after a few laps you'll know if you can start braking sooner or later than the line suggests.
Also tell me while braking into a corner do you lift off the throttle or not?
Uhm... What's the point of braking, if the engine still keeps pushing the car forward?