Now you understand the optimal traces for braking, steering, and accelerating. But what happens when things go wrong? In this lesson, we'll explore how the speed of your inputs changes depending on whether things are going right or going wrong.

Speed of Inputs: Normal vs. Corrective Situations

When things are going right and you're pushing for optimal performance, you're executing micro corrections—small, incremental adjustments that keep you on that average optimal line for steering and brake release. However, when you really lose the car, your goal changes dramatically: make the correction happen as quickly as possible.

The Principle of Quick Corrections

Consider this scenario: you're turning right and you lose the car. The correct approach is not to slowly correct and then gradually return to your line. Instead, you want to correct quickly and then immediately return back to your intended direction. The reason for this is critical to understand: during the moment of correction, the front tires are pointing away from the corner. You don't want the front tires pointing away from where you need to go—you want them pointing towards the corner.

When executing a correction, you should do just enough to regain the grip of the rear (in cases where you've lost the rear tires), and then immediately return to your line. If you observe very fast drivers, you'll notice they appear to shake the wheel very fast. While you don't want to overdo this motion, what they're primarily doing is making the quickest correction possible while regaining the grip of all four tires into the corner.

Common Mistake: Post Slide Hesitation

A very common mistake among beginners is executing a slow correction, which results in losing way too much time. This phenomenon is called post slide hesitation. Here's how it typically unfolds:

• The car starts to lose grip and begins to slide

• Fear of spinning causes the driver to turn way too much to the opposite side

• The overcorrection results in completely losing the line of the corner

• Significant time is lost in the process

Instead of this approach, you want to do just enough correction. This is the precise moment where your inputs will appear fast, aggressive, and even chaotic. If you're executing the technique correctly, it should look like just one fast correction to regain balance, followed by an immediate return to that slow progression towards the lines previously learned.

Practical Example: Grass Contact Recovery

Consider an example where the rear tire touches the grass. As soon as the front tires get back on the tarmac while the rear tires are still on the grass, the fronts have way too much grip and the rears cannot resist that force. This causes a loss of rear grip.

The proper response sequence is:

• Feel the loss of rear grip through force feedback

• Execute a very quick and aggressive correction because the rear was lost very aggressively

• Immediately recognize that the car will slingshot back in the opposite direction due to the fast correction

• Preemptively turn the car back to continue on the intended line

This entire sequence must happen in a fraction of a second. The transition from initial correction to counter-correction to returning to the proper line can occur in less than two car lengths. Most drivers would overcorrect or maintain the correction for too long with a slow, gradual movement. This would result in pointing all the way toward the grass because the car is fast and operating at the limit.

The correction must be very fast, followed immediately by returning to turning with all four tires as much as possible toward the corner direction. This maximizes grip and allows you to stay on your intended line.

The Importance of Immediate Return to Plan

Even after executing a correction, you should still follow the same plan you had before the incident. For example, if the maximum rotation point is positioned far away and you're starting to turn in when you need to make a correction, right after that correction you should still increase the steering normally. As soon as you regain grip, you return to the original plan.

Warning: Pre-Slide Hesitation

Be careful not to execute a correction before an oversteer actually happens. This mistake, which is very common even among experienced drivers, occurs when you think the car is going to lose grip and you correct preemptively. This is problematic because you will never even reach the limit—you'll be operating under the limit because you're correcting for something that hasn't happened yet.

This phenomenon is called pre-slide hesitation, and it's equally detrimental to performance as post slide hesitation. The proper approach is to look for and feel the neutral balance point and actual oversteer, then execute correction only if necessary.

Real-World Safety Application

The principle of staying on top of the grip and pointing the car in the direction of the corner is not just about performance—it's a critical safety skill. Being constantly aware of grip levels and maintaining proper directional control can help save lives in real-world driving situations.