On the battle dynamics lesson, we discussed the most simplified version of fighting for position, which is a long straight leading to a corner. Now it's time to add some extra layers of complexity to it.

Double Corner Sequences and Time Loss

First, let's add another corner right after. Now, the exit of the first one leads right away into the entry of the next corner. How does this affect our decision whether to start the battle on the inside or outside?

Before we take this decision, I need to tell you something. Battling in one corner makes you lose time. So battling in two corners makes you lose how much time? Double. And if it's a three corner session, you lose three times the time. So make sure you only fight in these places if it's really necessary, like last lap of a race or if you're fighting for the lead and you have a big gap to third, etc.

Double Corners: Same Direction vs Opposite Direction

Let's start with double corners. Double corners are double rights or double lefts. These are the most straightforward for these corners, staying on the inside will most likely be the best option for the whole fight. But when you're doing a right left or a left right, that's where it gets quite complicated.

Canadian GP Track Analysis: First Sector

Let's analyze the first sector at the Canadian GP track. The very first thing you see is a breaking zone into a left-hander. So obviously breaking on the inside will be the best option. But will it be the best option?

Here you have a medium speed left-hander that leads into a much slower right-hander. This means the next corner is more important in the battle. If the car on the outside of the first corner succeeds in maintaining overlap, there's a big, big chance they will win the battle after the right-hander, just because it is such a slow and long corner. It takes forever and the car on the inside of the second corner will be traveling a much shorter distance for a longer time.

Also, after these first two corners, you even have another right-hander. So even if you don't get fully ahead by the second corner, you still carry that advantage for the next one. This is why after some practice and experience, you realize that being on the outside of the first corner of the track can be a better choice.

Inside Line Strategy Considerations

This doesn't mean that the inside would not work. That can vary a lot from car to car and even how aggressive you can dive into the inside of the first corner. If you can get the car fully ahead before the second corner, then your move can work. Essentially, if you want to pass on the inside of the first corner, you have to finish the move before you get into the second one. As soon as you cross this line and you get into the second corner, being on the outside will most likely mean you lost the position.

Here's a good example of a fight on the outside of a hairpin, which you would think would never work, but if you succeed in keeping the track position, the next right-hander is going to be easy for you.

Example: Lost Battle in Double Right Leading to Left

Here's a good example of a fight I lost into a double right that led into a left-hander. Right here, I was not sure if he was going to go for it and I hesitated. I did not take all of the inside, and now I'm already doing a much lower line. He succeeds in getting the overlap on the right and he maintains the overlap on the right-hander that leads into another right-hander, so right now, this is probably going to be easy for him unless I can maintain the overlap into the next left-hander. But I give him a little bit too much space here and he succeeds in just finishing the overlap and right now the fight is over.

Remember that the more corners you spend fighting for position the more time you lose, so try to clear yourself as early as possible. But if the fight is hard enough and both drivers are trying their best on the last lap, everything counts.

Complex Corner Sequences with Multiple Directions

Here we start with a hard breaking zone where the first corner leads right away into an opposite direction corner, making the battle for a position here not so obvious. If you can keep the track position on the outside of turn 1, you regain the track position on turn 2 due to being on the inside, but then you are on the outside of another long left-hander that leads into a straight that will lead into a hard breaking left-hander.

Because there are three corners to the left and one to the right, the most popular option is still breaking on the inside of the turn 1. But overtaking and even defending on the outside into turn 1 is more used than you think on this specific track. This is due to the extra grip you can have due to some extra banking or camber on the entry of the corner on the outside.

Remember that in the end, track time is the best way to really understand the subtleties, but already having an idea of how it works speeds up your learning speed by 5 times.

Key Strategic Principle

Remember if you are on the inside and you are going to be on the outside for the next corner, try your best to clear yourself and not be side by side by the second corner, because failing to do so will make you lose a lot of time and potentially one position.

Thinking Ahead: Short Corner to Long Corner

Here's one more example where thinking ahead is going to help you. There's a short left and then a very long right-hander, so the right-hander is definitely going to be a lot more important and if you try to defend on the inside here and you end up carrying the battle to the long right-hander, you are in big trouble.

Here's an example where you can intentionally defend on the outside so that you can have the preferred line on the next corner since that will lead after into a third corner that is also a right-hander. But in this example, the third corner doesn't even matter because Kane fully cleared himself at the end of the second corner.

In the next few lessons, we are going to talk about fighting with more than one car at the same time.