{"id":45629,"date":"2023-12-05T07:00:46","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T15:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/speedsecrets.com\/?p=45629"},"modified":"2024-12-05T14:57:38","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T22:57:38","slug":"q-when-and-in-what-type-of-car-can-you-upshift-in-a-corner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/speedsecrets.com\/q-when-and-in-what-type-of-car-can-you-upshift-in-a-corner\/","title":{"rendered":"Q: When and in what type of car can you upshift in a corner?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\"\"Q<\/strong>: \u201cWhen and in what type of car can you upshift in a corner?\u00a0In certain slower corners I’m exiting\u00a0with an RPM that is\u00a0low in the torque curve, but a lower gear would be past the redline before I get the car straight. What do I do to make the best exit out of this corner?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

A<\/strong>: I\u2019d say that it\u2019s very rare that upshifting in a corner is ideal. If I \u2013 or a driver that I\u2019m coaching \u2013 have to upshift before the end or track-out point in a corner, I take that as a sign that I need to make the next higher gear work.<\/p>\n

As you point out, if you\u2019re in too low a gear you\u2019ll get to redline before you get to the straight after the corner, and then you\u2019re having to upshift while the car is unbalanced. So, what\u2019s wrong with upshifting in a corner? Well, just that \u2013 the car will be unbalanced, meaning the load\/weight is transferred to the outside tires, and off the inside ones. When the car is like this, it has less grip than when it\u2019s balanced, and combined with having the steering wheel turned, it\u2019s possible to upset the car so much that it leads to a loss of control. Oh, and in some cars, it’s just awkward having to shift and steer at the same time.<\/p>\n

So, your goal should be to upshift just as you get to the track-out point of a corner, or shortly after that. Sure, every now and then, you\u2019ll find a corner where you might have to upshift just barely before the exit, but again, that\u2019s rare.<\/p>\n

As I said, if I have to upshift before getting to the exit of a corner, I use that as a sign that I need to drive the corner in the next taller gear. Yes, at first it might feel as though the engine is bogging, and it\u2019s probably not going to sound as good. In fact, the lack of the engine revs often triggers the thought that you\u2019re not going fast, but that\u2019s not always the case. I\u2019ve coached drivers to use a taller gear in a corner \u2013 let\u2019s say, third gear instead of second \u2013 leading them to come in and tell me that they were slower. But when we look at the data and sector times, the driver is shocked to learn that they were faster using the higher gear. Even though it doesn\u2019t sound or feel as fast, sometimes it is.<\/p>\n

Plus \u2013 and this is the most important part \u2013 take the use of the taller gear as a challenge. If it feels and sounds like the engine isn\u2019t revving high enough, then work at carrying more speed through the corner. That might mean braking slightly lighter approaching the corner, or releasing the brakes a little earlier so you don\u2019t slow down quite as much. Even one or two MPH can make the difference. Make the taller gear work for you.<\/p>\n

Of all the things I\u2019ve coached drivers on, using a higher gear in some corners is amongst the things that have had the biggest impact of lap time improvement.<\/p>\n

Also, a couple of related answers are here:<\/p>\n