5 Common Mistakes iRacers Make in Corners (And How to Fix Them)

Corners are the most complex part of any lap. Unlike straights, they demand a precise combination of braking, steering, and throttle control, all while managing the limits of grip. Even small errors in one phase of the corner quickly affect the next, leading to lost time, inconsistent laps, or unnecessary tire wear.

The good news is that most of these mistakes are both common and correctable. With the right adjustments, you can approach corners more efficiently, carry more speed, and build consistency over a race distance. I’m Marian Barbieru, and after coaching sim racers for over three years in iRacing, I’ve identified the five most frequent cornering mistakes—and the practical steps you can take to fix them.

1. Braking Too Late

The mistake: Many iRacers believe braking later automatically makes them faster. In reality, braking too late reduces your ability to slow the car properly and often forces you to enter the corner with poor balance, leading to understeer or overshooting the apex.

How to fix it: Focus on braking consistency rather than ultimate lateness. Choose a reference point (a braking marker, trackside object, or track surface change) and repeat it until your braking is stable every lap. Once consistent, gradually move the braking point later in small increments to find the true limit.

---

2. Turning In Too Early

The mistake: An early turn-in is one of the most common errors among developing drivers. It creates a shallow cornering line, forces you to slow more mid-corner, and compromises exit speed.

--- Article continues below --- Shop Sim Racing Discounts

How to fix it: Train yourself to visualize the apex and align your turn-in with it. A delayed, more precise turn-in usually results in a straighter exit, allowing earlier throttle application. Use track guides or replay analysis to identify the correct apex points for each corner. I’ve made a video about it on my YouTube channel showing the importance of late apexes which you can watch below.

---

3. Ignoring Weight Transfer

The mistake: Essentially corners are about how the car’s weight shifts under braking, turning, and acceleration. Ignoring weight transfer often results in understeer (too much load on the front tires) or oversteer (too much load on the rear tires).

How to fix it: Learn to “feel” the transitions. Smooth brake release into the corner (trail braking) helps balance the car and rotate it more effectively. Similarly, avoid sudden throttle or steering inputs that upset the weight distribution. This is a skill that develops best with focused drills and telemetry review. I have an in-depth full guide to feel the understeer and oversteer transitions in my complete sim racing courses so if you’re struggling with that ‘feeling’ aspect you’ll be amazed on how much you’ll improve.

---

4. Poor Throttle Application on Exit

The mistake: Many drivers get impatient and apply throttle too aggressively at corner exit, leading to oversteer, wheelspin, or unstable traction control intervention. This not only slows you down but can also overheat or wear the rear tires unnecessarily.

How to fix it: Think of throttle as a “smoother” rather than an on/off switch. Apply it progressively, matching your steering wheel unwind. A good benchmark: the steering should be mostly straight by the time you reach full throttle.

---

5. Overdriving the Car

The mistake: Perhaps the most fundamental error is simply asking too much of the car in every corner. Pushing beyond the grip limit leads to sliding, overheated tires, and inconsistent lap times. Overdriving usually comes from trying to extract lap time with aggression rather than precision.

How to fix it: Aim for consistency first, speed second. Set a target lap pace that you can repeat for 10–15 laps without mistakes. Once you can drive consistently at that level, you can gradually increase the pace.

Improving in iRacing doesn’t require chasing every last tenth with risky moves. By correcting these five common mistakes—braking too late, turning in early, poor throttle application, ignoring weight transfer, and overdriving—you’ll find your lap times drop naturally while your consistency improves. Precision and discipline are the real goals here, and they will serve you in every car and on every track.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

---

• Written by Marian Barbieru Article updated on September 8, 2025 Tags: Sim Racing How To Guides, Tips & Tricks, iRacing

---

Grab Your Sim Racing Gear Here

You can use the links below to shop for your favourite sim racing products, or for any products that we may have recommended. These links are affiliate links, and will earn us a small commission, with no additional cost for you.