Hi all, I seached the GTPlanet forum and I haven't seen any thread on driving techniques (Sorry if there's one, my mistake then), and I thought it could be a good idea to start one since everyone around here are GT fanatics 
I can fairly say that I'm a pretty good driver and good racer, but I don't pretend to be the best. Out of 80,000 members, there's got to be better and worst driver. I just thought it would a good opportunity to help members and even get helped by more experienced/skilled members.
Everyone may be free to add comments/tips or strategies here, I'd update them and hopefully everyone will gain toward this.
So here are the first tips, might be basic for some and might be helpfull for others.
1- Don't try to pull out a lap record on the first lap.
by Snyp :
Might sound stupid, what I mean here, is get to know the track you're driving on and most importantly, get to KNOW THE CAR. No cars reacts the same way when you brake, steer or accelerate. So get use to it before trying an attempt for the world record.
2- When in race, don't take useless risk
by Snyp :
You don't need to lead the whole race to win it, being first on the last lap during the last straight is enough. Winning by 1 mile or 1 inch isn't important because in the end... You're first.
by Cheezman
Don't attempt to overtake at every turn, some turns you simply can't.
3- Balance is everything in cornering
by Snyp :
Don't always try to take a corner at full speed all the time, try to have a consistant speed instead. Braking late on tight corners usually destabilize the car, stay BALANCED. The smoother you are with your car, the faster it is. Don't over-use inside curbs, most of the time you'll lose speed on them. Don't go full throttle exiting a corner. Again, keep the car balanced.
by Ignignoc N Err :
Smoothness, smoothness, smoothness. Not enough can be said about saving your machine. Drive the wheels off, and they'll probably fall off before you're half way through an enduro. Drive it carefully and smoothly, and you'll still have fast laps, but more of them between pitstops. Not to mention the fact that when your chassis goes floppy, it will have less of a negative impact on your driving, provided you were driving within the limits of the car.
by ChromeBallz :
1) Brake BEFORE the corner. It may seem simple enough, but how often have you found yourself steering while braking? This is not exactly the optimal way of gaining speed at the exit. Go in slow, go out fast. You can't go in fast and go OUT fast, so get used to that idea.
2) A nice tip from Sir Jackie Stewart: Don't step on the gas untill you know you never have to let go. Don't step on it, and off it, several times in a corner, since that will only lead to having to adjust your path and eventually losing speed at the exit. When applying throttle, make use of the controller's ability to go from a little bit to a little more, don't go full-none-full. Eventually, this should mean that when you're not braking, you're accelerating, and vice versa. Just remember, cornering has to be smooth, but so does accelerating and braking.
by M2R :
Try to setup for and execute every corner such that the car can hold a relatively constant speed and chassis attitude through the entire corner. The car should be able to enter, take a set, and evenly accelerate out without needing any sudden inputs to the throttle, brakes, or steering wheel. Almost all sudden input corrections can be traced back to technique errors in setting up for and/or entering the corner.
Those aren't my ideas. They come from and instructor I met last summer who has a lot of uh ... character lets say. Anyway he is telling me some really different stuff from anything I have ever read or heard before. So at first I am leery of what his is saying but after three months or so it finally starts to sinks in. Now I think it is absolutely brilliant, I only hope this comes across ok in print.
Everything he said basically boiled down to this, Ideally you should enter the corner, have the car take a set, and accelerate out of the corner without having to make any mid corner adjustments or corrections with the throttle, brakes, or steering wheel. All (in his world anyway) mid corner adjustments be traced back to technique flaws preparing to enter or entering the corner. Either in speed, line, or control inputs ... well maybe barring equipment failure or acts of God (in my world).
For most corners the car should be able to hold a steady speed and line until after the chassis has taken a set at which point you should be able to ease into the throttle to control the exit attitude of the car (but this will be very specific to each car). Trailing the brakes in or rolling hard on the throttle at exit are not adjustments (although they could be if they are not planned and/or appropriate to the situation), adjustments are any unplanned/undesired actions that cause sudden load shifts on the suspension that potentially unsettle the car.
by LOON :
Learn to drift. Atleast learn the basics of countersteer and throttle input just incase you end up in situation were your out of control. This may help keep you from losing the race.
4- Racing isn't just about speed
by Snyp :
Speed isn't always the anwser to win a race, sometimes it's strategy that will make you win. So take the time to look for AI's strategy and then plan your own. You can find a usefull Guide on AI pits Strategies here.
5- Planning and practice
by ERacer
Something which helps my driving technique tremendously is to enter a track meet and practice laps. Pick a course that you later plan to enter into as a race in one of the arenas. Try to disregard the AI's and simply focus on perfecting your lines. I tend to go slowly at first and then start to move quicker as a rhythm develops. I then enter a race or championship which has many, if not all, of the tracks I just practiced. I discovered that the track meets, or practice runs, are also a great way to fine-tune your car.
Feel free to add tips / techniques or strategies of your own. And feel free to add to the existing tips if you feel there's something missing.
This thread is meant to be made BY EVERYONE FOR EVERYONE
I can fairly say that I'm a pretty good driver and good racer, but I don't pretend to be the best. Out of 80,000 members, there's got to be better and worst driver. I just thought it would a good opportunity to help members and even get helped by more experienced/skilled members.
Everyone may be free to add comments/tips or strategies here, I'd update them and hopefully everyone will gain toward this.
So here are the first tips, might be basic for some and might be helpfull for others.
Tips and Techniques
1- Don't try to pull out a lap record on the first lap.
by Snyp :
Might sound stupid, what I mean here, is get to know the track you're driving on and most importantly, get to KNOW THE CAR. No cars reacts the same way when you brake, steer or accelerate. So get use to it before trying an attempt for the world record.
2- When in race, don't take useless risk
by Snyp :
You don't need to lead the whole race to win it, being first on the last lap during the last straight is enough. Winning by 1 mile or 1 inch isn't important because in the end... You're first.
by Cheezman
Don't attempt to overtake at every turn, some turns you simply can't.
3- Balance is everything in cornering
by Snyp :
Don't always try to take a corner at full speed all the time, try to have a consistant speed instead. Braking late on tight corners usually destabilize the car, stay BALANCED. The smoother you are with your car, the faster it is. Don't over-use inside curbs, most of the time you'll lose speed on them. Don't go full throttle exiting a corner. Again, keep the car balanced.
by Ignignoc N Err :
Smoothness, smoothness, smoothness. Not enough can be said about saving your machine. Drive the wheels off, and they'll probably fall off before you're half way through an enduro. Drive it carefully and smoothly, and you'll still have fast laps, but more of them between pitstops. Not to mention the fact that when your chassis goes floppy, it will have less of a negative impact on your driving, provided you were driving within the limits of the car.
by ChromeBallz :
1) Brake BEFORE the corner. It may seem simple enough, but how often have you found yourself steering while braking? This is not exactly the optimal way of gaining speed at the exit. Go in slow, go out fast. You can't go in fast and go OUT fast, so get used to that idea.
2) A nice tip from Sir Jackie Stewart: Don't step on the gas untill you know you never have to let go. Don't step on it, and off it, several times in a corner, since that will only lead to having to adjust your path and eventually losing speed at the exit. When applying throttle, make use of the controller's ability to go from a little bit to a little more, don't go full-none-full. Eventually, this should mean that when you're not braking, you're accelerating, and vice versa. Just remember, cornering has to be smooth, but so does accelerating and braking.
by M2R :
Try to setup for and execute every corner such that the car can hold a relatively constant speed and chassis attitude through the entire corner. The car should be able to enter, take a set, and evenly accelerate out without needing any sudden inputs to the throttle, brakes, or steering wheel. Almost all sudden input corrections can be traced back to technique errors in setting up for and/or entering the corner.
Those aren't my ideas. They come from and instructor I met last summer who has a lot of uh ... character lets say. Anyway he is telling me some really different stuff from anything I have ever read or heard before. So at first I am leery of what his is saying but after three months or so it finally starts to sinks in. Now I think it is absolutely brilliant, I only hope this comes across ok in print.
Everything he said basically boiled down to this, Ideally you should enter the corner, have the car take a set, and accelerate out of the corner without having to make any mid corner adjustments or corrections with the throttle, brakes, or steering wheel. All (in his world anyway) mid corner adjustments be traced back to technique flaws preparing to enter or entering the corner. Either in speed, line, or control inputs ... well maybe barring equipment failure or acts of God (in my world).
For most corners the car should be able to hold a steady speed and line until after the chassis has taken a set at which point you should be able to ease into the throttle to control the exit attitude of the car (but this will be very specific to each car). Trailing the brakes in or rolling hard on the throttle at exit are not adjustments (although they could be if they are not planned and/or appropriate to the situation), adjustments are any unplanned/undesired actions that cause sudden load shifts on the suspension that potentially unsettle the car.
by LOON :
Learn to drift. Atleast learn the basics of countersteer and throttle input just incase you end up in situation were your out of control. This may help keep you from losing the race.
4- Racing isn't just about speed
by Snyp :
Speed isn't always the anwser to win a race, sometimes it's strategy that will make you win. So take the time to look for AI's strategy and then plan your own. You can find a usefull Guide on AI pits Strategies here.
5- Planning and practice
by ERacer
Something which helps my driving technique tremendously is to enter a track meet and practice laps. Pick a course that you later plan to enter into as a race in one of the arenas. Try to disregard the AI's and simply focus on perfecting your lines. I tend to go slowly at first and then start to move quicker as a rhythm develops. I then enter a race or championship which has many, if not all, of the tracks I just practiced. I discovered that the track meets, or practice runs, are also a great way to fine-tune your car.
Feel free to add tips / techniques or strategies of your own. And feel free to add to the existing tips if you feel there's something missing.
This thread is meant to be made BY EVERYONE FOR EVERYONE
gotta love that one 
) that small turn can quickly turn to a very big wreck without good car control.
