What is Racing Line?
The optimal path around a corner or track that lets a car carry the most speed, typically using the full width of the road.
The racing line is the path through a corner or sequence of corners that allows a car to maintain the highest possible speed. By using the full width of the track, the driver effectively straightens the corner, reducing how sharply the car must turn and therefore how much it has to slow down.
A classic single corner is taken by approaching from the outside, clipping the inside at the apex, and running back out to the outside on exit, known as out-in-out. The exact ideal line varies with corner shape, what comes next and the car's balance, and a late apex is often used to prioritise corner-exit speed onto a following straight.
Mastering the racing line is fundamental to going faster on track, often yielding bigger gains than raw power. It must also adapt to conditions, traffic and grip, and differs from the defensive lines used when racing wheel to wheel.