Don’t you just hate it when your mates beat you in race games? Or when you crash every lap in Formula 1 titles. This how to gives you killer tips to get your racing on par with the greats.

1. Drive the perfect line.

This is one of the main differentiators on the circuit. Some race classes or games have equal powered cars, so little overtaking actually occurs on the straights. The lines often make the difference. So what is the perfect line? Generally you should try to approach a corner from the outside, and hit the inside, and exit the corner on the outside again. Watch any racing on television and it should give you a general idea of what the lines look like. One last short thing: these lines will ensure you that you can hit the throttle quicker and brake later.

2. Concentration.

Toyota driver Jarno Trulli is titled as qualification driver because he is good in driving 1 lap killer lap times, but less good in driving consistent over 30-70 laps. Most racers (real or game) can confirm this: the difference in long distant racing is often made by driving consistent lap times. Consistent lap times are obtained by keeping your concentration. When your mind starts to float, the corner approaches start to differ each lap. This is often where the problems start. Concentration gurus can drive lap times that are within 0,1 second of one another, this really makes a big difference.

3. Test without fear.

This is easier in games than in real life! Anyway to really find the maximum of your car and the circuit some experimenting is required. Try different braking points and driving lines. In real life drivers do this too, that’s why most mistakes are made during test sessions in Formula one. Important in testing is to not assume things and to not be afraid of mistakes or heavy crashes. In real life people are more careful but because it’s a virtual world:: go nuts.

4. Get the right equipment.

To get the maximum speed out of yourself and the car, it’s important to have as good of a equipment as you can possibly can. Get a decent steering wheel, recommend G25 or driving force pro, and a big screen. Smaller screens give you less viewing space thus less potential to guess the right line and braking point.

5. Setup your machine to match your style and circuit.

A car setup can make drivers seconds faster than without! Make the car more twitchy and make sure that it’s balanced under braking. Read setup tutorials if you have trouble making one. Never fall for the I have the perfect setup story, because conditions are always different and some players drive more gently than others.

6. Keep your cool.

When you’re racing, often you let your emotions get the upper hand. You desperately try to out brake the guy in front even if it means you’ll miss your breaking point by far. This is a bad idea. Examples are Raikkonen last year (spa, Singapore) and Lewis Hamilton (2007 Brazil)

Try to implement these things in your driving and you should quickly see yourself on pole position!