On the way to pole position: The effect of tire grip on learning to drive a racecar

Abstract

Racecar drivers could benefit from new training methods for learning to drive fast lap times. Inspired by the learning-from-errors principle, this simulator-based study investigated the effect of the tire-road friction coefficient on the training effectiveness of a car racing task. Three groups of 15 inexperienced racecar drivers (low grip (LG), 66% of normal grip; normal grip (NG); high grip (HG), 150% of normal grip) completed four practice sessions of 10 minutes in a Formula 3 car on an oval track of 800 m. After the practice sessions, two retention sessions followed: a retention session with normal grip in a Formula 3 car and another retention session with a Formula 1 car. The results showed that LG was significantly slower than HG in the first retention session. Furthermore, LG reported a higher confidence and lower frustration than NG and HG after each of the two retention sessions. In conclusion, practicing with low grip, as compared to practicing with normal or high grip, resulted in increased confidence but slower lap times.