Driving skills
How to Find the Racing Line: Braking, Apex and Exit
In short
The single biggest free speed in racing: the line through a corner, broken into braking, apex and exit so you can practise it one corner at a time.
Key takeaways
- The racing line is the path through a corner that carries the most speed onto the next straight.
- Brake in a straight line before turning; a car cannot brake hard and corner hard at once.
- Aim for a slightly late apex so the corner opens up as you reach it.
- The exit matters most: speed carried out of a corner lasts the whole straight.
The fastest way around a track is rarely the most obvious one. The racing line is the path that lets you carry the most speed through a corner and onto the next straight, and learning it is the biggest free speed gain available to a new driver. No upgrades required.
Every corner comes down to three moments: where you brake, where you clip the inside, and where you get back on the power. Get those right and the line falls into place.
Every tip here works in ApexMidnight, a free racing game that runs right in your browser.
Start racing freeBrake in a straight line, then turn
Do your heavy braking while the car is still pointing straight, before you turn in. A car can either brake hard or corner hard, but not both at once, so braking and turning at the same time is how most beginners lose the back end or run wide.
Brake later than feels natural, get the speed off quickly, then release the brake as you begin to steer. Smooth inputs keep the tyres working with you instead of against you. On a keyboard this matters even more, because a key cannot ask for a light brake, as keyboard vs controller explains.
Clip the apex
The apex is the point where you run closest to the inside of the corner. Aim to reach it a touch later than the geometric middle of the turn. A slightly late apex means the corner is already opening up as you get to it, so you can start accelerating sooner.
Turn in from the outside, brush the apex, and let the car drift back out to the far edge on the way out. Out, in, out is the shape you are looking for. On tight, slow corners a controlled slide can do the same job, which is where drifting earns its place.
Open the wheel and accelerate out
The exit is where lap time is won, because the speed you carry out of a corner follows you all the way down the next straight. As the corner opens, unwind the steering and feed in the throttle so the car uses the full width of the track on the way out.
Prioritise the exit of any corner that leads onto a long straight, even if it means sacrificing a little entry speed. A clean exit pays back over the whole straight that follows. Once your line is consistent, tuning the car for the circuit is the next free gain.
| Moment | What to do | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Braking | Brake hard while still straight, release as you turn in | Braking and turning at the same time |
| Apex | Clip the inside a touch after the middle of the corner | Turning in too early and running wide on exit |
| Exit | Unwind the steering and feed in throttle to the outside edge | Too much throttle too soon, and a spin |
Frequently asked questions
- Why is the racing line not just the inside of the corner?
- Hugging the inside makes the corner tighter, which forces you to slow down more. Using the full width of the track straightens the corner out, so you can carry more speed through it and onto the next straight.
- How do I practise the racing line?
- Take one corner at a time. Pick a consistent braking point, aim for a slightly late apex, and focus on a clean exit. Once a corner feels repeatable, move on to the next and link them together. Racing a solo lap against AI is a good way to do it without pressure, and each circuit's best-lap board, covered in climbing the leaderboard, tells you how close you are.