WRC drivers' styles and techniques

[AnttiL]

I'm curious to know about the driving styles and techniques of the current WRC drivers. I hear often hear stuff like "the car does not fit his driving style" or "he has a unique driving style", but no further details

All that I know is that:

- Hayden Paddon likes to drive the car "more from the rear"
- Andreas Mikkelsen does not left foot brake, but Kris Meeke, Craig Breen and Stephane Lefebvre do
- Sebastien Ogier is great at preserving the tyres

What else? Supposedly Østberg and Latvala are also very sideways drivers?

[AL14]

Once we would have had our friend Lundefaret writing walls of text answering questions like this. I wonder if he still read this forum :)

[rs7]

Did anyone else notice Østberg in Sweden was doing A LOT of leftfoot braking. Brakelight strobe if you watch him. Seems that he was compensating for wrong diff settings.

Tänak has made his driving style smoother in my view. Year on fast wearing softer Dmacks has done him good.

[steve.mandzij]

I'm curious to know about the driving styles and techniques of the current WRC drivers. I hear often hear stuff like "the car does not fit his driving style" or "he has a unique driving style", but no further details

All that I know is that:

- Hayden Paddon likes to drive the car "more from the rear"
- Andreas Mikkelsen does not left foot brake, but Kris Meeke, Craig Breen and Stephane Lefebvre do
- Sebastien Ogier is great at preserving the tyres

What else? Supposedly Østberg and Latvala are also very sideways drivers?All the Hyundais are very nosy drivers except for Paddon, who is very, very sideways (part of the reason why he struggled last year). Ogier and Hanninen are/were very nosy too.

Latvala used to be McRae sideways back when he began but he's started to keep it slightly cleaner, though he's around Ostberg and Paddon in sideways-ness still. I almost forgot Suninen, too!

I'd say the descending order of sideways would be Suninen, Paddon, Ostberg, Latvala and Meeke, and maybe Tanak if you classify him as such. I thought Tanak was like Latvala and Paddon but he might have become cleaner than before.

I'm glad you brought this thread up though because I'm not quite sure about a few other drivers. I've no idea about Evans' style, nor Breen's (I suppose he'd prefer nosy coming from tarmac experience but he might have adapted to the C3), nor Lappi's style, who I think might be sideways as he's Finnish but coming from R5 might have taken a cleaner approach.

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[EstWRC]

Once we would have had our friend Lundefaret writing walls of text answering questions like this. I wonder if he still read this forum :)

i hope he will reply, always love to read his comments about it.

great thread!

[janvanvurpa]

Once we would have had our friend Lundefaret writing walls of text answering questions like this. I wonder if he still read this forum :)

I can ask him to do a guest star appearance...hang on..

[racerx1979]

If you want to see someone who is really sawing at the wheel in corners watch any in-car footage with Carlos (El Matador) Sainz. A lot of correction, over correction and under correction haha.

He was as aggressive with the wheel as Anttik7 is with his keyboard filing complaints.

[GravelBen]

I think Lappi is generally the most aggressively sideways of all the current WRC drivers from what I've seen.

[steve.mandzij]

I think Lappi is generally the most aggressively sideways of all the current WRC drivers from what I've seen.Are you sure? Including Paddon and Ostberg?

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[GravelBen]

Are you sure? Including Paddon and Ostberg?

Definitely. But thats just my opinion/observation, others are free to disagree.

I guess it partly comes from the roads they develop their skills on - Finland and NZ both have quite smooth, flowing gravel roads whereas some other places have tighter, more technical or rougher rally stages that suit a style with less sliding.

[AnttiL]

If you want to see someone who is really sawing at the wheel in corners watch any in-car footage with Carlos (El Matador) Sainz. A lot of correction, over correction and under correction haha.

Yeah I remember watching the onboards and noticing that he's really aggressive with the wheel, kind of the opposite to Colin who looked very laidback at the wheel but the car was going aggressively.

I think Lappi is a more modern driver than Latvala for example, also coming from a karting background.

[ESTR]

Simple:
-Ogier: Complain style
-Meeke: Crash style
-Giggi Galli: No words needed

[AnttiL]

Simple:
-Ogier: Complain style
-Meeke: Crash style
-Giggi Galli: No words needed

You're on a funny roll today. Keep it coming!

[Zeakiwi]

Paddon in his facebook post sweden video - said Hyundai would have to change the design of the car to make him be able to drive faster/ make the car suit him better and that just parts off the shelf would not fix it.

Obviously Hyundai designed the '18 car for Neuville though Mikkelsen and Neuv's driving styles are probably closer to each other than Paddon's?

Any overhead corner drone shots of style comparisons?

[A FONDO]

Paddon in his facebook post sweden video - said Hyundai would have to change the design of the car to make him be able to drive faster/ make the car suit him better and that just parts off the shelf would not fix it.

Obviously Hyundai designed the '18 car for Neuville though Mikkelsen and Neuv's driving styles are probably closer to each other than Paddon's?

Any overhead corner drone shots of style comparisons?
This is not freestyle offroad prototype buggy. Chassis (what you call "design") based on road car shell are built in autumn 2016 and will remain the same until 2020. Mikkelsen just drives what is already available.

[AnttiL]

This is not freestyle offroad prototype buggy. Chassis (what you call "design") based on road car shell are built in autumn 2016 and will remain the same until 2020. Mikkelsen just drives what is already available.

Also, there is no such thing as a 2018 car. It's just 2017 car with some gradual updates, some of which came already during 2017. Same for all teams, and will continue that way until 2019. Bigger changes are again available for 2020.

[KiwiWRCfan]

I'd say the descending order of sideways would be Suninen, Paddon, Ostberg,
Got to smile when you see your 3 favorite drivers listed together in a sentence. :-)

[ESTR]

Got to smile when you see your 3 favorite drivers listed together in a sentence. :-)

Man, which manu is your favourite then, TOYOTA?

[KiwiWRCfan]

Man, which manu is your favourite then, TOYOTA?
Subaru.

[GravelBen]

Man, which manu is your favourite then, TOYOTA?

Subaru :champion:

[GravelBen]

I guessed right but you beat me to it! :beer:

[ESTR]

Subaru.

I mean with current line-up. Not historic ones

[KiwiWRCfan]

I mean with current line-up. Not historic ones
Can I choose this Audi S1 built to AP4 spec. that started competing in NZ last year ?
https://www.facebook.com/redstarsigns/videos/1683539035013317/

[Toyoda]

Observations from Sweden were Lappi, Suninen the most sideways followed by Ostberg. Paddon varied between neutral/nosy and sideways throughout the weekend. To me Paddon looked like he was struggling with the car most of the weekend to get it positioned right. In saying that some of his passes he was bang on. Breen looked super tidy everytime much like Neuvile and Mikkelsen was also tidy but a bit more aggressive. If I had to rank the cars from rear to nosy I reckon its Toyota, (Ford Citroen), Hyundai. I think Toyota is the only team with all 3 drivers with the correct style for the car. just my thoughts...

[AnttiL]

I think Toyota is the only team with all 3 drivers with the correct style for the car. just my thoughts...

For Latvala at least. It seemed he always struggled with the Polo, maybe also with the Fiesta? Seems like his style benefits from center diff and/or some extra power reserve. With the Polo he often went wide and hit the rear wheel somewhere.

[Watson]

For Latvala at least. It seemed he always struggled with the Polo, maybe also with the Fiesta? Seems like his style benefits from center diff and/or some extra power reserve. With the Polo he often went wide and hit the rear wheel somewhere.

Maybe the problem was that he was driving active centre diff car for some ten years already before the rule change, so he had trouble adapting.

[Mise]

I'm curious to know about the driving styles and techniques of the current WRC drivers. I hear often hear stuff like "the car does not fit his driving style" or "he has a unique driving style", but no further details

All that I know is that:

- Hayden Paddon likes to drive the car "more from the rear"
- Andreas Mikkelsen does not left foot brake, but Kris Meeke, Craig Breen and Stephane Lefebvre do
- Sebastien Ogier is great at preserving the tyres

What else? Supposedly Østberg and Latvala are also very sideways drivers?


Andreas Mikkelsen does not left foot brake

Really? Not at all, not even tieing the car. (Sitoa in finnish, dunno better word in english)

[AnttiL]

Andreas Mikkelsen does not left foot brake

Really? Not at all, not even tieing the car. (Sitoa in finnish, dunno better word in english)

It was just said when he was at Citroen, as the reason he had difficulties in learning the car.

[bandit12]

How is Tänak, compared to Latvala or Lappi? I just watched Toyotas Rally Sweden pet test videos. Both finns jumped a lot. Many rev limiter during the jump a lot of sideways action. Tänak seems slower. Little jumps, not so sideways...

[Adler]

I really doubt in this century a driver can even come close to world class without leftfoot braking.

[denkimi]

I really doubt in this century a driver can even come close to world class without leftfoot braking.
They all break with their left foot. But some, like Mikkelsen apparently, don't use it to set the car before or in a corner.

[mknight]

Think they meant during the corner. Also was mentioned somewhere the he got it from Ogier.
Ohh and Latvala mentioned something like that about "trying to copy Ogier's style" during end of 2016 which apparently didn't work for him.

[dimviii]

Burns had a very clean driving too.Minimal movements at steering,very calm driving.

[steve.mandzij]

Think they meant during the corner. Also was mentioned somewhere the he got it from Ogier.
Ohh and Latvala mentioned something like that about "trying to copy Ogier's style" during end of 2016 which apparently didn't work for him.>apparently
>6th place and nearly the end of his career

When Latvala joined Toyota he revealed that the Yaris was a much better car for him in part because of the increased lower power the new cars have. He said the 2011-16 WRCs were weaker and required more precise and smoother driving, which is the opposite of how he drives.

This ties into the Polo being developed by Ogier for Ogier, a very nosy driver. It might have been the quickest car, and Latvala might have taken two runner up places with it, but ultimately it wasn't fit for his style. On one hand, he became smoother and consequently a little quicker after his Polo stint, but on the other hand his attempts to copy Ogier's nosy style nearly drove him into the ground.

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[nafpaktos]

Burns had a very clean driving too.Minimal movements at steering,very calm driving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0m6IGVLajE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZRe-vZOQ2M

[Coach 2]

They all break with their left foot. But some, like Mikkelsen apparently, don't use it to set the car before or in a corner.

Breaking with the left foot isn't "leftfootbreaking", it's breaking.

[GravelBen]

Breaking with the left foot isn't "leftfootbreaking", it's breaking.

Or braking.

Breaking your left foot would hurt.

[Zeakiwi]

This is not freestyle offroad prototype buggy. Chassis (what you call "design") based on road car shell are built in autumn 2016 and will remain the same until 2020. Mikkelsen just drives what is already available.

Probably just something lost in translation here, no big deal, just hope Hyundai get the car and homologation papers right all the time.
Hyundai to change the design of components in 2018. Holmes writing about Nandan's interview refers to this year's vehicle as a 2018 car.
"I predict the 2018 cars will still be quite close to each other, like we had last year (2017)."
https://rallysportmag.com/gradual-changes-only-for-hyundais-world-rally-car-in-2018/

Paddon post sweden - start vid at -7.02 (He refers to the car as a 2018)
https://www.facebook.com/haydenpaddonwrc/videos/1569874723048311/

[AnttiL]

http://citroen.rallye-info.com/article.asp?sid=1&stid=13375


Andreas' approach has been constructive and positive. Following the day of pre-event testing, we knew that the C3 WRC would need to be adapted to his driving style, which doesn't involve left-foot braking at all.

[EstWRC]

look at the difference between Tänak vs Paddon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7ncOWqfUVs


Tänak has quite a "straight" or nosy? style nowadays IMO, he used to be one of the flamboyant and agressive ones back in the day but not anymore...and i think thats also why he is so consistent now and doesnt have incidents. And this is not based alone on the video above.

Correct me if i am wrong, im not an expert at all at this.

[AL14]

look at the difference between Tänak vs Paddon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7ncOWqfUVs


Tänak has quite a "straight" or nosy? style nowadays IMO, he used to be one of the flamboyant and agressive ones back in the day but not anymore...and i think thats also why he is so consistent now and doesnt have incidents. And this is not based alone on the video above.

Correct me if i am wrong, im not an expert at all at this.

I'm not expert either so I may be wrong as well, but I think what Tanak improved the most is not that he became "nosy" but that he has now more control over the car. I remember his onboards before dmack, he went like a crazy man in the corner and made more adjustment to the trajectory. Now he put the car in the corner controlling the car from the very beginning of the corner preserving the same speed but in a more safe way. I don't see him less sideways than before. Also he has much more confidence than before and that helps.

In general I think we should not stick into the "nosy"/"rear" rethoric in this thread. Things are more complex than that IMHO.
Ogier has a very different style than Loeb even if we can put both of them in the nosy category. I think there are differences that goes beyond putting the car sideways on corners.

[EstWRC]

i agree about the part of Tänak having more control of the car but still IMO he is much less sideways than previous years.

[AnttiL]

Ogier has a very different style than Loeb
In which ways?

[AL14]

In which ways?

As I said I'm not expert so I am not able to argue this without taking the risk to say stupid things. Anyway I can see the different style, I think we all can and we all agree they are have differences.

[denkimi]

In which ways?
https://youtu.be/0LUPCTivqw4

Back in 2013 when we could compare them, ogier was nowhere near as tidy and nose first as loeb.
But of course, that was a long time ago. I think ogiers driving style is closer to loebs now than it was then.

[Mise]

In which ways?

I'd say the biggest difference on Loeb's style compared to actually anyone was the huge control in brakings.
Which means he can be on full throttle earlier than the rest and with such control he didn't crash very often
since the rear of the car wasn't sideways.

[Mise]

https://youtu.be/0LUPCTivqw4

Back in 2013 when we could compare them, ogier was nowhere near as tidy and nose first as loeb.
But of course, that was a long time ago. I think ogiers driving style is closer to loebs now than it was then.

Great video.
Loeb entering the corner with his very controlled breaking, getting the front tyres straight in a four wheel slide, getting to full throttle very early and no oversteering after that.
Ogier entering with wider line, lotsa understeer at first, then to full throttle and oversteering after that.
If he looses time, it's in the acceleration after the corner.

Edit: even a better video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oywcszBoftQ

[nafpaktos]

there is a video from sardinia that shows in a great way the difference between the two sebs.it is from a left fast downhill corner. it is from different years.Ogier drives polo and loeb ds3.I cant find it right now but i am sure it has been posted to this forum.

[Adler]

Edit: even a better video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oywcszBoftQ
Most interesting imho: 8 people crossing the road to get further view on loeb, only 2 crossing for ogier :)

[racerx1979]

Loeb steers the car with the breaks and throttle. Always amazing to watch him. Hard on the breaks into a corner with full control of the car...

[EstWRC]

found Mäkinen saying this about Ott

Finn Mäkinen can see plenty of similarities between himself and his lead driver. The 54-year-old explained: “We have a very, very similar style when we drive. When I was competing, my style was to brake early and then drive the car through the corner; Ott is very early on throttle as well and that’s why he controls the car so nicely and is able to keep it balanced. He drives the car from the rear and never seems to really struggle with it. It helps that the style is similar for Ott and me, when he talks through what he wants from the car, I can understand and help him get it.”

source https://www.redbullcontentpool.com/international/AP-1WN4ZXAX11W11?linkId=55762952

[AnttiL]

Also during Germany Mikkelsen talked about changing his braking technique. Normally he would brake into the apex of the corner, but he tried to learn to brake before the corner, as it suits the Hyundai better.

Mikkelsen also said he needs to be more aggressive on the steering wheel like his teammates, where the C3 WRC was more sensitive and moved around more.

[BigWorm]

Remember Östberg admitted to changing his style when he drove the DS3, rather than transforming the DS3 to his liking.

Mikkelsen needs the time to adapt this year, because it shows. I think Hyundai sees that as well, but next year they will probably be more strict.

[Toyoda]

found Mäkinen saying this about Ott

Finn Mäkinen can see plenty of similarities between himself and his lead driver. The 54-year-old explained: “We have a very, very similar style when we drive. When I was competing, my style was to brake early and then drive the car through the corner; Ott is very early on throttle as well and that’s why he controls the car so nicely and is able to keep it balanced. He drives the car from the rear and never seems to really struggle with it. It helps that the style is similar for Ott and me, when he talks through what he wants from the car, I can understand and help him get it.”

source https://www.redbullcontentpool.com/international/AP-1WN4ZXAX11W11?linkId=55762952

Interesting he steers with the rear like Paddon and Mikelson.
Still amazes me manufactures don't hire like driving style driver.
Classic point,
Hyundai - Neuville/Sordo vs Paddon/Mikelson,
Ford - Evans/Ogier v Suninen
Citreon - Loeb/Breen V Ostberg/Meeke ?? not sure on this
Toyota - All similarish

I think results from the drivers this year goes to show how necessary a car is to be built around a driver, and how important a team philosophy of how a car should be setup needs to match that of the driver

Mikelson is going through exactly what Paddon went through in the last 1.5 years since the new Gen cars.
Tanak is an example of how a certain driving style is not necessary, only a well balanced car that gives a driver confidence IMO.

[AnttiL]

Another thing Latvala said during Finland is that his more sideways style is slower than Tänak’s, and it’s impossible to change driving style with the setup he had.

Seriously, it took 15 years for him to realize that sideways is slower?

[arx]

IIRC he commented Tänak's car settings. That he can't drive with Tänak's settings, because these make car very nervous and impossible to drive for him (car is all over the road).

[AnttiL]

IIRC he commented Tänak's car settings. That he can't drive with Tänak's settings, because these make car very nervous and impossible to drive for him (car is all over the road).

I tried to dig up the interview which I refered to. Well, here's one, with my translation:

https://www.sportinmaailma.fi/latvalan-vauhti-ei-riita-ihan-karkeen/


Ott drives with a little different setup. I can't drive with a car like that. It's quite different to my car. I can't drive that kind [of car]. Maybe that's the magic. It works better if you can drive that. The difference is that they can keep the car more straight on fast sections. With me it turns too much sideways. I don't have enough trust to go through these fast bends with a straight car. I turn too much sideways. That's where it must come from.

[Essaj]

I just leave this here:
https://twitter.com/Kaljois/status/1026955365248917511

[denkimi]

I think results from the drivers this year goes to show how necessary a car is to be built around a driver, and how important a team philosophy of how a car should be setup needs to match that of the driver

You mean the fiesta that ogier jumped in and won straight away? Or the toyota that latvala developed and is now driven a lot faster by tanak?

Is the last years showed anything than it's the opposite of what you claim. The best drivers can be fast in almost every car.

[mknight]

You mean the fiesta that ogier jumped in and won straight away? Or the toyota that latvala developed and is now driven a lot faster by tanak?

Is the last years showed anything than it's the opposite of what you claim. The best drivers can be fast in almost every car.

Ogier wasn't really fast in the Fiesta for most og 2017. Monte is a bit of lottery and runs around his hometown. He put Fiesta in the ditch early due to the car not reacting as he expected under braking (his own words) then won cause Neuville crashed. His first win with good speed was in Portugal 5 months later and after that he didnt get stage win for another 3 months.

Tanak showed rally winning speed first on 4th rally (road position in Sweden and technical in Mexico didn't help off course).

[EstWRC]

can some finnish members make a better translation of this ? Mäkinen and Latvala describing Tänaks driving but the translation is so funny at times

The reason for this is the speed of the Estonian driving style offered today. He drives softer than the others. According to Tommi Mäkinen, Tänak has adapted and well understood how new cars behave. He has worked hard on it.

- Ott's fine with you in the car. He has enough understanding and experience of how a car likes to go the hardest, Mäkinen says.

According to Latvala, Tänak was able to keep the car straight in the bends and was therefore faster. Now Latvala has started to copy a bit of Today's driving style. At the dawn of this year's World Cup in Finland, Latvala says Today's reason for success is more than just a modern driving style.

- Ott also has a very good braking effect, ie he has soft brakes. That's where he has been able to get the most out of his new cars, Latvala describes to Yle Sports.

- You also dare to take the gas at the bottom of the straight sections. It is said a lot that a driver is strong in some area. But Ott is strong in every aspect.


original link https://yle.fi/urheilu/3-10902808

[Mirek]

I have noticed on onboards that Latvala drives with sharp inputs throwing the car around all the time. Tänak doesn't do that or at least I haven't noticed that.

[flykas]

I have noticed on onboards that Latvala drives with sharp inputs throwing the car around all the time. Tänak doesn't do that or at least I haven't noticed that.

Id say Tanak uses sharp, but very precise inputs just to position the car without making it unstable.

[AnttiL]

Suninen tells on twitch:

- Ogier uses many different brake pressures. This reduces tyre wear when braking lightly on fast corners.
- Ogier sets the car into the output angle on the input and can instantly go onto the throttle, whereas other drivers often go on and off the throttle
- Tänak has copied these techniques from Ogier

[TypeR]

Suninen tells on twitch:

- Ogier uses many different brake pressures. This reduces tyre wear when braking lightly on fast corners.
- Ogier sets the car into the output angle on the input and can instantly go onto the throttle, whereas other drivers often go on and off the throttle
- Tänak has copied these techniques from Ogier
Yet.. after some time Ogier wanted to test after Tänak to benefit from his setups..

and Suninen is moaning/trying to get better thru twitch..

[AnttiL]

and Suninen is moaning/trying to get better thru twitch..

LOL....Kristian Sohlberg is doing a series of interviews of Finnish rallying people. He also interviewed Lappi.

[Mirek]

- Ogier sets the car into the output angle on the input and can instantly go onto the throttle, whereas other drivers often go on and off the throttle


I'd say that this is generally one of the very basic things - to enter the cornes so that you can accelerate straigt out earliest possible, i.e. like we say here slow-in, fast-out. Isn't it?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

I'd say that this is generally one of the very basic things - to enter the cornes so that you can accelerate straigt out earliest possible, i.e. like we say here slow-in, fast-out. Isn't it?

Basic but hard to do especially under pressure. I know from driving games that its so tempting to drive fast on the straight and brake as late possible. But slow in-fast out is much better and feels good when mastered, getting on the power much earlier.

[T16]

Following.

[JAP]

What Suninen said was that when comparing datalogs between different drivers, most get on the throttle and then adjust to grip by pushing more or lifting off. What Ogier does better is that he is very good at getting on the throttle just right in terms of time and amount. No hesitation. As a result he tends to get to the full throttle sooner than drivers that adjust more to find the right amount.

Another thing that he brought up where Ogier is very good is braking. Instead of braking as quickly as possible he does it very differently in different situations. Most times not braking 100% which saves tires and gives some room for correction if the braking point was misjudged. Teemu said that this has been something he had to and has to work on coming from circuit racer background where short, sharp braking periods are the norm. He also said that Tänak perfected this as well while he was at M-Sport with Ogier.

In general he was very complimentary of Ogier both as a competitor and as a team mate.

[denkimi]

I feel like by the time someone gets into a wrc car, he should know and have mastered all those things.

Brake gentle, turn in late and slow in and exit quick. That seems like something one should learn driving an rc4 car.

[ictus]

I feel like by the time someone gets into a wrc car, he should know and have mastered all those things.

Brake gentle, turn in late and slow in and exit quick. That seems like something one should learn driving an rc4 car.

That's something kids know playing Dirt Games :laugh::laugh:

[Mirek]

It's relatively easier on circuit or on PC but not in real rallying. The road changes during the race and it's somewhat different for every car and always different than in the recce. The ideal line often changes too with the conditions and with the mess those coming in front of you did there. The most important is that you don't do hundreds of laps on the same road.

Also rally cars can't be set as circuit cars because they have to work in much wider range of conditions. That is especially true for the previous generation of WRC cars or for R5 and S2000. Such cars without central differential can never be set in ideal way.

IMHO it's very difficult to get close to the ideal way of driving in actual rallying conditions on the real stage.

[JAP]

I would assume that Suninen's comments were based on comparison datalogs from drivers who have recently driven the M-Sport Fiesta WRC. Surely all of them understand the concepts discussed here quite well. However, the datalogs still show differences in the execution of those concepts between the drivers and that may be what separates excellent drivers from champions. Every excellent driver who wants to be a champion definitely should be interested in knowing where the difference lies.

[AnttiL]

Kalle was also interviewed by Kristian Sohlberg and he also mentioned the pedalwork being the superior thing in Ogier's driving technique. He can brake more lightly which saves tyres especially on hot rallies, and he doesn't have to go on and off the throttle and brake. Sohlberg also used Latvala as an example, being always very heavy on the brakes and throttle, which is why he always lost the tyres so quickly.

Kalle also says he's usually quick to learn and adapt his driving style based on the data. For example in Arctic Rally tests he was told that Seb and Elfyn brake lighter than he, so the next time he tested he braked similarly.

[AnttiL]

Kristian Sohlberg analyzes Esapekka Lappi's style based on the latest Yaris test video. He notices that Lappi brakes the car while going into the corner (trailbraking), while Ogier, Tänak, Evans, Rovanperä typically brake before the corner, then roll through the corner and apply throttle as early as possible. He also mentions the story from Lappi's Citroen years how it took half a year for him to find front diff ramp that worked for his style. Sohlberg wondered if Lappi would find a suitable diff from Toyota now that the team has drivers who have a different style.

[Rally Hokkaido]

Kristian Sohlberg analyzes Esapekka Lappi's style based on the latest Yaris test video. He notices that Lappi brakes the car while going into the corner (tailbraking)
It is called trail-braking.

[AnttiL]

It is called trail-braking.

Of course, small typo there :)

[AnttiL]

One historical thing that has been brought up many times in Tomi Tuominen's excellent podcast series, is that the Group A Mitsubishi Lancer around 1998-2001 was difficult to drive for most drivers other than Tommi Mäkinen. Mäkinen himself reportedly said "the car needs to be taken to its limits" and left-foot braking didn't work with it. So basically very aggressive movements on the wheel and Scandinavian flicks were needed, quite different to modern driving styles.

[doubled1978]

One historical thing that has been brought up many times in Tomi Tuominen's excellent podcast series, is that the Group A Mitsubishi Lancer around 1998-2001 was difficult to drive for most drivers other than Tommi Mäkinen. Mäkinen himself reportedly said "the car needs to be taken to its limits" and left-foot braking didn't work with it. So basically very aggressive movements on the wheel and Scandinavian flicks were needed, quite different to modern driving styles.

Was there not something about the diff set up that made them tricky? Others will remember better than me I’m sure…

[TWRC]

Was there not something about the diff set up that made them tricky? Others will remember better than me I’m sure…
Tamás Tagai said (who owns one of Henning's former Lancers, albeit one with questionable past - likely not fully ex-works, thus working a bit different) that the diffs only lock if you are on the throttle, so he had to be on the throttle all the time.