Steering technique

Good steering technique is crucial for smooth driving, as it prevents any sudden lateral weight transfers and thus allow the corner to be taken at a higher speed.

Hand position

When driving on a stretch of straight or gently curving tarmac, the default hand position is quarter to three (Figure 1). When taking tighter corners it will be necessary to adjust hand position accordingly.

Figure 1: Default steering position

For a tight right hand hairpin, a suggested hand position is shown in Figure 2. This will allow the lock to be applied and taken off without either taking hands off the wheel or adjusting the hand position until after the corner has completed. If your car has a large number of turns from lock to lock, you may need to start with your right hand further anti-clockwise.

Figure 2: Hand positions for a tight right hand corner

LH = Left Hand, RH = Right Hand

Steering movements

When steering round a corner, ideal steering movement is progressive, smooth and controlled. Applying and taking off steering lock should be done in a fluid movement, without taking either hand off the wheel where possible. 'Pushing and pulling' the wheel may be fine for general road driving, but this does not allow the smooth motions needed when driving on the limit.

Try not to let the steering wheel slide through your fingers when letting off steering lock, and then adjust your hand position accordingly for the next corner or straight.

Note: In some situations when you need to take the lock off very quickly – you may find it easier to let the wheel slide through your fingers slightly, but do not let this motion get out of control. An example could be when letting off the steering lock after a dramatic oversteer correction.