Laguna Seca Turn 11

While the world famous Cork Screw gets all the attention at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, if you account for the fact that the corner leading onto the longest straight is the most critical for a fast lap, then it is Turn 11 that is the most important corner. This is a corner that requires tremendous patience, as it is also the slowest corner on the racetrack. It is a corner that demands exit speed as one heads off down the front straightaway toward the Andretti hairpin, and the best passing opportunity at Laguna. Being that the goal of racing drivers is to drive as fast as you can around any particular track, having the slowest corner as the most important lends itself to be overdriven by most drivers.

As one approaches Turn 11 off the very fast Turn 10, you need to transition over to drivers right as soon as possible to get set-up for the braking zone. It is very tempting and easy to get lulled into trying to go for a very late brake point and rush the apex, but it is the drivers who err on the side of a conservative brake point that are rewarded with good exit speed. Start by using the number boards on drivers right as a reference point and don’t try to go too late to begin your braking. Being slightly more than a 90-degree corner, it should be treated almost as a hairpin and, therefore, is a first-gear corner in most cars. Slow the entry enough that you can get the car pointed early in the corner and be able to unwind the steering and add power as you pass the apex. Keep your eyes up and try not to have to lift off the power as you head out to track-out. A lift of the throttle after the apex, to keep the car on the road at track-out, is disastrous to a fast exit and detrimental to a good lap.