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Lift and Coast, Short Shifting: Complete Guide to Extending Stints in Sim Racing

Introduction: The Art of Fuel SavingIn the world of motorsport and sim racing, fuel saving represents one of the most crucial skills every driver must master. Whether it's an endurance race, a Grand Prix, or a sprint race where you miscalculated fuel during your last pit stop, fuel-saving techniques can make the difference between triumph and retirement.

Contrary to the natural instinct of always going flat out, sophisticated strategies exist to squeeze that extra lap from the tank, and not all of them involve significant performance loss. Among these, lift and coast and short shifting represent the most effective techniques for extending stints without excessively compromising lap times.

Lift and Coast: The Professional's Technique

What is Lift and Coast

Lift and coast is a technique used by professional drivers that involves releasing the throttle before the normal braking point, allowing engine braking and aerodynamic drag to naturally slow the car. Instead of maintaining full throttle until the last moment before braking, the driver "lifts off" a few meters earlier and lets the car "coast" toward the corner.

Benefits of Lift and Coast

This technique offers multiple benefits:

Car Stability: During testing at Le Mans, many drivers discovered that lift and coast not only saves fuel but also makes the car more stable. The gradual weight transfer, instead of harsh braking, keeps the platform more balanced, especially on high-speed circuits like Spa and Le Mans.

Fuel Efficiency: Tests have shown it's possible to save up to 1.5 liters per lap with only a 0.7-second time loss. Throughout an endurance race, this translates to an extra lap per stint or the possibility of skipping an entire pit stop.

Better Control: Paradoxically, many drivers discover that driving "slower" actually makes them faster overall, thanks to increased stability and car predictability.

How to Implement Lift and Coast

Reference Points: The key is developing specific reference points. Instead of focusing on braking points, the focus shifts to "lift points" - visual markers where to start releasing the throttle.

Progressiveness: Throttle release must be gradual and controlled. It's not about completely lifting off the gas, but progressively reducing power output.

Coordination: It's fundamental to come completely off the throttle before starting to brake. In sim racing, it's common to overlap throttle and brake in fast corners, but for fuel saving, this practice is counterproductive.

Telemetry Trace: Telemetry analysis clearly shows coasting zones before braking, unlike a "flat out" lap where throttle and brake inputs are back-to-back.

Short Shifting: The Art of Early Gear Changes

Fundamental Principles

Short shifting involves changing gear before the rev limiter, generally between 7000-8000 RPM instead of hitting the redline. This technique is based on the principle that keeping the engine at excessively high revs wastes fuel without necessarily producing more useful power.

Comparative Effectiveness

Comparative tests have shown that short shifting can be more efficient than traditional fuel maps. For example, during one-hour endurance tests, short shifting produced results similar to map 2 in terms of lap times, but with savings equivalent to map 2.5 for fuel consumption.

Strategic Implementation

Power Curve Analysis: Not all engines react the same way. It's essential to analyze the specific car's power curve to identify the optimal shift point.

Selective Application: Short shifting can be strategically applied in different parts of the track - for example, only in technical sections or only at the end of straights to maintain good acceleration out of corners.

Instant Control: Unlike engine maps that require time to modify, switching from short shifting to normal revving is instantaneous, offering greater strategic flexibility.

Combining Techniques: Integrated Strategy

Multi-Level Approach

More experienced drivers combine multiple techniques to maximize efficiency:

1. Short shifting in technical sections
2. Lift and coast before main braking zones
3. Conservative fuel maps in critical moments
4. Gear management on long straights

Practical Example: Suzuka

An example of integrated application at Suzuka might include:

• Full revving up to 4th gear after Spoon Curve
• Short shifting everywhere else
• Lift and coast before 130R, chicane, Degner and Turn 1
• Going through the esses in 5th gear
• Map 6 through the esses for 1-2 laps per stint to optimize the last drops

With this strategy, it's possible to achieve times within one second of qualifying pace, sometimes only half a second slower.

Technical and Practical Considerations

Clutch Management

In some simulators, using the clutch during coasting removes engine braking, allowing the car to roll more freely. However, this technique requires an analog hand clutch or clutch button and perfect timing to avoid locking the rear wheels.

Simulator Adaptation

Each simulator has its peculiarities. In Assetto Corsa Competizione, for example, the Huracán Evo 2's engine braking significantly helps fuel saving if you brake later and coast.

Risk Factors

Rear-ending: In AI races, lift and coast can cause collisions from bots that don't expect early deceleration.

Consistency: Requires practice and discipline to be executed consistently without errors that could negate the benefits.

Strategic Advantages and Long-Term Benefits

Stint Extension

The most obvious benefit is the ability to extend stints by one lap or more, potentially avoiding a complete pit stop during a race. This can completely transform race strategy.

Consistency Improvement

Fuel-saving techniques often lead to smoother and more consistent driving, reducing tire wear and improving car predictability.

Pressure Management

In real racing situations, having a fuel margin reduces stress and allows the driver to focus on performance rather than consumption.

Conclusions

Lift and coast and short shifting aren't simple expedients for saving fuel, but represent proven race strategies that can transform overall performance. The key to success lies in constant practice, telemetry analysis, and adaptation to the specific characteristics of each car and circuit.

While it may seem counterintuitive to slow down to go faster, this data proves that a strategic approach to fuel saving can be the deciding factor between victory and defeat, especially in endurance races or fuel-limited series.

The next time you're behind the wheel, try these techniques. You might discover that going "slower" actually makes you faster overall.