Sepang confessions

Sepang (Malaysia) — Contrary to what you may expect, track sessions are not the domain of boy racers or road bullies in the making. They represent a unique chance to become a better driver, explore the limits of your car and meet all kinds of nice people, like yours truly.

I was a recent guest of the myAudiworld Audi Sport Driveaway Adventure, which saw participants drive up to Kuala Lumpur. The trip included a track session at the Sepang International Circuit, which also hosts Formula 1 and MotoGP races.

As far as first-time track sessions go, this was special. I lapped Sepang in an Audi R8, and while my lap times meant that I didn’t cover myself in glory, the good news is, neither did I cover the R8 in gravel.

I was also taken on a hot lap around Sepang by Tom Kristensen, who has won the gruelling 24 Hours of Le Mans a record nine times and the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2013.

Whatever car you drive though, attending a track session will teach you several important lessons that will make you a better driver. Here are five key lessons I learned from my first track session:

YOU WILL DEFINITELY LEARN YOUR CAR’S LIMITS

So, you often drive at 100kmh (and sometimes — gasp — slightly faster) on Singapore expressways and think you are a speed demon who can handle anything that comes your way?

Well, a track session will quickly show you how little you really know about driving. Anyone can drive fast in a straight line — all it takes is a heavy right foot and a lack of respect for your personal safety and the safety of others.

But driving consistently fast laps while looking for the correct braking points, corner apexes, exit points and faster cars, while trying to keep your car on the tarmac, demands an entirely different level of commitment, focus and discipline. And these takeaways will definitely make you a better driver, whatever or wherever you drive.

YOU WILL DEVELOP A HEALTHY RESPECT FOR SAFETY

I have always believed that safety comes first, but have come to appreciate it even more now. When you are travelling at high speeds, things can go wrong much faster and in a much more spectacular fashion. So it pays to know exactly how your actions behind the wheel can affect your car and other motorists, and how you can stay out of trouble in the first place.

YOU WILL APPRECIATE YOUR CAR’S SAFETY SYSTEMS

On a few occasions, the Audi R8’s driver aids intervened to keep me on track and away from Sepang’s scenery, despite my occasionally ham-fisted attempts at car control.

Under normal, daily-driving conditions, most drivers will not experience their cars’ safety systems kicking in. Still, it is reassuring to know that they are there to help keep you safe, though there is no substitute for safe driving in the first place.

YOU WILL REALISE HOW LITTLE YOU KNOW ABOUT DRIVING

If a driver who has recently passed his driving test is a one, and a Formula 1 or WEC driver a 10, the average driver in Singapore is probably a three or four on the capability scale.

But surely the lessons learned on a track do not apply to road conditions, you say?

Not quite. One of the key takeaways you learn from a track session is that yanking on the steering and stamping on the throttle may look good in bad action movies, but does not translate into fast lap times.

Driving like an action hero upsets the balance of the car and makes it unstable, especially if you adjust your inputs in the middle of high-speed corners. Instead, always remember that smooth is fast. Focusing on smooth steering and pedal inputs during braking, cornering and acceleration translates into faster lap times.

In the real world, it will give your passengers a more comfortable ride and probably give you better fuel economy — and who doesn’t want that?

YOU WILL NEVER BE TOM KRISTENSEN-FAST

At the end of Sepang’s back straight, you will easily hit speeds in excess of 220kmh in an Audi R8. Remember what I said earlier about anyone being able to drive fast in a straight line?

It is in the corners that drivers like Mr Kristensen earn their pay. I was driven round Sepang on a hot lap by the man himself and he showed me what the car was truly capable of in the right hands.

The man was the epitomy of controlled aggression: Think smooth, controlled four-wheel drifts and precise, consistent cornering lines that used the full width of the track and allowed for maximum speed in corners.

Sure, you may never be Tom Kristensen-fast, but surely skills upgrading is something that is worth aspiring to?