![\"Making](\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/1-min.png\")
<\/p>\nBecause of the prevalence of paddle-shifted gearboxes in modern sports cars, the appeal of left-foot braking is greater these days, so why not learn to capitalize on a new-fangled form of technology and put that lazy left foot to work? This is one of the less important racing techniques, and is often learned later in a racer\u2019s career, since right foot braking is more easily done for most. However, left-foot braking is a means of shaving tenths off a lap time. More than that, it aids in attitude adjustments for which right-foot braking simply doesn\u2019t allow.<\/p>\n
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Braking with the left foot is not a new technique. Rally drivers have been doing it for ages. It\u2019s a technique that can be used with paddles, of course, but some cars with sequential \u2018boxes accept the technique – albeit with some tenderness – and h-pattern dogboxes as well. These two old-school styles still require cognizance of the clutch pedal, but if timed properly, the gearshift can be pulled or pushed without a corresponding movement of the clutch pedal, and the left foot can spend its time manipulating the brakes and shifting the weight of the car – though there\u2019s more to it than that.<\/p>\n
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A Means of Efficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n Left-foot braking is a way to ensure the inputs – the brakes and throttle, specifically – are constantly manipulated. In an ideal situation, a driver trying to get the most out of their car should always be either braking or accelerating, never coasting. Though it might seem like a negligible loss, the time it takes to transfer the right foot from the throttle to the brake pedal has a significant effect on the lap time. It might be a few tenths, it might be half a second, but in either instance, it\u2019s a considerable loss that anyone serious would want to shed.<\/p>\n Some will try their hardest to minimize the delay between throttle and brake inputs when using their right foot alone. Unfortunately, this rushed transfer of the right foot from pedals limits the subtlety with which the brake can be applied. In other words, applying the brake quickly and<\/em> delicately, under racing conditions, can be better done with the left foot, which is relaxed and ready when the braking marker presents itself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This means tenths are shaved, and if the sensitivity is developed, the middle pedal isn\u2019t feared and doesn\u2019t tire the driver\u2019s right ankle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Attitude Adjustment<\/strong><\/p>\n Additionally, this technique allows the driver to shift weight in new and interesting ways. Some situations will call for both feet to be used simultaneously on both pedals, to stabilize the car, trim a line or abruptly shift weight to a desired axle.<\/p>\n In the case of trimming a line, what some downforce-laden machines can benefit from is a light rub of the brake while running through a high-speed corner. At these speeds, with the grip and stability offered from the downforce, a talented driver can use their left foot to apply while keeping their right foot flat on the throttle through fast corners. This allows for minor direction change while keeping the engine revs high and, in some cases, the blown diffusers<\/a> working.<\/p>\n![\"Making](\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/2-min-1024x768.png\")