Video: © TANG Portfolio/TimeWerke at TimeWerke Videos on YouTube
In the video above, watch and listen to discover how kart racer Kalen Chin “turned the table” or should we say, “turned the corner”, with Formula One race driver Marcus Ericsson. The question to ask after viewing this video is: Did Ericsson teach Kalen or did Kalen “teach” Ericsson.
When asked what racing technique Ericsson could teach him, the F1 driver advised Kalen to focus on corners. The point Ericsson highlighted was to brake early when taking corners.
However, Kalen had his own personal success stories to share. He explained that he braked late instead, but braked hard and accelerated out of corners early, enabling him to improve his races. As proof, Kalen cited his last race whereby he moved up from 20th position to sixth-place with his braking technique.
A quick and cool response when faced with any situation is probably a characteristic trait of any Formula One driver. Ericsson did not disappoint. He remained calm and collected and offered this quick and witty response to Kalen: “Very good, I will try to do the same this weekend [at the Singapore Grand Prix].”
Since 2008, the year Singapore first hosting the Grand Prix Night Race, the month of September has always been Formula One season. This looks set to continue, as the deal to hold this annual motor-racing event on the F1 calendar has been extended for another four more years, from 2018 to 2021.
Edox is one of the sponsors of the Swiss motor-racing team, Sauber F1. Just days before the 10th Edition of Singapore Grand Prix Night Race, Edox Singapore hosted a question-and-answer session with Sauber F1 race driver Marcus Ericsson.
The interviewers were three young kart racers who were primarily based in Singapore. Eleven-year-old Kalen Chin was one of them.
The September 2017 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix Night Race is held on 16 and 17 September 2017. We wish Ericsson and Sauber F1 a rewarding Formula One season in Singapore and for the rest of their races.
We also thank Kalen Chin for an entertaining interview session with Ericsson and wish him all the best for his future races. We hope he will be able to realise his racing dreams.
Now for those who may be wondering:
In car racing, why is braking technique important when taking on corners?
As drivers have to slow down when approaching corners, the key question is in how to take on corners in the fastest possible manner.
Drivers will have to brake before taking the corner and accelerate when coming out of it. The objective is therefore to move in a straighter line when negotiating corners and travel faster before reaching the limits of the grip.
Why did Marcus Ericsson mention braking technique in particular? Well, our guess is that as compared to all other race tracks on the 2017 Formula One calendar, the Singapore Grand Prix circuit has the most corners.
F1 drivers racing in the September Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix Night Race will have to take on a total of 23 corners.
For those who wish to further their understanding on braking techniques, there are two videos on YouTube from iRacing.com Driving School we wish to recommend:
Source: iRacing.com on YouTube
Source: iRacing.com on YouTube