How Steering Input Graph Telemetry Can Improve Your Sim Racing Lap Times

In sim racing, the steering wheel is your direct connection to the car’s balance, grip, and handling. While throttle and brake telemetry often receive the most attention, analyzing steering input graph telemetry can reveal critical insights into your driving technique and car control. From understeer correction to corner entry precision, understanding your steering behavior can lead to smoother, faster, and more consistent laps.

Steering input graphs plot the amount of steering angle applied over time or distance – typically measured in degrees. Positive and negative values indicate left or right turns, while the rate of change shows how quickly the driver is turning the wheel (steering speed). When overlaid with speed, throttle, and brake data, steering graphs help evaluate how the car responds to your inputs and where improvements can be made.

If your steering angle increases mid-corner without a corresponding change in direction or speed, it’s often a sign of understeer – where the front tires lose grip and the car pushes wide. Telemetry makes this clear by showing prolonged or excessive steering input without speed increase. By identifying understeer zones, you can adjust your driving line, corner entry speed, or even car setup to improve front-end grip and cornering efficiency.

Steering speed refers to how quickly you rotate the wheel, especially during corner entry and correction phases. Fast, jerky inputs can unsettle the car, especially in high-speed corners or cars with sensitive handling. A smooth, progressive steering trace is typically more effective and shows better car control. Telemetry allows you to assess whether your inputs are too aggressive or hesitant, helping you refine your technique for a more balanced and confident turn-in.

Moments where your steering input reverses direction – commonly seen in oversteer situations – appear clearly in telemetry as counter-steering spikes. These indicate you're catching a slide or correcting instability. While some counter-steering is normal, excessive corrections may point to a setup issue or a driving technique that’s unsettling the rear of the car. By reviewing these events, you can isolate trouble spots and work on smoother inputs or setup changes to reduce over-rotation.

Steering data is most powerful when combined with other telemetry inputs:

• Speed graphs help determine if your steering input is causing you to lose momentum.
• Throttle and brake traces reveal whether your inputs are destabilizing the car during cornering.
• Gear and RPM data can show if you're in the wrong gear, requiring extra steering correction due to poor balance.

Steering telemetry is a goldmine for understanding your car control and cornering precision. By analyzing steering angle, speed, and corrections, you can diagnose understeer, improve turn-in technique, and refine your inputs – leading to cleaner lines, more grip, and faster lap times.