How to Use Telemetry Data to Improve Your Lap Times

If you're serious about shaving seconds off your lap times, it's time to go beyond seat-of-the-pants driving and tap into the power of telemetry data. Professional racers—and the fastest sim drivers—use telemetry tools to dissect every inch of the track and every ounce of performance from their car. The good news? So can you.

What Is Telemetry in Sim Racing?

In sim racing, telemetry refers to the real-time or post-race data collected from your car and your driving inputs. This includes:

Throttle & brake pressure
Steering angle
Gear selection
Speed & RPM
Suspension & tire load
Lap times & sector splits

This data is exported into analysis tools—most commonly MoTeC or VRS (Virtual Racing School)—where it’s turned into graphs and overlays that show exactly what you're doing on track.

Why Telemetry Matters

What feels fast isn’t always fast. Telemetry data exposes the truth. It tells you:

Where you're braking too early or too late
How consistently you're hitting throttle out of corners
Whether your car is understeering or oversteering through corners
Which corners cost you the most time

Once you see what the fast drivers are doing differently, you can make micro-adjustments that translate into real, measurable gains.

Top Telemetry Tools for Sim Racers

1. Virtual Racing School (VRS)

VRS is incredibly user-friendly and integrates directly with iRacing. It lets you overlay your lap against a coach or pro’s lap, making it easy to spot differences in braking points, steering, and throttle application.

2. MoTeC i2

Used by real-world race teams, MoTeC is a powerhouse of telemetry analysis. It's more complex to learn but offers unmatched depth, especially for games like Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, and Automobilista 2.

3. SimHub

SimHub is great for on-the-fly telemetry with customizable dashboards and overlays. It won’t give you deep analysis like VRS or MoTeC, but it’s a great tool to monitor performance in real-time.

How to Get Started With Telemetry

Record a few hot laps on your favorite track.
Export telemetry data (iRacing does this automatically if you have a VRS account).
Open your data in MoTeC or VRS and find a reference lap to compare against.
Focus on one or two corners per session—don’t try to fix everything at once.
Look for throttle hesitation, early braking, or steering corrections. These are lap time killers.

Pro Tips

Use delta bars or ghost overlays to monitor your lap progress in real time.
Try changing just one input—braking slightly later, for example—and then re-analyze the lap.
Don’t only compare against pros—compare your own laps to see consistency and trends.

Final Thoughts

Telemetry isn’t just for engineers or esports pros. It’s the secret weapon for any sim racer who wants to climb the ranks, beat personal bests, and truly understand the craft of racing. With a little practice and the right tools, you’ll be amazed at what your data can teach you.

Looking to optimize your entire setup, not just your inputs? Try out our interactive Sim Rig Setup Builder to design your dream rig and get faster before the lights even go out.