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A technique where you gradually release brake pressure as you turn into a corner, rather than completing all braking before the turn. This helps rotate the car and maintain better control through the entry phase.
Trail braking is one of the highest-leverage techniques in performance driving. Rather than completing all braking in a straight line and arriving at the corner with a neutral throttle, you carry a diminishing amount of brake pressure past the turn-in point — "trailing" off the brake as you approach the apex.
The physics behind trail braking involve the friction circle — the finite amount of grip a tire can generate at any moment. When you brake in a straight line, nearly all tire grip goes to deceleration. As you begin to turn, some grip must be diverted to cornering force. Trail braking manages this transition smoothly, never asking a tire to exceed its total grip budget.
There is a second benefit: trail braking transfers weight to the front tires by keeping the brake on through turn-in. This increased front load improves front grip and rotation, helping the car point more effectively toward the apex. This is why advanced drivers use trail braking to rotate the car — it is a cornering tool as much as a braking technique.
For beginners, trail braking is introduced gradually. Start with completing all braking before the corner, then progress to a very light, brief trail. Over time, the trail gets longer and the technique more nuanced. Data systems show exactly how long you are trailing, making it easy to track progress and identify hesitation.
Bentley addresses confusion head-on in Ultimate Speed Secrets: "Trail braking is not braking against the throttle. Trail braking is not braking all the way to the apex. Trail braking is when you gradually release, or trail, your foot off the brake pedal while turning into a corner." He notes being "constantly amazed by the number of drivers who have been told never to trail brake. Then there are others who have been told to always trail brake." The HPDE Curriculum Guide's glossary provides the technical definition: "Overlapping a gradual release of the brake pedal with progressively increased steering in the entry phase of a turn. When well executed, trail braking takes full advantage of the car's grip in combined turning and deceleration. Highly skilled drivers use trail braking to induce a small amount of controlled oversteer, rotating the vehicle toward the apex as they turn in and ultimately using less steering angle."