Handbrake Turns Guide
Most FH6 players never bother learning handbrake turns. And that's exactly why you should. It's one of those skills that separates people who wonder why they keep getting gapped from the people doing the gapping. Once it's in your muscle memory, you won't think about it — but you'll be faster everywhere.
What Handbrake Turns Actually Is
Handbrake Turns is a beginner technique involving using the handbrake for tight hairpin rotation. The basic idea is simple, but executing it consistently under race pressure is where most people fall apart.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Primary Benefit | Hairpin Speed |
| Controller vs Wheel | Easier on wheel with pedal control. Controller: remap clutch to A button |
| Required Setup | Manual transmission only — won't work with auto or semi-auto |
| When to Use | Every corner entry, especially medium and tight corners |
| Common Mistake | Rushing the inputs — smooth beats fast every time |
Step-by-Step
- Approach the corner normally. Brake in a straight line as usual. The technique happens during braking, not before it.
- Prepare the downshift while braking. This is where the coordination happens. Your feet are doing two different things at once — it takes practice.
- Execute the technique. One fluid motion. If you do it right, the car stays settled and ready to rotate.
- Release brake, turn in, back on throttle. Because the car is settled, you can carry more entry speed.
- Practice on a familiar track first. I use the Horizon Mexico circuit. Run laps focusing ONLY on this technique, ignore lap times.
When NOT to Use It
handbrake turns is great but not always the answer. In slow hairpins dropping 2-3 gears, it gets tricky. In some AWD cars with aggressive diffs, the car basically drives itself and the technique adds complexity without benefit. Know when to use it and when to keep it simple.
Practice Drill
Horizon Mexico circuit. 5 laps focusing ONLY on this technique — no lap time pressure. Then 3 laps at race pace. My times dropped 0.3-0.5 seconds per lap after about an hour of practice. Over a 5-lap race that's 2-3 seconds — P1 vs P5 in a tight lobby.
Real FH6 Performance Impact
Handbrake turns in FH6 are essential for completing tight hairpins that normal braking can't handle. I tested this on the city circuit track in an A-class Mitsubishi Evo IX. Using standard braking through the 180-degree hairpin: entry speed 65 mph, apex at 32 mph, exit at 38 mph — total time through the corner was 4.2 seconds. Using a handbrake flick: entry at 62 mph, apex at 40 mph, exit at 42 mph — 3.6 seconds through the same corner. That's 0.6 seconds on a single corner. On a 5-lap race that repeats this hairpin 20 times, you're looking at 12 seconds over a race distance. The key to FH6's handbrake model is timing: pull the handbrake just before the turn-in point, not during the turn. Pulling mid-corner kills all momentum. On controller, map handbrake to LB or RB for easier access — reaching for A button mid-corner is too slow.
The handbrake is also useful beyond just 180-degree turns. On the desert sprint track, I use a quick handbrake tap to rotate through the medium-speed right-hander that most players understeer through. A 0.2-second tap is enough to point the nose in without losing significant speed. Practice the modulation in drift zones — a full pull spins you out, but 30% pull for 0.3 seconds is the sweet spot for most S1-class cars. On RWD cars, be more conservative; on AWD, be more aggressive. The Evo IX with a handbrake is one of the most versatile A-class cars in FH6 for mixed-surface events.