Skip to main content
Understanding how much of a lap drivers spend at full throttle reveals track characteristics and driving styles. Power-limited tracks like Monza show high percentages, while technical circuits like Monaco show much lower values. Full throttle distance comparison across drivers

The Concept

The full throttle metric calculates the percentage of lap distance covered with the throttle at or above 98%:
  • Higher values indicate power-limited tracks with long straights
  • Lower values indicate technical tracks with many corners
  • Differences between drivers can reveal confidence, car balance, or setup choices

Loading the Session

This example analyzes qualifying from the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix. The track has a good mix of straights and technical sections.

Calculating Throttle Distance

Analyze each driver’s fastest lap telemetry to find where the throttle is at or above 98%.

Visualizing the Results

Create a horizontal bar chart showing relative differences between drivers.
The chart displays relative differences (bar lengths) and actual percentages (labels). This format enables a direct comparison between drivers.

Interpreting the Results

When analyzing full throttle distance, consider:
  • Track layout: Monza (~70%) vs Monaco (~30%) shows a large difference
  • Driver confidence: Higher percentages can indicate confidence in car balance
  • Setup choices: Aggressive setups may allow earlier throttle application
  • Tire management: Drivers managing tires may be more conservative with throttle

Comparing Across Tracks

Compare the same driver across different tracks to understand track characteristics:

Parameters

The native function accepts the shared filters. drivers restricts the comparison (default: every driver), and throttle_threshold sets what counts as full throttle (default 98, matching the metric above):

Complete Example

The whole workflow above is wrapped in a single native function:

Next Steps

  • Analyze throttle application patterns through specific corners
  • Compare throttle traces between drivers to identify different driving styles
  • Correlate throttle usage with tire degradation in race stints
  • Explore the relationship between throttle distance and lap times
Last modified on September 3, 2026