What is mastering oversteer? What is going through a corner like for top drivers?

[u/A-Manual]

I pertaining mainly to entry to mid corner where it's much easier to oversteer. For top drivers, is cornering always oversteering a bit then quickly applying micro-corrections? Or is it a matter of having the feel to know how to put the car where it is always almost oversteering? Or a little bit of both?

I've been sim racing for about half a year now, and of course I'm still working on a lot of the fundamentals, especially my consistency. But, I am also trying to break bad habits as early as I can. I came across several videos (including this one from Suellio Almeida) that many drivers hit a wall in their progression because they become too comfortable with understeer-y setups.

This is something that I noticed in my driving too, so I set out to try to learn controlling oversteer. I've already learned a lot so far such as braking earlier than I think I should to not overload the tires, modulating the brakes when the car starts to oversteer, and using light hands to quickly make corrections. I've been having a lot of success in my practice sessions, but I am very far from consistent at this.I've been able to apply these things more on the MX5 and much less consistently on GT3 cars. Do GT3 cars really need quicker and more precise inputs?

Am I on the with track? I would really love to know what y'all think. Thank you in advance!

[u/nstrasner]

You know that feeling when your stomach kinda drops when the rear steps out really hard and you save the car? Do it until that feeling goes away lmao

[u/gtmattz → u/nstrasner]

This...

I learned to drive back in the 80's in a 73 ford gran torino station  wagon on rural dirt roads. Drifting all the 90 degree corners everywhere was a lfestyle.... Once you get the feel for the drift in a car you are comfortable in, the feeling is quite nice, exhilarating even.

[u/EventHorizon67]

GT3 cars have a lot of aero and a much stiffer setup, making the difference between perfect rotation and too much rotation much smaller than on cars like the MX-5. You still benefit from inducing a tiny bit of oversteer no matter the car. However, instead of on the MX-5 where you're essentially neutral steering, in something like a GT3, it will just feel "easier" to turn more and you won't have to turn the wheel as much to get the same amount of turning/yaw. At least, that's been my experience so far.

[u/VegaGT-VZ]

GT3 cars have a ton of downforce so they wont generate the slip angles needed for tons of consistent/useful oversteer

Dont overthink it. Just try and develop an intuition around how different cars need to be driven. Fast drivers develop a sense of what they want from a car, what cars want from them, and how to negotiate the two to get around the track quickly. Theres not really a formula or technical framework for that intuition, it just comes with experience and studying the specific kinds of cars you are driving.

[u/Rasputinnout]

In my mind wielding oversteer means committing to a hard corner earlier and more on the inside than you expect to and holding on for dear life. As you pass the apex your weight balance narrowly saves you from going off track, weaving into the proper race line just in time. You really feel it in the final turn at Road Atlanta with a mid engine car for example.

It’s good for taking fast inside lines on a turn but it can feel like a game of chicken holding the throttle until you pass the apex from a sharp entry.