Read a call in this order
- Distance: metres of straight to the feature (game: opener only)
- Direction: left or right (the game always says it first)
- Grade: 1 to 6, spoken as a word: "five"
- Modifier or hazard: long, tightens, crest, don't cut (game: none)
- Link: into or and, when the next feature follows at once
right three — A tight right, about a right angle: Stage 1's tightest call
Corner grades
The game's scale: 1 = slowest (hairpin) … 6 = fastest (flat kink), graded by how far the road turns at each gate; today's stages reach a three at most.
- left one / right one
- Hairpin: the road turns back 149.0° or more
- left two / right two
- Very tight: turns 114.6° or more
- left three / right three
- Tight, about a right angle: turns 80.2° or more
- left four / right four
- Medium: turns 51.6° or more
- left five / right five
- Fast: turns 28.6° or more; a short lift at most
- left six / right six
- Flat kink: turns less than 28.6°, barely a bend
- hairpin*
- Doubles back; crews using the word rate it below a 1
- square*
- Junction-like right angle; graded by angle it is a three
Modifiers
The co-driver speaks none of these on a stage: a gate is a point, so it carries no radius change.
- long*
- Holds its radius; heard only in the settings voice test
- very long / extra long*
- Holds its radius even longer than long
- tightens*
- Radius shrinks toward the exit: enter slower
- opens*
- Radius grows toward the exit: power on early
- plus*
- Half a grade faster: "4 plus" is quicker than a 4
- minus*
- Half a grade tighter: "4 minus" is slower than a 4
- FLAT (on screen)
- Strip only, never spoken: advised speed is over 110 km/h
Hazards and terrain
Calls come from gate positions, which hold no crests, dips or road edges; caution is spoken only at the finish.
- crest*
- A rise hides the road: arrive straight, off the brakes
- over crest*
- The corner bends across the rise: turn in early, gently
- jump / maybe jump / big jump*
- Wheels will (or might) leave the ground: never brake on the lip
- dip*
- A hollow: suspension compresses, then extends
- bump*
- Unsettles the car: stay smooth over it
- narrows*
- The road gets tighter: line the car up early
- loose / slippy*
- Less grip from gravel, mud or water: brake earlier
- caution
- Danger beyond the number; the game says it only at the finish
- double / triple caution*
- Escalating danger, marked !! or !!! in the book
Distances and links
The voice speaks one distance, in the opener; the on-screen strip shows a live distance to every call.
- stage starts, straight N meters
- Opener: metres from the first gate to the first called corner
- one hundred / one-fifty*
- Metres of straight to the next call: sets the braking point
- 120 M (on screen)
- Live distance to the next call, in 5 m steps
- into
- No straight between features; the game says only "into finish"
- and*
- A short gap, just enough to straighten the car
- into finish, caution
- Last call, set 40 m before the finish gate
Instructions
The game's instructions are on screen, worked out from Mars grip and each corner's geometry; the placement calls are not used.
- ▼ 45 (on screen)
- Advised corner speed in km/h, in 5 km/h steps
- BRAKE (on screen)
- Stopping to the advised speed needs all the road left
- don't cut*
- Something hides on the inside: stay off the apex
- cut*
- The inside is safe to clip: take the short line
- keep in*
- Hold the inside line
- keep out*
- Stay wide of rough ground on the inside