How to reject invalid or partial laps
Reject a lap when it is incomplete, uses a different start or finish path, includes pit lane, occurs under a red flag or major shortcut, or produces a time that is physically impossible for the circuit. Keep the raw session, mark the lap excluded from analysis, and document why so it can be restored if the decision was wrong.
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Common invalid laps
- Out laps and in laps
- First laps that begin from an alternate start point
- Pit-lane or paddock fragments
- Red-flag, shortcut, or missed-course laps
- GPS jumps or timing-line errors
- Files that end before the lap returns to start and finish
Use the track, time, and trace together
A suspicious time alone is not proof. Check whether the path closes around the expected circuit, whether distance is plausible, and whether speed or position jumps abruptly.
Exclude without deleting
Exclusion should affect fastest-lap, optimal-lap, and comparison selection while preserving the original imported data. That makes the decision reversible and keeps the evidence available for debugging.
Recalculate after every exclusion
Once a bad lap is removed, verify the best lap, optimal lap, sector contributors, and related comparisons. One partial lap can contaminate several derived results.
FAQ
Should an out lap count toward optimal time?
Normally no. It may contain a non-comparable segment or different start condition that distorts the result.
Should I delete invalid lap data?
Prefer reversible exclusion. Preserve the original session so the decision can be audited or changed.
What if my track has an alternate starting lap?
Treat the alternate-start lap separately unless it covers the same measured distance and timing boundaries as a normal flying lap.