You guys can argue physics and theories all day til you’re blue in the face but it’s this simple:
Braking harder and shorter CONSERVES brakes - the less time the pad and rotor touch, the less heat is transfered between the VERY hot rotor and into the brake fluid. The rotor’s job in addition to providing adhesive AND frictive force (if you don’t get the difference / what I mean, stop arguing now and research more) is also as a heat sink.
I told my “student” in the Z06 this: Don’t “street” brake - despite what you think, it’s harder on the brakes, even if you’re trying to be “gentle” to them.
As far as braking “too early” I was def. braking a bit earlier than I could have / should have but was ALSO off them earlier and then back on the gas into the first turn - the “wrong” thing to do IMO was to brake, stay on the brakes, coast, brake more, then turn at 2 (the sharper / 2nd right hander).
But I won’t profess to be an expert or by any means the fastest out there - just offering my $.02 - JayS, RedrRocket is right about less time / more force (short of locking things up completely).