I think a better idea is to just give it a funneling effect, that way it doesn't force you in a particular direction (which is annoying in Eliminator Matches and tight corners), but instead funnels your ship to guide it into the right direction (much more user friendly than just forcing it into a particular directon).
Maybe the same funneling effect could be used to replace Pilot Assist.
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If you ever played with the Propulsion Gel in Portal 2, then you will probably notice the same funneling effect that guides you when you're speeding into a Portal.