Control What You Can Control

By Alessio Lorandi, 2013 CIK-FIA World Champion, KF-Junior. Updated on 22 October 2026.

Which sentence changed the way I approach racing?

There’s a sentence that completely changed the way I approach racing, and life:

“Control what you can control.”

It sounds simple, but the day it truly clicked for me was in 2017, during a GP3 weekend in Budapest.

I was racing for Jenzer Motorsport, a solid team but not one of the top ones like ART or Trident.

Despite that, the season started strong with a double podium in Barcelona, second in the championship, just behind Nirei Fukuzumi and ahead of George Russell.

I thought: “Okay, we can actually fight for this title.”

Then, suddenly, things started to slip.

A few races later, the performance wasn’t there anymore.

I was frustrated, not just because of results, but because I felt powerless.

The car didn’t have the pace. The setup wasn’t perfect. And I was overthinking everything.

What did a mental coach tell me at the Hungaroring?

That weekend in Hungary, the team brought in a mental coach.

Not a racing coach, a sports psychologist who’d worked with world-class skiers.

He noticed how tense and analytical I was, always trying to control every variable.

He said something I’ll never forget:

“Alessio, you think too much about things you can’t control, whether the engine will be fast, whether someone crashes into you, or if the setup will be perfect. These thoughts drain you. Focus on what you can actually influence.”

That hit me hard.

It was so true. I’d built my entire mindset around trying to control everything: the setup, the weather, even bad luck.

But in racing (and in life), there’s so much that’s simply out of your hands.

What changed when I stopped overthinking the car?

That weekend, I started changing my approach.

I stopped worrying about what the car could be and started focusing on what I could do behind the wheel.

I told myself:

“Just drive. One corner at a time. Lap by lap. Give everything you’ve got.”

The result?

I went from P8 or so in qualifying to P4 in the feature race, at a track like Hungaroring, where overtaking is notoriously hard.

It wasn’t a podium, but it felt like one. Because I finally raced free of frustration and overthinking.

What does “control what you can control” really mean?

This mindset applies everywhere, but especially in racing.

Let’s break it down.

1. You Can’t Control the Car, But You Can Control Feedback

You can’t change how fast the engine runs or how the chassis reacts, that’s the mechanics’ and engineers’ job.

But you can control how precisely you communicate.

If the kart understeers, say it clearly.

Don’t go into quali saying “everything’s fine” and then blame the setup.

2. You Can’t Control the Competition

If another driver crashes into you or gets lucky with slipstream, that’s out of your hands.

Don’t waste mental energy blaming others.

Use that energy to plan your next move, your next race, your next improvement.

3. You Can’t Control Luck, But You Can “Make” Yourself Lucky

Punctures, debris, and mechanical failures, they happen.

In that same Budapest race, I got a puncture from debris on Lap 2 of the sprint race. Nothing I could’ve done.

Sure, it was frustrating. But instead of sulking, I told myself: “That’s racing.”

The key is to prepare everything else so that when luck does swing your way, you’re ready to capitalize.

4. You Can Control Effort and Discipline

• Training
• Diet
• Sleep
• Visualization
• Studying data

These are all within your control. Aren’t they?

That’s what separates pros from amateurs.

Most people focus on what’s wrong. Winners focus on what they can do.

Why does this apply so strongly in karting?

In karting, you actually have a lot more influence than in cars.

You can feel every change.

You can adjust setup decisions directly: seat position, caster, tire pressures, carburation, sprocket choice, everything.

If something feels off, speak up! Work with your mechanic. Fine-tune until it’s right.

That’s your job. That’s within your control.

If you don’t notice a problem and blame the team later, that’s not bad luck, that’s lack of awareness.

And that’s on you.

What happens when you stop overthinking?

Once you master this mindset, everything changes:

• You stop burning energy on useless worries.
• You react faster and calmer under pressure.
• You drive better, because your mind is clear.
• You build real confidence, not fragile confidence based on luck.

You stop being a victim of “what if.”

You start being a professional, even if you’re 12 years old in a kart.

What did I take from that GP3 season?

That one sentence: control what you can control, stayed with me ever since.

It’s been nearly a decade, and I still repeat it to myself and my drivers every weekend.

When someone crashes into you, let it go.

When the weather changes suddenly, adapt.

When the setup isn’t perfect, drive around it.

Because in the end, mental energy is limited.

If you spend it on things you can’t influence, you’ll have none left for the things that actually matter.

Is winning easily a good thing, or should you struggle now to win later?

When you’re young in karting, piling up trophies definitely feels great. You win races, stand on the podium, post pictures on Instagram, brag with your friends, and everyone calls you the next big thing.

But here’s the truth: if it feels too easy, if you win almost effortlessly, you ain’t learning. Period.

You’re not being pushed. And one day, when the field levels up and your material won’t be that dominant anymore, you’ll get caught.

I’ve seen it happen again and again, both as a driver myself and now as someone coaching and running a team.

Why does struggle make you a better driver?

Here’s the deal: when you don’t have the best package, you’re forced to squeeze out every bit of performance you can. That teaches you skills that easy wins never will.

• You learn how to drive at the absolute limit.
• You push yourself to close gaps that equipment can’t.
• You develop the hunger to keep improving. (Super Important)

When everything comes easy, your ego grows, but your skills…? Not sure.

You think you’re the best, but really, at 12 years old, most times it’s your kart doing half the work.

That’s what happened to me…

Does struggling in Mini help you in Juniors?

Back in my Mini days, I was often “the best of the rest.” I didn’t have the top engines that some kids had. Honestly, I hated it at first. I felt like I deserved way better material to chase for those results.

But here’s the crazy part: that struggle was the best gift I ever got. For real!

I’m just so grateful nowadays looking at that in hindsight.

What do you learn when you are missing a tenth or two?

Because I was always missing one or two tenths, I had to drive like crazy to close the gap.

I learned how to hit every apex, carry maximum speed, and use every centimeter of the track available.

I adapted and stretched my skills.

By the time I moved up to Juniors, where more drivers had equal packages, I was ready. Ready to win.

Beating Lando Norris 18 vs 7 between 2013 and 2014.

I could finally show what I had built through all those hard fights. And straight away, I was winning.

The struggle in Mini prepared me for the real battles later on.

What happens to drivers who win easily in Mini?

I’ve seen drivers dominate in Mini because of superior equipment. They win everything, look like stars, and move up with huge expectations.

And then? They disappear. No podiums. No wins. Gone in a couple of years.

Why? Because they never learned how to fight when things weren’t perfect. They didn’t build the habits that separate good drivers from great ones.

Should parents buy the fastest equipment for their kid?

If you’re a parent reading this, or a young driver, here’s what you need to remember:

1. Don’t rush to buy every tenth with superior equipment (engine in particular…).
   Let the kid find the missing tenth in their driving. That’s how you build real skill.
2. Struggle is not failure.
   If you’re two tenths off but fight to close the gap, that’s growth.
3. Ego kills progress.
   Easy wins make you think you’re untouchable. But the higher you climb, the less that works.
4. Hard work always pays off.
   The discipline you build when things are tough becomes your biggest asset later.

What would I do with a young driver if I had carta bianca?

If I’d have complete “carta bianca” on a young driver, as we say in Italian (blank canvas, tabula rasa), I would purposely induce these struggling days early on in his career.

Quite the contrary, I would run him on inferior engines, at least 4-5 tenths off the best ones, and have him testing, testing, testing, asking him to try compensating with his driving.

“I’m sorry son, we can’t afford that #1 engine tuner right now, but if one day you will drive so well that they can’t ignore you, then you will earn that fast race engine.”

Why do I have mixed feelings about giving our drivers the best package?

That’s why sometimes I’ve got mixed feelings with what we do at BabyRace, trying to give all our drivers the best package possible to go and win races.

A service in the short term by helping them collect trophies and a disservice in the long term by not forcing them to push beyond their limits and improve further as drivers, because they don’t need to, they’re already winning, so why improve?

What if you are not winning every weekend?

Karting is a tough sport. Nobody likes finishing behind, and nobody likes feeling like their equipment is holding them back.

But trust me, the drivers who suffer early on are the ones who shine later. The ones who fight for every tenth are the ones who survive when the field gets tight.

So if you’re not winning every weekend? Good. You’re learning. And that learning is worth way more than easy trophies.

Easy wins feel nice in the moment. But they don’t prepare you for the battles ahead.

So ask yourself:

Are you looking for short-term glory? Or are you willing to go through the grind that creates long-term success?

Is this within my control?

In racing, there’s always chaos. There’s always luck. There’s always something unfair.

But champions don’t waste time fighting what’s out of their control: they master what’s in their hands.

Your focus, your preparation, your feedback, your mindset.

That’s how you take back power, not just in karting, but in life.

So next time you’re frustrated on track, ask yourself one question:

“Is this within my control?”

If not, let it go.

And get back to work.

If you want me to look at how you drive when things don’t go your way, send me your onboard for an onboard review. And if you want to work on your mindset, your preparation and your driving for good, that is what we do in the 6 months transformation.

Just Senndit!