Let’s talk about overtaking for a second.
One of the most exciting and decisive parts of karting.
If you want to win races, you have to learn how to overtake properly.
Smartly, cleanly, quickly, yet ruthlessly (my favorite part😉).
It’s All About You Set Up the Overtake
First things first: all the overtakes should be planned and prepared a few corners ahed.
In fact the best overtakes start way before the move itself. You’ve got to plan it out. You’ve got to see it in your head first and plan to close the gap and aim to “shoot” in one of the best corners to overtake around that track.
In fact not corners should be treated equally.
Some corners will be really risky for overtakes, perhaps high speed corners, while others will be much easier simply for the corner layout.
Think about 180° hairpins with wide entry and late apexes.
Those will be the easiest to send it down the inside, almost effortlessly at times.
Especially if they’re preceeded by a long straight where you can catch all the slipstream to close the remaining gap.
So, use your brain and aim to overtake when the gap is close enough in a “safe” corner, with also the important goal in mind to not be losing too much time with the move, otherwise you’ll lose the group in front.
Be Confident on the Brakes
After you’ve catched the driver up, to pull off the overtake, you’ve got to brake later than the other guy. Period.
You can’t expect to overtake without some sort of courage.
Though you’ll not have to do it so late that you overshoot the corner or crash into him. Of course not, you’ll have to have good judgement.
This is where confidence comes in. You need to know your kart, trust your instincts, and go for it without hesitation.
If you’re unsure or hesitant, you’ll either miss the opportunity or get undercut on the exit.
Which happens all the time when the overtake isn’t completed properly.
Don’t Just Go For the Move — Overtake Smartly
Rememebr that in a race scenario, It’s not just about making the move stick.
It’s about how much time you lose while doing it.
Especially if you’re say P4, trying to pass P3 while still wanting to catch up to P2 & P1, with just a few laps left.
You won’t want to lose half a second for an overtake, right?
As Marco Ardigò once said, the best drivers lose just about half a tenth when they overtake.
So every time you make a move, try to lose as little time as possible — ideally less than a tenth of a second.
You can then check the time loss in the data.
That’s what makes a pro-level overtake.
Overtaking someone and losing half a second might look cool, but in the bigger picture, it hurts your race quite alot.
You’ll either get caught by the pack behind or lose contact with the leaders ahead. Or both.
Practice It
Like everything in racing, overtaking needs proper practice. So work on:
- Setting up the move from a few corners back
- Braking later without overshooting the corner
- Staying as close as possible to the driver’s sidepod and minimizing time lost
The cleaner and more efficient you are, the more positions you’ll gain without compromising your overall race pace.
So, keep pushing. Stay consistent. Keep improving.
And I’ll see you at the top.
Just Senndit
– Alessio Lorandi
