Last Lap Mastery: How To Defend Your Position Like A PRO

You can probably agree with me that the last lap in racing, not just in karting, is probably the most stressful moment for a racing driver together with the start. So the start and the last lap are probably the two most stressful moments. And the reason why in the last lap is probably the most stressful together with the start is because think about it.

You know,

Why the last lap is the most stressful moment in racing

whenever you are going to the last lap of the race, especially if you’re leading, you know, if you’re leading the race and you have someone chasing you close, within two, three car lengths, and is like trying to steal your win, and you’re trying to, you know, get to the finish in that P1 and celebrate afterwards. You know, if you are in that situation, you gotta be so strong mentally that you have, ideally, the speed and the mental strength to not do any mistakes and to not even give him the chance to attack you.

Because remember, now there’s, there’s a trend nowadays of, you know, ah, I have to defend you. Got to defend you. Have to defend at all costs. But the reality is that

The best battle is the one you never have to fight

the best war is the one you don’t even fight, okay, or something like that. I heard this quote and and I applied it to racing. It’s like, either the best battle is the one not that you don’t even fight, or the best war. Anyways, the reality is that this applies to racing. So what does it applies? Well, think about it, whenever you go into the last lap, ideally you you don’t want to be fighting.

Boring races are the goal

I know that’s high drama, high excitement, especially for, you know, for who watches the races, and even for f1 you know, for drive to survive. That’s, that’s nice to see the fights until the last lap, for sure, for the enjoyment. It’s, it’s, it’s cool. But when you are driving, you don’t care about the enjoyment. You care about a boring race where you end up winning.

You know, I remember watching races are from Max Verstappen, and most of the time it would be a very boring race where he would start P1 and he would pull away in the first couple of laps, the other start to fight, and then he would just sail into the distance because the others would give up on him, and they would just start to fight behind for the leftovers.

And yeah, that was pretty much it. So always pretty boring races when I watched Max. But you know, that’s really the goal that you’re aiming for, even in f1 when you see drivers that at the top performance in terms of car, in terms of driving, like the domination of Lewis Hamilton in those six titles, as well as the domination of Max in those last two titles, and also when Michael Schumacher was winning titles and titles and titles.

You know, yes, it may get boring at some point, but the reality is that when you know someone is so good in terms of driving and also in terms of car, when everything is just clicking, yeah, that’s, that’s the goal. I mean, the goal is that you are so good that you make the race boring. I mean, that is really the, the whole goal.

And I think this could, could apply to many drivers. You don’t care about the last lap being exciting. You know, you should try to be so far into the lead that nobody can even fight you. So, having said that, which is, to me, very important, because, again, the goal is that one.

When you do have to fight for it

But if we can’t achieve that goal, because the competition, let’s say, is so fierce, and also you may not have that great pace, you’re just fine, but you are not exceptional enough to pull away. Okay, in that case, then you have to fight for it. You have to fight for it. You’ll have to fight for it into the last lap.

And how do we approach the last lap? Well, the last lap, if you have to defend because they’re right behind you. I mean, you got to make sure that you always have the situation in hand. What do I mean?

Knowing where everyone is, without mirrors

You need to always know exactly where the other drivers are. Now, unfortunately, you can’t have rear view mirrors in karting. The only thing that can allow you to watch in the back is your head, which normally I say that I don’t want drivers to and I don’t recommend drivers to look in the back most of the races, but they need to look back when they need it.

Okay, so one thing is to look in the back for a reason you actually have, and one thing is to look in the back needlessly, which is useless and it’s just going to distract you. So what we’re talking about here is look in the back for some specific reasons that are actually important. And I mean, last lap, you guessed it, it’s very important, same as the first lap and sometimes a bit of the second lap too.

You know, until you spread out a bit from the rest of the group, you don’t want to again look in the back, because you have to defend in the other laps. I have already covered this in another guide. But the reality is that

On the last lap, the setup no longer matters

here in the last lap, you just have to bring the kart home. In the last lap, there’s no such a thing as, oh, my kart is not good enough. Oh, I have understeer. Oh, the engine is not good. No, in the last lap, you just have to bring it home with whatever performance you get from your kart, whether you have no front, whether you have no rear, whether you have no bottom, whether you have no top, you just gotta bring that home.

And it just comes from you. I mean, it’s the way you race. It’s just your racecraft. Honestly, if, if you are very good at racecraft, and you take your defensive moves properly, you’re going to probably win. Or say you are in P2. Then you need to find some really clever way to overtake because, I mean, the guy in front, in the lead, is not going to let us win that easily.

Start the last lap in the lead if you possibly can

Normally, it’s obviously way easier to maintain the P1 rather than to get the P1 from P2 so it’s it’s always a privilege to start the last lap in P1 I always tell my drivers, you know, whatever happens, you need to try to get yourself to start a lap in P1 so if you are into the second last lap, make sure you overtake before the last sector, because if you don’t, and the driver starts defending, in the first corner of the last lap, or the last corner of the lap before – which is very common, I see it a lot – then you will not have that privilege and advantage beginning of the lap.

Because again, whoever is at the front. If you defend very well and you’re at the front, I mean, it’s very unlikely that you’re going to get past. But again, you got to defend very well. It’s not easy, because when you defend,

The switchback is what you are defending against

you have to always wait for somebody to potentially switch back. You, especially from the from the slow to medium speed corners, it’s always very possible to get switch back, and it’s not easy to deal with that. But again,

Some tracks make overtaking almost impossible

there are some tracks which is easier to switch back, some tracks which is almost impossible to switch back. For example, at Lonato it is so hard to switch back because there’s so many changes of directions and corners in the opposite direction. So if you try to even make the switchback, you will then be on the outside for the next corner.

So it does not really make sense in some cases. So there’s some tracks which is very hard to overtake. Some other tracks which is way easier to overtake, depends a lot on the width of the track. If the track is very narrow, it’s way harder. If the track is very wide, it’s way easier. So again, you you have to think about that.

Track width versus kart width

And also depends from category to category. In Mini it is a bit easier, because the track is wider in relation to the width of the kart. The kart is just 1.10 metres wide, and the track is 10 or 12 metres. So the wider the track, I mean, the tighter the kart, the easier it is to overtake, because you can fit more karts.

But again, if you have a really tough driver in front, which is so good at defending and stops at the apex and really doesn’t allow you to undercut him and basically do the switchback, it’s going to be, yeah, just so hard for you to pass. And I’ve seen it happening, and

Do not save it all for the last lap

that’s why you shouldn’t wait for the last lap. I mean, if you just close up in the last lap, and your last lap is the only chance you pass, well then fine. I mean, just try your best. And depends if it’s a if it’s a championship, it may be enough to finish b2 and use your brain and not risk it all, to take points that could give you the win at the end of the season, of the championship.

But if it’s like a one shot race, you may as well try it all and risk crashing. I mean, I mean worst case scenario. I mean you just crash in attempt to winning. I mean, I’ve seen it. I’ve done it many times. I mean, I managed to win sometimes. I’m didn’t manage to win sometimes. But reality is that nobody cares if you finish P2 – you are the first of the losers.

So yeah, in many case, I would suggest taking a bold move and sending it, even though the other driver is not going to be super happy if you’re dive bombing from four kart lengths behind. But again, it is part of the sport of racing. Sometimes it’s going to happen to you. If you made it happen to them, it is a wheel – what goes around comes around.

So, I mean, don’t worry. You have to be selfish at the end of the lap. You just have to be selfish and just try it for sure. If you had Max Verstappen right behind you, you wouldn’t think twice in the last lap to sending it. And I’m sure he wouldn’t be conservative. Obviously, would try his best to overtake you, especially if it’s a one shot race.

Think about the last lap of the race with Lewis Hamilton

Abu Dhabi 2021: he took the first chance he got

in 2021 in Abu Dhabi. I mean, that was quite iconic, wasn’t it? Like at the very first occasion he had, he just sent it. I mean, he could have waited a few corners to make it easier, but he just sent it because, you know, you never know, the longer you wait, the less chance you have. And if you want to pass in the last lap, guys,

Invent the overtake somewhere nobody expects

you gotta make it unpredictable. Yes, you gotta make it unpredictable, because if you try to pass in a predictable place, it’s gonna be very, very hard for you to pass. I mean, just think about that. It’s pure psychology. So if you’re into the last lap, you normally want to try to invent, as I say, invent the overtake in a corner that you wouldn’t expect it.

But also be ready for that. Be ready for the driver behind to overtake you in a corner you wouldn’t expect either. So yeah, just the last lap. Remember, if it’s a one shot race, you have to be really worried, because the driver behind, if you’re leading, is is gonna try everything, which is exactly what I would do if it’s a championship, and the driver behind is fighting for the championship.

And maybe you’re not so much. I think in that case, you would be more careful, and maybe you settle for P2 but again, you never know. In the last lap, everybody’s going to try. So you shouldn’t really leave the door open, but you should be clever, because if you are fighting instead of one against one,

Why a three-way fight helps the leader

if you’re one against two or one against three, and so it’s like a four drivers pack. It’s actually better for you, think about it, because if there’s more drivers in the mix, which is, by the way, what many drivers did, and I did as well, if you had, like, somebody right behind you, which is one against one, what you wanted to do was slow down almost on purpose, like you would slow down excessively by defending excessively, so that the whole group would come, and so the driver in P2 now would be sandwiched by you in the front and all the others at the back, so it would not be easy for him to go for a switchback.

So normally, that’s a really great hack. If you are struggling and thinking that you have to defend, make sure you bring the whole group back, which, again, it’s not something I love watching. And I feel bad saying this. Because I don’t want drivers to start driving like that. But if it’s the last lap, it’s the last lap, you got to bring it home.

You got to be ruthless. That’s the right word ruthless. You got to be ruthless. And if you’re not ruthless, and you’re too kind and too nice, you’re a gentleman, you’re not going to win. So again,

How to slow the group down deliberately

if you have the driver in P3 and you’re in P1 there’s like a second between you two, and driver in P2 is trying to go for the move. We got to make sure you you slow down properly, but like very properly. And so that hopefully by the next corner, the driver behind in P3 is going to be right on the tail of the driver in P2 so ideally, the driver in P2 cannot open up the entry and try to switch back, because then he is going to get passed by the driver in P3 so that is always good news.

Whenever you have somebody coming in P3 or P4, that’s great, because they are going to be adding to the mix. Yes, if it goes wrong, you may lose not only the P1 but also the P2 and maybe even the P3 so in that case, it’s also a negative side for you. But most of the cases, when the driver in P1 knows how to defend and it slows the group down in the last lap to get more drivers grouped up and pack up the group.

Normally it is good news for for driver in the lead, because it’s going to be almost impossible to get switched backed by the drivers behind, because they will be too busy fighting between each other. So normally, that’s a very good hack. So remember, guys, there’s no one size fits all. You got to be strong mentally. Ideally, you do such a good job and you’re so good, even if you have, like, just one car length and a half or two, and you’re maybe braking super late.

This is very important, by the way I have seen it in myself, like, honestly, not to brag, but that was what I liked the most, and what I was strongest at.

Braking late is a defence you never have to make

I had an amazing braking efficiency, and my technique has always been, and still to this day, extremely effective. So I could defend by, you know, not even trying to defend. I would just brake so late and in diagonal that without even thinking about it, I would essentially defend, but it didn’t even feel like a defense. So the driver behind me would struggle so much to pass me, because he would feel like, Oh, I’m gonna miss the corner if I try to brake late.

and this guy already almost misses the corner, so yeah,

Soft on the brakes makes you a target

braking early and being soft on the brakes in general is going to make you very, very vulnerable. So I feel that this is something you gotta keep in mind. You need to build this into your driving style. You gotta be late and hard on the brakes, aggressive, stopping the kart really effectively, because, yeah, by doing so, it’s gonna make you so much more powerful and dangerous in the eyes of the others.

And at least you are not going to be vulnerable, which would be if you were too early and too soft on the brakes, especially in a race scenario like that, it’s gonna be hard for you. Hard for you. Instead, if you are super late and hard and really efficient, you could make some unbelievable defense without even defending. Like, honestly, that’s the thing.

Like, I rewatched the races from my past, and I was re watching that. I was like, Geez, that guy tried to pass me, but I braked so late that I didn’t even notice that guy, and the guy just made a half move. Essentially, I remember the World Championship at Sarno: the driver in P2 tried to pass me, again and again, and I did not even notice, because he realised I was braking so late that he had to abort every time.

But yeah, I mean, yeah, just become so good on the brakes that ideally, you can make dive bombs, which is one of the things you can make dive bombs if you are so good in the brakes. Gosh, back in the days we had front brakes. That was lovely in seniors. Nowadays you only get that in shifters. But yeah, I remember that whatever happens, the goal is to not even fight in the last lap.

The goal is that if you are so strong mentally and so strong in the brakes, and so good in terms of consistency, you probably would not even have to defend, because you will be so far ahead into the group, and even if the driver is quite close behind you, you would be so good that you wouldn’t have to over defend, because those two kart lengths are going to be enough to keep the driver behind at bay.

So I hope this was useful. Let me know how it goes. I mean, I hope these practical tips will serve you well. Make sure you hit me up on Instagram @alessiolorandi and let me know how it goes. If you want a one on one coaching on how to essentially fight for for the last laps and racecraft in there, I will be happy to to help.

And yeah, you can also sign up to my onboard video analysis, where I can just review your onboard video and give you practical tips with a full professional analysis of where you can find lap time. So you can just go out there and find lap time right away. So I hope that was useful. Let’s keep in touch. Keep sending it.

Ciao.

Related: when to look behind you (and when not to), fixing early braking, and why defending too often loses races.