Overcoming Pre-Race Nerves: Proven Techniques for Confidence

Alright, race day. Here we gooo.

You’re starting near the front. Maybe it’s P1, maybe P2 or P3.

Either way, it’s a big moment. And yeah, your heart’s pumping.

You’re feeling the pressure, the nerves, maybe even some doubts creeping in.

Trust me, I’ve been there plenty of times, oh boy…

And still go through it now and then.

That pre-race anxiety is real.

But over the years, I’ve picked up a few techniques that really help, especially when it matters most.

So I thought I’d better share them with you.

First: Let Go of What You Can’t Control

One thing I always remind myself since I first got told it is this: you can’t control everything.

“Control What You Can Control”. This is the mantra.

The engine could fail. It could start raining mid-race. Someone might crash into you from behind.

It’s racing — things happen. You can’t control most things.

What you can control is how you drive and how you respond to things. That’s it.

So instead of obsessing about the result, I focus on this mindset:

“I’ll do my best. We’ll see what happens.”

That was my mantra, and that could be yours from today.

That one sentence takes a massive weight off your shoulders.

You stop trying to force the outcome and just focus on delivering your absolute best behind the wheel.

Detach Performance from the Result

Here’s another thing: don’t tie your self-worth to the result. Please don’t.

If you tell yourself, “I have to win,” you’ll carry so much extra pressure. For no goddam reason.

Especially if there already are expectations — from your team, sponsors, family — and on top of that, you’re putting so much more pressure on yourself.

Not good…

The key is to focus on your performance, not the result.

Even if things go wrong, if you gave it everything and you believe you’ve maximized everything you had, you’ll come away proud.

Create a Bubble: Stay in Your Zone

When it’s a big race day or qualifying time, I try to isolate myself quite a bit.

• I put my headphones on.
• I listen to music that gets me in the zone.
• I try not to talk too much before the race.
• I do stretching exercises.
• I sit on my chair reviewing my onboards.

What I’ve noticed over the years is that, the more you chat right before getting in the kart, the more distracted or insecure you might get.

You need focus. So build your bubble. Protect your mindset.

It will pay off big time.

Breathing and Grounding

Simple breathing exercises go a long way. Just slow down your breathing and ground yourself.

Diaphragmatic breathing helps me a lot (breathing from your “belly” instead from your chest)

And remind yourself:

“I’m here. I’ve put in the work. I’m ready for it.”

It may sound cliché, but honestly, just being grateful to be up front in a big race while telling yourself to enjoy it can help reframe the nerves into excitement.

Learn From Every Race — Whether you Win or Lose

Even if it doesn’t go your way — maybe you made a mistake, maybe something happened out of your control — treat it like a lesson that you can learn from.

Every tough race teaches you how to handle pressure better next time out on track.

That’s how I got better: by failing, learning, and ultimately improving.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be emotionless like some robotic driver.

It’s okay to feel something.

Just don’t let those feelings control you.

Remember the mantra: “control what you can control”.

And whatever happens — win, lose, or chaos — take something away from it.

That’s how champions are built.

DM me if you’ve got questions or thoughts about your own pre-race nerves. Always happy to chat.

Just Senndit

– Alessio Lorandi