Let me ask you something…
Have you ever thought you nailed the perfect corner, only to see your lap time still suck?
You tell yourself:
“I was early on the gas. That must’ve been quick.”
But what if I told you…
That going on the throttle early could be the very reason you’re slow?
Yep. It happened to me. And it might be happening to you.
The Mistake Most Drivers Make (Including Me)
I still remember a race weekend at Lonato (South Garda Karting) when I was around 13 or 14 in Juniors.
There was this one corner where I just kept losing time.
Every time I went full throttle, I’d feel the front push.
Understeer. Every. Single. Lap.
I told my mechanic:
“I don’t get it. The kart feels fine everywhere else. But in this corner? It just doesn’t turn.”
So what did I do?
I blamed the kart.
Blamed the setup.
Blamed the engine.
You name it.
How is that possible?
The reality was…
I was creating udnersteer by throttling exaggeratedly too early.
Simple:
By getting on the gas too early, I was unbalancing the kart.
The rear would sit.
The front would push.
I’d get understeer.
And I’d have to hold too much steering angle mid-exit.
That meant I was scrubbing speed all the way down the straight.
It looked fast.
It felt aggressive.
But it was killing my corner exit.
Here’s the Truth: Earlier ≠ Faster
Let’s break it down simply:
If you go on the gas too early:
- You force the kart to understeer
- You scrub speed mid-corner
- You run out of track at the exit
- You carry less speed onto the straight
It’s like breaking your own momentum.
Instead of building speed naturally, you choke the kart by asking too much, too soon.
The Fix: Patience + Rotation = Speed
The next day on track, I changed my approach.
I waited a little more at the apex.
Focused on rotating the kart before hammering the throttle.
Kept the steering angle cleaner on exit.
Result?
Boom — I dropped 1.5 tenths instantly!
This Isn’t Just About One Corner
You might think:
“Yeah, that’s just your driving style.”
But no — this is physics.
The best drivers in the world — Verstappen, Leclerc, Russel— they all review telemetry to see:
- Where they brake
- When they rotate
- When they get on power
- How much steering input they use
If F1 drivers still study when to go full throttle, don’t you think we should too?
How to Know If You’re Making This Mistake
Here’s how to tell:
1. Check your video
Do you look planted? Or does the kart wash out on exit?
2. Look at your steering input
If you’re holding too much steering mid-exit, you’re probably scrubbing.
3. Use telemetry
Compare throttle traces with a faster driver.
If they get on power later but still pull away — bingo. You’ve found the problem.
4. Review your lap time delta
You might be faster into the corner, but losing it all (and more) on exit.
My Data-Driven Mindset
That day changed how I approach racing.
I realized something powerful:
You can’t fix what you don’t measure.
Now, every time I’m off the pace, I go straight to the data:
- What am I doing wrong?
- Where am I over-driving?
- Where am I rushing the throttle?
This mindset turned me from a kid making excuses…
…into a driver who won championships.
Final Thoughts
Remember this rule:
It’s not about how early you go on the gas.
It’s about going on the gas at precisely the right point.Not too early and not too late.
So next time you’re tempted to punch the throttle just because it “feels fast”…
Think again.
Wait for the rotation.
Smooth out the wheel.
Roll into power.
Your kart will thank you.
And your stopwatch will too. 😉
