Drifting: Controlled Skid

The English term literally means "to go adrift." Technically, it refers to a controlled skid or, more precisely, a drift. At high speed, the driver intentionally causes oversteer (loss of traction of the rear wheels), managing the vehicle's trajectory through the combined use of steering, accelerator, and brake.

While for most drivers it means "danger," for professional drivers, drifting is an expression of true automotive talent, used for decades in disciplines such as rallying and speedway racing.

From the mountains of Japan to tracks around the world

Drifting as an autonomous driving discipline originated in Japan in the late 1970s with Kunimitsu Takahashi, considered the "father of drifting." Takahashi, a former motorcycle racer and F1 driver in 1977, became famous in Japanese touring car races precisely for his peculiar driving style.

The technique was enhanced and perfected by Keiichi Tsuchiya, "The Drift King"; starting from underground competitions on mountain roads, he brought the drifting technique to the major circuits of the Japanese Touring Car Championship.

Drifting crossed Japanese borders in 1996, debuting at Willow Springs Raceway in California. However, it wasn't until 2008 that the first world championship, the Red Bull Drifting World Championship, was held in Long Beach, where New Zealander Rhys Millen became the first world champion in history. In Italy, the most important race is currently the Campionato Italia Drifting, divided into three categories: Racing Pro, Racing Pro 2, and Street Open.

With the Fast & Furious saga, drifting also made it to the big screen!

The races

Drifting tracks are shorter than traditional circuits and feature a tight succession of curves. Here, short straightaways allow cars to gain speed to initiate the skid and tackle subsequent turns with the maximum drift angle and constant speed.

In pure drifting competitions, judgment is not based on the stopwatch, but on:

Skid angle: how much the car can stay "sideways."
Trajectory: precision in following an ideal line.
Style and Speed: the aggressiveness and fluidity of the maneuver.

What about on public roads?

Drifting on public roads is dangerous and illegal; it is a discipline that must be practiced exclusively on the track. However, learning to manage the car in such extreme conditions makes a driver safer even on everyday roads!

Drifting on the track is the perfect training to maintain composure and total vehicle control in all conditions.

For more information on drifting, visit our dedicated page.