Why Your Worst Race Could Be Your Biggest Break

Discover why handling racing adversity effectively earns you trust and respect from teams and sponsors.

Image courtesy of Stu Stretton

What you’ll learn from this weeks article (the audio version is more depth btw!):

• Discover a real-life incident where a top kart driver's negative attitude nearly ended his career—and the vital lesson it holds.

• Learn to recognise signs that your team doesn't fully trust you—and how to change that.

• Learn the art of damage limitation to maximize your performance potential on even the toughest race days.

I used to be brought in as the karting expert for industry professionals assessing drivers, both at the track and in interview settings. It was fascinating because it showed me the characteristics that top-level teams are really looking for in a driver, and equally, what will make them turn away. Even if you're not chasing a career, this insight is essential to improving as a driver. If you’re young and ambitious, you need to get your head around this quickly, because it’s crucial for success.

The Boardroom Blow-Up: It Got Ugly

One instance stands out vividly. I was in a meeting with key industry figures—people from racing driver academies, private equity companies backing drivers, and even a representative from Formula One. The driver in question was considered one of the top young talents in karting at the time. He was there with his travelling coach, and I was also involved in his training.

This was after a difficult weekend for the driver, where things hadn’t gone to plan. His kart lacked pace, and instead of confronting the issue, he became moody and detached from the team. One of the most senior figures in the room—a man who had worked with some of the best drivers in the world—lost his temper. He saw the driver’s negative attitude as a red flag, saying that if this wasn’t fixed, his future was at risk. He emphasised that every driver, no matter how talented, must learn to deal with losing, because in racing, that happens more often than winning.

Handling Setbacks Like a Pro

If you're the kind of driver who only shines when things are perfect, you're going to struggle when you hit real adversity. Top teams don’t just want to see you win; they want to see how you react when you're facing issues. When things go wrong—when your kart isn't delivering or the setup feels off—that’s when you need to step up and prove your worth.

Successful drivers aren’t passive when problems arise. They don't just accept things as they are and go through the motions. They push for solutions, communicate effectively with their team, and refuse to let frustration take over. It’s a common trait among top drivers to face setbacks with resilience. They may voice their concerns, but it’s done in a way that brings people together, not pulls them down.

Experienced motor racing professionals are losing most of the time, and have major performance problems almost always. Any driver who doesn’t thrive in those conditions is useless to them.

How Drivers React to Setbacks: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

From my experience, drivers typically fall into one of three categories when they face technical issues:

1. Dragging Others Down: The worst reaction is when a driver loses their spirit completely and brings down the atmosphere around them. This kind of negativity spreads fast through a team, making everyone less motivated. Teams quickly lose patience with this behaviour and get rid.

2. Overdriving: Another common reaction is to try to compensate for a kart’s lack of performance by overdriving. While this shows determination, it often leads to mistakes, errors, and even bigger problems. Teams recognise the effort but need the driver to perform exactly the same when things aren’t perfect.

3. Precision and Focus: The best drivers, however, stay calm and focused. They analyse what’s wrong, work with their team, and drive in a way that minimises the kart’s weaknesses while maximising its strengths. These drivers inspire confidence and motivate others to step up and solve the issue together.

It’s this final type of driver who stands out to teams, sponsors, and coaches. They don’t need everything to be perfect to deliver solid performances. Instead, they thrive on challenges and find ways to adapt and overcome obstacles.

A Digression: The “Talented but Broke” Trap

Even if you embody all the resilience and strength discussed in this article, there’s still one label that can make you untouchable for the motor racing decision makers: the talented but broke driver. It’s a seductive narrative—a kind of heroic underdog story that many drivers find themselves clinging to. It can feel noble, even something to be proud of, as if your raw talent should speak for itself and attract the backing you need.

But here’s the reality: this is a deadly trap. In motorsport, every team, sponsor, and investor has been burned by this story before. They’ve seen drivers who claim to have all the talent in the world but no financial support, and they’ve learned the hard way that these drivers often turn into a money pit. They pour in resources, and it doesn’t pay off.

Racing people know this all too well, and they avoid these drivers like the plague. No matter how skilled or resilient you are, if you start portraying yourself as the talented underdog waiting for a saviour, you’ll get passed over. It might feel rational, or even like a script from a film, but in this sport, it’s seen as a serious red flag.

So, as an aside to everything else in this article, avoid this label. Show your strength and resilience through action, not through waiting for someone to notice your struggle.

Solutions: How to Perform When Things Go Wrong