Five steps to mastering a drive day

1. Dumb question doesn’t equal dummy

“Typically at a drive day, you have some very talented drivers among the instructors. Getting that amount of talent in one room is a rare thing, let alone having them willing to help you. There is no such thing as a dumb question – the one you’re afraid to ask is the one the person next to you is also too afraid to ask – you may as well shoot.”

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2. It’s okay to suck

“Many people put unnecessary pressure on themselves. And because they love cars and won the office go-karting world championship, they expect they will be instantly good at it. Typically, the exercises we do will take you out of your comfort zone – we’re trying to find your breaking point. We aren’t here to teach you things you already know. Cut yourself some slack; you aren’t a pro driver, so why critique yourself like one?”

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3. Go ahead, kill a cone

“When we do exercises, some people will be so afraid of looking silly in front of others that they’ll cheat and brake early, or won’t do the exercise quite right. They’d rather look good than do it properly and hit some cones or run wide. Hitting cones is okay! We want you to do that. We’d rather you challenged yourself than chicken out! Hit a cone early and then really start to explore your limits.”

4. No one wants your autograph

“Don’t try to impress the instructors. Everyone has a bit of ego (some more than others) but there are people who think they have a secret talent that will blow away a professional driver when it’s discovered.
It isn’t going to happen; it’s a Hollywood fantasy. Just relax and have fun. Don’t spend the entire day hoping you are going to be recruited to join Lewis Hamilton in F1.”

5. When in doubt, laugh like a loon

“Remember: this is a fun thing that you’re doing. Ironically, the less you try, the better you will drive. When you are relaxed and just give it a go, you might hit cones, but who cares what other people think? You will do better anyway with this mentality, because you won’t stack the pressure on yourself. When you combine all of this it seems so simple, but at the time it can be easy to be swept up in it all.”

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