Is drifting ever faster?

Question

Are there any racing conditions in which it is faster to drift through a corner than to take a conventional racing line (that maintains full traction in the outside tires)?

The WRC case is important to this question, because we do see rally drivers drifting all the time. But if you use that fact to answer this question you need to clarify: Do they have a choice, or are they just drifting because they can't maintain traction at the speeds they're driving, or because spinning wheels go faster on dirt?

I.e., what I'm asking is: If you COULD maintain full traction, is there ever a time when it makes sense to CHOOSE to drift?

Put another way: If F1 drivers didn't have to worry flat-spotting their tires, would they ever choose to drift through a sharp or hair-pin turn?

Answer 1

k...let me put it this way. dirfting is for turns that are really sharp like a 90 or less degree turn then you will have to swing the back end of the car around to be able to get through the turn without loosing lots of speed. but F1 drivers don't do that because the track is wide enough and the turn is not that sharp. rally drivers do that because on dirt the tires won't be worn down so they can drft just for the fun of it.(and also because it looks cool) but on pavement the tire will grab on to the road causeing severe wearouts on the tire and when being drifted too many times there are chances for the tire to catch on fire due to the friction.

Answer 2

It would be faster to drift around a very very tight turn (maybe a hairpin or 90 degree turn) but the resulting tire wear (flat spots etc) and the time it takes to get the tire to reconnect with the road at the turn exit force drivers to avoid drifting. The tire wear issue is non-existent on any surface other than pavement so that is why dirt tracks racers and World Rally Cars slide all the time.

Answer 3

NO! These "drifters" are killing me. If drifting was the fastest way to go around the corners you would see F-1 racers doing it because they are the best drivers in the world. Since you don't that prety much takes care of it. You see rally drivers doing it sometimes but they are usually not the ones that win the race.

Answer 4

I agree with chilibean. I saw it on the screen during a long flight, I didn't need to listen to the sound of tires continually squealing - that's not music to my ears. Did I miss more uninspired 'hip hop' by some 'performers' calling themselves 'Teriyaki Boyz' or 'Sushi Boyz'....? Lame name, but what's in a name, huh? Sorry, I am not asking you, it only took a few minutes to realize what chilibean said already - bad acting, cliche plot, and trying way to hard to tell a 'cool' story of no substance whatsoever.

Answer 5

Ok, if F1 drivers were to drift through a hairpin they would not have full control( a sliding car is not a controlled car). The power rom the engines would cause the tires to spin, so maximum acceleration would not be achieved.