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Drift-Rennfahrer Elias Hountondji bei einem Drift-Manöver während der Drift Masters European Championship in Riga. Wir haben Alle Details zum Driftsport zusammengefasst.
© Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool
Drifting
What is drifting? Everything you need to know about the sport
The interest in drifting as a sport has been increasing steadily. But are you still not exactly sure what drifting actually means? Don't worry, we've got you covered in this guide.
Written by Philipp Briel
7 min readPublished on
Car drifting is one of the fastest-growing subdisciplines within motorsport, as smoking tyres and mind-blowing driving manoeuvres continue to fascinate people of all ages. Many younger people will know about drifting from the "The Fast and the Furious" films, but drifting as a motorsport goes further back than that. In this guide, we'll be covering everything you need to know about drifting.
Full throttle through the curves: The Red Bull Driftbrothers build the ultimate drift cars in 'Sideways at Full Throttle '. A race against time
28 minThe clock is tickingThe Red Bull Driftbrothers go against the clock to transform new stock cars into drift-ready machines.
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English +2
01

What does drifting mean?

The steering angle is hugely important in drifting© Christian Stadler/Red Bull Content Pool
Drifting is a sport that focuses on a particular driving technique, of the same name, which has been used in other well-known motorsports such as rally and speedway racing for numerous years. Car drifting is all about using oversteer to get the vehicle to drive sideways through corners. This has to happen at a high speed and while the driver remains in full control of the car.
The basics: In our 'ABC of' series we provide you with all the fundamentals of drifting.
26 minABC of... DriftingDrift driver Dave Egan gives the lowdown on the motorsport that's all about speed, style, smoke and skill.
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English +9
02

When is the next drifting event?

Conor Shanahan in action at the Drift Masters European Championship© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
Luckily, you won't have to wait long for the next thrill-seeking drifting event on European soil. The Drift Masters European Championship started at the opening round in Ireland on the weekend of 7-8 May and offered fans and spectators an inimitable spectacle, not only in the final.
The European Championship will be based on six different races with the season finale taking place in Poland from September 30th to October 1st.
03

Which cars are best for drifting?

Theoretically, every single car is capable of drifting. However, cars that are equipped with rear-wheel drive are particularly good at this technique. A four-wheel drive can also make a good drift car.
The car should ideally have manual gears in order for the driver to exploit its full potential. The only way to do this is by having complete control of both gears and the clutch.
Johannes Hountondji from the Red Bull Driftbrothers stands ready for a portrait photo at the Red Bull Ring in front of his new BMW G82 M4.
Johannes Hountondji from the Red Bull Driftbrothers at the Red Bull Ring© Sebastian Marko/Red Bull Content Pool
In drifting, everyone can construct their car in a way that best suits their personal style. This is unique to our sport!
Professional drift cars usually rely on a special differential that distributes and balances the power between the front and rear axles. In addition, drivers have no driving aids such as ABS (anti-lock braking system) or TCS (traction control) in order to maintain full control of their car at all times.
Brotherly competition: Red Bull Driftbrothers Joe and Elias Hountondji are masters of their trade. Our show with the same name (Red Bull Driftbrothers) accompanies the brothers during the Drift Masters European Championship 2018.
12 minA battle between brothersWatch as the two Driftbrothers go head-to-head in Poland for a tight race.
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Which tyres are best for drifting?

Johannes Hountondji's car while drifting during the European Drift Masters championship 2021 in Riga.
The wear of the rear tyres is enormous when drifting© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
Drifting requires more than just a few sets of tyres, as the technique quickly wears the rubber down. To get started with drifting you can buy relatively cheap, run-in rear tyres, and invest a bit more in the front tyres as they are crucial for grip, traction and control in corners.
For the front tyres, professionals usually use ones with good grip or even slicks – tyres that have no profile. In addition, the tyre pressure has a big impact and greatly depends on the specific vehicle, as well as personal preferences.
04

Drift history: When did it start?

Drifting can be traced back to the 1980s. However, as a driving technique used in other motorsports, it's been known since the 1950s. Drifting as a unique racing discipline started in Japan with Kunimitsu Takahashi who is widely considered the "father of drifting". Takahashi, a former motorcycle racer who even competed in Formula 1 in 1977, made a name for himself in Japanese touring car racing where he became known for his distinctive driving style.
'Mad' Mike Whiddett has been involved in drifting since 2009© Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool
Drifting is like an extreme ballet on four wheels. It feels crazy in the cockpit.
At a time when most racing drivers feared severe oversteer in their cars, Takahashi took advantage of his car's behaviour to drift through corners at a high speed, earning him a number of titles along the way.
However, drifting is mostly associated with the name Keiichi Tsuchiya, also known as "Drift King", who adopted the style from his role model in the Japanese Touring Car Championship. First and foremost, to inspire the audience. He became known through the "Plupsy" videos published in 1987, in which he used his Toyota Corolla Levin to drift on public roads, thereby causing serious hype in Japan.

Rhys Millen becomes the first World Champion in drifting

Drifting in front of the Capitol Building
Drifting in front of the Capitol Building© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
It took a while before the wave of drift enthusiasm moved from the east to the west. It wasn't until the mid-1990s, 1996 to be precise, that the first drift event outside of Japan took place at Willow Springs Raceway in California, USA.
The first world championship in drifting was the Red Bull Drifting World Championship, held in 2008. It took place in Long Beach, California, and found its first champion in New Zealand's Rhys Millen.
05

What does a drift race track look like?

Drift races take place on short stretches of track© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
In contrast to classic circuit races, where the tracks are several kilometres long, the distances for drift tracks are much shorter. Usually, only a few hundred meters long, the drift race track consists of as many curves as possible lined up next to each other.
The straight sections in between allow the cars to pick up speed in order to slide through the upcoming corners at the highest possible speed and with a high drift angle.
06

How are drift races scored?

Unlike other motorsport disciplines, neither lap, stage times nor placement on the track plays a role in the overall score. But how do you even go about rating a car that is drifting sideways through corners?
For this particular purpose, the so-called judges are used when drifting. You will typically find three of them present at an event. They evaluate both the qualifying and final runs of a drift event based on four core criteria:
  • The speed and fluidity: the faster and more fluid a drift runs, the more points you get.
  • The drift angle: the larger the angle, the more points there are. A good instinct is required here because if the angle is too low, there are hardly any points. If the angle is too high, the car may slow down.
  • The line: Before any event, the judges inform the drivers about the ideal line. Certain points have to be approached on the track, sometimes with the front, sometimes with the rear. The more precisely you are able to stick to this line, the higher the score.
  • The style: The most important criteria when drifting. How precisely is the drift initiated? Do you have to make corrections often? Do you drive a lot at full throttle? All of this goes into the fourth score.

Drift fuels in the Twin Battles

Twin battles are often intense © Christian Stadler/Red Bull Content Pool
In the so-called twin battles, the supreme discipline of drift sports, two drivers are on the same track at the same time. Two laps are driven, in each of which one vehicle is in the lead (leader) and the other one behind (chaser).
In twin battles, the evaluation is based on the four criteria mentioned above, in which the leader should score as many points as possible. An additional proximity rating is added for the pursuer. Here the judges make sure that you stay as close as possible to the person in front without touching them.
A special kind of twin battle: Can drift pro Abdo Feghali take on freerunner Mohammad Al Attar in a car? Find out in this unusual duel.
3 minAbdo Feghali vs freerunnerWhat's faster: a drift racer or a freerunner?
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07

Can you drift on public roads?

No. Drifting on public roads is illegal and can result in hefty fines or even jail. As a sport, drifting belongs on the race track.
08

Can you learn how to drift?

Eli: „Driften ist wie Fliegen, Freiheit pur!“
Eli: „Driften ist wie Fliegen, Freiheit pur!“© Christian Stadler / Red Bull Content Pool
Yes. Throughout Ireland, you will find a few dedicated tracks for drifting, such as Prodrift Academy Ireland located in Dublin. Here you can familiarize yourself with the basics or level up if you already got the fundamentals in place.
Good coordination helps, as does a certain level of basic fitness and a healthy level of responsiveness. You can train all of that.
09

Drift Games: Virtual training at home

DRIFT21 screenshot
DRIFT21© 505 Games
Besides the real-life race tracks, there are also virtual drifting games that present a realistic simulation of what it feels like to drive a drift car. "In order to initiate a drift, you have to go just over the limits of the car. You have to get used to that - simulations help with that," reveals Johannes Hountondji.
Excellent options include the games such as DRIFT21, Assetto Corsa, GRID Legends or CarX Drift Racing Online.
Part of this story

Drift Masters

The world's best drifters compete across seven events in technical and stunning locations.

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Elias Hountondji

Drifting is a family affair for German driver Elias Hountondji, who's a trained aerospace engineer as well as being a Driftbrother.

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Mike Whiddett

'Mad' Mike Whiddett lives for the thrill and adrenaline of drifting. As a result, he's always pushing both himself and his cars to the limits.

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Haitham Al Hadidi

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One of the stars of the Middle East's hugely popular drifting scene, Ahmad Daham is a multiple champion and a Guinness World Record holder to boot.

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A formidable force in the world of drifting, Irishman Conor Shanahan is a regular winner on the British and European stage.

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