Racey Thoughts: Racers are scientists, mathematicians, time-keepers & gamblers

Peering inside the mind of a race driver would be… well, mind-boggling.

Race drivers have been called many things, from daredevils to things we can’t put in print here. I’m going to add the following descriptions: scientists, time-keepers, mathematicians, database managers, statisticians, and problem-solvers. They do all these, at speed, while facing the consequences of a miscalculation.

The best drivers look at what’s ahead of them, and calculate the best way to get from where they are now to the end of that section of track in the least amount of time. They use geometry to determine the perfect line through a corner or series of corners. But driving the ideal line means factoring in more than just the geometry of the curves, as tracks are not 2D with consistent surfaces. No — elevation changes, banking, and different grip levels of various surface conditions turn these calculations into at least a 3D matrix.

Elite level drivers have an inner clock that can discern differences in time within tiny fractions of a second. They can hustle a car through a nine-second section of track and, at a gut level, compare what they just did with what they did two minutes ago (on the previous lap); they know that one was 0.07 seconds faster, and then store that information in their mental database so they can pull it out again on the next lap – or a year later. The stories of superstars’ memory storage are legendary (Ayrton Senna could tell you what RPM his engine was at when he began to accelerate out of the Loews Hairpin a year earlier, within 10 RPM).

The scientific method is the process of identifying a problem, proposing a theory, and then experimenting with an open mind to see whether the theory is correct or not. How is that any different from a driver arriving at a race track they’ve never seen before (the problem), proposing a theory of how to get around it in the least amount of time (theorem), and then experimenting with hundreds, if not thousands of variations to see which is correct? It’s not.

Interestingly, two drivers can run their experiments, and arrive at two different solutions to the problem, which may be more like solving a math problem. Watch the best drivers closely and you’ll notice subtle but marked differences in how they get around the track. When Lewis Hamilton and George Russell turn lap times within a few thousandths of a second of each other, they’re using different algorithms to do so. Consider just how many discreet and different techniques and skills each driver uses over the course of a 3-mile circuit. We can lump all of these into the broad categories of braking, cornering, and acceleration, but each of those can be broken down into dozens of variations. And then there are the combinations. When you add them up, you’re looking at hundreds of differences, in even just one corner. And yet, the cumulative result could be a hundredth of a second. Right now, count to a hundredth of a second….

Now, throw other cars into the mix, and consider just how many variations there are in the positioning of just two competitors going into one corner. An infinite number of scenarios, right? So, how do the best consistently make the right decisions? Pattern matching. While no two patterns in a racecraft scenario will be the same, there are similarities.

When driving on the street approaching an intersection, and you “just knew that red car was going to pull in front of me,” that’s pattern matching. It’s what most new teen drivers are not as good at, because they’ve not seen as many scenarios. And yet, two drivers who have been driving for twenty years are not necessarily equally good at pattern matching. Some drivers are either more naturally gifted at this all-important skill, or they’ve developed that ability through practice.

The best racers are better at playing the odds than their competitors. They know when to go for it, and when not to. We think of them as being smart racers who make better decisions, and that’s accurate — to a point. Some are better gamblers, and I don’t mean to take anything away from their abilities by saying that. But all gamblers go through losing streaks.

Like gamblers, racers do statistical analysis, playing probabilities. Fast. There are very few people in the world who process as much data in their heads at such a high speed, knowing that the consequences of a mistake are literally deadly.

There’s an artist inside every great racer, too. As with learning to be the best in any artistic discipline, one begins by studying and copying the greats, followed by a period of developing one’s own style. Merging science with art is what separates the true superstars from the mortal champions. From Fangio to Clark to Senna to Schumacher to Hamilton to Verstappen, there’s a creativity that gives them the edge over the rest.

“I am an artist. The track is my canvas, and the car is my brush.”

- Graham Hill, 2-time Formula One World Champion, 1966 Indy 500 winner, 1972 Le Mans winner

To be able to peer inside the mind of the world’s best racers and observe all of this neuro-processing occur at speed would be beyond fascinating. It would be mind-boggling. And it puts into perspective just how amazing the best drivers are.

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I’ve been able to peer inside the minds of drivers of all levels and types, from those just beginning their journey in our sport to Indy 500, Daytona 500, Le Mans, IMSA and club racing champions, and have learned a thing or two about how they perform. I’ve even helped those drivers perform better through “mental coaching.” I’m sharing that experience, and the strategies and tools I’ve used with them in an upcoming Inner Speed Secrets Masterclass. For info about it go to SpeedSecrets.com/ISS-Masterclass.