Key takeaways
- What is drifting? It is a driving technique where the driver deliberately makes the rear tires lose grip and holds the car sideways through a corner.
- The FIA, motor sport's world governing body, recognized drifting as an official discipline in 2017.
- Drifting grew out of street driving on Japan's twisting mountain roads, long before it became a judged sport.
- Competitions are judged, not timed: the FIA's recommended split is 40 points for line, 30 for angle, 20 for style and 10 for speed.
- Drifting belongs on a closed course; FIA events require a permit, judges, an ambulance and a fire engine.
To most people a car going sideways means something has gone wrong. In drifting it means something has gone right. The driver has broken the rear tires loose on purpose and is now steering the slide with the throttle, the wheel and a lot of practice.
This guide explains what drifting is, how a drift actually works, where the sport came from, the main ways drivers start a slide, and how judges score a run. The rules quoted come from the FIA drifting guidelines, the governing body's own handbook for organizers.
What is drifting?
Drifting is controlled oversteer: the rear of the car slides wider than the front, and the driver holds that slide through the whole corner. It looks wild, but every part of it is deliberate.
The FIA's definition is short and strict. "The car must go sideways in over-steer and the over-steer must be controlled by the drivers' inputs." In other words, a spin does not count, and neither does a slide the driver is simply surviving. The skill is keeping the car at a steady angle, on a chosen line, while it moves forward at speed.
That is what separates drifting from ordinary racing. A racing driver tries to keep the tires gripping, because grip is the fastest way around a corner. A drifter gives up some grip on purpose and is scored on how well the slide is controlled, not on lap time.
How does a drift actually work?
A drift works by pushing the rear tires past their grip limit while the front tires still steer, so the car rotates and slides. The driver then balances it with countersteer and throttle.
Every tire can only provide so much grip. When a car turns, the tires generate sideways force to hold it on its path. If the rear tires reach their limit first, the back of the car steps out. That is oversteer. If the front tires give up first, the car pushes wide and refuses to turn. That is understeer, and it is the opposite of what a drifter wants.
Once the rear is sliding, the driver turns the front wheels toward the direction of the slide. This is countersteer, and in a deep drift the front wheels can point the opposite way to the corner. The throttle then sets the angle. More power keeps the rear wheels spinning and the angle wide. Less power lets the rear tires regain grip and the car straightens. A good drift is a constant, delicate trade between the two.
Where did drifting come from?
Drifting came from Japan, where young drivers practiced sliding through the corners of twisting mountain roads. Circuits and judges came much later.
Japan's Nippon.com traces the sport's roots to those roads in its history of Japanese drifting culture. It describes the hashiriya, young speedsters who raced on steep, hilly roads at night, in a style known as touge, literally "mountain passes." Narrow roads with tight hairpins rewarded a car that could rotate quickly and keep its speed.
In a 2019 FIA article on its Intercontinental Drifting Cup, the governing body called Japan drifting's "spiritual home," where the discipline began more than three decades earlier. From there it spread worldwide: by 2019 the FIA counted events in over 40 countries. It gave drifting official recognition in 2017, forming a Drifting Commission the following year.
What techniques do drivers use to start a drift?
Drivers start a drift by upsetting the balance of the car so the rear tires lose grip, using power, weight transfer or the brakes. Each method suits different corners and cars.
- Power over. The driver turns in and applies enough throttle to spin the rear wheels. It needs a car with plenty of power.
- Clutch kick. The driver quickly dips and releases the clutch with the engine at high revs, sending a jolt to the rear wheels that breaks traction.
- Handbrake. A quick pull of the handbrake locks the rear wheels for a moment, so the back of the car swings out. It is common in tight corners.
- Feint. The driver flicks the car away from the corner, then back into it. The weight swings across the car and unloads the rear tires.
- Braking drift. Braking into the corner shifts weight forward, lightening the rear so it slides when the driver turns in.
Once the slide starts, the technique matters less than the control. The same countersteer and throttle balance holds every drift, however it began.
Why are most drift cars rear-wheel drive?
Most drift cars are rear-wheel drive because sending power to the rear wheels alone lets the driver hold the slide with the throttle. That throttle control is the heart of drifting.
In a rear-wheel-drive car, the front wheels steer and the rear wheels push. Spinning the rear tires keeps the car sideways while the front tires stay free to countersteer. That is why the classic drift car is a light rear-wheel-drive coupe with a manual gearbox and a locking or limited-slip differential, which keeps both rear wheels driving together.
All-wheel-drive cars can slide, especially on snow, ice or gravel, and rally drivers use that skill all the time. On dry pavement, though, power to the front wheels tends to pull the car straight. Front-wheel-drive cars can be thrown into a slide with the handbrake or a lift of the throttle, but they cannot sustain one under power. Competitive drifting is therefore almost entirely a rear-wheel-drive sport.
What is drifting in competition, and how is it judged?
Competitive drifting is judged by a panel, not by a stopwatch, and the FIA scores solo runs on line, angle, style and speed. The maximum is 100 points.
The FIA guidelines require at least three judges at international events. Organizers can adjust the weighting for the track and conditions, but no criterion may be worth more than 50 points or less than 10. Speed only counts when it can be measured accurately.
| Criterion | What judges look for | FIA recommended points |
|---|---|---|
| Line | Getting as close as possible to the marked clipping zones while keeping a smooth drift | 40 |
| Angle | How large and how stable the angle is into the curves, and through each change of direction | 30 |
| Style | Commitment (the car's forward movement) and fluidity (its motion on its own axis) | 20 |
| Speed | A consistent average speed through the run, not the top speed | 10 |
Finals are run as battles. Two cars drift in formation and swap roles over two runs. The lead car tries to perform a perfect solo run. The chase car tries to mirror it as closely as possible without contact, and the judges compare both lead runs and both chase runs to pick a winner.
Is drifting illegal?
Drifting is legal at organized events on closed courses, while on public roads it breaks traffic laws in most places. The sport needs space, safety crews and run-off.
The FIA's own guidelines show what a proper event involves. Organizers need a permit from the national motor sport authority, and public liability insurance comes with it. An ambulance with a qualified crew and a fire engine must attend. The rules for drivers' apparel and for the cars must be set out in advance.
A public road offers none of that. There is oncoming traffic, there are pedestrians and parked cars, and there is nowhere for a mistake to go. The FIA describes drifting as an entry-level motor sport that can be held on a permanent circuit or even a temporary course in a parking lot. Many tracks run drift days for beginners, which is where anyone curious should start.
Which drifting imagery works on a wall?
Drifting imagery works on a wall when it captures the slide itself: the angle, the smoke and the line through the corner. Those three things are what the sport is about.
Wide formats suit a single car sliding across snow or ice, with the spray trailing behind it. Tall formats suit an overhead view of several cars linked in tandem down a mountain road, which shows the line better than any side-on shot. Quieter scenes work too, like a driver walking to the car before a run. Snow and smoke read as white space on a wall, so these pieces sit well in a garage, a game room or an office with dark furniture.
The range sits in the car wall art collection. For room ideas, see garage decor ideas that go beyond tool racks, and for the machines at the other end of the scale, what makes a car a supercar.
Featured drifting pieces
Frequently asked questions
What does drifting mean in cars?
Drifting means deliberately making the rear tires lose grip so the car slides sideways through a corner, while the driver keeps it under control with steering and throttle. The FIA requires the oversteer to be controlled by the driver's inputs, so an accidental spin is not a drift.
Is drifting bad for your car?
It is hard on a car. Drifting wears out rear tires very quickly and puts extra strain on the clutch, gearbox, differential and suspension. That is why serious drift cars are built and maintained for it, and why most drivers practice in a dedicated car rather than a daily driver.
Can you drift a front-wheel-drive car?
Only briefly. A front-wheel-drive car can be thrown into a slide with the handbrake or a sudden lift of the throttle, but it cannot hold the slide under power, because the front wheels pull it straight. Sustained, judged drifting needs power going to the rear wheels.
Where can I learn to drift legally?
At a track. Many circuits and motor sport clubs run drift days and beginner schools on closed courses, sometimes in large paved lots set up as temporary tracks. The FIA describes drifting as an entry-level motor sport, so it is one of the easier disciplines to start in.
When did the FIA recognize drifting?
In 2017. That year the FIA adopted drifting as an official discipline and launched its Intercontinental Drifting Cup, then formed a Drifting Commission in 2018. Drifting has also been part of the FIA Motorsport Games since the first edition in 2019.
