Mastering drifting in Trackmania

While it's tempting to accelerate as much as possible in Trackmania, you risk crashing into the scenery at the slightest turn. However, you don't need to decelerate or even brake to get through most of them. With excellent drift managementYou can exit a corner with a minimum of time lost. This is an essential mechanism.

What is drifting?

Drifting is an automotive discipline in its own right. It was the Japanese who introduced the practice in the 1980s. A drift consists of controlling the loss of grip of your vehicle in order to skid from one end of a tarmac road to the other.

If you've made it this far, you'll know that drifting is an essential part of Trackmania. It is one of the first techniques you need to work on as a beginner. Just like sports drivers, you will learn to slide from one end of a stretch of tarmac to the other. Let's get started!

When to use drift?

It is important to note first of all that drifting can only be used on the tarmacThe technique you will learn in the rest of this guide will not work on grass, dirt, ice and plastic. The technique you will learn in the rest of this guide will not work on grass, dirt, ice and plastic. On these other surfaces, it is called a slide.

Drift is of paramount importance when you want to improve your performance. As a beginner, you will probably tendency to slow down when the turns seem too complex and this is a good reflex. However, in the long run, slowing down will not be enough, as slowing down makes you lose speed.

The use of drift occurs as soon as you make when faced with a sharp bend, a series of bends, a long curved platform.

However, be careful not to abuse drifting. If you don't need to use it, go for it!

Learn drifting technique

In contrast to release (slowing down), drifting will not make you lose speedThis is a great way to get the most out of your car, and in some cases you can even earn some. Drifting also allows you to better management of your vehicle at high speed. This gain in precision is sometimes crucial to achieve the best time.

Locking in a drift

Note this speed: 180km/h. Before you even attempt to drift, you need to make sure that you have reached this level, otherwise it will be impossible to drift. If you have the right speed, here are the steps to follow as you approach the turn:

• Keep the accelerator pressed.
• Brake the front wheels fully in the direction of the turn for about half a second.
• Press the brake button to start the drift.

All you have to do is maintain the drift for as long as necessary. It is possible to release the throttle slightly to adjust the drift. At the beginning you will probably drift for long distances, this is not a problem. With practice, you will know when to stop and start again.

Note: Fellow pilots who play the keyboard, it may be interesting to change the brake button. If you are using the arrows, place the brake on another key that you can easily use with your other hand. This will free up your directional hand for extra action, and you will come out of it all the better for it.

Engaging a high-speed drift

At high speeds, drifting works in the same way with one exception. It is not no need to hold the throttle. Simply turning and braking starts the drift.

When you are at very high speeds, above 600km/h, drifting is initiated automatically when you turn, without any brake action. This is useful in some situations, but it can also become disabling and lead to a spin. This speed level is very situational and only keeps a few circuits, but keep this information in mind just in case!

Stop a drift

Now that you know how to do a drift, it seems interesting to find out how to get out of the drift. Nothing could be easier, sincejust put your wheels back on straight.

If you're wondering, yes, it is possible to do several drifts in a row. You just need to start one, stop it, then start again with a second one and so on. This process is called multidrift.

How do you train for drifting?

You're in for a long, but satisfying training session! Take a circuit on which you have spotted an area requiring drifting.

• At the beginning, just try to start the drift correctly.
• Then, as you go through the tests, try to maintain the drift with each test.
• Finally, analyse the trajectory to be taken, in order to find the ideal moment to launch the drift or to exit it.

Trackmania offers a whole selection of maps specially dedicated to precision and drifting, called Tech. If you have at minimum In addition to the standard access to the game, you can join the Evo community Tech server, which offers interesting content.

How to manage the other surfaces?

You will understand soon enough that ice is a delicate and complex environment. In order to provide you with all the keys to manage this terrain, we invite you to discover the ice guide.

For grass and clay, the bugslide technique can be useful. We deal with this subject directly in the guide Managing air-control.

Congratulations! You are now able to understand how drifting works, now you just need to practice. The guide is already finished but you are wondering if it is possible to drift at low speed or how to gain speed while drifting? Here's a good approach! To go further and find answers to your questions, you can consult our neodrift and speed drift guide.