We continue with the series of articles about motorsport secrets. Alessio Rovera has already told you about overtaking competitors. And now let us imagine ourselves in a reverse situation: you are ahead and intended to keep your position, and your competitor is attacking you from behind. How should you defend yourself? That is what the multiple champion of Ukraine, the Master of Sport of International Class, Andrii Kruglyk, will tell us about.

Andrii Kruglyk: "First of all, the defense in races depends on the situation, on your goals, on the tasks set by the team. However, let us talk about individual competitions and imagine a critical point, when you compete, for example, for the podium according to the results of the round or even of the whole championship.

The main secret is a monumental desire to gain your object. Even if a competitor is much stronger than you are, it is possible, because he always risks in overruns.

So, first of all, you should always occupy the most advantageous trajectory. It should be done perfectly and humbly, as if it were your own trajectory. Although, as a matter of fact, you choose it taking into account the situation, depending on weather, car, track and competitor behind you.

Secondly, everything should be analyzed in advance, and you have to predict the events. In particular, you should feel the sections where a competitor approaches you, where he or she drives faster, I mean, where he waits for you to attack.

When this moment comes, you should either keep such a distance that a competitor has no time and space to overtake or, alternatively, let him approach very closely. If he is close till the moment you are weaker, he will not overtake you, you will get in his way, he will bear against you. Yes, you lose some speed, but you do not give your competitor an advantage in your weak place.

Look at the side mirror as little as possible. For example, you can look there on a straight line. In general, as far as you begin to look at the side mirror, a competitor will definitely overtake you. From this moment you do not think how to increase the distance, you only think about defense. It is a loss of pace.

If a competitor goes napoleon, no one is impervious to it. If this race is really important for you, you have to do something to finish the race ahead of him at all costs.

If you are being forced out of the track, make a competitor lose the grip, look for cutoffs and other, not optimal, trajectories. Make a competitor nervous in such a way that his adrenaline and emotions splash over the main barrier that should never be crossed. He will start driving nervously at once, his wheels and brakes will overheat because he is risking to overtake you. If he gets past this point you can consider that you have defended your position.

Every minute you should have a feeling, whatever advantage your competitor has, that you are a host of the track, and he is your guest. Only you as a host has a right to decide if you let him overtake you or not."

Read also:

Irina Kolomeytseva: How to read pace notes

Vitalii Timanovskii: Let's make a caroach of a pumpkin

Alessio Rovera: Overtaking secrets

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