We went drifting and stalled on our first attempt – but so did Max Verstappen
Like all of us, I’ve dreamt many times of tearing around an F1 track at full speed. Anything Max Verstappen can do, so can I, right?
Sure enough, for five seconds of my first-ever experience of drifting, I did exactly what Verstappen did in his own first attempt: I stalled.
You can be the judge of how long it took before our respective trajectories diverted – in my favour, of course – in our upcoming mini-series.
I was invited to try my hand at one of the world’s fastest-growing motorsports by V14, the dietary supplement that combines 14 science-backed longevity ingredients in one convenient sachet. And with my focus and energy fuelled, I showed up to the Learn2Drift track in Stafford ready to go and prove myself as the next F1 driver-in-waiting.
Now I will admit, I did start to doubt myself, just ever so slightly, as I stood trackside watching all the sideways driving. Drifting is high octane and definitely not for the faint-hearted. This is a sport for adrenaline junkies…and that I am not. The most I’ve ever done is a ride at Thorpe Park.
Last-minute nerves put aside, I had a challenge to complete: to learn what it takes to become an elite drifter. I may not be an adrenaline junkie, but I do get a serious case of FOMO so I wasn’t about to walk away now.
I met my drifting expert, Cory, who was going to show me the ropes to this drifting world. But before I stepped into the car, he wanted to show me exactly what real drifting should look like.
At which point I went from doubting myself to just being in awe at the levels of skill it takes to manoeuvre a car with such precision. The organised chaos that is drifting may look reckless, but Cory was in control the whole time; it was unbelievably impressive. And now I’m just thinking, ‘LET’S GOOOO!’
I got into the driver seat ready to go, talked through every step by Cory – “bring the revs all the way up”. The car was fired up ready to fly, my adrenaline was peaking, Cory shouts “FOOT OFF THE CLUTCH” … and I stalled. Because, of course I bloody did! And before you judge me too harshly, Verstappen really did too.
After a few attempts of not letting the moment get to me, I finally started to drift or ‘skid’ as the pros called it.
And I went on to spent the whole day in the car, learning it inside out, getting used to the small amount of G-force pulling you away, battling with an increasingly sore neck. And I genuinely do believe this level of training and commitment would not have been possible without the V14 fuel I was using throughout the day, keeping my energy levels high and allowing me to maintain my concentration levels.
Eventually, after training my coordination, precision, and mental sharpness, I was ready to take on the figure 8 challenge Cory had set me to determine whether I was ready to call myself a drifter.
I won’t spoil the surprise of how I got on, but over the next three Saturdays – November 22, November 29 and December 6 – you can watch my whole experience unfold across PlanetF1.com’s YouTube or social channels – TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or X, depending on your preference.
Heck, go and watch it on all five if you enjoy watching me fail, I mean, prove my brilliance that much.
Each episode will be released at 4pm and if you keep watching there is a special prize to be won courtesy of V14. If that’s not enough, the first episode features me being reminded not to use my indicator!
V14 Longevity Reds is the Complete Longevity Solution, combining 14 powerful, science-backed longevity ingredients in one convenient daily sachet. Better fuel, better days.