The Importance of Equipment in Karting - Losing 0.5s from the Engine in IAME Series Greece

You often hear the expression: is it the driver or the equipment that makes the difference in motorsport?

The definitive answer is more complicated than most people might think.

I used to believe more in the driving aspect and less in the equipment during my career. The main reason for that was that I always opted to race in one-make championships, whether it was single-seaters or go-karts. This way, I felt I eliminated the equipment aspect and could concentrate more on my driving.

But in some sense, I was misguided. What I found out the hard way was that even in one-make karting championships, with sealed engines, differences still exist.

The perfect example was the 2nd race of the IAME Series Greece in 2019. I was in prime condition, and I had won the 1st round in the Senior class, even though I was well into my mid-thirties. Not an easy achievement. So I was quite excited going into the 2nd round in the city of Patras, which is a circuit that really suits my driving style and where I had won in the past.

The whole weekend was simply terrible. I had no chance to fight at the front, even though I felt I was driving well.

My mechanic was doing everything you could imagine with the chassis. He even changed the tube for me, which takes a long time and is a big job to do during a race weekend.

The result never came, and we finished in 6th place, around three tenths off the front runners’ pace.

I couldn’t get my head around it, so I asked the kid who came 2nd — a very good driver and friend — if I could compare our telemetry data. I asked after the race, so he had nothing to lose anymore, and he gave me access.

You can see the telemetry readings below. I still have the picture on my phone as a reminder.

I am the red line, and he is the blue line. My best lap is 41 seconds, and his is 40.55 — a huge difference in our sport.

But if you examine it more closely, I am faster in every corner, equal under braking, and only lose time on the straights.

And then it hit me. Engine.

Since then, I have always made sure I have a strong engine for my races. People will tell you that in one-make series like Rotax and IAME, engines are equal.

Trust me, they are not — and the proof is in the telemetry graph below.

So if you are going racing and taking it seriously, focus mainly on your driving, as it will always make the biggest difference.

BUT

Don’t ignore the equipment. You need a top engine and a very good chassis in order to fight at the front and win in karting and all other forms of motorsport.

Hope you enjoyed this one. Leave me your comments below. Do you have similar stories to share?