Drifting on a touchscreen: why the handbrake has to exist

Without a separate handbrake button, a long press only slows you down. Look for titles that split throttle, brake and handbrake.

Drifting on a phone fails because of control design, not slow fingers. If the handbrake is merged into the brake button and requires a long press, the car slows before the rear steps out, and what you get is an ordinary turn rather than a drift.

What to look for: a separate handbrake button, and a throttle that can still be held at the same time. The sequence never changes: enter with enough speed, turn in, tap the handbrake briefly, then counter-steer while holding power. Holding the handbrake too long spins the car; releasing too early straightens the rear before the corner is done.

To learn, pick one slow corner and repeat it twenty times with no opponents. Count the angle that puts the car closest to the inside edge on exit. Once that angle feels natural, move to a fast corner, where a wrong angle costs far more and is much harder to correct.

Entry speed decides everything. Too slow and the rear will not step out; too fast and the car spins before the corner begins. The right speed is usually just below the fastest you dare take that corner without drifting.

Practise releasing the handbrake on the same count every time. Consistent drifts come from a consistent release, not from a bigger steering angle.