How to become an intuitive driver

Intuitive driving. It’s an instinctive bond between driver and machine, a state of harmony where your vehicle seems to respond to your every thought and instinct.

As the GAZOO RACING CLUB member code states: “The car is an extension of you – feel it.” But for those new to performance driving, this connection can feel like it’s miles away. We’re here to tell you that it isn’t. If you own a GR series vehicle (GR86, GR Corolla, GR Supra or GR Yaris), you already have everything you need to experience the thrills of performance driving.

We sat down with brothers Harry and Lewis Bates from the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia (TGRA) team to take us through the twists and turns of developing intuitive driving skills.

Become one with your machine

From braking to cornering and balancing speed with control, mastering the basics is essential for your enjoyment and safety. But the real magic happens when these become intuitive. Three-time Australian Rally Championship winner Harry Bates refers to this as “being in the zone.”

“Intuitive driving. It’s when everything feels perfect. Everything happens almost without thinking.”

Harry Bates

For Lewis Bates, who clinched the 2022 Australian Rally Championship title, the key lies in simplicity: “Don’t overthink it. Keep it simple and get the fundamentals right.”

The brothers learned to drive as young as five under the watchful eye of their dad, rally champion Neal Bates. Over time, the basics became second nature, making room for more complex manoeuvres to become instinctive.

The Bates brothers offer these tips for anyone looking to sharpen their intuitive driving skills.

Learn from the best

One of the most effective ways to improve is by studying the pros. Watching skilled professionals at work is a valuable way to learn any sport. “I’m a big fan of being a copycat”, says Harry. “If you can jump online and find the right video that you think is close to what you're trying to achieve, then by all means, study it and try to replicate it.”

Installing a camera in your car during track days can also provide valuable insights. “You can watch it back, learn what you did wrong, and what you did right,” Lewis suggests. “Every day is a school day.”

Nail the basics

Growing up, Harry and Lewis were always taught to keep it simple and get the fundamentals right. It helped them break the driving down into smaller bites, from tackling a complex corner or mastering a new technique.

“If you look at any corner on the road, there’s a process on how to get around that corner in the best possible way: braking on the way in, rolling through it and then accelerating on the way out.”

Another crucial element of intuitive driving is keeping your vision long. Your hands on the wheel, and therefore your car, will follow your line of sight. “A byproduct of keeping your vision long is looking at what’s ahead and thinking ahead,” Harry advises. Naturally, the more apexes you attempt, the better you’ll get at cornering.

Make the most of motorkhanas

The Bates brothers agree that grassroots club events are great places to hone your skills and compete in motorsports at entry level. “Lewis and I started our motorsport careers at motorkhanas and I even recommend them to people who've been competing in motorsport for years.”

A motorkhana or khanacross event involves manoeuvring the car through tight tests at speed. It can help test and grow your throttle control, braking, responses and general ability to handle your vehicle in different scenarios. This will ultimately advance your abilities as a performance driver.

For younger drivers or those who want to practise off the track, go-karting can also put the ‘fun’ in fundamentals, getting you attuned to quicker responses and controlling your steering inputs.

Anticipate the road ahead

Intuitive driving has evolved with technology. Understanding how rally cars have changed will help you know what may be around the corner.

“Today, there’s just a lot more homework you can put in to find that final few percent.”

Harry Bates

Today’s rally cars allow drivers to approach stages in ways that would have been unimaginable not so long ago. “In the late nineties, rally drivers often relied on techniques like the Scandinavian Flick,” says Harry. "The car is turned one way and then flicked the other way to navigate tight corners. But modern cars allow drivers to brake in a straight line and turn into corners smoothly.”

Adds Lewis: “Features like track mode and other settings help connect you with the car and there are plenty of drivers that absolutely love that. It’s a pretty big high when you've got these performance packages.”

Ignore the finish line

When the car feels like it’s an extension of you, it’s a driving experience like no other. But developing the seamless connection between driver and machine takes work and continuous learning, even for championship winners.

A special thanks to Harry and Lewis Bates for helping distil decades of intuitive driving experience into a single conversation.