ESTATES OF PLAY

SO THERE’S THIS CORNER ON THE West Circuit at the Bedford Autodrome that always separates the wheat from the chaff. It’s not so much a corner as a highspeed chicane, and it comes towards the end of the lap, just when you’re (hopefully) thinking: ‘Right, this has been a good one, so let’s not blow it here – keep it nice and tidy.’

The approach speed is high, as in 100mph-plus in fourth gear, and in most cars you’ll probably want to downshift to third just before you turn in, although in high-torque cars – such as the Audi RS4 and Mercedes-AMG C63 S – you’re better off staying in fourth and nailing the throttle as early as possible towards the exit.

Before you can get anywhere near doing this, however, you need to manage the