Right seat

Right seat refers to the front passenger position in a rally car, occupied by the co-driver or navigator who guides the driver through the course by reading pace notes and managing race strategy.

In rally racing, the right seat is where the co-driver sits, and this position is just as crucial to winning as the driver's seat itself. While the driver focuses on controlling the car at high speeds, the person in the right seat acts as their eyes and ears, telling them what's coming up on the road ahead. This teamwork is what makes rally racing unique compared to other forms of motorsport where drivers race alone.

The co-driver's main job is reading pace notes aloud to the driver. These are detailed instructions written before the race that describe every turn, bump, and hazard on the course. For example, a co-driver might call out "left six over crest into right three tightens," which tells the driver there's a gentle left turn, followed by a hill, then a sharper right turn that gets tighter. The driver depends on these calls to know what's ahead since rally courses often have poor visibility.

Timing is everything for the person in the right seat. They must deliver information at exactly the right moment—not too early and not too late. If the co-driver calls a turn too soon, the driver might slow down unnecessarily. If they call it too late, the driver won't have time to react safely. This requires the co-driver to understand their driver's speed and reaction time perfectly.

Beyond navigation, the right seat occupant manages many other critical tasks. They keep track of time between stages, monitor the car's vital systems like temperature and fuel levels, and help develop race strategy. During certain sections, they might even help with quick repairs or tire changes. They also handle logistics, making sure the team arrives at checkpoints on time and doesn't incur penalties.

The navigator position requires intense concentration and nerves of steel. While sitting in the right seat, they're experiencing the same high speeds, jumps, and rough terrain as the driver, but they must stay focused on their notes and instruments rather than the road. Many co-drivers report that reading notes while being thrown around in a rally car takes significant practice to master without getting motion sickness.

In racing schools and driving experiences, the term right seat can also refer to where an instructor sits while teaching a student driver. The instructor provides real-time coaching and safety oversight from this position. However, in competitive motorsport terminology, right seat almost always means the co-driver's position in rally racing.

The relationship between driver and co-driver is built on complete trust. A driver must have absolute confidence in their navigator's calls to push the car to its limits on unfamiliar roads. This partnership often lasts for years, as the two learn to communicate almost instinctively with each other through countless hours of practice and competition.