This game could be so good but after spending 4 hours trying to beat the first race and cant do it on normal because the npc doesnt even drift, he just rams you on every corner and its like he weighs 5x more than i do and has super grip on.
try to overtake him at the last point (AI speed varies depending on how far ahead/behind you are)
as for ramming, avoid touching it unless there is no other option.
if you still struggle to overtake him, try with a controller connected, the game should recognize it and it makes drifting infinitely easier, do keep in mind you won’t have a brake/reverse on the controller, but the keyboard still functions