You can quickly command your drivers to switch positions immediately by managing their engine mode. If your drivers are next to each other and they use the same engine mode they won’t try to take over each other even if the driver behind is faster. They’ll change positions only following your command.

For instance, if a driver with a low Defending stat is in position 5 and a driver with a high Overtaking stat is in position 6, the driver behind won't attempt a duel, even if they have better speed. However, switching the driver behind to the fast engine mode and keeping the driver in position 5 in neutral mode allows for immediate overtaking without losing precious seconds in battle.