I think Expert has one situation where you have to step off the gas and drift. Every other curve/corner in this game can be mastered with full on gas and drifting per shifting like wild, no brakes. Easy way to drift, full on gas then shifting from gear 4 to gear 2 for drifting, then stabilizing with gear 3 and finally going into 4. In Dinosaur Canyon you even have to go from 4 to 1 in that corny corner.
What makes the first Saturn port special, you could edit all your buttons to have full control over gas, brake and shifting all 4 gears with your right thumb and both index fingers, essential. Setting is L-Trigger for first gear, R-Trigger 2nd, B is Gas, A is Brakes, Y is 3rd and C is 4th. And X/Z are for perspective change.
Edit:
@SegaManAU, second picture on the far right, what yellow/silver device is that?