I have definitely felt how much the way the controls are can be a turn for the worse the moment you try to go for 150cc - recently I tried to do Star Cup again but the bots at Mario Circuit 3 destroyed me...it is quite the draining endeavor even with lightweights, let alone aiming to do a full 1st place finish unless you have mastered every inch of the way drifting works.
F-Zero is indeed way more solid in regards to controls, or at least the consistency in them, as you will always turn in a decent way [or at least in my case with Blue Falcon] and then sharpen it further with blast turning or even brakes if necessary. Reminds me that I still have to revisit it as well as try the bunch of ROM hacks there are for it.
Regarding SMK though, Mario Kart Super Circuit is easier to recommend because, at least from what I remember, the AI wasn't as prone to rubberbanding and the controls were just a bit more solid, even though they still feel different and the drift is SMK-style, but I say that with how I had completed all the cups in 150cc years ago. May be interesting to revisit it to take a break from SMK...
Thanks for reading and for your comment - it is a treat to see you reply with this much detail 😃