Formula 1, a sport which held its first race at the iconic Silverstone Circuit back in 1950, is now watched by millions across the globe. From having just four circuits on the calendar in the first year of racing, the sport will visit 24 tracks scattered all over the world when the 2024 season arrives.

The sport has grown in numbers massively over the last few years, partly due to the success of the Netflix show, Drive to Survive. The show gives you an “access all areas” feel to it, so you get to see what the teams and drivers go through pre- and post-race in more depth.

There’s no doubt that this show has had a huge influence on the sport, and I can say that it’s certainly made me love watching F1 more than ever before. It’s opened my eyes up to what everyone involved in the sport experiences on and off the track.

Since having that buzz to watch F1 again, I constantly look at updates at what is going on in the background, however it got me thinking, what marketing (and life) lessons can you learn from watching an F1 Grand Prix?

How the drivers get a boost in their performance

Throughout the Grand Prix weekend, the drivers will see all the support from the fans and hear encouraging comments left about them in the media. For them, this will provide an extra boost when it comes to race day on Sunday.

If the drivers also have a great relationship with their team, they’ll all help spur each other on to achieve their goals throughout the race weekend.

Being surrounded by a good team of people who give you rewarding feedback and help you along the way can naturally give you more confidence. This is especially true if you’re feeling anxious about heading into a meeting or sitting down with a potential new client.

Retiring from the race

This must be one of the most devastating things a driver can face during race weekend. Retirement from a race is often because the driver has been in an accident, or they’ve experienced a mechanical failure.

The most recent example of this is George Russell, who drives for Mercedes. He was on the final lap of the Singapore Grand Prix in third place trying to squeeze past Lando Norris to secure second or even first place, when suddenly with a couple of corners to go, he crashed out and retired. He could have been within a real chance of winning his second-ever Formula 1 race.

When you face a tough moment, just as George did, it’s important to find a way to pick yourself up and push yourself back on track.

Look back at the things you’ve achieved and have a switch around of more immediate targets you might be able to achieve. Set little goals that you know are easier to accomplish, as this is more likely to give you that boost you need to pick your spirits up.

Challenges that are faced throughout the season

There are many challenges that can stand in your way throughout an F1 season:

• Battling it out for a top 10 position to earn valuable points for you and your team
• Mechanical and technical issues that could go wrong with the car
• A heated battle with your teammate.

You may similarly come across challenges that you may have to overcome.

For example, a prospect may have not yet committed themselves to your services. It may feel like a setback, but you need to reflect on positives of what you’ve achieved and how you can continue to improve yourself so that challenges don’t take you back to day one.

The drivers on a Grand Prix weekend could suffer a real blow in qualifying on Saturday and place 15th on the grid for the race. However, if that driver believes in themselves and knows they can achieve a position which will guarantee them points, they give it their all.

Handling the pressure both on and off the track

Pressure is something we all experience in our day-to-day lives, and we all have different ways to try and handle it.

One thing you’ll hear on the F1 show Drive to Survive is all the background talk of driver contracts and different performance levels, especially if you’re at the top teams like Red Bull Racing. If you’re not hitting their strict performance targets, you’re out.

So, you can imagine all the drivers have constant pressure to be at the top of their game for every race, and try and drown out the bad press coverage of them. This is where you need a solid support network around you to help you focus your mind on the task in hand.

If you have to present a new idea/product to a group of people, you’re going to have a feeling of pressure because you need the presentation to go well. By having that solid support network, it can give you an uplifting mindset, as you will hear words of encouragement before the presentation to fill you with confidence that everything will be OK.

Winning the Grand Prix

To win a race and to stand on top of the podium is the only thing that all drivers in any motorsport event want to achieve. When you win a race, it just shows that hard work has paid off, and that all the time and effort you put into preparing shines through.

Any positive feedback or nice compliments you might receive from your clients can be a winning feeling, as it can be the boost of energy you need to carry on hitting your own personal targets.

Setting milestones along your journey helps give you that motivation to wake up every day and do your best no matter what challenges you face. That’s what F1 drivers do, so maybe you can channel that energy as well.

Get in touch

We aren’t able to get you racing in a Grand Prix alongside Sir Lewis Hamilton, however if you’d like help on how to market your business to the clients you want to attract, email us at hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300.