Last weekend I finally ticked something off my bucket list.
I went to the Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne.
I have wanted to go for years & it absolutely lived up to expectations. The atmosphere, the crowds, the sound of those engines flying past. It was one of those days where you sit there thinking, this is fantastic.
Naturally, I bought myself a Ferrari cap.
I have been a Ferrari fan since childhood.
My dad used to come home from European car shows with photos and model Ferraris for me, while my brother got the Porsches.
So, when I arrived at the Grand Prix, there was never any doubt who I was supporting.
Sadly, Ferrari finished third and fourth, with my favourite driver Lewis Hamilton just missing the podium. The race itself was won by Mercedes, driven by a British driver, so one of my home countries still made the podium.
And yes, I also bought myself a Lewis Hamilton Ferrari model car while I was there.
Watching the race reminded me how much I have always loved cars.
To me, Ferrari represented performance, precision engineering & the relentless pursuit of excellence.
Ironically, every sports car I have owned so far has been a Porsche.
But owning a Ferrari one day is still firmly on my list.
Watching Formula One this weekend also reminded me of someone who embodied everything I admire about high performance.
Niki Lauda.
Lauda drove for Ferrari in the 1970s & became one of the greatest drivers in Formula One history. What made him remarkable wasn’t just his talent behind the wheel. It was how he approached performance.
He treated racing like a system.
He analysed everything.
Every lap. Every setting on the car. Every tiny improvement that might make the difference between winning & finishing fourth.
In fact, Lauda was famous for saying he didn’t believe in luck.
He believed in preparation.
And that mindset is incredibly relevant for entrepreneurs.
Because when you look closely, Formula One teams operate a lot like great businesses.
A Great Driver is Nothing Without the Team
When people watch Formula One, they focus on the driver.
But drivers don’t win races alone.
Behind every car is a huge team of engineers, mechanics, strategists & analysts.
Everyone has a role.
Everyone understands their responsibility.
Everyone is focused on getting the car around the track as fast as possible.
Businesses operate the same way.
Many founders start out trying to do everything themselves. But the companies that really grow are the ones where the leadership team works together like a pit crew.
Clear roles.
Clear accountability.
Everyone aligned.
That is how races are won.
And it is how businesses scale.
The Dashboard Tells the Truth
Another thing that fascinates me about Formula One is how data-driven it is.
Everything is measured.
Lap times. Tyre temperatures. Fuel loads. Aerodynamics.
Drivers don’t rely purely on instinct. They rely on information.
Niki Lauda was famous for this. He spent countless hours analysing the car so he could understand exactly what made it faster.
In business, the equivalent is measurables.
When leadership teams don’t have a small set of clear weekly numbers, they are effectively driving blind.
You might feel like things are going well.
But until you look at the numbers, you don’t really know.
The dashboard always tells the truth.
Marginal Gains Win Races
One of the reasons Niki Lauda became a three-time world champion was his obsession with improvement.
Tiny adjustments to the car.
Better race strategies.
Small performance gains.
Formula One teams know that improving by fractions of a second can change the outcome of a race.
Business works the same way.
Success rarely comes from one massive breakthrough.
More often, it comes from a series of small improvements that compound over time.
Great leadership teams are constantly asking:
Where can we improve?
What could we do slightly better?
Where is the next performance gain?
Performance is Never Accidental
Watching the Grand Prix reminded me why I have always loved cars.
They represent precision, teamwork & relentless improvement.
And that is exactly what great businesses require.
A clear direction.
The right people working together.
Good data to guide decisions.
And a commitment to keep improving the machine.
One day, I may finally own a Ferrari.
For now, though, I will happily settle for the cap… and my Lewis Hamilton Ferrari model.
P.S. I’m currently watching the film Rush, which tells the story of the famous rivalry between James Hunt & Niki Lauda. Watching it again reminded me just how extraordinary Lauda was. He approached racing like an engineer rather than a gambler. Everything could be measured, tested & improved. Which is exactly how the best businesses operate too. 🏎️💡
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Certified EOS Implementer | Accredited Family Business Advisor | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Speaker & Workshop Facilitator
