Ignition Book Club: Will Buxton - My Greatest Defeat
The Ignition Book Club is a weekly review of different books from the bookshelf in the Ignition Human Performance office. These books all have a common cross over, which is a focus on lessons from elite motorsports that can be translated into business performance. A lot of these books we use for our own research when putting together our Bespoke Learning and Development courses.
Each week, we will give a brief review on a book that we think provides insights into the strategies and techniques of top motorsports leaders, teams and drivers to achieve success. We will give a summary of the key takeaways and how they can help individuals and organisations to improve their performance and achieve their goals.
Then it is over to you, if you'd like to the read the book in question, we have put the link so you can purchase a copy below!
Please note that the below review is an overview and indeed our opinion, they are and is in no way endorsed by the individual or the team they are associated with. If you visit Amazon to purchase the below book, Ignition Human Performance is not responsible for content on 3rd party sites or indeed your choice to buy the book or not!
Ignition Book Club: Will Buxton - My Greatest Defeat
The Ignition Book Club is a weekly review of different books from the bookshelf in the Ignition Human Performance office. These books all have a common cross over, which is a focus on lessons from elite motorsports that can be translated into business performance. A lot of these books we use for our own research when putting together our Bespoke Learning and Development courses.
Each week, we will give a brief review on a book that we think provides insights into the strategies and techniques of top motorsports leaders, teams and drivers to achieve success. We will give a summary of the key takeaways and how they can help individuals and organisations to improve their performance and achieve their goals.
Then it is over to you, if you'd like to the read the book in question, we have put the link so you can purchase a copy below!
Please note that the below review is an overview and indeed our opinion, they are and is in no way endorsed by the individual or the team they are associated with. If you visit Amazon to purchase the below book, Ignition Human Performance is not responsible for content on 3rd party sites or indeed your choice to buy the book or not!
A book review and summary of Will Buxton - My Greatest Defeat
Will Buxton's book "My Greatest Defeat" is a collection of stories from some of the biggest names in motorsports, each recounting their personal experiences of failure and how they overcame it. The book features contributions from drivers, team principals, engineers, and other key figures in the sport, making for a diverse and compelling read.
The book is organised into chapters based on themes such as fear, disappointment, and self-doubt, and each chapter includes several stories from different contributors. Some of the stories are humorous, while others are more introspective and emotional, but all of them offer valuable insights into the human side of motorsports.
One of the strengths of the book is the range of contributors, which includes both current and retired drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, and Mark Webber. Their stories offer a variety of perspectives on the challenges and pressures of competing at the highest levels of motorsports, and the ways in which they coped with setbacks and disappointments.
Another strength of the book is Buxton's writing style, which is engaging and accessible. He allows the contributors' voices to come through, while also providing context and commentary to help readers understand the significance of their stories.
Overall, "My Greatest Defeat" is an inspiring and thought-provoking book that will appeal not only to motorsports fans, but to anyone looking to learn from the experiences of successful people. The stories in the book demonstrate that failure is an inevitable part of any journey to success, and that the way we respond to it is what ultimately defines us.
Formula 1 is a spectacle of speed, precision, and cutting-edge technology, a sport where engineering excellence and athletic prowess intersect on the world’s fastest stage. However, with the new Hollywood-backed Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt and co-produced by Lewis Hamilton, some in the racing world are starting to wonder: Is F1 trading its elite, high-performance image for a more accessible, but oversimplified, Hollywood narrative?
Mark Blundell’s resume reads like a motorsport highlight reel—Formula 1, Le Mans, IndyCar. But his most strategic drive began after hanging up his helmet. Today, the former racing ace is steering MB Partners (MBP), a sports management and commercial agency that fuses the speed and strategy of motorsport with the pragmatism of business.
Speaking to Motorsport to Business, Blundell reveals how the lessons learned in pit lanes and paddocks have powered a decade of business success—and why the same mindset that wins championships can win clients, too.
Formula 1 is famous for speed, innovation, and ruthless competition. But according to Nicole Bearne, its greatest asset might be something more subtle: communication. As former Head of Internal Communications at Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1, Bearne spent over 25 years at the heart of one of sport’s most successful teams, steering messaging through seismic change—from underdog seasons to historic wins, leadership transitions, and even crisis management during economic collapse.
Speaking to Motorsport to Business, Bearne offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at how elite teams manage uncertainty, align under pressure, and keep cultures intact while the world watches.
As the dust settles on another fantastic Le Mans 24 Hours - what exactly can we learn from one of the most prestigious endurance races in the world and use to unlock your own personal or business performance?
Ignition's Nick Butcher caught up with former Race Strategist & now TV pundit Bernie Collins, to discuss her career and how she has translated the lessons she learnt from the pitwall into business performance and her new career.
Julien Simon-Chautemps, was most recently Kimi Räikkönen’s last Formula One Race Engineer.
Julien is a race and performance engineering specialist with over 22 years of experience in Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3 and multiple other motorsport series. He has travelled to over 265 F1 Grand Prix, completing 14 seasons in F1 working for teams like Toyota, Caterham, Lotus, Renault and Alfa Romeo Sauber. During this time Julien worked closely with drivers like Marcus Ericsson, Romain Grosjean, Robert Kubica and Jolyon Palmer to name a few. In 2022 Julien has launched JSC7 Engineering ltd, a motorsport consultancy service that provides Julien's extensive expertise to clients wishing to engage specialist race engineering advice.
Mark Arnall is a world-renowned fitness expert with a career in F1 that has spanned 26 years. In that time, he has worked as performance coach for Mika Häkkinen (5 years), David Coulthard, Kimi Räikkönen (20 years) and most recently in 2022 Sebastian Vettel. During his career Mark has Aldo worked with legendary F1 teams McLaren, Ferrari, Lotus, Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin.
In recent years, the Formula 1 landscape has witnessed a notable shift in sponsorship trends, with an increasing number of online betting & gambling companies entering the scene. This growing presence of online bookmakers as sponsors for F1 teams has sparked discussions about the implications for the sport's image, financial dynamics, and the potential influence on its global fan base.
In 2004 the Red Bull Drinks Company purchased the Jaguar Racing Team for $1. The Jaguar team, who were owned at the time by the Ford Motor Company, had been in Formula 1 since 2000 after Ford purchased 3 time Formula 1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart’s Stewart Grand Prix team.
As part of our ethos "Watch on Sunday, Learning on Monday" here at Ignition Human Performance, we are always looking for ways to take the lessons you will see this weekend at the race track and look at how they can be translated into unlocking business or personal performance.
As part of our ethos "Watch on Sunday, Learning on Monday" here at Ignition Human Performance, we are always looking for ways to take the lessons you will see this weekend at the race track and look at how they can be translated into unlocking business or personal performance.
In the realm of Formula 1, where speed, precision, and strategy collide, Lewis Hamilton's decision to join the Ferrari team from 2025 onwards has sent shockwaves through the motorsport community.
In 2010, Mercedes-Benz made its return to Formula One as a Constructor for the first time since 1955 taking over the Brawn GP team. The German car manufacturer had been back in the sport involved as a engine provider, first with Sauber in 1993 and then as a 40% shareholder of McLaren from 1995.
Back in 1993 Ferrari were in the middle of a season which would bring them no wins. They also hadn't won a championship since 1979 so in a change of management they brought in Jean Todt, the Frenchman who had over seen a huge amount of success in sports cars and rallying with Peugeot throughout the 80s and early 90s.
Ignition Human Performance Managing Director Nick Butcher looks at 5 short case studies from the world of Formula One, with lessons that can help us unlock a High-Performance Culture, regardless of business industry.
The Ignition Book Club is a weekly review of different books from the bookshelf in the Ignition Human Performance office. These books all have a common cross over, which is a focus on lessons from elite motorsports that can be translated into business performance
The Ignition Book Club is a weekly review of different books from the bookshelf in the Ignition Human Performance office. These books all have a common cross over, which is a focus on lessons from elite motorsports that can be translated into business performance.
The Ignition Book Club is a weekly review of different books from the bookshelf in the Ignition Human Performance office. These books all have a common cross over, which is a focus on lessons from elite motorsports that can be translated into business performance.
With the announcement this week that Motorsport To Business® powered by Ignition Human Performance, would be rejoining MBP's Official Partner Network (having worked as a team partner to their BTCC team MB Motorsport the last two seasons), our Managing Director Nick Butcher met up with their CEO, former F1 Driver Mark Blundell, to reflect on the lessons he has learnt from a career in motorsport and business.
