Every so often a story captures our imagination not just because of the drama, but because it reflects the power of determination, resilience and the human spirit. In the world of motorsport, few stories are as iconic as that of Niki Lauda, whose journey from a privileged Austrian family to the pinnacle of Formula 1 embodies the essence of courage against the odds.  It’s a narrative that offers not only an inspiring tale of one man’s victory over adversity but also a roadmap for individuals and organisations seeking to build motivation, purpose and unity within their teams.

Time is everything in Formula One. The highly competitive nature of the sport and the complexity involved in designing, building and running the cars means that time is always at a premium.

F1 teams operate within extremely tight development cycles, with races taking place every few weeks during the season. There's constant pressure to develop the cars within very limited timeframes. Teams have to ensure they have the most efficient processes in place to optimise the available time. Even when flying the cars to the races, teams like Red Bull and Mercedes will ship their freight as late as possible to allow a few more precious hours of preparation in the factory.

The Formula 1 season is in full swing, and at this stage, every team is carefully analysing their on-track performance in pursuit of more speed, better reliability and optimum strategy. That means meticulously debriefing every session.

Years ago, I attended a talk by a former commander of the Red Arrows, the iconic aerobatic display team of Britain’s Royal Air Force. He described their structured debriefing process after every training flight and public display. The aim? To improve performance, ensure safety and maximise learning.

With an increase in hybrid and remote working, and many companies now operating across global markets with geographically dispersed teams, leaders are navigating a new landscape for communication with their employees. New rules of engagement are needed to ensure that information can be shared effectively. 

Formula 1 teams have been operating in remote working environments, away from their factory headquarters, for over 70 years. For many years, teams would be entirely disconnected from their factories - or perhaps in touch only via telephone calls - across the race weekend.

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?

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.