It was a unique weekend in Azerbaijan, as we saw a brand-new weekend format. On-track Red Bull Racing's Sergio Perez won ahead of his teammate and championship rival Max Verstappen. Ignition Human Performance's Nick Butcher reflects on the three things we can learn from the action we saw and put into our own business or personal performance.

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Adapting to Change:

The weekend saw a brand-new weekend race format, with the Saturday Sprint race now being effectively a stand alone race with its own qualifying session and not effecting the grid of the main Grand Prix. This was received with different responses across the paddock, in particular with Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen urging the sport to "scrap the whole thing". However F1 boss Stefano Domenicalli has explained that the reason for the change is to increase entertainment across the race weekend, now with more people than ever before watching the sport thanks to shows such as "Drive to Survive" on Netflix.

When it comes to business, adapting to change it can be difficult but is essential for any Company that wants to remain competitive in today's rapidly evolving market. Change can take many forms, such as advances in technology, shifts in consumer preferences, changes in regulations, or unexpected economic conditions. By staying ahead of these changes and adapting quickly, businesses can avoid becoming irrelevant or losing market share. Adapting to change also provides businesses with opportunities to innovate and create new products or services that better meet the evolving needs of their customers. This is exactly what Stefano Domenicalli and his team at Formula One will be thinking about when looking at these changes. Companies that resist change risk falling behind their competitors and ultimately failing. Thus, it is crucial for businesses to be agile and flexible, embracing change as an inevitable part of doing business in today's dynamic marketplace.

Time and feedback from teams, broadcasters and fans, will ultimately decide whether the new Sprint format has been a success but with a total of 23 race weekends this year, we can forgive the organisers of Formula One for using one of them for trying something new!

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Risk vs Reward:

The new sprint race format also brought in a new set of challenges as the teams weighed up the Risk vs Reward across two qualifying and two races. Risk vs Reward is not something teams are unfamiliar with in the sport, with most decisions being considered with this in mind. However, this certainly added a new element to it being added in with tyres choices and allocations being affected, as McLaren's Lando Norris found out in Q3 for the Sprint race qualifying when he was unable to take part due to an earlier tyre gamble.

One driver who risked it all and nearly ruined his whole weekend during the Qualifying for the Sprint race was Williams's Logan Sergeant as he crashed out and subsequently couldn't compete in Saturday's Sprint race. Fortunately the Williams team were able to rebuild his car for Sunday's main race.

In the world of business, risk and reward are two sides of the same coin. Every business decision involves some level of risk, and the potential reward is the benefit that can be gained from taking that risk. When businesses take on higher levels of risk, they typically have the potential for higher rewards. However, this also means that the potential losses are greater if things don't go as planned. It's important for businesses to carefully assess the risks and potential rewards before making decisions, taking into account factors such as market conditions, competition, and financial resources. While avoiding risk altogether may seem like a safe approach, it can also limit opportunities for growth and innovation. Ultimately, finding the right balance between risk and reward is crucial for businesses to succeed in today's competitive market.

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Work/Life Balance:

It was an interesting weekend for World Champion Max Verstappen (with his comments that we covered earlier on in regards to the sprint race format and his on-track altercations with George Russell, which led to some choice words towards the British driver!). However, he did raise some very interesting points about the work/life balance of Formula One drivers and team members, as discussion around increased calendars and weekend formats were discussed.

"I do like racing, I do like winning. I know that of course the salary and everything, you have a good life, but is it actually a good life? I think sometimes you get to a point in your career where maybe you want to do other stuff." said Verstappen when interviewed in before the race weekend.

"I think every person is a bit different. It also depends a bit what you want out of your life, right? Some people just love racing, and that's the only thing they know or the only thing they want to do. I am probably a bit more in the middle. I mean, I do love racing but I also want to do other kind of racing and then you can't combine the two, or set up other kinds of stuff. Verstappen continued.

"I think when you do that amount of races, not only drivers, but also staff and the team, it's a lot of people who will struggle with that."

In business, maintaining a healthy work/life balance is essential for ensuring the well-being and productivity of employees in the business world. When employees feel overwhelmed with work and lack the time or energy to focus on their personal lives, it can lead to burnout, stress, and other health issues. In contrast, when employees are able to achieve a healthy work/life balance, they tend to be more motivated, engaged, and productive at work. Business leaders can support work/life balance by providing flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or flexible schedules, that allow employees to better manage their work and personal responsibilities. Encouraging employees to take regular breaks, vacations, and prioritise self-care is also essential. Ultimately, prioritising work/life balance is not only good for employees, but it also benefits businesses by creating a more positive and productive workplace culture that can attract and retain top talent.

This is something both Formula One as an organisation and the teams will have to consider moving forward.

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In summary, whilst it wasn't the most exciting Grand Prix, there were still plenty of lessons we can take away for our own learnings, as F1 looked to change up the race weekend format. It will be interested to see how this develops both on-track with the racing but also off-track with how it affects the workload of both the drivers and team members. It is also worth mentioning the a very visible example at the end of the race when it comes to "lack of communication", which we saw when the FIA allowed people into the pit lane before with two laps to go at the end of the race. What they didn't realise is that Alpine's Estaban Ocon was still due to pit. Communication is key when it comes to any walk of life and the FIA are lucky that an incident didn't happen this time. At the time of writing it is understood that an internal review will take place to see how this can be avoided in the future.

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Next race is in Miami, next weekend.

In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about how Ignition Human Performance are unlocking business performance using lessons from motorsport via areas such as Learning and Development and People Strategic Consultancy, at venues such as Red Bull Racing MK7 and the Williams F1 Experience Centre - along with our Elite Motorsport Speakers roster for your next business event, please visit contact us or email nickbutcher@ignitionperform.com

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