Let’s talk about Lewis Hamilton.
‘It’s only because he’s in the best car.’
‘Lucky Hamilton.’
‘Crybaby.’
Just a few choice words from some Formula 1 ‘fans’ after Lewis secured his 92nd win this Sunday during the Portuguese GP, an all-time record. Lewis has won more than 1/3rd of all GPs in which he’s competed. And he’s done so with multiple teams, driving for both Mercedes and McLaren. He did all this, while fighting against prejudice and outright racism, as so pathetically demonstrated by spectators wearing blackface during pre-season testing in 2008. That same year, a website dedicated to hating Hamilton was launched (and thankfully also taken offline), which contained gems like these:
Marcia
Hulkenback
Nico Hulkenberg! He bossed it yesterday, managing to secure P8 for Racing Point F1 Team during the Formula 1 Eifel GP, after starting P20.
His incredible performance is influenced by multiple factors. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention skill. There is no way you can pull off going from coffee in Cologne at 11 AM to qualifying on the Nürburgring at 3 PM if you aren’t a highly skilled and talented driver.
Ability versus Mindset
A slightly controversial F1 analysis this time! For those who missed it, Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas won the Russian GP at Sochi Autodrom this weekend, after Lews Hamilton received two 5-second penalties for practice starts outside the designated area. After his win, Valtteri famously said ‘To whom it may concern, f*** you.”
This is something we’ve heard him say before, during the 2019 Australian GP. But this time many people felt he was being overconfident, since he most likely wouldn’t have won if it hadn’t been for those two penalties.
The King of Adaptation
How do you deal with change? Do you enjoy the challenge, or crumple under the threat of an uncertain outcome?
Yesterday’s Formula 1 Tuscan GP had three restarts. Three! It was a spectacular race to say the least. What fascinates me from a behavioral perspective is how each driver dealt with having to restart the race under varying conditions. The car is obviously going to feel different. The clutch bite point changes, it has less fuel, it’s on a different compound, all things they really cannot prepare for and so are forced to deal with in the moment.
Claire Williams Steps Down 2020
It’s the end of an era. Claire Williams has stepped down as Deputy Team Principal of Williams Racing, after the team was sold to Dorilton Capital. A decision that will undoubtedly have a massive impact on the whole team. It’s no secret that they have had their fair share of ups and downs over the past years. But there is no denying that this team is legendary and belongs in Formula 1.
Red Bull Racing’s Mechanical Miracle
Max Verstappen was on fire yesterday. Fighting your way up the grid from 7th to 2nd place is impressive any day of the week. But this picture perfectly captures why Formula 1 is a team sport. Max hit the barriers during the reconnaissance lap and sustained damage to the car’s front wing and front left suspension. He limped his way back to start/finish where Red Bull Racing ‘s mechanics did the undoable: they fixed his car in 12 MINUTES.
70th Anniversary GP Silverstone 2020
For the past few seasons I’ve been studying Formula 1 results from a behavioral perspective, to see what we can learn about team dynamics and performance under pressure. Instead of keeping these analyses to myself, I thought I’d share some of it with you!
Perspective Taking
Time for another Formula 1 GP behavioral analysis! This week’s analysis is about this board radio. How would you respond if a colleague talked to you the way Max did? It may be tempting to say you would never accept someone going off on you like that, but remember that context is everything!
Black Lives Matter Needs White People
The Black Lives Matter movement has sparked a revolution that has gone global. Unfortunately, the sobering reality is that only the white population can make BLM succeed in its mission. Not a popular opinion, but let me explain
#BlackLivesMatter
I have never been particularly vocal about politics on this platform. Which is strange, because in my daily life, I am. I have a very strong opinion about the current president of the United States. I have a very strong opinion about the blatant disregard for human rights that has been rampant in the US for years. Whenever I could choose the topic myself, my high school and college essays were about the civil rights movement, racism, or slavery. And yet, for the past few years, I have been silent on this platform. It is partially because I felt like on LinkedIn, I have to show my ‘professional’ side, and I’m representing the organization that I work for. I felt like I had to tread lightly, because I did not want my personal opinions to be confused with my employer’s opinions. I did not want to alienate people; I did not want to polarize. But it has now come to a point where that doesn’t feel right. I’m not a celebrity, and I’m not a public figure, so my voice may not hold as much power as theirs. But I am a biracial woman. I am someone who grew up in one of the first ‘multicultural families’ in the neighborhood. I am someone who had to learn to stand up for herself against kids who felt superior because of their skin color. I am someone who has had cops called on her when she was 7, because the neighbor felt I was ‘looking at him menacingly’. And the cops came. I am someone who’s black father had to be especially deferential to those cops, to defuse the situation.