Resilience is Key

George Russell. After working tirelessly for almost two years with Williams Racing, he was finally en route to points this weekend at the Imola GP. And then... He crashed. By himself. Behind the safety car. He was clearly devastated, as were most Formula 1 fans watching, since pretty much everyone is rooting for him and Williams to fight their way back to the top. But research shows that, for people who operate from a growth mindset, being more upset after making a mistake actually leads to a superior performance the next time around. It has to do with the way the brain processes mistakes. Instead of focusing solely on the negative emotion associated with the mistake, the brain quickly shifts its focus towards feedback about how to improve.

The next few races will be a true test of George’s character and mindset. I firmly believe though that he will come back stronger than ever. He has done an amazing job in the feeder series, and has outqualified every teammate he’s had in every GP in which he’s participated. Resilience is key in F1.

If the past is anything to go by, we needn’t worry about George. He will be fighting for pole before long!