A Hidden Secret: How F1 Champions Cope with Pressure
I am lucky enough to know the performance coach (who’s also a neuroscientist, an engineer and a mathematician) to a number of F1 World Champions.
He told me a story about a young driver who had consistently won a number of championships but whose contract was canceled the year after. He also wrote the story in his book Winner’s Bible.
He won easily at lower-level competitions but failed at the top level
Part of the reason the young driver had such a bad year and had his contract canceled was because of his inability to cope with the increased pressure as he moved up the ranks of competition. He won easily at the lower levels like Formula 3, but as he moved towards the pinnacle of professional motorsport, the pressure on him increased exponentially and the consequences of failure become much more serious. A loss at the lower levels went unnoticed or was excused by inexperience, but at the top level, each mistake could easily spell the end of his professional career.
If the young driver came into the pits for refueling or renewing tyres and one of the mechanics made even the slightest mistake, he’d get very angry and fly into an uncontrollable rage. This anger stayed with him as he left the pits and caused him to over-drive his car and…
