Critical Management Lessons from the Bahrain Grand Prix 2020

How much can one Formula 1 race teach the business world?

A lot!

Let us understand the events that happened before and during the race and the lessons those teach.

1. Talent management / leveraging opportunities: World Champion Lewis Hamilton tested positive for COVID before the race and that gave the constructor (Mercedes) an opportunity to replace him with a some other driver for the race. The choice they made here teaches us an important lesson. The choice they made was George Russell - a 22 year old Williams driver who is being looked-at as a potential replacement for Valtteri Bottas very soon. They made him compete with Bottas, it became a bigger test for Bottas than for the rookie as he (Russell) actually had everything to win and nothing to lose. Russell ended up topping practice and started second during the race. He then overtook Bottas and led for most part of the race.

Giving fresh talent and ideas a chance is a good calculated risk which may also lead to improved performance by the incumbents. Natural events such as COVID can be taken as distress, or as an opportunity to do something better. Mercedes did the latter, and supremely succeeded in their endeavor.

Lesson: leverage opportunities in times of distress and give chance to fresh talent, they may turn the tide.

2. Team work and agility, zero complacency: Even with Lewis Hamilton not being there during qualifying, Mercedes topped the qualifying session with P1 and P2. But they didn't get a podium during the race. Did they get complacent here?

With Lewis Hamilton out and rookie Russell along with experience Bottas on the track, Mercedes looked well-placed to win with P1 and P2 looking do-able. But the pit crew made mistakes that costed them valuable time and ended up losing both those slots towards the end. Another car went off track and the race got neutralized (with safety car deployment) giving everyone a clean slate to restart their chase.

Lesson: If the Industry shakes up, the leader must shift gears faster to retain leadership than being complacent about its position.

3. Determination to stay in the competition: The driver who won the race, Sergio Perez, was running at the 18th place (out of 20 drivers) after the first lap. He won, from 18th to 1st.

Never will anyone imagine a non-Mercedes and non-Ferrari car to win from position 18 at the start of the race. Perez kept his calm and did what he knew the best - drive! He waited for opportunities and took them when offered to him.

Lesson: Every opportunity matters, no matter how small or big. Businesses need to remain on top of the game even when they are losing out on leadership position, there is no other way or Plan B here.

Lot more happened but these are the 3 "top of my mind" points. This sport is phenomenal and gives us a lot of business management lessons.

Feel free to write at vicky (dot) bahl (at) gmail.com with your comments.

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