What I Learned From A Spin Around The Abu Dhabi F1 Track With Max Verstappen

It was a privilege to be at another thrilling, high-octane close to the Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi on Sunday night.

 Lewis Hamilton won his fifth World Championship. Vettel took second, ahead of Max Verstappen in third.

 On Friday, 21-year old Verstappen posted the fastest time in the first practice for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

 The Red Bull driver was about a half second quicker than teammate Daniel Ricciardo, with Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas in third ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton.

 And just a day before, I was honoured that the likely future World Champ took me for a drive around Yas Marina Circuit – what an experience!

 Watch my fear here in the video. Listen out for Max’s quip: “It’s quite fast this car on the straight!” Yeah! Maybe just a bit, Max!

 I’ve been a huge F1 fan for many years - but being taken out around the Grand Prix track by one of the fastest guys in the world reinforced some of the main reasons I find it such a fascinating sport. It illustrates some key tips on success.

 First is the dedication. No-one gets to be at the top of their game (at only 21 too in Max’s case!) without huge commitment to achieving their goals. It’s all about continual, consistent practice, discipline and execution. You need to be tireless in pursuit of getting where you want to be. The dedication needs to turn into an obsession.

 Second, is the focus. To be a champion you need laser-like focus, absolute concentration, and 100% attention on what you’re doing. Trust me, there wasn’t one moment as we were racing around the Yas Marina Circuit at 300km/h when we were thinking ‘what am I having for dinner this evening?’ It’s all about focus on the job in hand and doing it as best you possibly can.

 Third, the sheer courage. It takes guts to do what the likes of Max do – it’s risky and it’s challenging both mentally, physically and emotionally, but the rewards are off the scale! The first step to any real achievement is to find the courage to take a risk and go all out to reach your goals.

 Three BIG lessons for us all, neatly showcased by Max Verstappen and F1.