What I learned from F1 racing

Hey, Reader,

I really didn't find F1 interesting until I was stationed in Las Vegas and put in charge of a reserve unit. There, I had a Marine who loved to race cars - and I started to learn more about the actual world of racing.

And at first, I thought the drivers were the single biggest factor in winning races.

After all, in most sports, the star player determines everything—whether it’s Patrick Mahomes throwing a game-winning pass, LeBron James dominating the court, or Lionel Messi pulling off a last-minute goal.

But the more I learned about racing, the more I realized something surprising…

Drivers aren’t the most important ingredient for winning races.

In fact, when you break it down, the hierarchy of success in Formula 1 looks like this:

🔶 The Car – The engineering, precision, and design matter more than anything else.
🔶 The Race Strategy – The way the team executes pit stops, tire management, and overtakes.
🔶 The Driver – Even the best driver in the world can’t win with a slow car and bad strategy.

That’s why F1 teams invest hundreds of millions of dollars into building the fastest car and executing the best strategy.

A mediocre driver in a well-engineered car with a solid game plan will (almost) always beat a great driver in a bad car with no strategy.

So What’s This Got to Do With Project Management?

Think of your career as an F1 race.

Too many Project Managers believe that pure talent or working harder will lead to success.

But just like in F1, the real formula for success looks like this:

👉🏼 Your Systems & Tools – The methodologies, frameworks, and tools you use to execute projects effectively.
👉🏼 Your Strategy – How you communicate, manage risk, and keep projects aligned with business goals.
👉🏼 Your Personal Execution – Your individual skills, experience, and ability to adapt under pressure.

If you’re relying only on your own effort and not developing better systems and strategies, you’re like an F1 driver trying to win with a slow car and no pit crew.

That’s why investing in sharpening your project management skills is the key to standing out and accelerating your career.

Want to Build Your Winning Strategy?

If you’re ready to upgrade your Project Management “car” and race strategy, I’ve got something for you…

My PMP® Exam Prep Course kicks off next Monday.

🔶 Master the core PMBOK principles​
🔶 Learn proven strategies to pass the PMP exam​
🔶 Gain practical skills you can apply immediately to your career​
🔶 Position yourself for leadership roles and higher salaries

📅 Starts Monday – 17 Jan @ 6p EST

If you or someone you know wants to level up as a Project Manager and earn your PMP® the right way, now’s the time to join.

👉 Sign up here: https://projectsuccessacademy.com/course/pmp-prep-with-russ-parker-february​

See you on the starting grid. 🏁

Russ

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