{"id":31193,"date":"2025-09-16T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/?post_type=article&#038;p=31193"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:10:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:10:37","slug":"when-lewis-hamilton-crashed-on-the-first-day-of-testing-i-responded-by-going-to-lunch","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/when-lewis-hamilton-crashed-on-the-first-day-of-testing-i-responded-by-going-to-lunch\/","title":{"rendered":"When Lewis Hamilton Crashed on the First Day of Testing, I Responded by Going to Lunch"},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- blocks\/hero-editorial -->\n<!-- inc\/hero-editorial -->\n<div class=\"hero es-hero__editorial hero--var-1\" role=\"banner\">\n\t<div class=\"hero__image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-160798903-scaled.jpg);\">\n\n\t\t<div class=\"hero__overlay grad-overlay content-bottom\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero__content\">\n                    \n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero__content__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                            <p class=\"es-label es-label--md\">\n                                16 Sep 2025                            <\/p>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\" class=\"theme-dark hero__back-link back-link es-label es-label--sm\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"icon icon--md icon--arrow-left\"><\/span>Articles<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"hero__title\">When Lewis Hamilton Crashed on the First Day of Testing, I Responded by Going to Lunch<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n        \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <section class=\"es-section theme-light hero__sidebar-wrapper container\">\n        <div class=\"hero__sidebar\">\n                            <div class=\"category-list\">\n                  <div class=\"es-label es-label--sm\">Category<\/div>\n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/category\/leadership-culture-performance\/\" rel=\"tag\">Leadership &amp; Culture<\/a>                <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"share-list\">\n                  <div class=\"es-label es-label--sm\">Share<\/div>\n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/when-lewis-hamilton-crashed-on-the-first-day-of-testing-i-responded-by-going-to-lunch\/\">Facebook<\/a>\n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/when-lewis-hamilton-crashed-on-the-first-day-of-testing-i-responded-by-going-to-lunch\/&#038;text=When Lewis Hamilton Crashed on the First Day of Testing, I Responded by Going to Lunch\">Twitter<\/a>\n                  <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Here's a Leaders In Sport article for you &amp;body=Check out this article: When Lewis Hamilton Crashed on the First Day of Testing, I Responded by Going to Lunch. https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/when-lewis-hamilton-crashed-on-the-first-day-of-testing-i-responded-by-going-to-lunch\/\">Email<\/a>\n                  <a href=\"#copyLink\" id=\"copyButton\" class=\"copy-link-clipboard\">Copy Link<\/a>\n                  <div id=\"textToCopy\" class=\"font-hidden\">https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/when-lewis-hamilton-crashed-on-the-first-day-of-testing-i-responded-by-going-to-lunch\/<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n\n\n<!-- blocks\/section -->\n<section\n  class=\"es-section flexible-section  text-only theme-light\"\n    >\n                <div class=\"container\">\n                                    <div class=\"bg-striped-pattern__inner section-padding-top section-padding-bottom\">\n                <div class=\"es-section__inner col-parent col-parent--stack-sm\">\n                                            <div class=\"es-section__sidebar es-section__sidebar--sticky col col--12 \">\n                                                            <p class=\"es-section__label es-label es-label--md\">The 2008 world champion joined Mercedes in 2013 and would win a further six titles with the team. But, as Peter Hodgkinson tells us, things got off to a rough start. What followed as the team rebuilt the car was a case study in performance under pressure. But it started with a quick spot of lunch.<\/p>\n                            \n                            \n                            \n                                                            <div class=\"es-section__text content-area\">\n                                    <p><p>Main Image: Paul Gilham \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<h6>By Peter Hodgkinson<\/h6>\n<h6>If Sir Lewis Hamilton took a risk when joining us at Mercedes in 2013, then his first proper day of testing at Jerez in southern Spain would have done little to assuage any lingering doubts.<\/h6>\n<p>Lewis\u2019 rear brakes failed on his 16<sup>th<\/sup> lap and he careered into a wall at turn six, which is known as \u2018Dry Sack\u2019 corner. He emerged from the wreckage unhurt but his car\u2019s front wing assembly, front uprights and the floor were all damaged in the accident and we had no spares at the circuit. To compound matters we also needed to supply a fix for that rear brake failure.<\/p>\n<p>As the Head of Build for Mercedes F1, I was one of the first to receive the bad news from the Race Team in my office back at our HQ in Brackley, Northamptonshire. Not long after I put down the phone, Aldo Costa, our Engineering Director, came to find out the status of available spares.<\/p>\n<p>The crash had only just happened so I did not have all the answers. I told Aldo I would get back to him shortly. I said much the same to Rob Thomas, our COO, when he stopped by. It was not long before a stream of people came to my office looking for answers and a plan. It was a big moment and I could feel the pressure building. I told some to stand by and others to go and gather information.<\/p>\n<p>Then I told everyone I was going to lunch.<\/p>\n<p>I could see the shock on their faces. <em>How can you eat at a time like this?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>For my part, I needed to get out of my office. I normally ate lunch at my desk so my trip to the canteen was out of character. People could see that. I sat on my own and ate for 20 minutes but at the same time my mind was going flat out.<\/p>\n<p>When I got back to my office I knew what we needed to do.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\" https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-163658734-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"300\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mercedes teammates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in 2013. Photo: Clive Mason \/ Getty Images<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I called everyone to gather around for a short meeting (no one else had moved). We figured out what we knew and what required answers then came up with a basic plan and assigned responsibilities. The Composite Build team looked after the floor and the front wing along with Compbond and the design team. Sub Assembly had to look after the front uprights that were still in the Machine Shop.<\/p>\n<p>I went looking for what we didn\u2019t know because we couldn\u2019t afford any surprises. The Race Team in Jerez needed sufficient time to rebuild the car. I needed to know both the latest the private jet could depart from the airport in nearby Oxford and if a car floor would even fit through the door of the plane. We also booked extra vans to take parts to Jerez and assigned extra people to support repairs at the circuit.<\/p>\n<p>Once we had timings, we were able to understand what we could achieve in the time available. I\u2019d like to think everyone had clearly defined roles and knew their responsibilities. There were so many details to sort out and any one of those could have prevented the car from running the next day.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of meetings \u2013 there simply wasn\u2019t time \u2013 I walked a thousand miles around the factory gathering and communicating information, asking and answering questions. That communication was dynamic. It was mostly verbal but reinforced with an email when time permitted. I kept Rob and Aldo informed of progress. The late Barry James, who was our Composite Manufacturing Manager, and Darren Burton, our Ops Director, worked with their departments to ensure we got all the support required.<\/p>\n<p>The car ran the next day. It was a true team effort. The damaged parts were returned from Jerez for inspection, repair and service and a fix was sent out for the rear brake issue. It was an amazing recovery from a difficult situation, but that is Formula 1.<\/p>\n<p>So, what did I learn? These moments are important, as the way you react to them is what you will be measured by as a person and a leader. If you think back on your careers, you will have good and bad moments. Some will be short, others will be longer. It will not stay tough forever, it will get better, but nor will it stay under control. Something <em>will<\/em> happen.<\/p>\n<p>It is important to think about your behaviours in good and bad moments.<\/p>\n<p>Firstly, Lewis\u2019 crash hit five pressure drivers:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>High stakes:<\/strong> it was Lewis Hamilton\u2019s first drive in a Mercedes and he crashes<\/li>\n<li><strong>Uncertainty:<\/strong> what spares were we missing and what else could prevent us from running?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Small margins:<\/strong> what if we inadvertently miss a part and the car cannot run tomorrow?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fast change:<\/strong> the car was running and then it wasn\u2019t. That\u2019s a fast change.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Judgement:<\/strong> as Head of Build, I felt I would be judged on how I lead my team in this moment; how did I react as an individual and how did my team behave? This would be a reflection of me and my leadership in the part we played to get the car running again.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>So, why I did I go to lunch?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I want to explain my rationale with reference to Dr Ceri Evans\u2019 Red-Blue model, as set out in his 2020 book <em>Perform Under Pressure<\/em>. I cannot recommend it highly enough for a fuller, clinically-informed account of the principles of performance under pressure and how one can gain emotional control at the times when you need it most.<\/p>\n<p>Ceri proposes a three-step model:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Step Back:<\/strong> recognise your current mental state and feelings<\/li>\n<li><strong>Step Up:<\/strong> reframe and move into a logical mental state<\/li>\n<li><strong>Step In:<\/strong> engage with clarity and confidence. Take v Wait<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Here, I\u2019ll explain how I approached each in turn after Lewis hit that wall.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Step Back<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I needed to go to lunch. I was under pressure and could feel it. I had to get out of my office and away from the noise. I realised that this was a flight response. I also realised I was under both internal and external pressure. My heartrate was up and you are trying to think of numerous things at the same time. Going to lunch allowed me to move from Step Back to Step Up. It gave me a moment to move away from the emotional response and start to come up with a mental plan of what we were going to do next.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Step Up<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You need to understand what is going on and start coming up with a plan for what you need to do and the desired outcome you seek.<\/p>\n<p>In Step up mode, I was moving from Red mind to Blue mind. This requires a further explanation with a little help from Ceri, who describes two interacting mental systems:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Red Brain: <\/strong>this operates in the present and is driven by emotion and feelings. It is associated with fight, fright or freeze responses.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Blue Brain:<\/strong> this is driven by logic, analysis and control, which helps with clarity, planning and decision making.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Neither state is \u2018good\u2019 or \u2018bad\u2019. There must be a balance, as too much Red can make you impulsive, emotional and reactive, while too much Blue can leave you detached and hesitant.<\/p>\n<p>In Step Up mode, I was moving from Red to Blue, from emotions and feelings to logic and planning. I allowed my Blue to dampen the Red. I now had an idea of a plan and what we needed to do and I remember very clearly feeling energised and ready to rock \u2019n\u2019 roll.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Step In<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You have a plan to start tackling the issue, using the clarity of the Blue combined with the energy of the Red system. Trust you skillset, you are the best in the world at what you do.<\/p>\n<p>We talked through the basic plan and off we went to face the challenges in front of us. During the course of that day, well into the evening, I remember going back to Step Back mode as something went wrong but this was quickly followed by Step Up (planning) and Step In (doing). Red\/Blue, Decide and Do.<\/p>\n<p>That day I was in a purple patch, balancing the Red and Blue.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How this impacted my behaviour<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I knew that how I behaved and the language I used would impact the people working on this challenge. The pressure was on and one wrong word could trigger a shift back to a Red brain response, which we simply could not afford.<\/p>\n<p>I also felt trusted by Aldo and Rob, who knew I would play my part to help resolve the issues along with the rest of the team. They didn\u2019t interfere with what we were doing and allowed us to get on with the job. We made sure to regularly check-in with them both, providing updates and seeking their thoughts on something in those moments when we were stuck. It was classic Intent-Based Leadership in action.<\/p>\n<p>This was one of many situations we faced weekly at MGP and no F1 team is any different.<\/p>\n<p>You will be judged on how you respond and react to these moments. It is not about placing blame, it is about movement and making extraordinary things happen using the right mindset and behaviours.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, there will always be lessons from these moments, so make the most of them. They are a great opportunity to improve as individuals, teams and organisations.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\" https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-163853245-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"300\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lewis Hamilton, with Lotus driver Kimi R\u00e4ikk\u00f6nen and Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg on his tail at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix. Photo: Ker Robertson \/ Getty Images<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>Peter Hodgkinson is a leadership and performance specialist skilled in helping high-performers become better at what they do. As an accomplished manager and mechanic, Peter has enjoyed almost three decades of success in elite sporting environments. His work in motorsport, as part of winning teams at Le Mans and Daytona, culminated in seven Formula 1 driver\u2019s world championships won at Brawn and Mercedes, where he led car-building operations. Peter was Mercedes\u2019 Head of Build during Lewis Hamilton\u2019s era-defining run of six world titles. After a spell serving as Mercedes\u2019 Head of Employee Engagement, Peter returned to the Factory Floor as Build Operations Manager for the INEOS Britannia sailing team when Mercedes supported their quest for the 37<sup>th<\/sup> America\u2019s Cup.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>If you would like to speak to Peter, please contact a member of the Leaders Performance Institute team.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            \n                            \n                            \n                                                    <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"col visibly-hidden col--flex-align-right\">\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":31194,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[20],"pathway":[295],"topic":[318,309,298,296],"sport":[311],"class_list":["post-31193","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leadership-culture-performance","pathway-leadership-development","topic-alignment","topic-collaboration","topic-communication","topic-culture","sport-motorsports"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - 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FEBRUARY 06: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP walks away from his car after crashing into the gravel at turn six during Formula One winter testing at Circuito de Jerez on February 6, 2013 in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. 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