The Underrated Key to Success - Grace Cunningham

Here at JackLeslieF1, a BlogSwap has not happened in a while. To define the term "BlogSwap", it is where 2 bloggers or writers swap articles and post them on each others websites. I have done this many times before and believe it is a great way to showcase your work and build up contacts and friends with similar ambitions.

So this BlogSwap sees Me and F1 fanatic Grace Cunningham write an article for each others sites. She has chosen the topic of success in Formula 1. Grace aspires to work in PR or Media within Motorsport and has a deep knowledge and passion for F1. She runs the FanFormula project which produces videos with opinions from the fans, including footage and text answers.

Here is Grace's article, The Underrated Key to Success.




Lotus, Ferrari, Brabham, Williams, McLaren, Red Bull Racing, Renault, Minardi, Tyrell… The list goes on and on. Some are multiple world champions, some have never won a race and some failed to make the end of a season however they all had/have one thing in common- the desire to be the best. 



As Formula One has developed teams have faced more pressures in the form of marketing, sponsorships and partnerships to secure their future and with each team needing to be unique the importance of a ‘brand’ and its ethos is crucial to a team’s success. To explain this lets’ look at three of the top teams in today’s Formula One; Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull Racing.

Ferrari; the only team to have remained in Formula One since its creation in 1950, the team of Italia and also the team most famous for its passionate fans known as the ‘Tifosi’.  The team set out with a mission to win and that winning is most important above everything else and this is an ethos that has been carried out throughout their entire racing career.

McLaren; the second oldest team on the Formula One grid and with 8 constructors and 12 drivers titles to their names they have plenty of history to their story but they are also known for being one of the first teams in Formula One to really hone in and focus on the corporate side of the sport.

Red Bull Racing; the most recent back to back world champions who currently have one of the best designers in the history of F1; Adrian Newey and have also acquired the reputation of bringing the fun back into F1.

All three teams have experienced racing success, struggles and controversy but throughout their history all three have stayed truthful to their ethos and key branding factors. The ‘brand’ that is created by a Formula One team at its beginning is crucial to creating a feel for the team to attract staff, drivers and fans whilst also ensuring stability throughout the sport. Each team has its target audience for example Ferrari appeals to those who love the history and passion, McLaren appeals to those who admire perfection, a streamlined process and a thoughtful team and Red Bull appeals predominantly to the youth of F1 and to those who appreciate a balance of humour and dedication to the sport.

Each marketing strategy is highly influential in its appeal to sponsors and partners with the ethos of the team being reflected in the partnership for example the elite brand of Hugo Boss and McLaren shows the corporate ‘elite’ level that McLaren is based on. Without an effective branding of the team its success and progression is limited and only time will tell whether teams further down the table at the back of the grid have established themselves well enough to have a future within the sport.  


Branding, Marketing and PR are often known as the underrated factors of a teams’ success but I hope through this short blog that I have highlighted its true importance and how unless you really look for it you may not even notice it when in fact it is what attracts you to a team without your recognition and is crucial for their success.

Thanks for the great article Grace.

Read Grace's work at her blog: http://gracef1fanatic.blogspot.co.uk/ 
The FanFormula: http://fanformula.weebly.com/ 
Grace's Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/GraceF1Fanatic