The High Performance Podcast

Episode 396: Ollie Bearman – The 10 Minute Change That Saved My F1 Career

Release Date: March 1, 2026
Guests: Ollie Bearman (F1 Driver)
Hosts: Jake Humphrey & Damian Hughes

Episode Overview

This episode features British F1 driver Ollie Bearman reflecting on his turbulent rookie season in Formula 1. With openness and honesty, Bearman discusses the challenges he faced adjusting to the top tier of motorsport, the moment he feared for his future in F1, and how a simple 10-minute pre-session routine restructured his approach and revived his performance.

Hosts Jake and Damian guide a wide-ranging conversation covering the psychological pressures of elite racing, loneliness, handling mistakes, and the vital value of perspective, gratitude, and support networks. This episode is packed with candid insights into racing, resilience, and personal growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rookie Year: Struggles and Turning Points

Timestamps: 02:02–06:54

• First Half Troubles: Bearman recounts a streak of just missing out on points (multiple 11th places), compounded by penalties and mistakes stemming from pushing too hard in a tricky car.
  • "I went on a run of like, four or five 11th places in a row...at some point I was just saying, like, what do I need to do?" – Ollie (04:09)
• Uncertainty & Learning: He emphasizes how he and his first-year team (manager, physio, mental coach) navigated their rookie status together.
• Summer Break Reset: During the break, his team openly evaluated what wasn’t working, challenging one another to improve roles and expectations.

2. The 10-Minute Change That Made All The Difference

Timestamps: 07:08–10:23

• Core Realization: Bearman realized he wasn’t mentally preparing before sessions, focusing only on car setup and strategy.
  • "I would get in the car and be like, wait a second. I haven't thought for one second about my personal objectives...I would get in and just almost be freestyling it." – Ollie (08:13)
• Implementation: They began taking 10 minutes before each session for Ollie (and team) to mentally align, set clear goals, and quickly discuss track-specific strategies.
  • "Just 10 minutes was all you needed, literally 10 minutes, even less." – Ollie (09:10)
• Immediate Impact: This small change sharpened his focus, reduced errors, and led to consistent performance growth in the second half of the season.

3. Mindset Shifts: From Survival to Growth

Timestamps: 10:23–12:04

• Old Habits, New Demands: Bearman discusses how F1’s practice structure required a different mindset from the flat-out approach drilled in junior series.
  • "You get to F1, and suddenly you've got Friday...just free practice...it took me a good few races to make that shift..." – Ollie (09:56)
• Patience & Process: Recognizing the importance of using practice for car development rather than pure speed helped him adapt.

4. Emotional Challenges and Loneliness

Timestamps: 13:23–18:36

• Personal Struggles: Unique pressures of F1 include globe-trotting isolation, language barriers, and extended time away from home.
  • "You're traveling to further places...the travel to be really challenging...traveling alone all the time." – Ollie (13:38)
• Coping with Down Time: Early in the year, Bearman would bottle up emotions and feel adrift between races; learning to appreciate downtime and practicing gratitude reshaped his off-track wellbeing.
  • "I was not overwhelmed, but struggling a bit...I think perspective is important as well." – Ollie (16:15)

5. Handling Setbacks: Silverstone & Budapest

Timestamps: 23:39–26:44, 33:45–38:04

• Silverstone Mistake: Bearman recounts a major error at his home GP (crashing under red flag/pit entry), calling it the "number one worst point."
  • "It was totally my fault. It was totally unnecessary...I was trying to gain every little tenth...just scaling back those things because it's unnecessary risk for very small reward." – Ollie (25:44)
• Debrief & Moving Forward: He and teammate Esteban Ocon cleared the air after their collision, guided by leadership focusing on honest dialogue rather than blame.
  • "You have to put your pride and ego to the side and clear the air...by coming clean and making it clear that you accept wrongdoing, they do the same as well." – Ollie (32:20)
• Budapest Blues: After a string of disappointments, Bearman’s low point was leaving Budapest, feeling on the brink of losing his F1 seat. A “tough conversation” with himself and mental coach proved pivotal.
  • "You'll be packing your bags if you continue driving like this...I really need to tie my shoes up and get this together, you know. And that tough conversation really woke me up..." – Ollie (37:08)

6. The Power of Perspective, Gratitude, and Enjoying the Moment

Timestamps: 38:11–41:34

• Advice From Alonso: A video message from Fernando Alonso reminds Ollie (and listeners) to savor the journey, not just the next result.
  • "What I regret for sure was not to enjoy more my time, my career...you're always looking at the next goal." – Alonso (38:11)
• Savoring Success: Later-season highlights—like fighting Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in Mexico—brought genuine joy and a firsthand sense of fulfillment.
  • "I had goosebumps driving around. I was like, how cool is this? This guy is the best F1 driver ever. And he's chasing me down. You know, he's putting me under so much pressure. And I was like, this is what I'm living for. This is my life." – Ollie (41:12)

7. Goals, Team Dynamics, and Working Relationships

Timestamps: 41:53–54:33

• Learning from Teammates: The importance of open, honest relationships and feedback in the F1 environment, including handling “clear-the-air” meetings and team mistakes.
• Mentorship: Bearman discusses who he’d like to learn from on the grid (Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz) and the importance of experienced drivers mentoring rookies.
  • "It's nice that they take the role of, you know, 'If you ask for help, I'm going to give it to you because I’ve been in that scenario and I know how it was.'" – Ollie (20:43)
• Role in Car Development (2026): Excitement at helping design and debut a new car at Haas; pride in being “at the forefront of the project.”

8. Advice, Non-Negotiables, and High Performance

Timestamps: 56:07–58:53

• Three Non-Negotiables for F1:
  1. Alignment ("Everyone needs to be clear on what their target is, otherwise things get missed.")
  2. Discipline
  3. Maturity (“I learned how to become a driver where you're leading the team...maturity is an important word.”)
• Best Advice Received:
  • "Appreciate those moments...I've learned to appreciate those moments, appreciate the quiet, appreciate the silence, appreciate the time alone more. And I feel so much happier in myself..." – Ollie (57:14)
• Advice for High Performance Seekers:
  • "That feeling, those goosebumps, those butterflies...that's a privilege. How lucky are you to be in a scenario where you're under pressure like that?...With pressure comes opportunity, and for me, that's a really critical point." – Ollie (57:58)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mental Preparation:
  "If the driver is not in a position to drive the car perfectly, then all of [the setup work] is a waste of time...so let's spend 10 minutes and everyone align ourselves prior to driving the car." (08:13)

• On Perspective:
  "If I told 10 year old me what I'm doing now, I think he'd be pretty happy." (02:02, revisited at 16:15)

• On Adversity:
  "F1 is cutthroat...if you don't see improvement, you get rid." (37:08)

• On Growth:
  "Ten years in there in 12 months. That's exactly." – Ollie, on his rapid maturation (33:38)

• On Enjoyment:
  "I try my very best to savor every single lap because I certainly don't take it for granted. This is exactly what 10 year old me was dreaming about." (39:40)

• On Pressure:
  "With pressure comes opportunity...that's a really critical point." (57:58)

Structural Flow & Useful References (Selected Timestamps)

• Rookie review & first-half struggles: 02:02–06:54
• The 10-minute mental change: 07:08–10:23
• Silverstone/Budapest mistakes & summer reset: 23:39–26:44, 33:45–38:04
• Advice and savoring the journey: 38:11–41:34
• Racing against F1 heroes: 40:14–43:11
• Team leadership and mentorship: 41:53–54:33
• Outlook for 2026 & non-negotiables: 54:33–58:53

Conclusion

This episode with Ollie Bearman is a masterclass in self-awareness, adaptive thinking, and the subtle changes that separate surviving from thriving at the highest level of sport. Listeners will gain rare insider perspective on F1’s mental cauldron and walk away with strategies relevant to any high-pressure pursuit: set structure, practice gratitude, address emotions, seek honest feedback, and celebrate where you are—however imperfect.

Summary by The High Performance Podcast Summarizer – for more insights, check out the full episode or the High Performance app.