Maybe the biggest project I have done as part of my schooling. 3 months working for the International Automobile Federation, in a group of 4, on a large problematic. Not the easiest one either. The FIA is the International Automobile Federation. They came to us with one very large question: How can the FIA use its global network and Sport for Development approach to accelerate social, environmental, and technological progress worldwide?
For us, this broad question was reflecting an issue hard to solve for the FIA. As they are seen as the motorsport regulator, it’s really hard for them to be in the spotlight and to take advantage of Formula 1, which has been best in class in storytelling for the past few years now. According to my group and me, this problem was highlighting a deeper one. A problem for the FIA to create strong storytelling, value, and links with people, and particularly with youth. Our secondary challenge was to find problems that youth have today that can be solved by the FIA.
We considered fear of failure as a great subject linking youth concerns and motorsport. A fear really present in sport in general, but even more so for drivers, as it involves a lot of resources to build a career (money, sponsors, family…). We managed to gather strong data on it thanks to studies including hundreds of thousands of answers in more than 80 countries (OECD), and also by building our own survey and having hundreds of answers worldwide. Our conclusion: Fear of failure is present worldwide, with different levers (fear of others’ opinions, fear of consequences, fear of not being up to the task). But it’s definitely a big concern for youth today.
We finally designed the “Track your fears” program. A season-based program launched in 3 countries as a pilot, where the FIA uses sport to help young people face fear of failure through challenges. The goal is to transform the way young people experience pressure and failure through sport. Instead of avoiding failure, the program invites them to face it in a safe, progressive, and collective environment, inspired by motorsport culture. The FIA creates a “season,” made up of sports activities, workshops, and challenges, that supports young people over time. The goal is not to win at all costs, but to learn how to deal with pressure, self-doubt, and the fear of not being good enough.
