Formula 1 has become one of the most competitive and relevant sports in recent years, the presence of Sergio “Checo” Pérez as a Red Bull driver has made the Mexican one of the protagonists of motor sport, but the pressure of get results and egos within the team they have become a constant challenge for team principal Christian Horner.
Keeping the world champion driver (Max Verstappen) and Checo in sync so that they work as a team and achieve the results that the team requires is a complex task for those who are in charge of the organization; however, Horner has shown that he knows how to control your team in moments of maximum pressureexamples that you can take for your company.
At the 2022 Brazilian GP, Max was already world champion, so the result of the race was irrelevant to him, but Checo was fighting with Charles Leclerc for second place in the drivers’ championship.
In the last laps of the race, the man from Guadalajara was in seventh place and Verstappen in sixth, so the Mexican asked him to give up the position so that he could advance one place and score more points. The team agreed with the situation and by radio they asked the Dutchman to give up his position, to which he replied: “I already told you that you cannot ask me for something like that, am I being clear? I have my reasons and I will stand by them” completely ignoring the team’s orders.
No one is above the organization
This generated a great controversy that Christian Horner had to control and despite the fact that Max is considered the best driver of the time and has already won a two-time championship for Red Bull, he received a reprimand in which it was made clear that no one is above him. the organization.
“No (Max is not above the team), we work as a teamWe run as a team. Our objective and our priority is to see if we can get Checo to finish with a runner-up position”, said the manager in an interview with Sky Sports.
It is important to make it clear to employees that they are valued for their contribution to the company, but that this does not put them above their peers or the organization. As a leader it is important manage and know how to give merit who deserves it without this reflecting favoritism or contempt for the rest of the team.
Allowing excess competition within the organization can lead to envy or rivalry that can damage the environment at different levels of the company. According to various specialists, it is important that leaders make it clear what the company’s values are and that actions that affect the harmony of the team will not be allowed.
Discretion to resolve misunderstandings
Checo didn’t take it very well that Max didn’t support at a key moment and as soon as he got out of the car with all the adrenaline of the moment, he declared: “I don’t know what happened, after what I’ve done for him. If he has two championships, it’s thanks to me.”
Situation that increased the tension in the team and the first thing Horner did was meet with his pilots alone to fix the misunderstanding. “I’m not going to say what we discussed behind closed doors. The drivers have discussed it, they have shaken hands and we are totally focused on the next race.”
After the events, both pilots publicly apologized for the situation and clarified that they would work as a team. It may not be the calmest talk, but as a leader it is important that these situations are Clarify in private with the people involved and speculations are not generated around the organization.
According to information from Hubspot, there are several ways in which a labor conflict can be resolved and in this case two very important ones were applied:
- Negotiation: The purpose is for employees involved in a labor conflict to try, peacefully and respectfully, to reach agreements that help end the problem.
- Mediation: It is used when the negotiation between the parties involved is simply not going anywhere. With this, it is sought that the neutral person contributes to creating an environment conducive to understanding and conciliation.
Take responsibility as a leader
Christian Horner admitted that the misunderstanding had been largely their fault as they were not clear with the drivers how they would react should certain race circumstances arise.
“I think the root of the problem was that we had never anticipated being in a situation, being in the last laps in sixth and seventh place in that Grand Prix. I think it was something that, because we had not anticipated it, we had not discussed it before the race, and I think it was a mistake on our part, that we should have thought, or tried to think, in each scenario.
It is important that as a leader you detect the various scenarios that can occur in moments of maximum tension and above all know how to admit what is done, or what is not done when problems arise within the team.
It is better to prevent a conflict than to resort to solutions to fix it. Factorial mentions some points that will allow you to be one step ahead of any misunderstanding that may arise.
- Adequate communication: Collaborators must always have clear and complete indications of the tasks they must perform. Including deadlines and ways to develop them. It is very important that communication is based on respect and education for each other.
- Define company policy: Within the organization, everyone must know at all times, who performs the leadership or what is the organization chart of the company. In addition, the objectives and responsibilities required of them must be clear, as well as knowing what the communication channels are.
This case of Caso Checo Pérez and Red Bull is a clear example that it is better to prevent a conflict than to resort to solutions to fix it.
