What Formula 1 can teach business owners about performing under pressure, with Kim Keedle
In this episode of The Bottom Line, we sit down with Kim Keedle, former Formula One high-performance coach and physiotherapist, who has worked closely with elite drivers including Romain Grosjean and Oscar Piastri.
Kim’s role in Formula One went far beyond physical training. As part of a driver’s inner team, he was responsible for helping them prepare physically, mentally, and emotionally so they could perform at their best when they got into the car.
The conversation explores what it takes to support athletes at the highest level of motorsport and how the principles of elite performance can be applied far beyond the racetrack, particularly for business owners, leaders, and teams looking to perform under pressure.
Performance Is Not Just Physical
In Formula One, every small detail matters.
A fraction of a second can change the result of a race, which means drivers need to be prepared in every possible way before they get into the car.
While physical preparation is important, Kim explains that elite performance is not just about fitness. The best drivers are also mentally strong, highly resilient, and able to stay composed when the pressure is at its highest.
In an environment where mistakes are costly and expectations are intense, the ability to remain calm, focused, and consistent becomes just as important as physical ability.
What It Takes to Support an Elite Driver
Kim’s work involved supporting drivers with everything outside the car so they could perform inside it.
This included:
Physical preparation
Mental preparation
Nutrition
Recovery
Travel routines
Race weekend readiness
Because Formula One is such an intense and demanding sport, the role of a performance coach requires trust, consistency, and a deep understanding of the individual driver.
Kim shares how working one-on-one with drivers allowed him to understand their habits, routines, pressure points, and needs. Over time, that relationship becomes an important part of helping the driver prepare for each race and manage the demands of the season.
Managing Pressure at the Highest Level
Formula One is one of the most high-pressure sporting environments in the world.
Drivers are competing in front of millions of viewers, representing teams with enormous budgets, and making decisions at incredible speed. A small mistake or a slight loss of focus can have a major impact on the outcome of a race.
Kim explains that the best drivers all have different ways of managing pressure, but they share one key ability: they can stay composed when everything is on the line.
Experience plays a major role. The more often drivers are placed in high-pressure situations, the better they become at managing their response.
For business owners and leaders, the same principle applies. Pressure is unavoidable, but performance often comes down to how well people can stay focused, make clear decisions, and recover after setbacks.
Lessons Business Owners Can Take from Formula One
One of the strongest themes in the episode is the connection between elite sport and business.
Kim explains that high-performing teams need more than talent. They need shared goals, clear communication, and genuine buy-in from the people involved.
In Formula One, every person has a role to play, and performance depends on everyone working toward the same outcome.
The same is true in business.
For a team to perform well, people need to understand what they are working toward and why it matters. Not everyone will be motivated by the same things, and not everyone is trying to be in the top one per cent. The challenge for leaders is to create an environment where people can connect to a shared goal and improve consistently over time.
The Importance of Buy-In
According to Kim, one of the most powerful things a team can have is a common goal that people can genuinely buy into.
Buy-in does not happen once and then take care of itself. It needs to be reinforced and revisited throughout the year.
For business owners, this means leadership is not just about setting targets. It is about helping people understand the bigger picture, creating alignment, and building an environment where the team wants to contribute.
When people understand the goal and feel connected to it, performance becomes easier to sustain.
Recovery, Sleep, and Switching Off
The Formula One calendar is relentless.
With races across multiple continents, constant travel, jet lag, media commitments, and long seasons, recovery becomes essential.
Kim discusses how important sleep, downtime, and recovery are for drivers who need to perform consistently across the year. It is not enough to be switched on all the time. In fact, being able to switch off is one of the things that allows people to maintain their energy and performance.
This is an important lesson for business owners and professionals as well.
High performance is not just about working harder. It is also about knowing when to rest, recover, and step away so that you can return with focus and energy.
Life Behind the Scenes in Formula One
Kim also shares stories from his time working with Oscar Piastri and gives insight into what life can be like behind the scenes for elite drivers.
While many people see the glamour of Formula One, Kim explains that fame and the demands of the sport can also make everyday life more difficult.
For drivers, simple things like going out for dinner, walking through a city, or doing ordinary errands can change once they become more recognisable.
These behind-the-scenes stories show a more human side of elite sport. Even people performing at the very highest level still need support, guidance, and space to be themselves away from the public eye.
Moving from Formula One to Entrepreneurship
After years of travelling with Formula One, Kim made the decision to return to Melbourne and take on a new challenge.
That next chapter led him into entrepreneurship and his work with Pocket Mentor AI.
The transition from Formula One to a start-up environment has been a major learning curve. Kim discusses the difference between working in a highly resourced elite sport environment and building a technology product where time, money, and resources are much tighter.
Despite the challenges, he shares how exciting the journey has been and how many of the lessons from high-performance sport continue to shape the way he approaches business.
Bringing High-Performance Coaching to More People
Pocket Mentor AI is designed to make high-performance coaching frameworks more accessible.
The idea is to create a personalised AI mentor that people can use to reflect, work through challenges, and receive guidance grounded in values and performance principles.
Kim explains that the goal is not to replace human support or professional mental health care. Instead, Pocket Mentor AI sits in the mental wellness space, giving people a tool they can use when they want to debrief, reflect, or work through everyday challenges.
For example, someone might use it after a busy day at work to clear their mind before going home, or to talk through a goal, habit, or decision they are trying to improve.
The Human Side of Performance
A recurring theme throughout the episode is that performance is deeply human.
Whether it is an F1 driver preparing for a race, a business owner leading a team, or an individual trying to improve their daily habits, performance is influenced by mindset, recovery, pressure, support, and environment.
Kim’s experience shows that even the most talented people still need guidance, structure, and the right people around them.
Success does not come from one single factor. It comes from consistent preparation, strong habits, clear goals, resilience, and the ability to keep improving over time.
Looking Ahead
Kim Keedle’s journey from Formula One to entrepreneurship offers a unique perspective on what it really means to perform at a high level.
His experience working with elite drivers shows that performance is not just about physical ability. It is about preparation, mindset, recovery, trust, and the systems that support people behind the scenes.
For business owners, leaders, and professionals, the lessons from Formula One are highly relevant. High performance requires clarity, buy-in, resilience, and the ability to manage pressure without burning out.
Listen to the full episode of The Bottom Line with Kim Keedle to learn what Formula One can teach us about pressure, performance, leadership, recovery, and building the right environment for people to succeed.