IS VICTORY THE ULTIMATE GOAL? GIOVANNI MINARDI’S COLUMN
In motorsport, often winning is the only thing that matters, especially when you need to get noticed and stand out from the crowd. However, in the driver’s development phase, there are aspects more important than finishing first.
You race to win, that is clear. However, there is a stage in the driver’s growth where results must be evaluated in a broader context. However, there is a phase in a driver’s development where results must be evaluated in a broader context: we discussed this with Giovanni Minardi, who experiences the motorsport pipeline from within.
What percentage importance does winning, or rather the frequency of wins and podiums, have in the overall assessment of a young driver?
“From Minardi Management’s perspective, winning is certainly a fundamental goal, but it cannot and should not be the only evaluation parameter. In a young driver’s growth path, a victory represents a signal, an indicator that confirms the value of the technical, mental, and strategic work correctly done. But it is only part of the equation. What really matters to us is consistency of performance, the ability to improve race after race, and to handle difficulties with maturity. A single win can come from a series of favorable circumstances; instead, the ability to always be competitive, adapt to conditions, and react to unforeseen events defines a driver’s real value from a professional perspective. In percentage terms, we could say winning weighs about 30-40% in the overall evaluation: it is important because it demonstrates speed and the ability to finish, but the remaining 60-70% consists of all the other elements that make a complete driver — attitude, technical feedback, discipline, race vision, teamwork ability, and emotional management. In summary, winning is necessary to understand potential, but it is not mandatory for growing properly. The job of a structure like ours is precisely to help drivers interpret results in the right context, turning them into growth tools and not pressures in themselves.”
How can emotional balance be maintained after a win or a loss? How do coaches, managers, and families influence the perception of results in young drivers? What is the fine line between ambition and pressure? How important is it to accept an “unfair” or unlucky result as part of the growth process?
“Mantenere l’equilibrio emotivo — sia dopo una vittoria che dopo una sconfitta — è una delle sfide più delicate nella formazione di un giovane pilota. This balance arises from awareness of the process more than any single result.
After a win, it is important to enjoy the moment but also remain clear-headed: victory must not become an endpoint but a confirmation that one is working in the right direction. After a loss, instead, one must objectively analyze what went wrong, without turning disappointment into frustration. The goal is to maintain a steady emotional line based on trust and self-control. Here, coaches, managers, and families play a decisive role. They must be a stable reference point, able to give the right interpretation of results: neither overhyping successes nor dramatizing difficulties. The young driver must feel that growth does not depend on one podium, but on a long-term project built together. The fine line between ambition and pressure lies precisely here: ambition is the positive drive to improve, while pressure arises when the result becomes an obligation. A balanced environment helps the driver transform ambition into motivation, not fear of making mistakes. Finally, knowing how to accept an ‘unfair’ or unlucky result is a fundamental lesson. Motorsport is a sport where many variables don’t depend on the driver — and learning to accept this is part of maturation. Races lost due to contact or technical failure often teach more than those won: they teach resilience, emotional management, and the ability to look forward. In summary, for Minardi Management the job is to support drivers in turning every result, positive or negative, into useful experience. In the end, true success is building a winning mindset, not just winning a race.”
The environment surrounding the driver plays a primary role in managing results and the unpredictable variables of motorsport, to build a winning ‘mindset’ over time
How difficult is it, after all, to win a race in today’s motorsport in any category?
“Winning today in motorsport, in any category, is extremely difficult — and this is one of the first things every young driver must realize. The complexity of modern victories stems from a combination of factors: ever-increasing technical levels, early professionalization of drivers, international competition, and the minimal margin for error. Even in junior categories, professional methods are used: data, simulations, physical and mental preparation, race strategies. All the drivers are prepared, fast, and ambitious — which makes the difference between first and tenth really minimal. Moreover, motorsport is a sport where the result depends on many factors beyond the driver’s control: technical material, setup, weather conditions, race dynamics, even a fortuitous contact can change everything in an instant. For this reason, winning a race is always a team effort: behind every success are team work, strategic choices, mental management by the driver, and support from those around him. It is important that young drivers understand victory is never guaranteed, and true talent is not winning all the time, but consistently being in a position to win. Continuity, competitiveness in all conditions, and maturity in handling difficult moments are what make the difference in the long term. In short: winning is difficult in today’s motorsport, but growing to be able to win is what really matters — and this is what a structure like ours focuses on.”
What tools can a driver use to turn a mistake or defeat into a learning opportunity? How is a race weekend analyzed not only by time but for personal and professional growth? What important decisions (technical, mental, or career) can arise from difficult moments?
“Mistakes and defeats represent the most fertile ground for a driver’s growth. Every race weekend, even the toughest, holds valuable information — if they know how to interpret it correctly.
The first tool is objective analysis: separating emotion from data. Right after the race, it is normal to feel disappointed or angry, but only with a clear mind can one truly understand what happened. The driver must learn to review the race calmly, comparing data, onboard footage, and personal feelings with the team. This reveals details — a braking point, a setup choice, wrong pressure management — that make the difference between repeating an error and learning from it.
Then there is the mental aspect. A negative weekend is a test of resilience and reaction capability. The driver must turn disappointment into motivation: asking “what can I do better next time?” instead of “why did it go wrong?”. It is a change of perspective that distinguishes those who suffer from errors from those who use them to grow. From a personal and professional growth point of view, every race is also a behavior laboratory: how communication with the team is handled, how tension is managed, how criticism is embraced. We encourage our drivers to see every weekend as a 360-degree experience, not just a time result. Maturity is built even when nothing goes as planned.
Finally, important decisions often arise from difficult moments: a technical approach change, a team choice, a reflection on mental or physical preparation. Sometimes an error reveals a gap to fill or a new direction to take. This is a huge value. In summary, the goal is not to avoid errors — because in motorsport they are inevitable — but to learn to turn them into concrete growth opportunities. It is from here that the solidity and awareness needed to go far are built.”
Winning and remaining competitive in the elite categories is the result of a long journey, during which the driver has learned to manage the inevitable alternation of difficult moments and successes
Is winning everything? — Is victory a goal or a consequence of good work?
“Winning is not everything, but it is the consequence of good work. Victory comes when preparation, mindset, and team work work in harmony — not when you race with the obsession to win at all costs. The goal is to grow constantly and create the conditions to be able to win. Victory then becomes the natural result of a solid and coherent path.”
How important is the journey compared to the final result? What distinguishes truly growing drivers from those chasing only immediate victory? How can balance in result management build a more solid and lasting career in motorsport?
“The journey counts as much as — and often more than — the final result. It is through the journey that a driver builds the technical, mental, and relational foundations that will allow lasting wins. Those who truly grow do not seek shortcuts: they analyze, learn, and improve after every race, even when they do not reach the podium. Those chasing only immediate victory risk burning out because they measure their worth only by the weekend’s result. Balance in result management is what makes a career sustainable: it helps the driver stay clear-headed, not fall apart in difficult moments, and not get overexcited after successes. This way, you build not only a winner but a professional capable of staying competitive for a long time.”