Bernie Collins on Handling Bad Days in Formula 1: Learning From Every Race

Reflecting on those difficult moments, Collins explained, "The bad days are, you know, generally when you have a race that's gone poorly or bad decisions have been made, or even sometimes a decision that was good, that's not worked out because a safety car happened one lap later." 

She emphasised that the most challenging part was the immediate aftermath of a disappointing race, especially when it came to facing the team. "I always find getting off the pit wall and walking through the garage difficult because there's like 40 people who've worked really hard to get that car on track, and then, just at the final hurdle, it's not quite performed as it could have or should have."

For Collins, the initial post-race debrief was emotionally charged, but by Monday or Tuesday, her approach became more analytical. "You might still be upset about the race, but you're trying to do it as neutrally as you can," she explained. 

Her focus was on improvement and learning from mistakes. "You don't want to make a mistake every week, so it is trying to learn from those mistakes that make you a stronger strategist or a stronger team, whatever the case may be."