Why Fleets Need to Think Like F1 Teams

How Optimising Driver Performance Drives Safety, Savings, and Sustainability

Formula One might seem a world away from fleet management with all the roaring engines, champagne podiums, and cutting-edge carbon fibre. But if you look past the glamour, and you’ll find something every fleet operator should care about too: driver safety alongside real-time performance optimisation.

Years ago, the founding team behind Lightfoot (then Ashwoods Automotive) was involved in the McLaren P1 project. Not quite an F1 car, but a super car built with the same ethos: relentless performance refinement, constant feedback, and marginal gains. That mindset now underpins everything Lightfoot stands for today.

So, what can fleets learn from the world’s fastest sport? More than you might think.

Real-Time Feedback Is a Game-Changer

In Formula One, drivers aren’t going it alone. Every corner, throttle input, and gear shift are monitored in real time and not just by the pit crew, but by entire engineering teams back at HQ. It’s this instant feedback loop that allows drivers to adjust how they’re driving on the fly and to prevent small issues from becoming big problems, and ultimately, stay safe whilst adapting to road conditions for optimum efficiency.

Lightfoot applies the same principle to everyday roads. Our in-cab technology acts like a virtual race engineer, giving drivers real-time feedback as they drive by nudging them to accelerate more smoothly, brake less harshly, and stay within the engine’s optimal performance range.

It’s not about policing; it’s about empowering drivers to make safer, smarter choices in the moment.

The Power of Marginal Gains

Formula One teams obsess over the tiniest improvements — a tweak in tyre pressure, a slight aerodynamic adjustment — all in pursuit of shaving off a fraction of a second. Why? Because in F1, every tenth counts. The same principle applies to fleets: even the smallest improvements in driver behaviour can have a huge cumulative impact.

A minor improvement in how one driver accelerates or corners might seem insignificant. But across a fleet of hundreds, repeated every journey, every day, those small changes add up to major results.

Fleets using Lightfoot regularly see:

• Up to 15% reduction in fuel use
• Around 15% lower emissions
• An average 84% drop in on-road incidents

It’s like trimming seconds off every lap, only instead of a podium, the rewards are lower costs, safer roads, and a lighter environmental footprint. In fleet management, marginal gains aren’t marginal for long.

Safety and Wellbeing Come First

In Formula One, whilst performance is critical, protecting the driver always comes first. Despite the speed and intensity of the sport, teams go to extraordinary lengths to ensure drivers are shielded from harm. From crash structures to cockpit design and mental health support, the goal is always the same: finish the race safely.

The same mindset should be non-negotiable for fleets.

Fleet drivers face daily challenges – not least long hours, stressful conditions, and high expectations. Lightfoot helps reduce pressure behind the wheel by promoting safer, steadier driving and eliminating the kind of risky behaviour that leads to incidents. Fleet management isn’t just about protecting assets; it’s about looking after the people who make your operation possible.

Getting drivers home safely at the end of the day should be every fleet’s version of crossing the finish line.

Performance is Driven by Recognition

In Formula One, elite performance doesn’t just help win races, it earns rewards, from championship points (worth millions of dollars) and podium finishes to lucrative sponsorships and personal accolades. Recognition and rewards are baked into the culture, motivating drivers to push for constant improvement.

At Lightfoot, we’ve brought that same principle to fleet management. Drivers using Lightfoot aren’t just improving safety and efficiency, they’re actively competing in a fun, gamified environment where great driving is recognised and rewarded. Through prize draws, performance leagues, and exclusive competitions, drivers are incentivised to perform at their best. It’s about turning everyday driving into something drivers can take pride in and get something back from doing it.

From F1 to fleets, when people are celebrated for doing well, they’re more motivated to keep improving.

Sustainability: The New Performance Benchmark

In today’s Formula One, performance isn’t just about speed – it’s also about sustainability. The sport has embraced hybrid technology, fuel efficiency, and even carbon neutrality targets, showing that cutting-edge performance and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.

The same is true for fleets. Pressure to cut emissions and reduce environmental impact is mounting, whether from customers, regulators, or internal ESG goals. That’s where fleet management solutions like Lightfoot plays a crucial role.

By encouraging smoother driving and reducing fuel consumption, Lightfoot helps fleets lower their CO₂ emissions by around 15%. For electric fleets, this translates into longer EV range (an increase of around 15%) and less energy waste. And for all vehicles, more efficient driving means less wear and tear which contributes to a longer vehicle lifespan and reduced waste.

In both F1 and fleet operations, sustainability is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It’s a core performance metric that needs to be achieved without compromising on operational effectiveness.

Ready to Raise Your Game?

The most successful teams in motorsport (and fleet management) win by refining the details. Lightfoot gives you the tools to do just that: improve driver performance in real time, reduce risk, and unlock the full potential of your fleet.

Join the hundreds of fleets already seeing the results. Talk to us today to see how Lightfoot can help your team drive smarter, safer, and more sustainably.