Making winning a science
Over a long career in motorsport spanning the last 30 years I found that many of the public speaking events that I attended mostly asked questions related to experiences in motorsport and how they related to business.
As a mechanical engineer who studied at Monash University and went on to roles with GM Holden, McLaren Formula One, and Arrows Grand Prix, I wanted to start my own F1 team — and so I did an MBA at The University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. The idea of a “Motorsport MBA” was born.
Attending The University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School while founding Super Aguri F1
The Motorsport MBA by Mark Preston has been presented to Saïd Business School and Oxford Brookes MBA students, as well as to senior leadership conferences for sponsors and corporates across Europe. As McLaren’s Ron Dennis said:
“When I came into motor racing so many things were a black art. But black art was a cloak for ‘we really don’t know’. It was intuitive engineering. I decided to make it a science. We will develop science to take away uncertainty to make winning a certainty.”
Ron Dennis, McLaren
The Motorsport MBA — making winning a science — takes lessons from McLaren, Arrows and Super Aguri in Formula One, startups, and five World Championships in Formula E, and translates them into frameworks any organisation can apply.
What the Programme Covers
- Systems Thinking Under Pressure — How elite motorsport teams manage complexity in real time, and how those principles apply to fast-moving organisations.
- Competitive Intelligence — Reading the race: how to monitor competition, adapt strategy mid-event, and make better decisions faster.
- Relentless Improvement — The pit wall mindset: marginal gains, data-driven iteration, and building a culture of continuous performance.
- Leadership at Speed — Managing high-performance teams where the cost of failure is high and the feedback loop is immediate.
- From F1 to Formula E — How a 30-year career spanning the full evolution of motorsport informs a uniquely practical approach to innovation and change.
Format
The Motorsport MBA is available as a keynote (60–90 minutes), a half-day leadership workshop, or as part of an ongoing consulting engagement. It has been delivered to MBA cohorts, corporate leadership teams, and conference audiences across the UK and Europe.
Past Delivery
Saïd Business School, University of Oxford · Oxford Brookes University MBA · TotalEnergies Senior Leadership · Oxford Healthcare Leadership Programme
Get in touch to discuss how it can work for your team or event.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Motorsport MBA?
The Motorsport MBA is Mark Preston’s proprietary leadership framework that translates the disciplines of elite motorsport — systems thinking, high-pressure decision-making, competitive intelligence, and continuous improvement — into practical tools for business leaders. It draws on Mark’s 30+ years at the highest levels of Formula One and Formula E, combined with his Oxford MBA from Saïd Business School. It is delivered as keynote presentations, half-day and full-day workshops, and executive education programmes.
Who is the Motorsport MBA designed for?
The Motorsport MBA is designed for senior leaders, executive teams, MBA cohorts, and high-performance organisations who want to move beyond generic leadership theory. It is particularly valuable for companies navigating rapid change, competitive disruption, or the challenge of building high-performance cultures from scratch. Mark has delivered it to audiences in automotive, technology, financial services, defence, and sport.
How does motorsport experience translate into business leadership?
Motorsport is one of the highest-stakes operational environments on earth. Decisions made in seconds have consequences that are immediate and measurable. Teams must perform perfectly in public, under extreme pressure, with limited resources and intense competition. These are not metaphors for business — they are the same challenges, at a different speed. The Motorsport MBA framework extracts the mental models, processes, and cultural practices that enable consistent high performance in motorsport, and makes them directly applicable to any competitive organisation.
Can the Motorsport MBA be delivered as a workshop or keynote?
Yes. The Motorsport MBA is available in multiple formats: as a 45–60 minute keynote that introduces the framework and key concepts; as a half-day or full-day interactive workshop that goes deeper into each pillar with exercises and team application; or as a multi-session executive education programme tailored to a specific organisation’s challenges. Mark works with event organisers and HR/L&D teams to design the format that best fits the audience and objectives.
What is Mark’s connection to Oxford Saïd Business School?
Mark completed his MBA at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, one of the world’s leading business schools. The Oxford MBA experience — particularly its focus on strategy, systems thinking, and leadership in complex environments — directly informed the Motorsport MBA framework. Mark brings both the rigour of an Oxford education and the lived experience of leading championship-winning motorsport teams to every engagement.