Ruth Buscombe on how to make decisions under pressure, even with imperfect data
23rd April 2026
On the 22nd April, we welcomed senior in‑house lawyers to Hide, London for an evening of discussion and insight with Formula 1 race strategist, analyst and commentator, Ruth Buscombe.
Ruth took us inside the world of Formula 1, using it as a live case study to explore how decisions are really made under pressure in high‑performance, data‑led environments.
This event marked the third and final roundtable in our Expanding Horizons series for General Counsel, following previous sessions with Richard Oakes, who explored the habits, rituals and mindset behind success in sport and life, and Matthew Syed, who shared inspiring and transferable lessons from elite sport.
During the session, Ruth shared her personal journey into Formula 1 strategy, from factory-based analysis to trackside decision making, where milliseconds, incomplete information and intense pressure can be the difference between success and failure.
Here are the key lessons Ruth shared with us on the evening:
Decision making under pressure
Drawing on real race examples, Ruth talked about what it really feels like to make high stakes decisions in real time, often with imperfect or incomplete data. It’s important to build confidence for these moments, and trust that the obvious decision is not always the right one. Stay calm under pressure, analyse the facts and make decisive calls to lead your team to success.
Data, AI and human judgement
Ruth explained that Formula 1 teams deal with vast amounts of data every second, but winning teams know what data points to focus on and what to ignore. Senior in‑house lawyers face a similar challenge: turning complex information into clear, practical advice. While AI, automation and data analytics software are powerful tools, using legal expertise to interpret outputs and make the final recommendation to senior management is key.
Leadership, resilience and adaptability
Ruth also shared how high performing teams operate under constant pressure and change. We learned how F1 teams handle mistakes, recover quickly and maintain performance over time. Building a team with diverse perspectives and establishing clear, open communication to improve the quality of decision making allows General Counsel to succeed.
We’re grateful to Ruth for giving our guests useful takeaways. These lessons are vital for overcoming the challenges and pressures facing senior in‑house legal teams.
About Illuminate
Our Illuminate programme shines a light on the evolving relationship between in‑house legal teams and law firms. It focuses on your distinctive needs, challenges and goals, and helps you deliver on them.
As part of Illuminate, our Expanding Horizons roundtable series was carefully designed to tackle the challenges GCs face head on and provide practical, usable insights.
Find out more about the previous events:
