Alfa Romeo discovers that half of British people believe that the course of their life is down to luck!

Research by Alfa Romeo finds that half of Brits believe that the course of a person’s life is down to luck, while 60% believe in the idea of ‘fate’ Four-leaf clover recognised as the symbol most associated with the idea of ‘good luck’
Survey by Alfa Romeo UK comes as part of its centenary celebrations of the iconic Quadrifoglio badge
Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio badge was introduced at the 1923 Targa Florio as a good luck charm for the brand’s drivers
Alfa Romeo sat down with F1 Team Stake drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, to discuss how good luck has impacted their careers


Research by Alfa Romeo has revealed that 50% of Brits believe that luck, whether good or bad, has a big role to play in how the course of a person’s life pans out, and over 60% of the UK public believe in the idea of ‘fate’.

In the survey, carried out with OnePoll, Alfa Romeo explored the role that superstition and good luck has played in lives of the UK public.

The findings suggested that over one third (39%) of the UK public consider themselves to be superstitious. However, the research did reflect a difference in belief depending on age group, with 73% of people aged 18-24 saying they were superstitious, while only 27% of those 65 and over said the same.

Londoners were revealed to be the most superstitious in the country – 54% of respondents living in London told Alfa Romeo they would consider themselves as superstitious. This is compared to 39% of respondents from the North West, the second most superstitious region of the country. Whereas only 32% of those in Yorkshire and The Humber said that they were superstitious.

The study also found a split in how people view the role that luck plays career success. Over half (53%) of people aged 18-24 felt that luck influences how successful a person is in their job, while only 22% of over 65s said the same. Respondents in the West Midlands were the most likely (43%) to believe that luck played a role in career success, while people in the North East were least likely to (27%).

The research comes as part of the Alfa Romeo celebrations for the 100th anniversary of its legendary Quadrifoglio badge. The iconic Quadrifoglio badge made its debut on the RL of Ugo Sivocci in the 1923 Targa Florio. Sivocci painted the four-leaf clover emblem onto the front of his car for good luck, which lead to him winning the race in his Alfa Romeo for the first time. This forever linked the symbol of the Quadrifoglio to Alfa Romeo as it went on to multiple wins in the Targa Florio, F1, the 1000Miglia and at Le Mans. The badge soon made its way over to Alfa Romeo road cars, making its first appearance on the Giulia TI Super in 1963 and launched a tradition which continues today.

As it did for Sivocci 100 years ago, the power of the four-leaf clover still resonates today, being identified as the symbol that respondents most relate to the idea of good luck (44%) compared with other common good luck charms including horseshoes and the number seven. Conversely, breaking a mirror and walking under a ladder were the classic ‘bad luck charms’ that most resonated with the UK audience.

Alfa Romeo sat down with its F1 Team Stake drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu to discuss the good luck charms that have aided their success over the years. Both drivers stated that coffee was an important part of their pre-race rituals, with Zhou saying this was something he has followed since before his F1 debut – where he finished in the points in his first race in Bahrain 2022- so has kept the ritual up ever since. Valtteri Bottas also uses coffee as a pre-race ritual but admitted that he no longer has his lucky underpants from his time racing go-karts.

Julie David, Managing Director, Alfa Romeo UK, said: “The Quadrifoglio emblem has brought fortune and fun to all drivers who have driven an Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio since 1923, including our award-winning Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio models. 2023 is packed with some huge sporting events including the men’s Ashes, the women’s Football World Cup and the men’s Rugby World Cup so it’s fascinating to see how Brits feel about luck and superstition ahead of these big occasions.”