Lewis Hamilton, the Formula One champion, recently opened up about his struggles with mental health in an interview with ”The Sunday Times.” The 39-year-old revealed that he has privately battled depression for most of his life, starting from his teenage years. Hamilton attributed the pressure of racing, academic difficulties, and bullying as contributing factors to his mental health challenges. Despite these obstacles, Hamilton has achieved remarkable success in F1, becoming the first and only black man to race in the sport and winning over 100 grand prix victories and seven championships.
Hamilton’s upbringing in Stevenage, England played a significant role in shaping his perspective on life. He grew up with limited financial resources and witnessed the struggles faced by his parents. This experience gave him a unique outlook on money and gratitude for what he has achieved.
While therapy hasn’t been particularly helpful for him in the past, Hamilton remains open to revisiting it as a means of addressing his mental health concerns. In the meantime, he has embarked on a personal journey of self-improvement. Through silent retreats, reading books on mental health like “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman, meditation practices, and exercise such as running, Hamilton is finding ways to better understand himself and manage his emotions.
This year has been one of significant change for Hamilton as well. After spending 11 years with Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, he made the decision to join Scuderia Ferrari at the end of this season. Reflecting on this decision as both terrifying and exciting, Hamilton expressed his childhood dream of sitting behind the wheel of a red Ferrari car.
Hamilton’s passion for racing began at a young age when his father gifted him a go-kart at eight years old. He joined McLaren’s driver development team at 13 before eventually making it into F1 nearly ten years later.
Throughout it all – from battling depression to achieving immense success – Hamilton continues to push forward with determination and resilience both on and off track.
