Lewis Hamilton has won over 100 Formula 1 races and will soon leave Mercedes to join Ferrari.
In an interview with The Times, Hamilton shared his struggles with mental health.
He hopes to win again in 2024, maybe even at Silverstone, his home Grand Prix. His last big win was at the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP, and he now has a total of 105 wins from 305 races.
Hamilton spoke about dealing with depression since he was 13. “Depression. From a very early age, when I was, like, 13. I think it was the pressure of the racing and struggling at school. The bullying. I had no one to talk to,” he said, mentioning both racism and bullying during his youth.
School wasn’t easy for him either; he was shy and had undiagnosed dyslexia. “I spoke to one woman, years ago, but that wasn’t really helpful. I would like to find someone today.”
Now, he’s learning more about mental health and how it has shaped him. “You’re learning about things that have been passed down to you from your parents, noticing those patterns, how you react to things, how you can change those. So what might have angered me in the past doesn’t anger me today. I am so much more refined.”
On Senna passing away in 1994
The tragic weekend of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix is still remembered by many fans. First, Rubens Barrichello had a terrible crash on Friday but survived. Then on Saturday, Roland Ratzenberger died in a crash. Finally, Ayrton Senna lost his life on Sunday.
Senna was Hamilton’s hero. When Hamilton matched Senna’s pole positions at the 2017 Canadian GP, Senna’s family gave him one of Senna’s race-worn helmets as a gift.
“I was with my dad, we were working on the go-kart. I remember going to the front and crying, bawling my eyes out. I couldn’t cry in front of my dad; he was not that kind of guy,” Hamilton recalled about being nine years old when Senna died.
Fans might feel sad hearing these stories but also inspired by Hamilton’s journey.
What do you think about Hamilton’s experiences?
