Sir Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One champion, claims that he suffered from depression for a long time as a child due to the pressure of pursuing a career in motor racing and bullying at school.
The 39-year-old British driver, who has been involved in competitive racing since he was six years old, revealed that he has struggled with depression in adulthood and has found it challenging to share details of his experience.
“I believe the pressure from the racing and academic difficulties was the cause. The mistreatment. In an interview that The Times published on Sunday, Hamilton stated, “I had no one to talk to.”
“I’ve struggled with mental health through my life, depression from a very early age when I was, like, 13… when I was in my twenties I had some really difficult phases.”
At the age of 21, Hamilton made his Formula One debut in 2007, making history as the first driver of African descent in the sport.
In 2020, he equaled Michael Schumacher’s record of seven championships by winning the same championship the following year.
Hamilton claimed that compared to early in his career, he felt more mature now.
You are gaining knowledge about the traits that your parents instilled in you, identifying patterns in your responses to situations, and discovering ways to modify those traits.
Thus, I’m not angry with anything that used to irritate me. I’ve evolved so much.”
Although going to a therapist years ago did not help, Hamilton stated he has attempted silent retreats to better his mental health and would like to find one in the future.
The next race in the championship is scheduled for Austin next month, and the Mercedes driver, who will be joining Ferrari next year, is now ranked sixth.
