Oct.7 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s recent interview with the Sunday Times newspaper reveals a key difference between him and drivers like Max Verstappen.
That’s the view of well-known former Dutch racing driver and two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk, referring to Hamilton’s admission that he has “struggled with mental health through my life”.
“Depression,” the seven time world champion added. “I think it was the pressure of the racing and struggling at school. The bullying. I had no one to talk to.”
In total contrast, Verstappen had a famously rough and often even violent upbringing with his mercurial father Jos, but the triple world champion is one of few top drivers on the grid today without mental or psychological coaching.
Luyendyk says Verstappen, 26, is more like his own “older generation” of racing drivers, who “basically said that you should just step on the gas”.
“I think what Hamilton said is fair enough, but I cannot empathise with it,” said the 71-year-old, who never raced in Formula 1. “I have never had that problem.
“I’m from a generation where you just deal with it yourself. I’ve had dips too, but I got over them myself. By talking to myself,” he told Ziggo Sport.
Luyendyk says he is not surprised to hear that Verstappen goes without any psychological coaching or support.
“In car racing, it always comes down in the end to how good your car is,” said the Dutchman. “Verstappen is just down to earth. He’s Dutch, like me, after all,” he smiled.