F1
“Social media is pretty unforgiving”: George Russell opens up about managing his mental health
Russell admits that social media is often "ruthless." © Antonin Vincent / DPPI
For several years now, athletes have been speaking out about their mental health. The examples are numerous, all sports combined, and this does not escape the Formula 1. In March 2022, Lewis Hamilton confided in his bad luck during the offseason, after the cruel outcome of the 2021 season. Today, it was his teammate, George Russell, who spoke on the subject.
According to the Brazilian Grand Prix winner, every F1 driver is under phenomenal pressure, which poses various mental health problems. The Brit finds the perceptions people share online to be particularly difficult to assimilate. “[This job] puts a strain on your mental health, confided the pilot Mercedes in The High Performance Podcast. You have to be very resilient to the negativity of this world, whether it's public perception, social media, team pressure, or even pressure from yourself. But I think the biggest problem is this public perception and the social media side of it, which is difficult, and I think it's also the case for people who aren't in the spotlight. Social media is a pretty unforgiving platform. »
Russell uses a psychologist to help him
The young 24-year-old driver, who changed status by arriving at Mercedes last season and winning his first race, in Brazil, had to manage this new pressure. Thus, the English person does not hesitate to contact professional support when necessary. “I have a psychologist that I speak to, admits George Russell. It's not systematic, but I always pick up the phone when I feel I need to, and I always leave that conversation feeling better about myself. Somehow a weight was lifted off my shoulders. » And on social networks? “Just don’t read the comments. It's pretty simple and straightforward. »
Still according to the ex-pilot Williams, mental preparation is today as important as physical preparation, in an era where the slightest actions and gestures are closely scrutinized. “I think – several people have already said this – that it's the same thing as if you want to get fitter: you go to the gym and you talk to a trainer. If there is something that is weighing you down, you need to talk to a professional and seek that help. »
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Dorian Grangier
A young journalist nostalgic for the motorsport of yesteryear. Raised on the exploits of Sébastien Loeb and Fernando Alonso.
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Nicolas GOUSPY
08/01/2023 at 06:10 a.m.
What George Russell describes is typical of the confusion between the work carried out by a clinical psychologist (psychological monitoring) and the work carried out by a Mental Trainer. Indeed, the specific work of a Mental Trainer remains too little known in France, even if we talk about it more and more. The job of a Mental Trainer, in short, is to make a driver even stronger mentally and more efficient by developing his mental skills. Some examples of what can be done: - Work on goal setting - Develop motivation - Develop concentration - Improve activation management (the right level of physical and mental energy at the right time) - Work with mental imagery (Ex: mentally visualize a circuit and the best trajectories) - Improve the management of emotions (stress, anger, etc.) - Strategy on injury management and convalescence - Recovery management and prevention of training overload - Implementation of training and competition routines (before, during and after the race) - Work on team cohesion Etc... I remain at your disposal to discuss. Mentally yours, Nicholas