The topic of mental health in Formula 1 has become increasingly important in recent years. One of the first high-profile figures in the sport to speak out on the matter was Lewis Hamilton, who admitted that he struggled significantly after losing the championship to Max Verstappen at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Similarly, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed that he faced mental health issues during his career and overcame them through psychological support. Lando Norris himself admitted in 2021 that he had suffered from depression at the start of his Formula 1 career.
Speaking ahead of the United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin, Helmut Marko commented again on the title fight between Max Verstappen and the British driver, stating that the Dutchman was the favorite for the final victory because he was mentally stronger than his rival. These remarks were certainly not appreciated by McLaren’s leadership, with Zak Brown making his discontent clear during a press conference.
Andrea Stella, when asked about the same topic, also expressed shock at the words of the Austrian regarding his driver: “I believe what Helmut said was a huge missed opportunity.”
“The missed opportunity is that instead of reinforcing support for the work done over the last two decades, especially in the past decade, in terms of openness toward mental health issues, which are so important.” – the McLaren team principal continued – “I’m proud of what F1 has been able to do, of what the drivers or sportspeople have been able to do when they’ve spoken out, when Lando has been an ambassador for openly discussing that sometimes it’s okay not to be okay, and it’s not necessarily about him, but about the topic.”
“Then you hear what Helmut said, and it’s as if, with one comment, you destroy 20 years of work.” Max was reprimanded for swearing. For me, this is much more serious in terms of what a member of Formula 1 said, rather than a curse word used in the wrong place.” – Andrea Stella concluded.
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