Four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel has said sports stars are often discouraged from speaking out about mental health issues, calling such reluctance a “weakness of society”.
Vettel, who announced in late July that he would leave Formula One at the end of the year, has admitted seeking psychological support and said the sport has double standards when it comes to health issues of a mental nature.
“I have no problem talking about it,” Vettel told German tabloid Bild.
“If you break your leg, you go to the doctor. It would be wise to see what’s stopping me from breaking my leg in the first place.
“However, it doesn’t seem like we’re doing the same when it comes to mental health. That’s a weakness of our society, because something like (mental health issues) is often seen as a weakness.”
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Vettel, 35, in action at Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, won four titles in a row with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013.
The German said the drivers would discuss mental health with each other, but were reluctant to air their feelings in the public sphere.
“It’s normal to have self-doubt. I hear so many stories from others who have been through something similar,” Vettel said in the interview published on Friday.
“Something like that is sometimes missing in sport. We have a cult of heroism in certain roles, which is great.”
“But we are all human and we go through the same things and the same challenges.
“There is no Superman or Superwoman, except on television.”
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Vettel, who drives for Aston Martin after a six-year spell at Ferrari, has 53 career wins.
He is tied with Alain Prost as the fourth most successful F1 driver in history after Michael Schumacher and Hamilton (seven titles each) and Juan Manuel Fangio (five).
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has also recently spoken out about his mental health struggles, speaking publicly in March 2022 about his “difficult year” on social media.
“Difficult some days to stay positive,” said the British driver.
“I have struggled mentally and emotionally for a long time, moving forward is a constant effort, but we have to keep fighting, we have a lot to do and achieve.”
Speaking to German tabloid Bild in 2021, Belgian-British driver Lando Norris said he had undergone therapy.
“I have talked to a psychologist in the past. I have for many years and now I have found a way to deal with and process my problems.”
These F1 stars aren’t the only ones speaking out on a subject that has rarely been broached in public before.
England cricket captain Ben Stokes felt the need to take a long sabbatical to deal with personal issues, legendary American gymnast Simone Biles’ Tokyo Olympics campaign ended early due to nerves, and Earlier this month, Australia’s rugby captain Michael Hooper declared that he was not in the right frame of mind to face Argentina the day before a Test.
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