Issued on: 02/09/2022 – 18:42
Zandvoort (Netherlands) (AFP) – Four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel has said sports stars are often discouraged from speaking out about mental health issues, which he considers 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.”
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 discussed mental health issues 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.”
Vettel, who currently drives for Aston Martin after a six-year spell at Ferrari, has had 53 career wins.
He is tied with Alain Prost as the fourth most successful F1 driver in history after Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton (each seven) and Juan Manuel Fangio (five).
© 2022 AFP
