According to legendary Dutch racing driver Arie Luyendyk, Lewis Hamilton’s recent interview with The Sunday Times highlights a significant difference between himself and drivers such as Max Verstappen.
Hamilton spoke out about his long-standing battle with depression, revealing that he has “struggled with mental health throughout my life.”
“Depression,” Hamilton stated. “I believe it was the stress of racing and suffering in school. The bullying. I have no one to speak to.”
Verstappen, on the other hand, grew up with a notoriously difficult and frequently aggressive father, Jos Verstappen, and is one of the few top drivers who receives no psychological or mental coaching.
Luyendyk, a two-time Indy 500 winner, said that Verstappen’s racing style is more akin to the “older generation” of drivers, who simply “stepped on the gas” and coped with the stresses themselves.
“I believe what Hamilton said is fair, but I cannot empathise with it,” Luyendyk, 71, said. “I have never had that problem.”
“I come from a generation that believes in dealing with problems on their own. I’ve experienced dips in the past, but I’ve overcome them. By speaking to myself.”
Luyendyk stated that he is not surprised Verstappen does not seek psychological support.
“In car racing, it always comes down in the end to how good your car is,” he added. “Verstappen is simply down to earth. “He’s Dutch, like me,” he said with a smile.
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