Mercedes driver George Russell has revealed his concerns about the dark side of social media in an interview with The Athletic.
According to the British F1 driver, about 50% of the interactions and feedback on social media platforms are negative. He commented:
“There’s a lot of hate and negativity. And it’s almost impossible to avoid. It doesn’t matter who it’s about, I’d say 50 percent of the time it’s negative, I find that quite tough to comprehend.”
The fluctuations in public perception represent a continual challenge for athletes, where praise can quickly turn into harsh criticism. Discussing his personal experiences, Russell described the volatile nature of public perception, which swings dramatically. He continued:
“This sport swings so quickly. One minute you’re a hero, the next you’re zero, and it can swing as quickly as from FP3 to qualifying or from race to race. I’ve been in a position where I’ve been on a roll for a couple of races, and then suddenly, the next race, I’m off the pace. And it’s like, ’S—, how am I dealing with this?’ What’s going on? And most of the time, it’s up in your head.”
The Mercedes driver also opened up on dealing with racing setbacks, commenting:
“I feel like I’m able to bounce back very quickly from a tough weekend or even a tough session.
“You learn as you get older what you need as an individual. It doesn’t work for everyone; Lewis and I are two very different characters as well, and we do things differently. You’ve just got to find what works for you.”
