Former Dutch racer Arie Luyendyk claims that Lewis Hamilton’s recent interview with The Sunday Times highlights a significant distinction between him and drivers like Max Verstappen.
A longtime sufferer of depression, Hamilton revealed that he had “struggled with mental health through my life.”
“Depression,” Hamilton said. “I think it was the pressure of the racing and struggling at school. The bullying. I had no one to talk to.”
Verstappen, by contrast, grew up with a famously tough and sometimes even violent father, Jos Verstappen, yet he is one of the few top drivers who does not have any psychological or mental coaching.
Luyendyk, a two-time Indy 500 winner, noted that Verstappen’s approach to racing is more like the “older generation” of drivers, who simply “stepped on the gas” and dealt with the pressures themselves.
“I think what Hamilton said is fair enough, but I cannot empathise with it,” Luyendyk, 71 admitted.
“I have never had that problem.”
“I’m from a generation where you just deal with it yourself. I’ve had dips too, but I got over them myself. By talking to myself.”
Luyendyk added that he’s not surprised Verstappen doesn’t rely on psychological support.
“In car racing, it always comes down in the end to how good your car is,” said Luyendyk.
“Verstappen is just down to earth. He’s Dutch, like me,” he added with a smile.
