Lando Norris, a McLaren Formula 1 driver, says he is proud that his openness regarding mental health throughout his time in the sport has aided others.
Norris has already spoken up about his own struggles, most recently during his rookie Formula One season in 2019.
Norris has been one of F1’s top performers since then, with a slew of podium finishes including his first pole position.
His excellent record has elevated him to one of F1’s top stars, as he leads McLaren’s recovery alongside Daniel Ricciardo.
Norris believes that being truthful about himself has helped others in being honest about themselves.
“I am very happy to see more people speaking out about it and realising it is only going to benefit them and benefit others,” he said at the end of 2021.
“I don’t think there is any negative from doing so. I think it is only going to help you in getting better, and certainly it is going to help if you have a big following or a lot of people watching you when you say it. You are only going to help people who are also struggling.”
Norris said he’s received messages from admirers who are going through similar difficulties.
“I am very happy and proud to be a part of that group of people who have accepted it and are happy and confident to speak out about it,” he said.
“One of the biggest things that made me think it was good to speak out about it is my fans, my followers, and especially when I would hint at it the first few times. Before I was even speaking about it publicly, a few of them were saying how much it is helping them and the impact that I can have on them. Then over time realising that the impact I can have on the hundreds or thousands of people is huge.
“When I start to get messages of me helping them out, to make them feel much better or their friends or family, that is a pretty amazing thing to see. So the more I saw that, the more I realised the impact that I can have and the place that I am in with Formula 1 in my life, with the followers that I have and the fanbase that I have, means the bigger the impact.
“Therefore I thought it was better to speak about it more publicly and worldwide to try to help as many people as possible.”
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