Lewis Hamilton karting rival ‘saddened’ with own mental health struggles revealed

Anthony Davidson revealed he is “saddened” to hear of Lewis Hamilton talking about his struggles with his mental health through his life.

Hamilton recently told The Sunday Times that he had been struggling with depression from his teenage years, suffering from bullying at school while he was making his way in motorsport, while continuing to struggle with his mental health through his 20s.

Anthony Davidson on Lewis Hamilton opening up about his mental health

Former Super Aguri driver Davidson, later combining a test and simulator role at Mercedes with a successful endurance career, grew up alongside the seven-time World Champion and used to race against him in their karting days.

With this admission around his mental health struggle, Davidson revealed problems of his own that he faced during his career, citing Hamilton as being able to offer him “confidence” to be able to talk about them openly.

He spoke of the wider point around these conversations, though, that the more these topics come up around mental health, even among the most successful people in sport, it can help others in their own lives, with Davidson praising Hamilton for speaking out.

“Lewis has had a real positive impact on the sport,” Davidson told the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

“He’s got that authority as a seven-time World Champion – whatever topic he chooses to talk about, people are going to listen, and he’s an intelligent human being anyway.

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“I’ve grown up in the kart tracks with Lewis. I’ve been around him my whole life, I saw him arrive in those paddocks as an eight-year-old kid and as a trailblazer in our sport, an absolute trailblazer, and hats off to him.

“So for now, to be talking openly about mental health, and it saddens me, in many ways. I’m kind of proud he has come out and touched on mental health.

“It saddens me to think of all those days that I spent with him at the kart tracks, that he was going through that, but now he’s in a position where he feels like he can talk about it.

“I’ve suffered with anxiety issues, like real crippling anxiety in my days as a driver, and there was more to do with mental health, with health anxiety, which left me having panic attacks inside the car at times, and it’s awful.

“And for Lewis Hamilton to be talking about this, gives me the confidence to be able to talk about it as well.

“Toto Wolff has spoken openly about it, maybe he gave Lewis the confidence to talk about it – and the more we all talk about it, the more you realise actually it’s quite common. But at least now we’re able to talk about it openly.

“You know, hats off to Lewis, and I hope he continues.”

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