George Russell is among the rising superstars in Formula 1. In his very first season with Mercedes, he managed to beat Lewis Hamilton in the standings, and even in his sophomore year with the Silver Arrows, he is doing well.
Many even view a future world champion in him. But vying against the top guns in F1 surely brings massive pressure. And Russell, in his recent interview, talks candidly about the importance of keeping up with mental health.
F1 kept the crucial topic under the rug for several decades, and only recently have drivers have been open about their struggles. With the changing times, Russell has talked about how therapy has helped him too, and the role his girlfriend Carmen Mundt plays.
I talk to my girlfriend: George Russell
The Brazilian Grand Prix winner talks about how talking with mental health professionals has improved not only his career but his personal life too. He reveals his girlfriend, Carmen Mundt, plays a supportive role in his problems.
“I speak to my friends, my girlfriend’s incredibly supportive,” said Russell to Squaremile when asked who he reaches out to when he needs someone to give him an ear.
Russell also talks about the role his trainer Aleix Casanovas plays. The two have been working together since 2017, and Russell travels everywhere with him. Since the two have been together for seven years. Casanovas understands every struggle the 25-year-old has seen, and only the mere presence of the former keeps the Mercedes star calm.
Mental health expert is a trainer of brain
By learning much about mental health, Russell has a perfect analogy around mental health experts. Often therapy seen as a taboo is associated with being weak or insane.
However, Russell thinks just like keeping the body healthy, one needs a trainer in the gym. Similarly, having a mental health expert is like having a trainer for your mind.
So just like a gym trainer knows how to work on the muscles, a psychologist knows how to ‘tap into one’s mind’. According to him, it’s one of the vital routines that everyone should do.
