George Russell opens up about facing mental health issues in a candid interview

George Russell spoke about the importance of mental health and awareness of the subject during an interview on Men's Health UK's YouTube Channel. He revealed that he has not always been careful about his mental health. But since last year, things have changed.

Russell started visiting a psychologist to help him with his performance on the track. He understands just how important it is for a usual life as well.

"I haven't always been into my mental health. I only started getting into it about a year and a half - two years ago, when I started speaking with a psychologist, mainly for my on track, personal performance.

"It was only through those conversations when I felt like this has given me more than the on-track benefits."

F1 drivers and their mental health has been an important topic of discussion considering all the distress the drivers have to face throughout a season. Though they train their bodies to face tough challenges, it is equally important, as George Russell said, to keep a check on their mental health also.

This helps them not only to improve their performance on track but also in daily life.

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George Russell reveals how therapy has helped him

George Russell believes that therapy sessions made him feel better about himself. He believes that one should pay more attention to their mental health.

"I'm coming away from these sessions feeling better about myself, feeling like they've been a weight lifted off my shoulders and sometimes I went into these sessions with not a lot to talk about and thinking it would only last for five to 10 minutes but I was there well over an hour so."

Russell's therapy sessions seem to have worked for him at Mercedes. His performance in the 2022 season, despite the largely uncompetitive W13, was good enough to beat Lewis Hamilton. He also brought the team a race victory during the Brazilian GP, which was also their only race win throughout the season.

This series of performances throughout the season has given him the opportunity to perhaps battle for the world championship in the upcoming season. His team is really hopeful about the W14.