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Lewis Hamilton recently opened up about a chapter of his life where he experienced bullying as a child. The seven-time Formula 1 champion weighed in on the topic of bullying in a recent video shared on social media.
The 40-year-old, who through his racing career has developed into an emblem of excellence and resilience, shared his thoughts on the emotional scars he endured during his adolescent years. Detailing his thoughts in a video posted to X by cybersecurity firm Bitdefender, the Scuderia Ferrari driver explained how it has become more difficult to escape bullying in the present age:
"For sure, and I think everyone's dealing with it. I think I really worry more so for kids that are getting onto social media really early, because when we were kids — or when I was a kid — there was no social media.
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"So the bullying might be at school, but when you go home you're in a safe space, and it's not till the next day you go back and you're confronted with it. But as we're here, it's almost impossible for kids to escape it, for people to escape it, and I've got friends with kids that are having bullying issues. I was bullied as a kid and it's horrible, and it's crazy that there is so much negativity still out there." (00:12 onwards)
The former Mercedes driver has, however, never shied away from using his platforms for advocacy and addressing issues surrounding diversity, racism and mental health, among other societal challenges. Lewis Hamilton has emerged as one of the most vocal athletes in the world of sports, and he has launched several programs, including his Mission 44 initiative, to help curb societal issues relating to bullying and other matters.
Lewis Hamilton speaks on blocking cyberbullying among children
Lewis Hamilton further weighed in on tackling cyberbullying among children. The former McLaren driver shared his views on the widespread societal issue in partnership with Bitdefender.
The British driver emphasized the need for affected individuals to create barriers against online abuse. Hamilton also highlighted the importance of helping young people safeguard their mental health and not allowing negativity to take root.
“But ultimately, it’s a decision — there are barriers, safety mechanisms and systems you can put in place. You can protect yourself from these things by finding ways to block them and not allowing them to penetrate what you're doing, your mental state, and not let those things define you,” he said (00:42 onward).
Lewis Hamilton’s stand against bullying is part of a campaign in conjunction with Scuderia Ferrari, aimed at promoting mental wellness among motorsport fans. The 40-year-old racer also recently visited British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as part of his Mission 44 campaign. The visit centered around his aspiration to ensure educational reform and make it more inclusive through the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programs for children.
