Former F1 driver Jenson Button speaks candidly about the mental pressure that drivers experience in Formula 1. According to the world champion, even the biggest names in the top class – such as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen – are not completely immune to insecurities. Button knows why: ‘As a driver, you sometimes forget what you have achieved and only think about the last session’.
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Jenson Button himself raced in Formula 1 between 2000 and 2017. During his time, the Brit not only achieved fifteen Grand Prix wins but also became world champion in 2009. Button is therefore an expert in performing under pressure. According to the former world champion, every driver, even the greatest, has their insecurities.
“As drivers, we are not perfect,” Button explains in the Beyond the Grid podcast. “We are insecure, and that applies to every driver.” The Brit immediately gives a recent example. “When I heard Lewis Hamilton on the radio at Ferrari last year, and he asked a question but got no answer, he said: ‘Did I do something wrong?’. And he is a seven-time world champion. The confidence you would expect him to have is immense. But still, doubts creep in.”
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Button was then asked if he thought Verstappen has similar doubts. “Yes, I still think there is a certain insecurity,” he answered. “You forget what you have achieved and only think about the last session. You think: ‘I’m not good enough. I was two tenths behind my teammate’. It’s crazy, and the pressure you put on yourself is enormous. That’s why you see so many drivers fail in this sport, even though they have the talent. Mentally, they are just in a very dark period.”
Compliments to Norris
“And I’ve heard it from many drivers,” Button reveals that it is certainly not unusual for a driver to have insecurities. “We see it as a weakness, so we don’t talk about it. And that’s what surprises me so much about Lando (Norris, ed.), the way he has openly spoken about mental health over the past few years. Really very good, and I think that gives you a lot of strength.”
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