Mental health is becoming more and more appreciated. The stigma is becoming less and less, and many successful people have recognized that they have struggled in this chapter, which is a way to show others that this type of challenge can be overcome and won.
Mercedes Formula 1 team principal Toto Wolff has opened up about his struggles with mental health, revealing that despite his success, he has faced significant challenges. Wolff sees these difficulties as a “superpower”, giving him a unique perspective and sensitivity that has contributed to his success.
Wolff noted that his early experiences in Monaco, where he felt at home among other successful people, eventually led him to realize that his difficulties were actually strengths.
“I was successful in my business, I sold it and moved to Monaco. I was in my early 20s and there was a Grand Prix,” he revealed in an interview with Sky Sports. “There was a party and I was there as a guest of someone and I saw these very successful people celebrating and I thought: ‘They don’t suffer like me and that’s why they are successful’. Twenty years later, I’m breaking records and I never imagined that.” “What I want to say is that with this great power, when we have difficulties, we are sensitive people, and that can be negative or very positive. Some of my strengths are the fact that I read the room, I understand the person and I understand when they betray me. In general, I have an insight into what people need to do. That’s why I speak openly about it. That’s why we are in Formula 1, we laugh in front of the camera, we are very cool, we are successful, we have a hard time. We don’t wake up every day and say we have a great life.
Wolff stressed the importance of seeking help, noting that he has spent hundreds of hours in therapy to better manage his mental health. He now feels more resilient and able to handle pressure, saying the pressure of leading Mercedes through difficult times is within his comfort zone. Under Wolff, Mercedes has enjoyed unprecedented success, including eight consecutive constructors’ titles and seven drivers’ titles.
“There is not a single treatment I have had. From talking to psychologists, to cognitive behavioural therapy, because I like to improve the way I can solve a problem quickly, I probably did more than 300 or 350 hours of talks. The interesting thing is that these difficulties, in fact, allowed me to face the difficulties of competition in a different way. They do not affect me. Zero. Because I have been in much worse situations. This pressure is my comfort zone. Try to solve problems. Never give up, even if you have been defeated hundreds of times. In a way, I am created for these most difficult days,” concluded the Mercedes boss.
