Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton battled with depression for years from an early age as he dealt with the pressure of pursuing a career in motor racing and faced bullying at school, the 39-year-old told The Times, London, in an interview.

Hamilton, who has been racing competitively since he was six, said he has also battled with depression as an adult, and has found it difficult to open up about his journey.

“I think it was the pressure of the racing and struggling at school. The bullying. I had no one to talk to,” Hamilton said in the interview published on Saturday.

“I’ve struggled with mental health through my life, depression from a very early age when I was, like, 13... when I was in my twenties I had some really difficult phases.”

Hamilton made his Formula One debut in 2007 when he was 21, becoming the first Black driver in the series. He won the championship next year and matched Michael Schumacher’s record of seven championships in 2020.

The Briton said he felt more mature today than he was earlier in his career.

“You’re learning about things that have been passed down to you from your parents, noticing those patterns, how you react to things, how you can change those,” he said.

“So what might have angered me in the past doesn’t anger me today. I am so much more refined.”

Hamilton said he has tried silent retreats to improve his mental health, and while talking to a therapist years ago did not help, he would like to find one in the future.

Hamilton pinpointed the time when he realised he wanted to use his position to highlight injustice, revealing how he broke down after watching a video of the murder of George Floyd.

“If I felt there were wrongdoings I didn’t feel I could speak out,” added the Mercedes driver.

“The cork popped. It had me on my knees in tears, all this emotion came out. It was such a strange experience because I don’t remember crying since I was really young. I knew that I’d had enough, I really needed to speak out.

“There are people that are staying silent, people that feel voiceless and I have this platform. Winning championships is an amazing thing, but what are you doing with it? What are you doing with your time on this planet?”

Now one of Formula 1’s elder statesmen, Hamilton is empowered to challenge any perceived wrongdoing and, as recently as last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, labelled comments made to Autosport by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem as having a “racist element”.

The Mercedes driver, who is set to join Ferrari next year, is sixth in the championship, with the next race set for Austin next month.

Praise for driver

Hamilton has been praised by a leading mental health charity for speaking openly about battling depression.

In openly discussing his mental health, Hamilton is the latest sports star to normalise what has long been a taboo subject, especially among men in his age group.

“We are grateful to Lewis Hamilton for being so open and sharing his experience with depression, and the impact that racism has had on him over many years,” Joe Levenson, head of media at mental health charity Mind told Autosport.

“Speaking up and speaking out can help to normalise conversations and challenge the stigma that so often surrounds mental health.

“At Mind, we know that when public figures speak openly about their mental health, it can have a powerful impact.”