Toto Wolff shares 'black cloud' mental health struggles

Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff has been at the centre of a recent candid conversation about mental health.

The 53-year-old may be the boss of one of the most successful and iconic brands in motorsport but that doesn't mean he hasn't had his fair share of struggles.

Conversations around mental health have come a long way in F1 but it remains vital that big names in the paddock as well as the superstar drivers continue to speak out as the fiercely competitive racing series grows in popularity among young fans.

Wolff and fellow F1 stars such as Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris are just a few names who have made a point of setting the much-needed example that talking about mental struggles can often be the hardest part, but should always be encouraged.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Wolff reflected on his own mental health journey, admitting that what he once viewed as a weakness is now something he has learnt to harness positively.

Wolff comes to terms with mental health journey

Speaking about his own experience with depression, Wolff reflected on a particular moment in his past where he grappled with mental health, saying: "I had a nice girlfriend, and a job, but this black cloud came upon me and I couldn’t understand what it was. And triggered by life situations, I’ve had a few episodes like that, for varying lengths of time. But I’ve taken advice and found mechanisms to cope as well as possible."

The Mercedes boss then urged anyone struggling to seek help, adding: "If you are suffering from mental health problems, people can’t see it, and they don’t know what it is. And the old way was to say, ‘Pull yourself together.’ It’s still stigmatised, but at least now people discuss it – Nico Rosberg, Lewis [Hamilton] and Lando [Norris] have all talked about [mental health or] depression."

The Austrian motorsport executive has now come to terms with his mental wellbeing, adding: "It is who I am, it’s part of me. I am under no illusion that I will have difficult times with it, but it also gives me an edge, it gives me sensitivity in both a positive and a negative way.

"I talk about it openly because I used to perceive myself as weak, but through my career I’ve come to realise that many high performers have some problems, and it doesn’t make you weaker. On the contrary, it may give you superpowers.”

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