Among the many more aspects that an athlete has to manage compared to the past there are also social networks. The care of the public image has also grown exponentially in Formula 1, to the point that its most relevant exponent from a media point of view – Lewis Hamilton – acts as a sounding board for battles dear to him, such as environmental sustainability, the equality and the abolition of all discrimination.
Precisely because of the importance of social media, pilots rely on communication experts. Also because every message comes a shower of like and interactions: having everything under control becomes a second job and a scenario that sometimes frightens the pilots themselves. In Red Bull they don’t have to be big fans: an ex like Sebastian Vettel doesn’t have active accounts; Max Verstappen has them but he is notoriously ‘old school’, home and track; Sergio Perez pointed out the contraindications that their abuse can bring.
“I think social media has gotten too ‘heavy’ in the past two years. And I don’t think only for sportsmen, but also for everyone else. The amount of daily time we spend on the phone is simply unacceptable. I’m not a big fan of it, I have to say“, he said Checo to the podcast The Edge. “I think they are a great tool for connecting with your fans and brands, but there has to be a limit and a balance“.
Perez has found his way to ‘disconnect’, both from social networks and from the external context: “In my home Grand Prix I know there are many of my fans: no matter what result you get, they will cheer you on. The best way to make them happy is to give your best. And to do that, you have to ‘log out’. There may be a lot of chaos outside, but once you close the visor you have to completely exclude the noise and focus 100%. It is not easy, and when I look back on it, I am surprised at myself. When I watch the race on TV I ask myself: ‘How did I detach from all these fans cheering me on?’. I believe it is a natural quality“.
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