The impact of celebrity on top athletes.

Talent behind the wheel has always been essential to succeed in Formula 1, but as the sport has become more popular and public, demands on drivers have moved well beyond that. Increasingly, drivers are expected to be more than just athletes. They’re brand ambassadors, content creators, role models, and public figures whose lives are dissected in real-time by millions of people. The status of celebrity used to be awarded to only some athletes, but now the line between being a professional driver and being a celebrity has started to fade, and that shift is having profound effects, not only on athletes’ time and energy, but on the way we learn to interact with them.

Motorsport’s shift into the mainstream

Formula One’s global popularity has surged in recent years, thanks in large part to initiatives like Drive to Survive. For many fans, this was their first real glimpse behind the scenes - seeing drivers off-track, dealing with pressure, conflict, emotion, and vulnerability; and getting to see them for who they are as people. The effect? F1 became more human, more relatable. But it also accelerated the transformation of drivers into full-blown celebrities, and with that come heightened demands. 

Top drivers are now expected to maintain a public profile, engage with fans on social media, attend sponsor events, appear in lifestyle content, and become the face of global marketing campaigns. These expectations are often written directly into their contracts, leaving them with less and less time for training, recovery, or simply living. Of course, the lives they live are incredibly privileged and rare, and much of this allows them a kind of lifestyle that few can ever dream of, but there is an opportunity cost.

The cost of constant access

There’s a growing tension in modern sport between access and boundaries. While fans want to feel connected to their heroes, the constant visibility of athletes on social media and in mainstream entertainment feeds a dangerous illusion: that we’re entitled to their attention, their opinions, and their time (and in some cases, to their friends’ and family’s time too!)

In Formula 1, this plays out through increasingly packed race weekends, expanded promotional obligations, and the expectation that drivers must always be “on.” Even after losing a race to 2024 his championship rival, Lando Norris was still questioned for being short with the media, as if a very human and normal reaction to the situation becomes unacceptable from these athletes. 

Whether it’s filming branded TikToks, doing hospitality appearances, or taking part in post-race debriefs streamed live to global audiences, the emotional bandwidth required is enormous, and here we come to the real cost. Time spent doing media is time not spent with family. A late-night gala is time not spent recovering or preparing for the next race. A social media post invites not only fan admiration, but trolling, scrutiny, and judgement. The toll this takes is real, and it's rarely acknowledged by the public or press.

Gratitude vs. Burnout: The mental health paradox

Perhaps the most damaging part of this celebrity dynamic is the expectation that athletes must always be grateful for what surrounds them. After all, they’re living the dream, right? They’re rich, admired, and getting to drive really fast cars! Who are they to complain?

But this attitude ignores that being famous and being well are not the same thing.

Top drivers carry immense pressure everywhere they go. Their performance is broadcast globally. Every misstep is dissected. Every offhand comment can be turned into a headline. Add to that the constant travel, jet lag, and limited privacy, and it becomes clear why many athletes struggle behind the scenes. Yet, because they’re viewed through the lens of celebrity, they’re often not allowed to express that struggle without being labelled ‘ungrateful’ or ‘entitled’. 

After choosing not to attend the screening of the upcoming F1 movie, Max Verstappen was on every media outlet that looks at Formula One, and the comments under the news were littered with criticism. And why? Because a soon-to-be-father chose to spend his already limited personal time with his family. 

This creates a damaging cycle where silent acceptance is the only acceptable response, even as mental health issues grow quietly beneath the surface.

Private athletes, public judgment

The few athletes who try to push back, the ones who resist constant visibility or limit their engagement with celebrity culture, often face backlash.

Athletes who don’t post frequently, or guard their personal lives and the lives of those close to them are sometimes branded cold, unfriendly, or arrogant. There’s little room in celebrity culture for boundaries, and even less tolerance for those who try to assert them. But should athletes, in any sport, really have to trade privacy for success?

In motorsport, legendary figures like Kimi Räikkönen famously avoided the media circus, replying always with single-word answers and refusing to participate in the most outlandish media requests. In today’s environment, would a modern-day Kimi be celebrated as a fun, different sort of athlete? Or criticised as the cold villain of the season? 

The way forward

As Formula 1 continues to grow, it’s time to ask difficult but necessary questions: What kind of access do fans truly need? What does a “complete” driver look like? And how can we support athletes not just as entertainers or influencers, but as people?

This doesn’t mean removing drivers from the spotlight - media and socials are interwoven into modern life now. But it does mean creating structures that respect their time, their mental health, and their right to privacy. It means recognising that the person behind the helmet is just as human as anyone else - and just as entitled to draw boundaries.

Celebrity may be part of the modern motorsport machine, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of wellbeing. We definitely hope to see Formula 1’s D&I Charter address some of these issues soon!