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Mental health in motorsport: Managing burnout when working at 100mph

In support of World Mental Health Day, we’ve explored how we manage our mental health in the workplace

Read time: 19.1 minutes

A career in motorsport is unique in that you’re working for a company you’re a fan of. Weeks are bookended by races, and Monday mornings are dictated by Sunday’s result. In a job where you can physically see the fruits of your labour bear out on track in results for your favourite team, the drive to go above and beyond comes easily. 

But it needs managing. Motorsport, by its very nature, is a fast-paced environment in which we are surrounded by high-performing individuals working at the peak of their powers. But no matter how much we love what we do, no one can sustain those levels permanently. Passion is key to working within motorsport, but it’s no substitute for sleep, rest, and an appropriate work/life balance.  

This year’s official theme for World Mental Health Day, which takes place on 10 October, is “Mental Health in the Workplace,” with a particular emphasis on burnout. In a sport with such intense physical and mental demands, we want to positively promote and support the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our people. As part of this, we spoke to some of our Mental Health First Aiders and asked them how they strike this balance and manage their mental health. 

F1 team in the garage

Having the drive to go above and beyond   

If you could give an extra 10 per cent, take on an extra task, or stay an hour longer, knowing that it could be the difference between your favourite sports team finishing first or second, you would do it, wouldn’t you?  

“We work in a high-performance industry where we all know that micro gains can be the difference, so there’s a massive driving factor to do everything you can,” says James Bligh, Design Engineer for the F1 Team. “Personally, I have found that to be very motivating.” 

Carly Cripe, People Advisor for the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team, adds: “I’m not a mechanic, nor an engineer, but it’s everyone’s job to contribute to on-track performance, and that makes me go above and beyond because when you get that win, it’s such instant, immediate gratification.”

“We love it, and that makes people want to give their absolute best, which means it can be all-encompassing”

Stephanie Ensten
Stephanie Ensten

Head of, Title Partner for NEOM McLaren Electric Racing

Knowing when to put the brakes on   

There comes a point, within everyone, when you have to concede that you’ve given as much as you physically can. It’s at this point that you experience burnout, and your extra 10 per cent becomes detrimental to the team. Recognising when you’re approaching this point and being able to put your enthusiasm aside and hit pause for the good of yourself and the team is crucial to enjoying a sustained, successful career in our amazing sport.

“We love it, and that makes people want to give their absolute best, which means it can be all-encompassing,” says Stephanie Ensten, Head of, Title Partner for NEOM McLaren Electric Racing. “It’s a tangible thing to know that you are contributing to success on the track, but it’s important not to blur your personal expectations and pressures because you’re a fan of the team, with what you’re trying to achieve. You need to be able to take that step back when you need.” 

Burnout is defined as a “state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion.” It happens gradually over an extended period when you are consistently doing more than your body can physically or mentally manage. Symptoms can be physical or mental - for example, unexplained and persistent exhaustion, reduced performance, or isolation.  

“It's a massive problem in high-performance environments, of which we are part of one,” says James on burnout. “Having balance in your work life is not only important but necessary. I've experienced burnout before, it's a loop you get stuck into.  

“You can end up suffering from burnout because your workload is too intense for a prolonged period of time. Once you’ve entered a stage of burnout, you become less productive and you miss things, but that feeling of not having completed your work is still there. So it becomes a toxic cycle of ‘I’m not there, I must keep going’, whilst taking on all that burnout throws at you at the same time.”   

Formula E garage

As part of an ongoing fine-tuning of our culture, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and his Executive Team have worked to create a high-performance, people-led environment where individuals are trusted to manage their own workloads. The team are encouraged to take breaks when it fits in with their workflow, with managers emphasising that a well-rested team will complete better work faster.   

Josh Powell, Composite Manufacturing Process Engineer for the F1 Team, says: “Any workplace will encounter stress, but F1 has a unique kind of stress attached to it because, as team members, we've got an invested interest in our performance. It’s easy to get sucked into ‘I need to be here, I need to work’, but it’s important to know when to leave work at the end of the day.  

“You can stay late, but if you’re tired, you’ll make mistakes. I’ll go home, have dinner, watch a film, and then come back the next day and be on top form. Some days, it is abundantly clear because I sit down at my desk and write a sentence that makes absolutely no sense, but it isn’t always obvious - recognising it is a process I am still working on.” 

Carly Cripe adds: “It’s hard to find that balance in sport, but I try and set boundaries and expectations for the day from a work versus life perspective. Simple things like when I will log off by, and not looking at my emails on days off. The other is my physical wellbeing - working out is my escape, it’s a form of therapy. And not just after work but during, such as locking my computer and doing a lap of our shop. Quite a few of our team do it as a group. It helps more than you would think.”

Employee at desk

Offices all over the world  

Another unique aspect of motorsport is the travel involved. For some of our team, their office is one of our factories, but for others, it can also be the race track. Working at circuits around the world is a privilege, but it comes with physical and mental strains and stresses that need to be managed.  

Our team at track are living out their dreams, but they work long hours, spend a lot of time on the move and are away from their family and friends for large periods of the year, all of which increases the risk of burnout.

“You can be away for long periods and it's hard work,” Richard Jackson, Freight Operations for the F1 Team, says. “Singapore, for example, was a very intense event - physically, because of the heat, but also because I was away for two weeks. Luckily, my wife is very understanding, and my children are used to it. You do miss things when your kids are growing up, but you’ve got to appreciate that there are sacrifices with any job - so many people would love to be in my position.  

“You learn to judge when your point of tiredness is, but after a couple of days off back home, you’re ready to go again. That, and we’ve got a dog, so if I’m away, my wife will be out with the dog. Then, the first thing we do if I get a couple of days off is have time together with the dog.” 

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We’re committed to building a sustainable future for our sport

Our travelling team are trained to deal with the strains of regular travel, being educated on performance under pressure, mental health issues, sleep and fatigue strategies, and jetlag management. They also have access to a team Psychiatrist, a team Doctor, and our Mental Health First Aiders, but there is no substitute for personal experience.  

“Over time, you get to know what your body needs,” Steph says. “Everyone is different, but for me, it’s being as prepared as possible – things like changing my watch to the time zone I’ll be travelling to as soon as I’ve boarded my flight and adjusting my eating schedules.  

“Then, in terms of being away from family and friends, I will communicate with those closest to me before I go and let them know that I’ll not be messaging as much for a period. Then, when I get back, I’ll make sure I carve out some time to decompress and catch up with those people. It’s all taken time, but it’s something that I’ve done all my career, so it’s become commonplace.” 

Team chatting

A team is like a car: if one part isn’t working, the whole vehicle suffers 

Many of our team have developed the skills to recognise burnout in themselves over the years, but others are still on that journey. We’re a team, and it’s equally important to look out for our peers and identify when they might be struggling or experiencing burnout.  

“If you’re in a leadership role, it’s important to set an example,” says Steph. “If people see a manager making space to look after themselves, then they’ll feel like they’re able to do the same. We’re only as strong as our weakest link, and it’s important to keep an eye on people and check in. Make yourself approachable, so people feel like they can come and talk to you, whether it's about work or something personal. 

Josh says: “The leadership team here are good at checking in. Once or twice a day, Ross Hood [Production Director] will walk around and speak to everybody, making sure we are all okay. And as a Mental Health First Aider, it is important to do the rounds and have those conversations, making sure people know I am there.” 

Our managers and Mental Health First Aiders have the experience and training to spot these signs, but we can all watch out for our colleagues and advise them to shut down their laptops.  

Josh continues: “I work at MRC and we are a small team, but we have created a community, and checking in with each other is paramount. Some people are happy to open up, and others don’t want to talk, but you might be able to take something off their workload to help them achieve their goals. We’re all under pressure, but what gives me comfort is knowing that I have a team behind me who I can rely and lean on. I think it’s really important to find someone in your workplace who you can confide in, so if the stress is getting to you, you have someone you can go to.” 

“Be an ear, listen to people, show they’re understood, and encourage others to do the same. Make it a constant to check in on people”

Carly Cripe
Carly Cripe

Senior Specialist, People Advisor for Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team

Carly says: “The little things can go a long way. For example, a colleague of mine has a dog and recently told me they were ill. Remembering this and asking them later how their dog is can help more than you think. Be an ear, listen to people, show they’re understood, and encourage others to do the same. Make it a constant to check in on people.” 

Richard says: “I spoke to one senior person in Singapore and asked them how they were. They asked what I meant, and I said, ‘You’re looking after the drivers and their wellbeing, but who is looking after you?’ They were quite taken aback, but I want to be able to talk to people trackside and understand what pressures they are under. The number of things people are taking on at any one time can be immense, so it is important to take that time to have a chat, go for a coffee and be understanding.” 

For James, it’s about always asking the question twice.  

“In some people, it can be really obvious if they are struggling. You can see it in their body language or their tone.” he says. “In others, it’s harder, but you may pick up on something small, and if you do, always ask how they’re doing. There’s never a bad time to ask how someone is and don’t be afraid to ask twice. It’s easy to quickly say, ‘Yeah, I’m all good’, the first time around - asking twice shows sincerity, and you’re more likely to get an honest answer.” 

“We all wear the same uniform, and it’s easy to hide behind that. Start by checking in once a month and see what difference it makes. I guarantee you that if that happened more often, people would speak up if they were struggling.” 

When you’re a motorsport fan, a victory for your team can give you a huge boost going into a new week, but when someone is struggling, results become somewhat immaterial. They will still work just as hard and remain as dedicated as ever – which is why it’s hard to notice - but they don’t connect with the highs and the lows of the results in the same way.”  

Arrow McLaren team celebrating

“I'm comfortable admitting that I struggled with my mental health massively in a previous workplace, also within motorsport,” James says. “I remember, once, there was a huge celebration the day after a win, but with my mental state at the time, I was completely detached from it. I didn't want to be there, it didn't mean anything to me.” 

“In fact, everything became more difficult to deal with as so many others around me were experiencing these highs and I just couldn’t relate. Given how well McLaren are doing now, it’s important to still recognise that some people around us may have bigger things at hand.” 

Our team have access to more than 95 Mental Health First Aiders globally. These volunteers act as a friendly first port of call for anyone struggling with their mental health, providing support and information on the next steps available.  

Our Mental Health First Aider Support Programme features a monthly mental health briefing, quarterly community calls to provide personal check-ins and in-depth resources on key topics, and confidential one-to-one support with external experts. 

“When I was struggling there, I spoke with a Mental Health First Aider and it was literally a turning point,” says James. “I knew one of them and approached them when I was in the gym - I asked if we could chat at some point. Having that chat initiated the first steps to getting help, which put me back on a good path. That is why I have become a Mental Health First Aider myself.”

If you're distressed and feeling that you're in crisis, call 999 or visit A&E if you’re at risk of harming yourself, or somebody else, or if you’re feeling suicidal. If you’re unsure if you need to go to A&E, you can also call 111 for support and guidance. You can also speak to the Samaritans, who offer free and confidential support to people in distress 24/7 by calling 116 123.