Media: The Double-Edged Sword for Motorsport Athletes

Media exposure is crucial for attracting and retaining sponsors in a sport that relies heavily on sponsorships and revenue, but this spotlight can sometimes be overwhelming for athletes.

By: Isabel Tay

The media obligations of motorsport athletes, especially for the pinnacle ones like Formula 1 and MotoGP, tend to be extensive. Some of this includes team and sponsor commitments, pre- and post-race conferences, post-qualifying interviews and post-race debriefs.

Drivers understand that these are inevitable due to the nature of the sport and thus accept it. However, it can get overwhelming when the media is overbearing or insensitive. Given the importance extensive media obligations, it is important to understand their impact on athletes' mental health.

A literature review was conducted by Ng et al. (2023) on the media’s impacts on athletes’ mental health. They examined previous studies that highlighted the impact of both traditional and social media on athletes' mental health, interpreting the experiences of athletes with regards to media interactions.

Their study highlighted that media can have both positive and negative effects on athletes' mental health:

Impact Type	Description
Negative Impacts	Increased pressure and scrutiny: Constant media attention can create stress and anxiety due to high expectations and continuous performance evaluation.
Distorted self-image: Unrealistic media portrayals can cause athletes to feel inadequate, leading to low self-esteem and mental health challenges.
Positive Impacts	Increased visibility and recognition: Media exposure can boost an athlete's confidence by publicly acknowledging their achievements and hard work.
Support from fans and communities: Positive media coverage can create a strong support network, enhancing an athlete’s sense of belonging and wellbeing.

Actionable Tips for Motorsport Athletes

The following are ways you can manage media's impact on your performance and use it to your advantage.

• Attend media training.

  You can attend training to better handle pressures and obligations of media interactions. Media training can help you communicate effectively and manage the stress associated with media exposure.

  
  

• Set healthy boundaries with media and social platforms.

  Designating media-free times or curating your online environment can protect mental health and reduce comparison-based stress.

  
  

• Create a personal support system.

  Forming your own support network—friends, mentors, mental health professionals—can provide guidance and emotional reinforcement when dealing with stress or criticism.

Reference: Ng, T., Sanders, H., Merrill, S., & Faustin, M. (2023). Media’s effect on athletes’ mental health. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 43(1), 187-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csm.2023.06.022