Button says even Hamilton and Verstappen doubt

Jenson Button says insecurity runs through Formula 1 regardless of status, with even Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen still vulnerable to the kind of self-doubt that can shape a driver’s performance and state of mind.

Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, the 2009 Formula 1 world champion argued that uncertainty is not limited to struggling drivers or those fighting to establish themselves. “As drivers, we're flawed. We are insecure, and that will go for any driver,” Button said.

He pointed to Hamilton as a recent example, recalling a radio exchange from last year at Ferrari. “When I hear Lewis Hamilton on the radio last year at Ferrari, when he asks a question, and they don't come back to him, he's like, ‘Have I done something wrong?’” Button said. “It's like, you're a seven-time world champion. The confidence you should have is out of this world. But insecurities creep in.”

Button said Verstappen is not exempt either. Asked directly whether the Red Bull driver has similar doubts, he replied: “Yes, I still think there's an insecurity there.” He said that mindset often comes from drivers reducing everything to their most recent run, rather than their wider record, leading to thoughts such as: “I'm not good enough. I was two-tenths behind my team-mate.”

For Button, that pattern helps explain why raw speed alone is never enough in Formula 1. He described the pressure drivers place on themselves as “enormous” and said it can push talented competitors into damaging mental territory. “It's crazy, and the pressure you put yourself under is enormous, and that's why you see so many drivers fail in the sport, even though they have the talent,” he said. “Mentally, they're just in a really dark place.”

He believes part of the problem is cultural. Drivers still tend to treat vulnerability as a weakness, which leaves those doubts unspoken and unresolved. “We think of it as a weakness, so we don't talk about it,” Button said, adding that refusing to let people in becomes “the biggest issue because then you never get over those insecurities.”

That is why Button singled out Lando Norris for taking a different approach. He said Norris’s willingness to speak publicly about mental health over the past few years stands out in a paddock that usually keeps those struggles hidden. “That's what's amazed me with Lando, the way he's been outspoken over the last couple of years on mental health,” Button said. “Really, really good, and I think that gives you a lot of strength.”