Sergio Perez believes that social media has become "too much" in recent times, both for sportspeople and the general population. The Red Bull driver admits that the applications can offer a positive way to connect with fans, but thinks it is important to have limits on how much they are used. "I think social media has become too much in the last couple of years," Perez told The Edge podcast from team sponsor TAG-Heuer. "And I don't think just for sportsmen, even for normal people. The amount of time that we spend on it during a day is just, I think, unacceptable. So I'm not a big fan of it, I have to say. "I think it's a great tool, as a sportsman, to engage with your fans, with your brands, but it has to be a limit and a balance. "So yeah, I think it's important to make sure you control the amount of time [using social media] as well, not just as a sportsman, as a human being. To make sure you control the time you dedicate [to it] and try to minimise it."
How to drown out the noise ahead of an F1 race
As well as limiting exposure to social media away from the track, Perez feels that he is able to switch off any outside noise as soon as the visor comes down at the start of a Grand Prix. This is especially important for the Mexican at his home event, where he is usually the star attraction. When asked whether he practises mindfulness to get into the zone, or whether this is something that just comes naturally, Perez explained: "I think it's something that comes to you naturally. "And by experiencing other Mexican races, for example. At the end of the day, yeah, the people are there to cheer you and to support you, and no matter what result you will have, they will be there. "But the most important and the best way you can make them happy is to perform at your very best. And to do that, I feel like you have to disconnect. "There can be a lot of noise out there, but once you close the visor, there's zero noise, or once you have to fully focus into it, there has to be absolutely zero noise. "It's not easy to reach, but when I look back to it, I even surprise myself. When I watch the race on TV and so on, it's like, 'How was I able to disconnect from all this support, from all these people cheering me?' It wasn't an easy one." In general, though, Perez does not watch his F1 races back. "Only the races [where] I do well, I watch," he admits. "When I do bad, I don't like watching them. I just learn from it and move on."
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