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The Mercedes AMG F1 team, through the voice of its team principal Toto Wolff, paid a heartfelt tribute to the team's Chairman, Niki Lauda, who passed away on Monday evening.
"First of all, on behalf of the team and all at Mercedes, I wish to send our deepest condolences to Birgit, Niki's children, his family and close friends," said Wolff.
"Niki will always remain one of the greatest legends of our sport - he combined heroism, humanity and honesty inside and outside the cockpit.
"His passing leaves a void in Formula One. We haven't just lost a hero who staged the most remarkable comeback ever seen, but also a man who brought precious clarity and candour to modern Formula One. He will be greatly missed as our voice of common sense.
"Our Mercedes team has also lost a guiding light. As a team-mate over the past six and a half years, Niki was always brutally honest - and utterly loyal.
"It was a privilege to count him among our team and moving to witness just how much it meant to him to be part of the team's success.
"Whenever he walked the floor in Brackley and Brixworth, or delivered one of his famous motivational speeches, he brought an energy that nobody else could replicate.
"Niki, you are quite simple irreplaceable, there will never be another like you.
"It was our honour to call you our Chairman - and my privilege to call you my friend."
Holy crap just read the article yesterday morning that he would not be rejoining the team this year due to more complications. Can't believe he passed just a short time later.
Three-time Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda died on May 20, 2019, and exactly one year on, Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton has paid tribute to his mentor and colleague.
Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Toto Wolff and other Mercedes team members have shared some of their memories of the man who played such a big part in their lives and success.
Lewis Hamilton – ‘I have only the greatest memories with Niki’
"Niki is someone who I miss and who I think we all miss dearly. It is a difficult subject to talk about; someone you are so fond of and someone that ultimately the world has lost but I have only the greatest memories with Niki.
"Probably the most fond memories I have are from my first conversations. We started talking some time in 2012 and I just remember being home during the day, having a call from Niki and he is trying to convince me to come to the team. It was very cool to have a call from a world champion and an icon like Niki.
"He was such a positive, funny, entertaining guy, he always had the greatest stories to tell. He was a natural born racer. He was always thinking about how we can improve. The greatest sign from Niki was if you did the job, he would take off his hat. That was for him saying: ‘Well done!’
"We would talk often after the races and he would be asking things like: ‘Hey, Lewis, what do you need to be better? What do you need?’ He was always chasing.
"If I was to learn anything from him it would be that. As a driver and within a team you naturally have to work together but you have to lead it. You have to lead the team, you have to ask the questions, you have to really dig deep and push everybody.
"I am grateful for the opportunity and forever love Niki. I know he is with us every race in spirit."
Toto Wolff – ‘The way that he coped with adversity is something I really admired’
“What did I learn from Niki? So much. From a personal standpoint it is to never give up. Don’t ask for understanding, just get things done. Niki never complained. He was somebody that would be in pain and go through struggle, but he just sorted it out.
“The adversity that was thrown at him and the way that he coped with it is something that I really admired. Through the years our relationship developed and I think we learned a lot from each other because we were so different but his input and him being a sparring partner and a sounding board and most important a friend that would be with me in that in a hostile environment is something that I tremendously miss.”
Valtteri Bottas – ‘Niki inspired me just by giving his support’
“From Niki I learned to always trust your talent, never doubt it, to really always remind yourself that you should not doubt your driving style, the way you do your things in the car. I also learned from him not to let your head get too down from disappointments and how to recover from them quicker and to look forward to more positive times.
“Niki inspired me just by giving his support always when I needed it. He was the person that inspired me in the difficult times, he was always there with his support, for me to bounce back and to remind myself why I am doing this and that I am good enough to do it. He was very good at that.”
Mercedes Technical Director James Allison – ‘He was about looking ahead’
“Niki is someone who’s life was huge, bold, sweeping and brave and big enough to fill 10 autobiographies. Yet he didn’t spend any time talking either about himself or reliving past glories.
“He was about looking ahead, he was much, much more interested in engaging with us about the challenges the team faced and the opportunities that lay ahead of us and he was a massive, massive friend to our team.
“He was our Chairman. He was equally adept in the board room and with the fans. He would represent us with F1 and the FIA. He would spend time with the press always representing us at the highest level. And he is a big part, an important part why the cupboards are stuffed full of silverware both at Brackley and at Brixworth.”
Mercedes engine chief Andy Cowell – ‘I learned so much from him’
“Niki Lauda: A Formula 1 legend and an amazing colleague, an amazing person to learn from, to learn about having true determination, good focus, to achieve amazing things. Through 2013 he visited the factory frequently to help us stay focussed and solve problems.
“When he arrived everybody paid attention, everybody would listen to his words of advice. Simple words of advice and you take away the key things that we need to do and he would remind us of those.
“He often reminded me of the numbers that I had told him. He had a keen sense of memory for those bits of detail.
"I have learned so much from Niki. He is a person that I am proud that I have known and taken lots of advice from over the years. Thank you, Niki."
I was at the 1974 Canadian Grand Prix where Niki was leading most of the race. Unfortunately, he spun out at Moss Corner a few laps from the end. Emerson Fittipaldi got the win.
Back then you could walk through pit lane without a pass. I grabbed a rear F1 wheel and it weighed nothing and today, likely even less.
I got a few personal photos of Niki when a friend I know in Austria was talking flying lessons at the same time. He was sitting in a bar drinking a beer and a few others photos. Next time I am there, I'll visit his grave just as I have for the Porsche family members buried at their private residence in Zell am See, Austria.
Pretty interesting relationship between Ferrari and Lauda
What I admire the most about Niki is his determination. His ability to take off-track risks (he got no money from his family to race).
Then being in that accident and to think he could have won that year.
And to start up his airline business.
Maybe there are many others I do not know about, but I believe Niki and MS were best at setting up a car; not just driving it. Many come to a team with a car that is pretty well set-up and reliable.
What I admire the most about Niki is his determination. His ability to take off-track risks (he got no money from his family to race).
Then being in that accident and to think he could have won that year.
And to start up his airline business.
Maybe there are many others I do not know about, but I believe Niki and MS were best at setting up a car; not just driving it. Many come to a team with a car that is pretty well set-up and reliable.
Yeah, Lauda was very special in his drive and determination on and off the track with all his endeavors. I would also add Alain Prost to the list on setting up cars being among the best.
FWIW, you'll probably enjoy the special story on how Niki and Enzo made up a decade after their acrimonious split.
05-20-2019, 08:55 PM
Champion
Idiocy I reckon
