Lewis Hamilton says the domination he and Mercedes have enjoyed wouldn’t have happened without the influence of Niki Lauda.
The three-time Formula 1 champion passed away last May following a battle with illness having undergone a lung transplant in the summer of 2018.
In the final active years of his life, Lauda worked in the role of non-executive chairman at Mercedes and it was he who pushed for the team to sign Hamilton from McLaren after Michael Schumacher retired at the end of 2012.
Commenting about the loss of the Austrian at the end of last year, the six-time champion revealed just how strong the impact of his death remained.
“I miss getting the texts. I miss sharing those videos, and I still have a lot of our conversations and every now and then I revisit it,” Hamilton said.
“But again, without his support, I probably wouldn’t have made the switch to come to this team. Without his support, I wouldn’t still be with this team.”
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The Briton also spoke of the huge influence Lauda had on Mercedes as one of the driving forces that got the team to where it is today.
“I don’t think this team would have had success without his support,” Lewis stated. “Going to the board, pushing and breaking their balls. That is what he was the best at.
“But also being real with me. Being the bridge between Toto [Wolff], who was a racing driver, and the board, who were not racing drivers, to have a real champion who understands and empathises with how difficult it is to deliver weekend in weekend out.
“That is where he has been such a great, great pillar for me. So I miss him a lot.”
After the loss of Lauda, Mercedes may face a challenge keeping the rest of their dynasty together after 2020, with both Hamilton and Wolff out of contract at the end of this year and mixed messages on whether both will stay or move on.