Mercedes "shares are not with us" says Mathias Lauda

Niki Lauda's stake in the Mercedes Formula One team has been returned to Stuttgart as per the wishes of the triple world champion following his passing in May 2019.

Niki Lauda lived and breathed Formula One, working within the paddock to the last. Following his successful driving career, Lauda embarked on several business ventures before becoming a part of the Mercedes factory F1 effort.

Credited on many occasions by Lewis Hamilton as being the man who convinced him to leave McLaren and join the German manufacturer.

Lauda became an integral part of the Mercedes team in his role as a consultant. The Austrian also owned ten percent of the team, a stake which his son Mathias Lauda says has reverted back to the team.

"Motorsport was my father's life, he won the F1 world championship three times without help from family for good reason," Lauda told La Gazzetta Dello Sport. "He was also successful in the business world. Years ago I saw in a contract that his shares are not with us as a family "The investment in Mercedes is going back to Stuttgart instead."

Reflecting on life without his father, Lauda added, "I have become much more mature, and I had to. I often still cannot believe that he is no longer there and I miss him enormously. But old things must now be dealt with."

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