Hamilton: I wouldn't still be at Mercedes if not for Lauda
Hamilton: I wouldn't still be at Mercedes if not for Lauda
Lewis Hamilton says he may not have stuck with Mercedes throughout their dominant run in Formula 1 were it not for the support provided by Niki Lauda.
Although Hamilton has won five of the last six world drivers' championships, his defeat in the 2016 season to Nico Rosberg was played out to the backdrop of a feud between the pair that became increasingly bitter.
It was reported at the time that Hamilton had threatened to quit the team in the aftermath of the Spanish GP, which saw the Mercedes drivers crash out on the opening lap.
Lauda passed away earlier this year, having served as Mercedes' non-executive chairman and playing a crucial role in the signing of Hamilton from McLaren in 2012, as well as keeping him on the team it now appears.
Hamilton said: "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.
"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.
"I don't think this team would have had success without his support. 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] 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."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Horner outlines Ricciardo target to save F1 dream as major Newey announcement made - GPFans F1 Recap
- 1 hour ago
Mercedes reveal shock RED livery to celebrate historic milestone
- 2 hours ago
Ricciardo makes five-race admission in bid to survive F1 axe
- 3 hours ago
Red Bull is 'burning' after Horner and Marko display
- Yesterday 20:57
Red Bull announce strong statement over Newey departure claims
- Yesterday 19:57
Verstappen 'to meet Mercedes over SHOCK 2025 move as Red Bull exit clause revealed'
- Yesterday 18:57
Related news
Incredible statistic puts Verstappen AHEAD of Hamilton record
Fierce rival calls Hamilton F1's GOAT in surprise admission
Hamilton sends strong message over Gaza deaths
Former F1 chief hits out at Hamilton 'EXCUSES'
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860