London (AFP)
Six-time Formula 1 world champion Briton Lewis Hamilton said on Wednesday that Austrian F1 legend Niki Lauda, who died a year ago, was "in (his) mind in every race".
Lauda, triple F1 world champion, died on May 20, 2019 at the age of 70, nine months after undergoing a lung transplant.
The Austrian, who was non-executive chairman of the Mercedes F1 team, had played a decisive role in convincing Lewis Hamilton to leave McLaren where he had been world champion in 2008, and to join Mercedes in 2013. The British driver won this other five titles with this team (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019).
"Niki convinced me to be part of a team that, at the time, had the potential to achieve success. I am grateful to her and I will love Niki forever," said Hamilton in a video released on Wednesday. .
"(Lauda) is on my mind with every race," added Hamilton.
"The best memories I have are probably from our first conversations. We started chatting in 2012 and I remember receiving a call from Niki while I was at home. He was trying to convince me to join the team, "continued Hamilton.
"It was very cool to have a call from a world champion and an icon like Niki," he concluded.
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