Wolff misses Lauda: “I would have liked to benefit from his opinion” in 2020

Alone at the head of the flagship Mercedes en Formula 1 for the death of the non-executive President of L’Étoile, Niki Lauda, ​​in May 2019, Toto wolff split the armor in an interview for the official F1 magazine (in English) on the relationship he had with the three-time Austrian world champion.

« In 2019, I was almost in shock after his death, I just continued (doing my job). I only realized (his disappearance) at the end of the season that my old friend was no longer in this world. My travel partner and confidant was gone, he declares.

The balance we established played a huge role in my life. We would fly to Grands Prix together, talk a lot, and have every dinner together during a race weekend.

When I arrived at the hotel restaurant around 20 p.m., I saw him sitting on his iPad, and he explained to me that he had been bored for a good hour. He left the track around 16 or 17 p.m. »

Niki Lauda also provided him with important support in crucial management moments. « There were situations this year where I would have liked to benefit from his advice. But oddly enough, when I ask myself internally “what would you have done, Niki? ”, the answer comes to me instantly because he was so direct. He would always say to me, with aplomb: “I think you should do it this way…”. »