Niki Lauda has withdrawn comments which he made during a television talk show interview conducted by Roger Benoit on Servus TV, which was recorded prior to the Austrian Grand Prix. The comments hinted at some of the tensions behind the scenes at Mercedes.
Lauda is a former Formula One World Championship winner who took the championship title in 1975, 1977 and in 1984. The Austrian is famous for his rivalry with James Hunt and his nearly fatal accident in the 1976 German Grand Prix which caused severe burns. Lauda currently holds a position as non-executive chairman for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team.
One of the comments which Lauda has backpedaled was the highly publicized story regarding Lewis Hamilton trashing his room in Baku. When asked about speculations that the defending World Drivers’ Champion had destroyed his room after qualifying for the European Grand Prix, the former Austrian Formula One legend confirmed the rumors. He said that Hamilton had trashed his room out of rage after his mistake that was made during qualifying.
Lauda also suggested that Hamilton had lied during an interview for the Daily Mail when asked about the state of his relationship with Nico Rosberg, saying that things between the pair were not as positive as Hamilton had said. This is understandable, given the large egos of both drivers and all of the things that have unfolded this season.
In a statement sent to Racing Clothesline by the Mercedes, the team formally retracted Niki Lauda’s comments, adding: “Niki regrets any misunderstanding caused by comments that have been blown wildly out of proportion compared with the casual context in which they were made.”
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