Toto Wolff, Helmut Marko and former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger were all honoured at the NIKI Awards at the Sporthilfe gala in Vienna on Wednesday. The prize is named after Austrian motorsport icon Niki Lauda, who won three Formula One World Championships during his legendary career.
Lauda played a key role in establishing Mercedes as a powerhouse of modern F1, working alongside Wolff and later Lewis Hamilton as the Silver Arrows aced the start of the turbo-hybrid era and started a run of eight consecutive Constructors’ Championship trophies.
The former Ferrari, Brabham and McLaren racer died in 2019, aged 70, but left behind a considerable legacy. He has since been honoured with an annual award, presented at the Lotteries Sports Aid Gala in Austria.
Wolff, Marko and Berger all received Special Awards at the gala at Vienna Stadthalle earlier this week, with the recognitions presented by Mathias and Lukas, Lauda’s two sons. The ceremony itself recognises the best Austrian sportspeople of the previous 12 months.
One year after Lauda’s passing, Wolff paid tribute to his close friend. “What did I learn from Niki? So much,” the Mercedes team principal explained. “From a personal standpoint, it is to never give up. Don’t ask for understanding, just get things done.
“Niki never complained. He was somebody that would be in pain and go through struggle, but he just sorted it out. The adversity that was thrown at him and the way that he coped with it is something that I really admired.
“Through the years, our relationship developed, and I think we learned a lot from each other because we were so different, but his input and him being a sparring partner and a sounding board and most important, a friend that would be with me in a hostile environment is something that I tremendously miss.”
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Lauda’s impact was also felt heavily by Hamilton, who looked up to the three-time world champion as a mentor and role model. “We would talk often after the races,” the Brit said in 2020.
“And he would be asking things like: ‘Hey, Lewis, what do you need to be better? What do you need?’ He was always chasing. If I was to learn anything from him it would be that. As a driver and within a team, you naturally have to work together, but you have to lead it.
“You have to lead the team, you have to ask the questions, you have to really dig deep and push everybody. I am grateful for the opportunity and forever love Niki. I know he is with us every race in spirit.”