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mathias lauda on problems for mercedes and verstappen favourite imola

Mercedes in crisis: This is how Niki Lauda would have solved the problems

16 May at 20:00
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  • Ludo van Denderen

Next week marks the fifth anniversary of Niki Lauda's death at the age of 70. Until his death, the Austrian was the advisor to Mercedes. The team dominated Formula 1 during their partnership with Lauda. Since 2022, Red Bull Racing has been the dominant force in Formula 1, and Mercedes have dropped backwards. According to Mathias Lauda, the son of the two-time world champion, the problems would've been solved if his father was still with the team.

Mathias Lauda, himself a racing driver, explains in conversation with OE24 how his father had solved the crisis at Mercedes: "He would have irritated his people for as long as he could, until they figured out why the car was not working. He just wouldn't have given up and got stuck into the smallest details," the Austrian believes.

Lauda junior does not expect a Mercedes victory at Imola this weekend. If he had to put money on someone, it would be Max Verstappen: "If they have a weekend without problems, Max will be hard to beat. But the others are also coming with updates—I also expect a strong Ferrari."

Lauda junior: 'Dad, I look more and more like you'

So now it has been almost five years since Lauda's death. Mathias says he still misses his father every day: "He's always there - whether I'm listening to a song that reminds me of him or thinking about how he was in life. I am also getting older, and I also have many of his traits," Mathias says.