THIS HAS HIT US HARD

Lewis gets day off as team mourn Mercedes mentor

LEWIS HAMILTON’S grief over the death of his idol Niki Lauda has threatened to hamper his Monaco Grand Prix preparations. The world champion was due to appear on stage in Monte Carlo yesterday alongside Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo and Robert Kubica.

But following the death of Mercedes supremo Lauda at the age of 70 on Monday, the team agreed with the FIA – Formula One’s governing body – to excuse him from his media commitments. Silver Arrows team-mate Valtteri Bottas was told at the last minute to attend the pre-race press conference instead.

And the Finn said: “Niki was a big part of the Mercedes family.

“He was a massive motivation for myself as a driver for everything he achieved and the difficult career he had.

“It is not nice in terms of a mindset to the team, but I am sure we can respect Niki by going flat out on track and getting a good result this weekend.”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who used to travel to races with his Austrian compatriot, was also excused from his planned media session.

The reigning constructors’ world champions arrived in Monaco having secured a record five successive one-two results.

Five-time world champion Hamilton, having won three of the opening five races, leads Bottas by seven points in the drivers’ standings.

But their preparations have been clouded by the tragic death of the three-time world champion who has been a virtual ever-present in the paddock for five decades.

Lauda was appointed nonexecutive chairman of Mercedes in 2012 and convinced Hamilton to sign from Mclaren.

The Briton has since won four titles with the team and Mercedes are on course to record an unprecedented sixth consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ championships in 2019.