Lauda vows to watch the action in intensive care

NIKI LAUDA will watch Lewis Hamilton’s drive for his fifth world title on TV in the intensive care unit of Vienna General Hospital.

The Austrian, who is nonexecutive chairman of the Mercedes team, is recovering after having lung transplant surgery at the beginning of August.

He rang Hamilton earlier in the week. ‘Niki sounds younger than ever,’ claimed the champion. The 69-year-old is also in regular contact with his great friend Bernie Ecclestone, the former Formula One chief.

Ecclestone told the Sportsmail: ‘Niki has got over the kidney and liver complications that showed up after the operation, but he ran into other problems that were not life-threatening but were unpleasant.

‘He is still in intensive care and is not expected to be out of there in four to six weeks. He phoned to see how I was, which is the sort of person Niki is. He doesn’t deserve this.’