Niki Lauda. The man defined Formula one in the 70s and early 80s. The man defied all odds after his fiery Nurburgring crash to come back and win championships again. And after all that, the man, alongside Toto Wolff, redefined what the word ‘dominance’ meant when he led Mercedes and their charge to unprecedented history in F1’s turbo-hybrid era.
It isn’t every day that you get the opportunity to pay homage to such a legend of the sport. Hence, when Mercedes got the opportunity, they paid tribute to Niki Lauda in the best way possible. As of yesterday, the road that leads into the Brackley factory of the team is now called ‘Lauda Drive’.
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The Austrian driver was a stalwart of the sport. Fast as anybody, and with a philosophical approach to his racing, he cemented himself as one of the greatest champions in the annals of Formula 1 history. It was only proper that he was felicitated by a team where Lauda played his final masterstroke as an F1 genius.
Fans react as Mercedes pays touching tribute to the late Niki Lauda
Mercedes took to Twitter to share the news that the road into their factory had been renamed as ‘Lauda Driver’. They wrote, “The road at the heart of our home in Brackley has been renamed ‘Lauda Drive’, continuing Niki’s legacy for many years to come.”
Let’s take a look at just a few of the fan reactions to this touching tribute to a true legend of the sport.
The road at the heart of our home in Brackley has been renamed 'Lauda Drive', continuing Niki's legacy for many years to come. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/kxQDQsMMql
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) November 30, 2022
This is lovely. Mercedes held a small ceremony yesterday to rename the road into its factory Lauda Drive in memory of Niki #F1 pic.twitter.com/MIgeC45Zau
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) November 30, 2022
love to see it https://t.co/zg79SL1N2k
— Dominik Heimbuchner (@DHeimbuchner) November 30, 2022
— R.F.E. (@RFElistener) November 30, 2022
Toto Wolff himself said a few words about his friend at the ceremony. He said, “He was a massive contributor to our success, a great sparring partner for me and a strong non-executive chairman, who we miss dearly. I wish he was still here as my friend and as a chairman, because there would have been many questions I’d have liked to ask him this year.”
— ik! (@iksilva) November 30, 2022
The road at the heart of our home in Brackley has been renamed 'Lauda Drive', continuing Niki's legacy for many years to come. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/kxQDQsMMql
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) November 30, 2022
Class https://t.co/jJ0iW7DZs1
— Edward D. Elric (@SieurVroom) November 30, 2022
Love this #f1 #lauda https://t.co/ao4wt53dir
— David (@chadderreal123) November 30, 2022
— DNF1 (@dnf1_official) November 30, 2022
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Pure class ❤️
— pauline macdonald (@princessmacd) November 30, 2022
Miss him so much ❤️🫶🏽 https://t.co/tIHs7IzcUC
— sinem (@hercindyys) November 30, 2022
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Lauda meant a lot of things to F1 fans. His determination, his skill, and talent and everything he did in his life have made him an inspiration for fans around the globe. But what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about Niki Lauda?