Hamilton pays tribute to "partner in crime" Lauda
F1 News
Lewis Hamilton has described Niki Lauda as his “Partner in crime” following qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix, as Hamilton gave an insight into the pair’s relationship.
Niki Lauda sadly passed away at the age of 70 earlier in the week and the sporting world has been paying tribute to the great three-time World Champion.
Hamilton qualified on pole for the Monaco Grand Prix after a dramatic shoot-out in the principality and he’ll be joined on the front row by Valtteri Bottas. The five-time World Champion was excused from media duties earlier in the week but paid tribute to Lauda, the man he attributed to bringing him to Mercedes.
“I really believed that vision, but Niki was the one who pulled me over,” said Hamilton.
“In all these years he has been pretty much my partner in crime in all negotiations and the search for improvements for the car.
“He was still a racer, although he no longer raced himself.
“If you indicated that the front suspension or the downforce could be better, he went to the factory to tackle them a lot. In the end, he was part of the process that changed my life.”