He is an F1 legend who Lewis Hamilton once referred to as his ‘mentor’ after winning two titles with Ferrari

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Lewis Hamilton is looking to bring title success back to Ferrari after the team has suffered a drought that has lasted 18 years.

Ferrari came close to winning the Constructors’ Championship in 2024 after going head-to-head with McLaren, but it was the papaya squad that prevailed after a strong season.

The Maranello-based squad is now in its longest-ever title win drought, with it being likened to their gap between the 1964 and 1975 which was broken by Niki Lauda.

Lauda’s success for Ferrari began in 1974, when he took his first victory with them at the Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama in the Ferrari 312B3.

Niki Lauda wins first F1 race with Ferrari in 1974

The success of the 312B3 was down to an engineer called Mauro Forghieri, who Enzo Ferrari personally put in charge of heading the technical department at the time.

Much of the modifications Forghieri made to Ferrari’s current challenger were designed to fully centralise the car’s mass, making it more agile through the corners.

Ferrari also worked hard over the winter to produce an engine that had more power than the highly successful Cosworth DFV V8, with their engine producing 20bhp more but carrying a weight penalty of 15kg.

Lauda would go on to score nine poles with their car in 1974, following up with a first victory in Spain and another in Zandvoort, while teammate Clay Regazzoni won at the Nurburgring.

His first victory in Spain came in tricky conditions as rain hit the track in the first 19 laps, causing Lauda to drop behind Ronnie Peterson at the start. But a quick pit stop from Ferrari enabled Lauda to retake the lead, eventually leading Ragazzoni home for a Ferrari 1-2 finish.

It would be the start of a renaissance for Ferrari, with Lauda eventually going on to win the title in 1975 and again in 1977 with the 312T.

Lewis Hamilton referred to Niki Lauda as a ‘mentor’ and dedicated sixth title to him

There are a lot of connotations of Lauda’s story with Ferrari to Hamilton’s current journey, with the seven-time world champion having to deal with an inferior car in 2025.

Hamilton is struggling with the braking systems in the SF-25, but is hopeful they can produce a better car for the 2026 regulation reset.

Having worked with Lauda when he was at Mercedes, Hamilton once referred to him as his ‘mentor’ having grew close, and even dedicated his sixth title to the Austrian.

“This season is for Niki Lauda, my incredible friend and mentor, who we lost this year, who proved that courage and determination go hand in hand,” said Hamilton on X (formerly Twitter).

Lauda’s influence on Hamilton will not be lost as he goes through this tough period at Ferrari, while the fairytale story of him finding success at Ferrari and ending their title drought continues.