Toto Wolff once recalled what Niki Lauda had that ‘no one else’ could bring to difficult meetings at Mercedes

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Niki Lauda was an integral part of the success of Mercedes during the opening era of the turbo-hybrid days of Formula 1, with team boss Toto Wolff noting the characteristics that made Lauda such an unstoppable force both on and off the track.

The Austrian was appointed as the non-executive chairman for the Silver Arrows during the middle of the 2012 season, and wasted no time in making his mark on the team as Lauda’s persuasion saw Lewis Hamilton sign for Mercedes that same year.

Hamilton proved to be one of the most formidable drivers in Formula 1 history during his 12-year collaboration with Mercedes, winning six drivers’ titles between 2014 and 2020.

However, not everything was rosy for the British driver. The opening years of his stint with Mercedes were marked by a fierce rivalry between him and childhood friend Nico Rosberg.

Hamilton and Rosberg frequently butted heads as they both wanted the glory at the drop of the chequered flag. Unfortunately for the German, the seven-time world champion often emerged victorious in those situations.

READ MORE: He is the F1 driver who considered Niki Lauda his greatest rival and once won a race from 22nd on the grid

Toto Wolff noted the ‘credibility’ Niki Lauda had due to his experiences as a Formula 1 driver

Things would often reach a boiling point during the fierce rivalry, and team boss Toto Wolff often relied on Lauda to take the emotional side out of things to come to a conclusion.

In a 2020 revision of Lauda’s 1986 autobiography, To Hell and Back, a postscript by Kevin Eason detailed stories from those close to the three-time world champion during his final years as advisor to the Brackley-based racing outfit.

Wolff was one of those who shared a story or two, describing the status that Lauda had within the team that was impossible for him to replicate, saying, “It was good cop, bad cop. I had to be tough, but Lewis respected Niki because of what he had achieved.

“Lewis knew that Niki thought like a driver and I would often ask Niki for advice, how a driver would think, before we went into these difficult meetings.

“Niki had a credibility that no one else could bring to the discussions. There was also a bond between Lewis and Niki, something they didn’t talk about, but you knew it was there.”

READ MORE: Niki Lauda privately called four-win F1 driver a future world champion before he’d even made his debut

Former Mercedes director Paddy Lowe outlined a key ‘strength’ of Niki Lauda during discussions with F1 drivers

The bond between the two world champions wasn’t just something that Wolff saw; it was echoed by the sentiments of many key members of the Mercedes team who were so successful at the start of the turbo-hybrid era.

Former executive director of the Silver Arrows, Paddy Lowe, noted, “Lewis would listen to Niki more than anyone else because he was a three-time world champion, and Lewis knew what he had been through. Niki’s strength was that he was talking to the drivers on their level and could make them see sense.”

It’s no surprise that Lauda was able to turn his experiences as a driver into being an advisor to one of the most successful teams in the history of the sport.

Jacques Villeneuve believes Lauda was a better champion than Michael Schumacher, due to the fact that the Austrian driver usually had to fend for himself when things went south.