[PapaofGags]

https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/3303/...-comeback/

Lauda sets date for F1 comeback

Niki Lauda has planned to stun the Formula 1 paddock by returning from a lung transplant as early as the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Bernie Ecclestone has revealed. Lauda spent almost three months in intensive care after undergoing emergency surgery which doctors believe saved him from certain death.

Lauda fell ill while on holiday in Spain and was later taken to hospital in Vienna, where he underwent the operation.
Doctors later revealed that Lauda would have died within days if he had not undergone the transplant.
The three-time F1 champion was released from hospital last month, but Vienna General Hospital said in a statement that his rehabilitation would remain "intensive"

The Austrian has been much missed in the paddock, especially at Mercedes where he had served as non-executive chairman since 2012.
Team principal Toto Wolff said after his release from hospital: "I wouldn't be surprised if he has set himself targets to come back quickly."

And after a phonecall with the Austrian, Ecclestone has confirmed that Wolff's suspicions were correct.
Ecclestone claimed to Blick that Lauda had told him: "My secret plan is to reappear at the season finale in Abu Dhabi."

The former F1 supremo added: "It's incredible what Niki has to go through. He did not deserve it.

"He said to me, he just wanted to contact me again, he is doing well with the circumstances. [He said:] 'I feel much better already. I just have to take a lot of pills and I have to be disciplined.'"

Having been at home for just over two weeks, it is highly likely that Lauda will be advised not to travel to Abu Dhabi in two weeks' time, but we all know that Niki does his own thing..!

[morini]

https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/3303/...-comeback/

Lauda sets date for F1 comeback

Legend!

Never was much of a fan back in the day (being a James Hunt fan). But Niki has grown on me a lot over the years. A proper F1 character who has earned his right to say what the fuck he wants. <unlike that bell end Marko>

[PapaofGags]

https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/3303/...-comeback/

Lauda sets date for F1 comeback

Legend!

Never was much of a fan back in the day (being a James Hunt fan). But Niki has grown on me a lot over the years. A proper F1 character who has earned his right to say what the fuck he wants. <unlike that bell end Marko>

Agree bud, same with me, I as you know was also a big fan of James,  "But Niki has grown on me a lot over the years. A proper F1 character who has earned his right to say what the fuck he wants." 

Simply an F1 legend, big fan of the man as well as the driver.

[PapaofGags]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTBHrMqLD3o

Don't unlap yourself against Ayrton.   

Video 2m 24s

[Antilochos]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTBHrMqLD3o

Don't unlap yourself against Ayrton.   

Video 2m 24s

Or Piquet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCPAKVm7-po

Considering this, Verstappen is a pussy.

[PapaofGags]

https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/3414/...abu-dhabi/

Niki Lauda is "determined" to make it to the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has revealed, despite his inability to walk as he continues to recover from lung transplant. Marko revealed that Lauda has enlisted the services of a doctor to ensure that he can celebrate another successful Mercedes season at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Lauda fell ill while on holiday in Spain and was later taken to hospital in Vienna, where he underwent the operation.
Doctors later revealed that Lauda would have died within days if he had not undergone the transplant.
The three-time F1 champion was released from hospital last month, but Vienna General Hospital said in a statement that his rehabilitation would remain "intensive".

The Austrian has been much missed in the paddock, especially at Mercedes where he had served as non-executive chairman since 2012.

However, Bernie Ecclestone recently revealed that Lauda has set a target of making it to Abu Dhabi and Marko has explained how it will be done.

"I talked to Niki. And he is determined to make his comeback in Abu Dhabi," Marko told Blick. "He has already organized a doctor to accompany him!
"At the moment, Niki cannot even manage a step without help. He could not even hold a walker.
"But we know him. When he sets a goal, he goes for it mercilessly. As in 1976 after the fire accident on the Nurburgring. His burned body cried out in pain for rest, relaxation and patience.

"We know after 40 days he trained in Monza in a Ferrari. After 42 days he finished fourth at the Italian Grand Prix.
"It was one of the biggest comebacks in sports history. And that's why I trust Niki in everything.
"The madness will accompany him to Abu Dhabi!"

[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/general/news/...l/4300710/

European Formula 3 champion Mick Schumacher will contest the 2019 Race of Champions, reprising his seven-time Formula 1 champion father Michael's Team Germany partnership with Sebastian Vettel.

The elder Schumacher and Vettel teamed up to win the RoC's Nations Cup element for six straight years from 2007-12.

"I'm honoured to enter this competition which my father always loved and in which he set the bar very high together with Sebastian," said Mick Schumacher.

[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/lauda...t/4302961/

Lauda vows to be back "soon" in first video message.

Niki Lauda has vowed to return to his Formula 1 role "soon", after sending out a first video message since recovering from a lung transplant.

The three-time F1 world champion, who is non-executive chairman at Mercedes, was taken ill earlier this year and had to undergo major surgery that left him in a serious condition.

Having left hospital last month there had been some talk of him being well enough to travel to Abu Dhabi this weekend for the F1 season finale, but in the end he has elected to remain at home.

However, in a video message that was posted on the Mercedes team’s Instagram account on Saturday, Lauda thanked fans for the support they had given him – and he was convinced he would be back to help Mercedes in its quest for a sixth consecutive world title.

“As you all know I had a rough time from my health point of view and the support I got from all you people on my way was unbelievable,” he said. “And I was out of bed quicker because I felt to be home in a big strong family of friends.

“Therefore the achievement of this year – outstanding – five championships in a row, Lewis again, Bottas right there, we could not have done a better job.

"And now the important message is that I will be there soon and off we go, off we go – the pressure comes for the sixth time. Thank you very much.”

[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mika-...n/4307330/

Retro: The day Hakkinen “kicked Senna’s ass” at McLaren.

The 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix was significant for a number of reasons – not least Alain Prost’s announcement that he was retiring from the sport, the day before he wrapped up his fourth world title. But it was a big weekend for a young Finn called Mika Hakkinen, too…

Hakkinen had sat out the majority of the season on the sidelines, thanks to Ayrton Senna’s late decision to take up a race-by-race deal with McLaren alongside Michael Andretti. Honda’s withdrawal had left the Brazilian unsure of the Ford V8-powered car’s potential, matched against the Williams-Renaults of Alain Prost and Damon Hill, but Senna then won three of the first six races of the season.

Williams dominated the next seven rounds, and with Andretti dropped after the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, despite a podium finish, Hakkinen was in for the final three rounds against Senna.

In Friday’s first qualifying session at Estoril, Hakkinen announced his arrival by lapping 0.002s slower than Senna, then trumped that by beating the three-time champion by 0.048s on Saturday.

Had the Finn caught the three-time champion by surprise?

However, after that disappointment, Senna went on to win the final two races of the year…

“I think he woke up in a big way,” Hakkinen says of the great Brazilian. “There was this three-times world champion thinking ‘what the hell is this blond Finnish guy coming to kick my ass’ – you know!

“Then the fight really started. He started working very hard, he had an Italian engineer called Giorgio [Ascanelli] and they absolutely maximised the potential of the car – and I realised, right after the Estoril Grand Prix, just how amateur I was at that time, compared to Ayrton.

Having scored his early blow, Hakkinen was now the one being ‘schooled’ by Senna.

[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/jacky...o/4310338/

Jacky Ickx won a Gregor Grant Award at last weekend’s Autosport Awards in London, in recognition of a magnificent career. There could hardly be a more deserving recipient.

When listing Ickx’s achievements, his tally of six wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans will always be a landmark, for he held the outright record for Le Mans wins for well over two decades. But the Belgian also showed true greatness in his Formula 1 days.

When listing the best Grand Prix drivers who, for a variety of reasons, missed out on the World Championship, Sir Stirling Moss stands alone of course.

But there are also strong cases to be made for Gilles Villeneuve, Tony Brooks, Dan Gurney, Carlos Reutemann, Chris Amon and Ronnie Peterson. And Ickx truly belongs in this group.

Not that the 73-year-old (he turns 74 on New Year’s Day) Belgian would ever be immodest enough to say such a thing himself. Indeed, he is more likely to observe that he didn’t quite have the dedication necessary to be consistently great, because between races he liked to think about anything other than racing.

Even now, he doesn’t live in the past. While he has accumulated an immense number of trophies and memorabilia, they aren’t on display. The only motorsport picture hanging in his Brussels home is not of himself but rather a portrait of Jimmy Clark.