Niki Lauda eagerly waits Kimi Räikkönen's performance in the F1 season next week starting

- Just awesome, that Kimi has come back, Lauda told Austrian TV channel ORF's Sport am Sonntag program.

Lauda has frequently in the past given negative statements about Räikkönen, but not at this time.

- Kimi's natural speed has always been excellent, and even if he has newer spoken a lot in interviews, he is a very talented man. I also believe that Lotus is not so bad car, the triple world champion said.

Lauda continues to work as TV commentator in all F1 races.

- Watching Kimi should be fun. It is however important that he is now and then at the top, because then he interests us even more. If the car does not help Kimi at all and he drives in the mid field, he will be forgotten after three races. It is just so cruel in Formula One.

- But Kimi will certainly be refreshing for this season, because as the sixth world champion he wants to know how good he really is, Lauda said.

MTV3, Janne Aittoniemi

Courtesy: reppo

Räikkönen, Häkkinen join Lauda as pensioners

The former F1 stars Kimi Räikkönen and Mika Häkkinen are joining Niki Lauda in filming a commercial, based on RacingNewsFlash.com's Austrian sources.

The invitation to the shoot was given by Red Bull Racing owner Dietrich Mateschitz. The product to be advertised has already been revealed: the channel ServusTV -- owned by the energy drink group -- will start a new motorsports magazine show. The show is to be promoted by a number of famous faces in the business.

Filming at Red-Bull-Ring

Räikkönen and Häkkinen's parts will be shot next week in Austria at the former Spielberg F1 circuit, now known as the Red-Bull-Ring

According to our sources, the two Finns, Lauda and a few other motorsports personalities are put in an old 24-seat vehicle, which will be driven at pensioner speeds around the circuit.

First commercials wrapped

The new show's first commercials were shot at Red-Bull-Ring last Tuesday. The commercial featured David Coulthard and Gerhard Berger, whose performance was in stark contrast to Räikkönen, Häkkinen and Lauda -- their driving was reportedly speedy and unpensioner-like.

Source: RacingNewsFlash

Director behind Lauda film revealed

Ron Howard to direct movie about Niki Lauda and James Hunt's title fight

The director planning a film about the 1976 F1 title fight between Niki Lauda and eventual champion James Hunt has been revealed as Ron Howard – the man best known for playing Richie Cunningham in the hit TV show Happy Days and for winning an Oscar as director of A Beautiful Mind.

A new script has been written by Peter Morgan following the events of the 1976 campaign, which featured Lauda's horrific accident at the Nordschleife and saw Hunt take the title after a rain-hit finale at Fuji – which Lauda pulled out of over safety concerns as heavy rain fell.

Howard is now set to start work on the film, which has been given a working title of Rush, with the focus being on the relationship between rivals Lauda and Hunt as the title fight developed.

"I got sent the script by Peter and I liked it very much - it blew me away, in fact,” Howard was quited by The National. “It's a great story, it's a remarkable story and, as all F1 fans know, it nearly ended tragically when Niki Lauda crashed into the barriers while travelling real fast and his car burst into flames.

"Amazingly, he survived but he was clearly in a bad way, but even more amazingly he missed just two races and returned for the Grand Prix in Italy.

"It's a European film and so the budget's going to be set accordingly. But I think it will still work with American audiences. Even though Nascar is king in the States, a lot of people love F1 and even more people like a good story and this is just that."

Source: Crash.net

Vettel, Lauda & Marko on the Red Bull Ring

The Red Bull Ring is officially open in Spielberg, Austria and it has already tempted motor racing stars Sebastian Vettel and Niki Lauda to check it out, with the help of Helmut Marko. Here's what they had to say about the Ring...

Sebastian Vettel – Formula 1 World Champion
I was 14-years-old the first time I was at Spielberg for a Formula König race and I watched the drivers there with great enthusiasm, including the Austrian, Bernhard Auinger. At that time I was very new to the Red Bull family. A lot of time has passed since then and it has changed a lot. I like the new track very much, as the core of the circuit remains the same. The downhill sections with the curves, which are still hanging to the outside, are very tricky, especially because today the track was wet. It would be very nice to drive a race here and I would be very happy if Formula 1 should return to the Red Bull Ring – preferably during my career! ;)

Niki Lauda – Three times Formula 1 World Champion
I first raced in Spielberg in 1971 and in 1984 and celebrated a home victory in the Austrian F1 Grand Prix. Today I went back and competed in the legend's race again, winning narrowly from Dieter Quester. It's really impressive what's happened here. I am very happy that the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg has been revived – it's a huge asset to the racing scene in Austria. The basic route is the same, but the whole course is in perfect condition and has similar modern facilities to those in Bahrain.

Helmut Marko – Red Bull Motorsport
What has been rebuilt, is truly unique. Not just the ring itself, but the entire project in Spielberg. The area is harmoniously integrated into the landscape. Not only motor sports fans, but families can spend an entire weekend there. The mood among the surrounding population is very good, everybody is happy that the area here has been revived.

Souce: Red Bull

The Horse Whisperer – Moralists with short memories

After events in Hockenheim, a wave of hypocrisy swept through the paddock, with so many pundits, young and old, keen to have their say: some were promptly brought back into line by his master’s voice, while others continue to pronounce sentence willy-nilly.

The lastest missive comes from Austria, from a person, who having hung up his helmet, has never missed out on a chance to dispense opinions left and right, even if, on more than one occasion, he has had to indulge in some verbal acrobatics to reposition himself in line with the prevailing wind.

This time, good old Niki has missed out on a fine opportunity to keep his mouth shut, given that, when he was a Scuderia driver, the supposed Ferrari driver management policy suited him perfectly…

That aside, where was all his moral fury when, over the past years, so many have been guilty of more or less overt hypocritical actions? As for any predictions regarding a possible decision from the FIA World Council on 8 September, time will tell: in this sort of situation, the best policy is to respect and to trust in the highest level of the sport’s governing body.

Source: Ferrari.com

Lauda has a go at Alonso and Ferrari

Former F1 World Champ Niki Lauda has blasted Ferrari for the Scuderia's blatant use of team orders in Sunday's German GP.

In a coded message, but understood by all, Ferrari informed Felipe Massa that Fernando Alonso was the quicker than him, adding "can you confirm you understand that message?" Shortly after, messaged demonstrated that he did understand and moved over, allowing Alonso to take the lead and the ultimately the victory. Ferrari were later fined by the race stewards, however, in the post-race press conference, Alonso denied any knowledge of team orders being used. "I've never heard a driver talk such bull****," Lauda told the Daily Mail. "He has no character. "This was the most stupid thing I have ever seen from Ferrari. "Why did they do it? They did not need to because the Championship is alive for another eight races. "Why could Massa not have a chance to win, a year since he had the accident that could have cost his life?'

Source: Planet F1

Niki Lauda gives Michael Schumacher a special lift

Source: Youtube - NextgenAutoVideos

Lauda apologised after Kubica 'Polack' slur

Niki Lauda apologised personally to Robert Kubica in Monaco last weekend.

Former triple world champion Lauda, whose straight-talking assessments are still heard at every grand prix, referred to the Renault driver live on German television as "der Polack" (the Polack).

Polack is a derogatory reference to a Polish person, and even more offensive within Germany given the 1939 Nazi invasion that marked the start of World War II.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said officials of the German TV station RTL demanded that Lauda, 60, apologise.

"I have to say to Robert that it was meant in a nice way," said the Austrian. "I was just happy that he drove his car onto the front row."

Lauda reportedly waited for 15 minutes at the Renault motor home on Sunday morning and did apologise publicly to the 25-year-old.

Source: F1 Complete