Lewis Hamilton dedicates Monaco GP pole to Niki Lauda

F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton dedicated his recent Monaco Grand Prix pole to Niki Lauda
Lauda became a legend in 1976 when his car caught on fire and he suffered severe third degree burns after a crash in the German Grand Prix and then returned to racing after only a six week recovery period
The former-driver died just eight months after a double lung transplant
The current world champion qualifyed ahead of his team mate Valteri Bottas

Current World Champion Lewis Hamilton dedicated his Monaco Grand Prix pole position to fallen legen Niki Lauda this last weekend. Monaco has always held a special place in the hearts of all the Formula One drivers and is known for its street circuit and the celebrity audience.

However one person missing from the front row start however is Monaco native Charles Leclerc. Charles Leclerc found himself out in Q1 of qualifying after Ferrari didn’t to put him back on track – so he will start down in 16th on the grid.

Meanwhile, Hamilton starts ahead of his teammate Valteri Bottas and Red Bull Racing rival Max Verstappen.

The British racer however got emothional while dedicating his pole position win to Niki Lauda after qualifying.

“I was really in touch with Niki a lot through this past eight months. We’d be sending videos back and forth to each other. It was always difficult because sometimes he looked good and was perky and said he would see us at this or that race, and others days when he didn’t.

“Ive always talked about how Ross [Brawn, former team boss] was the convincing element of me coming to the team but Niki was the one who phoned me up and said: ‘Mercedes is where you should be.’ I had never really spoken to him before that. He brought it to me and really got it across the line.

“All these years he has been my partner in crime. He was such a racer. He was part of the process of changing my life.

“If I hadn’t had that call, I’d be a one-time champion now. I sit here as a five-time champion and I owe him a lot. It was really difficult earlier in the week and I don’t feel I have to confirm to what everyone else thinks. Wednesday was not the time. But he will live on in all our memories.”