Lewis Hamilton has paid a tribute to Niki Lauda. “I’m struggling to believe you are gone. I will miss our conversations, our laughs, the big hugs after winning races together. God rest your soul. Thank you for being a bright light in my life. I’ll always be here for your family should they ever need me. Love you man” Hamilton wrote on Twitter.

I’m struggling to believe you are gone. I will miss our conversations, our laughs, the big hugs after winning races together. God rest your soul. Thank you for being a bright light in my life. I’ll always be here for your family should they ever need me. Love you man pic.twitter.com/cotUpuvW2F — Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) May 21, 2019

Three-time Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda has died at the age of 70.

It was confirmed by Lauda’s family that he had passed on Monday, nine months after undergoing a lung transplant.

Lauda took a three-year break from F1 at the end of 1979 in order to focus on his commercial interests, but returned in 1982 with McLaren, going on to win a third and final world title in 1984.

He remained a regular figure in the paddock for another three decades following his retirement in 1985, most recently enjoying a non-executive role with Mercedes during its recent dominance of F1.