Three-times Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda has left hospital following his lung transplant two months ago.

Lauda has left the Vienna General Hospital where the transplant was performed on August 2nd. His conditions at the time of admittance was described as “extremely critical”.

In a statement released on Wednesday the hospital advised the 69-year-old is in a generally good condition but has many weeks of intensive rehabilitation ahead.

Lewis Hamilton said last weekend he had been surprised to receive a phone call from Lauda.

“I was shocked to hear from him,” said Hamilton. “I told him ‘you sound younger than ever’. He is determined to come back and he is grateful to the doctors for all their good work and to his wife.”

“For sure, I’ll be in Vienna to visit him before the end of the season,” Hamilton added. “We miss him here in the team, but we have his spirit with us at the races.”

Lauda’s lungs were damaged in his 1976 crash at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. He was trapped in his Ferrari after it caught fire and suffered serious burns as well as the effects of smoke inhalation. He later returned to racing and is now a non-executive chairman of Mercedes’ F1 team.

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2018 F1 season