Toto Wolff says he and Lewis Hamilton share a “similar frame of mind” oꩵver the death of Niki Lauda, which has left a “huge black cloud” over the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

The three-time F1 world champion and Mercedes non-executive chairman pasꦐsed away earlier this week at the age of 70.

Addressing the media ahead of practice for the Monaco Grand Prix on Thursday, a visibly emotional Wolff paid tribute to Lauda, adding his death has left him feeling “like a zombie” afterꦐ losing such a close friend.

“My em🧔otions are so overwhelܫming as a friend - the last 48 hours were terrible,” Wolff said.

“I feel like a zombie, I keep looking at the pictures and find myself with tears in my eyes every ♌half an hour because he’s not there anymore. It’s just a huge black cloud and somebody that is so dearly missed in this team and dearly missed in F1, I feel that we have lost the heart and soul of Formula 1.

“We knew that it was not going well in t▨he last days and it was probably a matter of days when we received🥃 the message,” he added. “I got a text message from his wife on the Monday evening, and I was in Paris.

“Since then I’m not myself somehow, it feels so surreal being in a Formula 1 paddock with Niki not alive anymore. Although we could seeಌ it coming when it happens it is so raw in front of you that you are not going to see him anymore.♊”

Hamilton, who posted a heartfelt tribute to Lauda on social media, was 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:excused from media du🍰ties in Monaco💧 on Wednesday, with Mercedes team🦂mate Valtteri Bott🐓as filling in during the FIA press conference.

Asked about Hamilton’s frame of mind, W🧔olff replied: “I think we are maybe in a similar frame of mind. We’ve lost a friend.

“The team were so kind to let us off the 😼hook yest🐠erday and the FIA supported it to not have Lewis in the press conference because of that fact.

“It’s very difficult in our environment that we appreciate that things are being talked about, it’s very difficult to talk about it 48 hours🐲 after you have lost a dear friend.

“Besides the friendship that we both had to Niki there was🐽 an additional bond that Lewis had to Niki and that was one of a F1 world champion.

“Therefore, the over-arching feeling is just sadness𝔉 within the team, and that is the same for Lewis and෴ others that are friends to him. We both got the message at the same time on Sunday and spoke to each other straight afterwards.

“Everybody has their own perso🦋nal way of mourning and sadness, but to conclude Niki would want us to concentrate o🐻n the race weekend and deliver on Saturday and deliver on Sunday.”