Question: Niki, if a team principal like Bernie had asked you to do something, where was your limit on obeying?
Niki Lauda: That always depended. But if he had asked me to hit the wall so that that Piquet (Senior) could win the race I clearly would have told him, sod you!
Bernie Ecclestone: I would have never asked him!
Question: So why did it happen last year?
Niki Lauda: Because times have changed. People were different then - and the situation. In the old days before going racing you would have left information at the hotel as to who would be entitled to collect your things, in case you didn’t come back - so big was the risk to fatally crash. Formula One was for men, not lads.
Question: And today?
Niki Lauda: Today they almost start as toddlers in karting and by the time they are 19 they arrive in Formula One - and most of them don’t have a character yet. The last fatal accident was the one of Ayrton Senna. Today’s cars are safe as tanks so these kids know their way around in the car, but outside (of it) they are what they are according to their age - kids.
Question: But if everything has changed that must also go for team principals…
Niki Lauda: Everything has changed.
Bernie Ecclestone: Drivers today don’t have any respect when it comes to accidents. They hit the wall, shake it off in two seconds and off it goes again. The inhibition threshold recedes substantially.
Niki Lauda: Bernie, do you think that last year after the Singapore race anybody would have guessed that Piquet hit the wall deliberately?
Bernie Ecclestone: I don’t think so. Because even with such an action nobody could be sure to win the race, as this incident happened in the first quarter (of the race) and a thousand things could have happened before the chequered flag. It was a completely insane action and a completely unnecessary risk.
Question: You must have conflicting feelings in your heart: Flavio has been a close friend of yours over many years. How affected have you been?
Bernie Ecclestone: You have to separate friendship from what happened.
Niki Lauda: Let me answer for Bernie: he has a huge heart, but if something goes against his interests - his business - he will never forget. He will slap you for that. I respect that attitude. I have only met one other person with a similar attitude.
Question: Who was that?
Niki Lauda: Enzo Ferrari. He was similar. On one hand very emotional, the typical huge Italian heart, on the other hand a stone cold b*st*rd. I had to deal with both his sides. In the end I had to leave him. Bernie is quite similar to old Enzo.
Bernie Ecclestone: Ah, so you think I am a stone cold b*st*rd…
Niki Lauda: Stop, let me speak my piece: Enzo loved his cars above all. Everybody who insulted his cars he fired. Okay, Bernie is no stone cold b*st*rd, but both are a mixture of warm heartedness and stubbornness.
Question: Bernie, what crossed your mind when Niki told you in Canada in 1979 - in the middle of the season - that he wanted to retire?
Bernie Ecclestone: That’s not quite the truth. He told me that he wanted to retire at the end of the season. I told him: you must be stupid. If you want to retire then do it immediately. Anything else would not make sense.
Niki Lauda: That was typical Bernie. Prior to that I had been fighting with him over my contract for six months - that was always like war and he really showed me who has the say. I told him if he doesn’t pay me what I ask I will go and drive for another team. So when I tried to speak with other team principals they all gave me the cold shoulder - Bernie had spoken to them before!
