Piero Ferrari remembers Niki Lauda.

      When Niki Lauda won his first title with Ferrari in 1975, Piero Ferrari, the son of the Scuderia's founder, was only four years older than the Austrian driver. He witnessed how Lauda's collaboration with the Ferrari team developed, and his memories of that time are the subject of an interview the Italian company's vice-president gave to the team's press office.

      Question: This year at the Italian Grand Prix Ferrari will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first title Niki Lauda won with the team. What convinced your father to choose Niki, the young Austrian who in 1974 was still little known?

      Piero Ferrari: It was a combination of two factors: intuition and trust. Clay Regazzoni told my father that Niki was an exceptional talent and felt the car much better than the average driver. And then there was the 1973 Monaco Grand Prix, which Niki drove brilliantly, even though he was piloting a car that did not allow him to compete with the top teams (Lauda qualified sixth and ran third for almost a third of the race, until his BRM's gearbox failed).

      My father watched that race from Fiorano and already then decided it made sense to back that driver. When I recall those events today, it seems incredible that such a simple decision, made on instinct after a race shown on TV, changed the whole history of Ferrari.

      Question: You were in Monza on 7 September 1975, when Regazzoni won, Niki finished third and secured his first championship early. Which memories of that day do you consider the most vivid?

      Piero Ferrari: I will never forget that atmosphere. Clay won the race, Niki finished third, and we won the title. After the podium ceremony Niki and I embraced, and I remember that in that moment I wanted it to last forever.

      It was not just a Ferrari victory – it was the beginning of a new era, and I felt deeply personal emotions, as if I were celebrating the success with a person with whom I had been friends my whole life.

      Question: People said Niki was a "human computer," but you have memories of other sides of his character. What was he like off the track?

      Piero Ferrari: He was a wonderful man, cheerful, relaxed, full of life. In the evenings we might go to a restaurant in Modena for dinner, constantly laughing, trading jokes and even placing bets on the Grand Prix results. The loser would then pay for everyone.

      On the track Lauda was a very disciplined driver, distinguished by his ability to pilot with exceptional precision, but behind all that was also a young man who loved life and valued friendship. Memories of that Niki will stay with me forever.