Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda has been admitted back to the hospital after the Austrian was hit by a flu.
Following his lung transplant in August, Lauda was back home by October as he started the rehabilitation process in order to make his Formula 1 comeback with Mercedes by the start of the 2019 season.
The team won the constructors’ championship while Lewis Hamilton took the drivers’ title as well in 2018 as the former champion watched the races from the hospital and naturally cheered for his team to win the titles.
Lauda has since returned to the hospital and is under the intensive care as per the report on one of the leading Austria’s news publication, OE24. The report states that Lauda has been diagnosed with flu when he was spending time with family in Ibiza.
The Austrian was brought back to Vienna AKH – where he had his transplant earlier in the year. “There was an influenza case in his family, and he is treated to an intensive care unit with us,” said Karin Fehringer, spokeswoman for the AKH, to the media.
Since Lauda’s immune system is still weak, it was advised for him to be admitted to the hospital as any viral disease could be critical for his well being. It seems all is fine though as per the report as it states that he will be released from the hospital in the coming week.
In his last interview, Lauda revealed about his rehabilitation programme where he is training to regain strength in his muscles which will also allow him to walk without any support. The Austrian is certainly itching to get back to Mercedes and the F1 environment.