Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda won't be returning to the F1 paddock this year, the Austrian remaining in intensive care in Vienna until he is definitely out of harm's way.

Lauda is still enduring the effects of a life-saving liver transplant that took place last month, and remains under heavy scrutiny from the faculty's doctors.

"Only his family, so his wife and his children, can visit him," his good friend Helmut Marko told Germany's Bild.

"The doctors say the danger is that he will become infected with a virus or other people's bacteria.

"We all miss him. Mercedes misses him, Formula 1 misses him. Everyone misses him -- his charisma, his straight words," Marko added.

Bild confirmed the F1 legend will not attend any of the remaining races of the 2018 season.

"Niki will fight through this and be with us again. We need him," Marko added.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Vasseur reveals Ferrari’s Achilles heel in Sao Paulo GP flop

Ferrari’s disappointing Sao Paulo Grand Prix was not simply a case of being outperformed by…

5 hours ago

F1i Driver Ratings for the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac (DNS) – N/A A stripped right-rear wheel nut on the grid condemned…

7 hours ago

Piastri and Webber agree to end management partnership

Oscar Piastri and Mark Webber have brought their management partnership to an end, with the…

8 hours ago

Fierce rivals back in the day, but still mates after all these years

True friendship among drivers is a rarity in Formula 1, or perhaps even an oddity.…

9 hours ago

Lawson sends another timely reminder of his worth in Brazil

Liam Lawson is making a habit of punching above his weight, and Sunday’s Sao Paulo…

10 hours ago

Six points and plenty of questions for frustrated Ferrari duo

Ferrari left Interlagos with little to celebrate on Sunday, its two drivers scraping together a…

12 hours ago