Niki Lauda is to take up a management role with Mercedes as part of its push to secure the F1 title.
News that the Austrian will have an involvement with the team comes following the announcement that it has signed
Lewis Hamilton for the next three seasons, and with Mercedes having committed its future to the sport.
Questions had existed over whether or not Mercedes was going to commit to the latest incarnation of the Concorde Agreement, with the decision to commit to the commercial document then paving the way for Hamilton's deal to be finalised.
Lauda played a role in discussions between Mercedes and
Bernie Ecclestone over the agreement and after speculation that that was the pre-cursor to a more formal role, Mercedes has now confirmed that he will take up a management position within the team.
“Mercedes-Benz has put in place the right technical structure and given the team in Brackley and Brixworth the tools it needs to achieve long-term, durable success in Formula One,” a Mercedes statement read. “In the near future, three-time world champion Niki Lauda will also bring his extensive experience to the role of non-executive chairman of the team's board of directors, further reinforcing the strength in depth at Mercedes AMG Petronas.”