NIKI Awards 2025: Toto Wolff honoured as Gerhard Berger and Helmut Marko also recognised

Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff was recognised at the NIKI Awards gala, named after three-time Formula 1 champion Niki Lauda, on Wednesday 8 October, as he received the Special Award.

Joining Wolff in receiving the prestigious award, which was presented by Lauda’s sons Mathias and Lukas, were fellow Austrians Gerhard Berger and Helmut Marko.

The awards at the Lotteries Sports Aid Gala in the Vienna Stadthalle honour Austria’s best sportspeople from the last 12 months. Other 2025 winners included ski jumper Daniel Tschofenig, ski racer Stephanie Venier and tennis player Lilli Tagger. Previous winners have included former tennis player Dominic Thiem and former bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Wolff had a close relationship with Lauda as the former Ferrari driver served as the non-executive chairman and co-owner of Mercedes after his retirement from racing, from 2012 until his death in 2019.

“Niki would never complain. He just got on with things," Wolff explained in a tribute on what would have been Lauda's 76th birthday in February 2025. “He was just a great guy. He had tremendous resilience and determination and that kept him going. I was lucky to call him one of my best friends.

“We travelled together, we spent endless hours in the airplane, and he was super helpful to our success. He was a sparring partner, such a strong chairman and we dearly miss him.

Toto Wolff, Executive Director Mercedes AMG F1, Niki Lauda, Non-Executive Chairman, Mercedes AMG F1, Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

“My favourite memory came one year when we were coming back from Suzuka, just him and I. He said he wanted to tell me something. He stopped for a moment, and I thought wow, Niki is getting emotional.

“He said he had no friends - he always said that. But he said if there was such a thing as a half friend, then I was it.

“He was almost teary, but it was the best comment I received from Niki in all our years working together. It meant that we were friends.”