Niki Lauda hits back at Red Bull claim

Niki Lauda has denied that Red Bull were the reason behind Lewis Hamilton's engine failure at last weekend's Malaysia Grand Prix.

The Austrain company's motorsport advisor Dr. Helmut Marko claimed afterwards that it was the pressure applied by Daniel Ricciardo and Max Vertappen that forced Hamilton's engine to expire.

However, Mercedes non0executive chairman Niki Lauda has hit back at the claim, insisting that Hamilton would have easily won had his engine not failed.

"I have never heard such nonsense," said Lauda. "I do always admire Helmut's optimism."

"I think he always tries to find reasons why he would have won," Lauda told Auto Motor und Sport. "The fact that Nico pulled himself up from last place to third place is the only evidence you need."