Niki Lauda sends video message to his Mercedes team

Niki Lauda has sent a video message ahead of the F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend, thanking the sport's community for its support and messages of good will as he recovers from a lung transplant.

The three-time F1 world champion and non-executive chairman of Mercedes was hospitalised earlier this year before undergoing a lung transplant.

He was subsequently discharged at the end of October to embark upon a process of recovery and hopes to be back “soon."

Saturday morning saw Lauda’s first message posted to Mercedes’ F1 social media accounts since surgery.