'I'm throwing away the walker' - Niki Lauda aims to walk again by February

Niki Lauda has confirmed reports that he is recovering well from his mid-year lung transplant.

The Mercedes team chairman missed the end of the 2018 season as he recovered in hospital and a rehabilitation clinic, but Lauda told Kurier and Osterreich newspapers that he is now at home.

'The lungs work perfectly'

"At the end of January, I'm throwing away the walker," said the 69-year-old.

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"The lungs work perfectly, but I've been in bed for five months so the main problem is the muscles. All I have to do now is gain more strength.

"I feel good and I am not taking as many pills as before. Everyday life is not the same as before, but every day I make progress with my two physios.

"I use the tennis court in front of my house as I need the flat surface to learn how to walk properly again.

"According to the doctors, I will recover completely," the F1 legend added.