Nico Rosberg expressed his gratitude for the influence Niki Lauda had on his career after the three-time Formula One champion died at the age of 70.
Lauda's family on Tuesday announced that the Austrian great had passed away nine months after he underwent a lung transplant.
Rosberg quit after winning his maiden F1 title in 2016, having benefited from Mercedes non-executive chairman Lauda's expertise and advice.
The German driver paid tribute to the inspirational Lauda - who made an astonishing comeback in 1976 only six weeks after suffering serious injuries in a crash at Nurburgring - on social media.
"Dear Niki. Thank you for everything that you did for me." he posted on Twitter and Instagram.
"I learned so much from you. Your passion, your fighting spirit, to never give up, your belief that you always meet twice in life, and even your patience with us youngsters.
"Myself and all of your 100 million fans around the world, whom you also so strongly inspired to never give up in the hardest of times, are thinking of you and your family and wish that you rest in peace."