The Austrian sits very firmly in the pantheon of F1 greats. One of the best, not just of his generation, but of all time.
On and off the track, he built a legacy few will replicate in F1 folklore. In the paddock as a driver, he was revered. In his later years on the other side of the pit wall, he was everyone's friend.
Simply put, wherever Niki went, he left a mark and made a difference.
Toto’s favourite memory of Niki highlights the bond the pair had, and how much they both liked and respected each other.
“We were coming back from Suzuka, just him and I,” recalls Toto.
“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.”
George also quickly felt the warmth and friendship of Niki on joining the team.
"My first race with the team was Baku in 2017. I had only been part of the team a couple of months, but Niki came straight up to me and welcomed me with open arms," he said.
"He invited me to a concert that evening, and we just danced the night away and had such a great time. There were so many laughs along the way.
"Experiencing something like that with someone you looked up to as a kid was so surreal.
"He was such a kind person, so down to earth. He just enjoyed doing the things in life that we all enjoy doing."