Triple Formula 1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart has defended Lewis Hamilton's reaction to the passing this week of Niki Lauda.

After news of the Austrian's death broke on Tuesday, the world champion was granted a pass on media commitments in Monaco the following day, including a scheduled appearance in the press conference.

This was despite Hamilton being pictured arriving in the paddock appearing in reasonable spirits as he signed autographs at the start f the day.

"It's pathetic. I would like to know how Lewis can justify this," former F1 driver John Watson, who raced alongside Lauda at Brabham and McLaren, stated.

"I know he was friendly with Niki, but I find it bizarre that a man of his stature would not be able to face people and tell them what Niki did for Mercedes and give him his due credit for the role he performed.

"He should have spoken out of respect. To be so upset that he apparently cannot discuss his admiration for how Niki helped him - that's pathetic."

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Stewart though saw similarities between how Hamilton's reacted and how he dealt with similar circumstances during his era on track.

"Mind-management is what I lived with and I think it is why I am alive today because in my day there were so many deaths," he said.

"I lost 57 people who were my friends, great friends. In those days you had to manage that mentally in a very strict way and I suspect Lewis Hamilton will handle it in exactly the same way as I would have done.

"When Jochen Rindt died at Monza, he was a close friend and I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life.

"I was crying when I got into the car and I cried when I got out of the car, but I put in the fastest lap that I’d ever done at Monza in three laps," Stewart recalled.

"Lots of people in the media said it was a death wish, it wasn’t a death wish, it was just removing the bad bit. But the bad bits came back as soon as you stopped the car.

"So mind-management and just being able to handle it, it’s not being selfish, it’s not, not caring, it’s just that you have a job to do and you do it.

"I would think Lewis has got all the skills and talent to do the same."