Niki Lauda, ​​F1 legend – Formula 1 is dead

Niki Lauda, ​​F1 legend – Formula 1 is dead

Niki Lauda è dead yesterday at the age of 70 at the University Hospital of St. Zurich (Switzerland): Austrian racer - three-time world champion F1 – he was the main character of the Circus and his life was told in the film”rush“Since 2013.

Nicki Lauda: biography

Niki Lauda born on February 22, 1949 Vienna (Austria) and start running - first from one Mini and then with Formula Vee - thanks to bank loans due to the lack of economic support from the family (one of the richest in the Austrian capital).

Initially, he was considered a "paid driver" (thanks to the money he was able to buy a seat in F2 and then even a place in March throughout the 1972 season), begins to be seen the following year in BRM (the place is always obtained thanks to loans): goes as fast as a Swiss partner Clay Regazzoni and gives useful advice to mechanics thanks to his excellent testing skills.

Years at Ferrari

A turning point for Niki Lauda arrived in 1974 on a call from Ferrari: in the first year he was worse than Regazzoni, but in 1975 he became world champion with five successes.

в F1 world 1976 – said in the championship. film "Dash" - Nicky has every opportunity to repeat the world title, but after five wins in the first nine Grand Prix, he was the victim of a very serious accident on the German track. Nurburgring... Stuck between the plates and saved several pilots (including our Arturo Merzario) is hospitalized with severe burns on his face and light, full of smoke, but returns to the track after only 42 days (missing two Grand Prix) and loses the World Cup against James Hunt in the last race on the Japanese Fuji circuit, he decides to get off in the pouring rain so as not to risk his life.

Lauda became world champion for the second time in 1977, but left Scuderia di Maranello before the end of the season due to tensions with the team and with his new Argentine teammate. Carlos Reitemann.

First retreat

Niki Lauda fits all Brabham in 1978; the following year, he left the racing world and founded an airline. Lauda Eyre.

Back to F1

Nicky returns to F1 in 1982: he needs money to continue his new business and for this reason he accepts an offer from McLaren. Together with the British team, he won the third and final world championship - the 1984 world championship - only half a point ahead of his French rival. Alain Prost.

After F1

Niki Lauda definitively refuses F1 in 1985 he focuses on his own airline, and in the 90s he works as a consultant in the circus world. In 1999 he sold Lauda Eyre a Austrian Airlines, in 2001 and 2002 leads the team jaguar and in 2003 he created another airline: Niki (it became in 2018. Laudamotion and for several weeks Lauda).

Team Leadership Member Mercedes underwent lung transplant in 2012 since 2018.