Niki Lauda, the F1 legend from Austria breathed his last on 20 May 2019. He was aged 70. As the automotive community mourns the passing of not a man, but an institution, we take a minute to reflect, in this sombre moment, upon his life and legacy.

Andreas Nikolaus Lauda, or Niki Lauda as he is more popularly known, is often touted as one of the greatest racecar drivers of all time. With three titles on behalf of the two most renowned constructors in the sport, namely Ferrari and McLaren, he was extraordinary both on and off the tarmac.

Born to an affluent Austrian family, he had to ‘buy’ his way into the racing game, as it was not a career option his parents had planned. He got into mainstream F1 when his old teammate spoke highly of his skills before Enzo Ferrari. He proved to be every bit worth his salt, and not merely a high stakes risk and went on to win Ferrari the 1975 title. His rather undesirable rise to acclaim was the 1976 tragedy that would scar him both physically and mentally for the rest of his life.

Just two laps into the race at the Nurburgring GP, Lauda hit a kerb, swerved and crashed into a barrier, his car erupting into a ball of flames instantly. Fellow drivers tried to pull him out, but it was long before medics could arrive and salvage the situation. He had sustained grade three burns and had inadvertently inhaled dangerous quantities of toxic fumes arising from the inferno that had resulted. At the hospital, he kept declining as disheartened doctors tried to save him, and he was so far gone that his last rites were conducted. Stubbornly, he hung on, cheating death, and came back to the wheel in a flash, just as quickly as he had been pulled away from it.

He wilfully underwent the minimum plastic surgery as would allow him to return to track days as soon as possible, irrespective of what he would look like. Even now, people look at him with a certain apprehension, and he is often quoted saying, “I have a reason to look ugly, most people don’t”.

He went on to clinch two more titles, one for Ferrari (1977) and the other for McLaren (1984), dabbling with Brabham in between. He retired from active racing in 1985 at the end of the Austrian Grand Prix. While at F1, he had also flown as a private pilot, and the adrenaline rush was unlike other things. In line with this, he started three successful aviation ventures that would later be absorbed by the state airlines.

Post-retirement, Niki Lauda still chaired over various teams and is famous for being fiercely practical and blunt yet extraordinarily humble and approachable. His contempt for hypocrisy in modern society and intolerance to ‘bullshit’ resulted from having been in death’s embrace and yet pushing it away to drive another day.

A self-proclaimed loner, he took pride in not having many friends. Of the few he had, one was his arch-rival James Hunt, another giant in his own right. He served to mentor the likes of current day F1 legend Lewis Hamilton and went to resolve feuds between him and Nico Rosberg.

He is survived by his sons Mathias and Lukas, who are with Aston Martin Racing and participate in the World Endurance Championships. His life is well chronicled in his autobiography ‘Meine Story’ and a Hollywood film called Rush. Many argue that had the accident not taken place, he would undoubtedly be unparalleled in the history of F1. He believed that races are primarily won by drivers and only supported by vehicle dynamics and parameters. As tributes come pouring in from the automotive community across the globe, there is an overbearing pall of gloom, to remind us that the sun has set on one of the reverends in a sport that is filled with legends.

However, his legacy, one of great racing, lives on, as resolutely as he does.

He lives.

Live on Niki.

“From success, you learn absolutey nothing. From failure and setbacks, conclusions can be drawn. That goes for your private life as well as your career.”

Niki Lauda

(1949 – forever)

Images credit to respective owners