A very sad day for the entire motorsport community.”, McLaren Formula One team, where Lauda won his final world championship, “All at McLaren are deeply saddened to learn that our friend, colleague ... Niki Lauda, has passed away. Pogba 'quits' playing for France over Macron's 'Islamist terrorism' comments, Man City ex-youth player Wisten, 17, tragically dies as Sterling pays tribute, Georgina living in different part of Ronaldo's mansion while he isolates, Sky Sports and BT Sport 'want £14.95 PPV SCRAPPED' after angry fans' boycott, Man Utd missed out on Upamecano after row over just £200K for Leipzig defender, ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Rest in peace Niki.". His promise was noted by Enzo Ferrari, who contacted him in 1973. Andreas Nikolaus Lauda is born in Vienna, Austria, Makes his Formula One debut for March-Ford in his home Austrian Grand Prix, Now driving for Ferrari, Lauda wins a Formula One race for the first time at the Spanish Grand Prix, Lauda secures his first world title for Ferrari at the Italian Grand Prix, with one race in the season left to go, Lauda is burned in a crash on the second lap of the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. A great human being, determined, relentless, talented, passionate, forthright, honest, humble and great company. In 1975 he had left Reininghaus for Marlene Knaus, whom he met while she was the girlfriend of the actor Curt Jürgens, and they were married within a few months. (Reuters) - Reaction to the death of three-times Formula One champion Niki Lauda, who died on Monday at the age of 70: Jean Todt, FIA (international motorsports governing body) president, “Niki Lauda was a hero of motor sport, who inspired me in my youth. Lauda is sometimes in the cockpit himself, Becomes non-executive chairman of the Mercedes team, where he helped bring Lewis Hamilton to the team, Lauda dies peacefully, eight months after receiving a lung transplant. In 1971 the Bicester-based March team accepted £20,000 to take Lauda into their Formula Two team alongside Ronnie Peterson, the highly promising young Swede. Niki told you the truth in your face, no matter how uncomfortable. Last modified on Fri 13 Dec 2019 12.56 GMT. Long before he was old enough to have a licence, Niki was tearing around the family estates in a dilapidated VW Beetle convertible. Reports list his cause of death as kidney problems. He suffered severe burns to his head and face and suffered lung damage from inhaling toxic gases when his Ferrari burst into flames during the race, which came a week after he had urged his fellow drivers to boycott the event over safety concerns at the track. Other drivers stopped and tried to help. “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. (CNN) Three-time Formula One champion Niki Lauda, who recovered from a near-fatal accident to become one of motor racing's greatest drivers, has died aged 70. Lauda had two sons with first wife Marlene Knaus, who he married in 1976 and divorced in 1991 - Mathias who is a racing driver too and Lukas who acts as Mathias's manager. The race car driver Niki Lauda died at the age of 70 . Our Mercedes team has also lost a guiding light.”, Ferrari Formula One team, where Lauda won two world championships, “Today is a sad day for F1. His injuries are so severe that he is read the last rites, but remarkably, after reconstructive surgery on his face, he returns to racing the same season, only missing two races, Lauda takes his second world championship, securing victory with a fourth place finish in the US Grand Prix, with two races to go, Having left Ferrari for Brabham, Lauda retires from Formula One at the end of the season, Lauda returns to the sport, this time driving for McLaren, Lauda finishes second behind Alain Prost in the final race of the season, but it is enough to give him a narrow half-point victory overall, and he secures his third world title, Wins his 25th Formula One race at the Netherlands Grand Prix, Retires from Formula One after competing in the Australia Grand Prix, with an overall record of 3 world championships, 25 wins and 54 podium finishes, Returns to Formula One in a consultancy role for Ferrari, Takes on the role of team principal of the Jaguar Formula One team, Lauda makes another airline venture, low-cost operator Niki. They raised two sons, Mathias and Lukas. Half of one of those ears had also been incinerated, but Lauda rejected surgery to rebuild it because it would increase the time before he could get back in the cockpit. F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton paid tribute to the racing legend on Facebook, saying he was "struggling to believe" the news and would miss their "big hugs after winning races together". The Ferrari family learns with deep sadness the news of the death of our friend Niki Lauda ... You will remain forever in our hearts and in those of the fans.”, Luca di Montezemolo, former Ferrari president. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. His cause of death has not been revealed - although he had a lung transplant eight months ago. I can use the whole sales network of the air Berlin and 24 percent of my own airline at air Berlin sold.” (Niki Lauda), “I employ 20 people in Vienna. Niki Lauda, three-times Formula One world champion, dies aged 70, The fast show: Niki Lauda’s five greatest F1 races, My friend Niki Lauda was a street-fighter and a shining talent in F1, Niki Lauda: looking back at the life of a Formula One legend – video obituary, More than a machine: Niki Lauda was an F1 rebel in his own way, Niki Lauda: the three-time Formula One world champion's life – in pictures. The Austrian - a three-time world champion and the only man to have won the drivers' title for both Ferrari and McLaren - passed away on Monday, less than a year after undergoing a lung transplant. “Living on borrowed time since his awful crash in 1976, he certainly made the absolute most of that gift. He married Birgit Wetzinger in 2008. Lauda, seen with Lewis Hamilton, was a regular at F1 races in recent years, Lauda is considered one of the all-time great F1 drivers, Lauda in 1975, prior to his crash at the Nurburgring, Lauda was rarely seen without a cap due to severe burns he suffered after a crash at the Nurburgring, Lauda (left) forged a memorable rivalry with British racer James Hunt, Lauda celebrates winning the British GP at Brands Hatch in 1982, The Mercedes team - featuring Lauda - celebrates winning a constructors' championship, Lauda with German F1 star Sebastian Vettel, Lauda addresses a news conference presenting his airline Laudamotion, Lauda with fellow F1 legend Michael Schumacher in 2010, Wetzinger donated a kidney to Lauda when one he received from his brother in 1997 failed. He always had great integrity and was one the smoothest, best drivers I’ve ever seen.”, Damon Hill, former Formula One world champion, “He was one of the few men who could sit down with Enzo Ferrari and Bernie Ecclestone, look them straight in the eye and they knew he meant business. They left, in his recollection, after 10 minutes to head for a nearby coffee house, she in a Dirndl dress and he in knickerbockers. He is a milestone in the history of Formula One. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/21/niki-lauda-obituary Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. They had met while skiing and for a first date he took her to the Jägerball, the highlight of Vienna’s social season, both dressed in the required traditional costume. Austrian Formula One racer who won three F1 World Championships in 1975, 1977, and 1984. But he came back the following year to win his second championship, and was to take another in 1984. “I will miss our conversations, our laughs, the big hugs after winning races together. Born (Birthday) Feb 22, 1949. His cause of death has not been revealed - although he had a lung transplant eight months ago… Earlier this month, he was transferred to a private clinic so he could have dialysis treatment for his kidney problems. Lauda Air was the first of several such enterprises, an involvement which continued after he had re-entered the world of Formula One, first as a consultant to the Scuderia Ferrari in 1993, briefly as Jaguar’s team principal in 2001, and finally, from 2012, with the Mercedes team as nonexecutive chairman. Lauda remained a consistent presence at F1 races in recent years, but took time away from the sport after undergoing a successful lung transplant for a "serious lung illness" in Vienna last summer. 70 years. The Austrian, who built a … Ex-Husband Niki Lauda. In fact, Lauda was involved when Lewis signed with McClaren ahead of the 2013 racing season. Niki Lauda, byname of Andreas Nikolaus Lauda, (born February 22, 1949, Vienna, Austria—died May 20, 2019, Vienna), Austrian race-car driver who won three Formula One (F1) Grand Prix world championships (1975, 1977, and 1984), the last two of which came after his remarkable comeback from a horrific crash in 1976 that had left him severely burned and near death.