FORMULA ONE A TRUE LEGEND IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD NIKI LAUDA 1949 - 2019 ...With deep sadness, we announce that which he called ‘sponsorship.’ after an initial test where he labelled our beloved Niki has peacefully passed the car as ‘junk’, nor when a spin at the away with his family on Monday. His The money was used to source a drive Nurburgring put him out of contentaion unique achievements as an athlete with the March F2 team in 1971/72, where for the 1974 World Championship after “and an entrepreneur are and will remain he was teamed with Ronnie Petersen. winning the Spanish and Dutch GPs. unforgettable, his tireless zest for action, his Petersen won the 1971 title, while Lauda straightforwardness and his courage remain. struggled in the Bosch Racing entry. A The Ferrari 312T paved the way for Lauda A role model and a benchmark for all of us.” second year in the category saw Lauda to win the 1975 Formula One World finish 5th. Championship, a year Lauda himself The statement issued by Niki Lauda’s described as “unbelievable’.’ Just two family on 20th May 2019 was simple yet March designer Robin Herd referred to drivers were able to win more than one concise. It was also quite fitting of Lauda Niki Lauda’s analytical mind set as the race that season, with Lauda’s five victories himself, who had possessed a personality characteristic that gave the Austrian his more than double the success of his that was often blunt and to the point. speed and tenacity. He recalled a F2 test nearest rival. at Thruxton where Lauda and Petersen A 3 time Formula 1 World Champion, traded fastest times throughout the day. “I Niki Lauda looked set for back to back who won 25 of the 171 races contested thought, we have a problem,” Herd said. championships after a dominant start to throughout his career, Niki Lauda was ‘We haven’t got one superstar here, but the 1976 World Championship, with five best known for his recovery from a fiery t wo.” race wins and a further three podiums in accident at the Nurburgring in 1976 the first 9 races. The came the German that left him with horrific burns and life The turning point in Lauda’s career came Grand Prix at the Nurburgring. Lauda threatening injuries. Just 7 weeks later, in 1973, when he used his ‘sponsorship’ crashed heavily on lap 2 when his having at one stage received the last rites money to take a seat in a Marlboro BRM car suddenly snapped right due to a and with his body soaked with blood team that had been steadily falling down suspected rear suspension failure. The stained bandages, Lauda raced in the the F1 order for some time. While Lauda car hit the barriers then spun back onto Italian Grand Prix. had just one point scoring finish that year the circuit with flames licking around the at Spa, he ran 3rd at Monaco and then cockpit. The Hesketh of Harold Ertl and Niki Lauda began his racing career, despite led at a wet Canadian Grand Prix before Surtees of Brett Lunger then made contact the condemnation from his family, in a retiring from both events. His efforts with the burning Ferrari. Arturio Merzario humble Mini.. He soon progressed to the attracted the attention of Enzo Ferrari, who reached into the cockpit to unbuckle the open wheel categories in a Formula Vee signed Lauda for the following year. unconscius Lauda. Lunger, Ertl and Guy and then a McNamara Formula 3. It was Edwards, who had stopped at the scene, in that F3 that he first met long time rival Lauda was hired to help Ferrari return to dragged Lauda from the wreckage. James Hunt. the top echelon of sport after two winless years in Grand Prix racing. Lauda was Niki Lauda suffered severe burns to his “I watched this buck toothed joined at the team by designer Mauro head and wrists as well as burnt lungs from Austrian trying to make sense of this Forghieri and team manager Luca di inhaling toxic fumes while still trapped in uncompetitive car and thought that he Montezemolo. the car. For weeks Lauda hovered between was a bit of a berk initially to be honest,” life and death as specialists treated his said well respected motorsport journalist Lauda didn’t endear himself to Mr Ferrari injuries and applied dressings to what Alan Henry. “But a year or so later we watched him overtake Ronnie Petersen f1.com in a Formula 2 race in Rouen and we realised he was actually pretty good.” He went on to claim two more Formula One World Championship crowns. The scars from the accident that Lauda wore for the rest of his life were a vivid reminder of the accident and a testimony to his determination and courage . Whilst the Lauda family had found considerable success in the paper manufacturing industry, they were not willing to support his motor racing. Undeterred, Niki Lauda used the good name of the family and a life insurance f1.com policy to source a 35,000 pound bank loan, 6 | Velocity Magazine Velocity Magazine | 7 FORMULA ONE remained of the flesh around his face f1.com f1.com proved to be uncompetitive against the and wrists. While many wondered if Niki new wave of turbo charged engines. Lauda Lauda would survive, he was desperate to pushed for the use of the TAG/Porsche defend his world champion crown. Ferrari engine with an interim chassis later in had already brought Carlos Reutemann the year as the season slipped away from into the team for the Italian Grand Prix and McLaren. were forced to add a third car for Lauda after he had announced his decision to The move proved to be a master stroke as return to racing. the late season introduction gave the team valuable testing miles in preparation for Jackie Stewart, called Lauda’s return “The 1984, which saw the McLaren TAG/ Porsche most courageous event in the history machine run faster and more reliably of sport.” He said: “Niki had a degree of than most of their opposition. Niki Lauda bravery that I had never seen the like of won 5 races to Alain Prost’s 7, with the before. After his tremendous accident, he championship decided by half a point in was back just six weeks later. I remember favour of Lauda. seeing Niki put his helmet on, and his established his own airline. Lauda Air. The Ron Dennis had been in regular contact wounds were still absolutely obvious. business began with turbo prop Fokker with Niki throughout his retirement, and 1985 was Niki Lauda’s swan song as a I thought to myself that with all the airplanes and then moved to jets with eventually coaxed him back for the 1982 Formula One driver and was somewhat of vibrations you get in a Formula One Lauda’s relationship with Ferrari was never Lauda moved to the Bernie Eccelstone the Boeing 767. The company quickly season in a Ford Cosworth powered car. a disappointment for the highly car at Monza, one of the fastest tracks the same after that Sunday in Japan. Enzo owned Brabham organist ion for the 1978 gained a reputation for its service and the in the world, that this can’t be right. To Ferrari offered Lauda the role of team season. The Gordon Murray designed car occasional privilege of having Niki Lauda be brave enough to put on the helmet manager for the 1977 season, with Carlos was innovative, though the car suffered as the captain of their flight. was amazing, but then he went out and Reutemann as the team’s number 1 driver. with the Alfa Romeo engine. Lauda qualified fifth. When he returned to the Niki Lauda responded by asking for a explained the year in a rather unique way. Tragedy struck on 26 May 1991, when garage, he took his helmet off and I could release from his Ferrari contract as he had Lauda Air flight 004 from Bangkok see he was bleeding. Yet, the very next been offered a deal to race with McLaren “Everything would have gone a dream if to Austria crashed when the 767 day, he raced.” (which was a complete fabrication from we had a different engine. The 12 cylinder automatically deployed reverse thrust mid Lauda). Ferrari relented and gave Lauda Alfa simply couldn’t hack it,” Niki said. flight. All 213 passengers and 10 crew were The return kept Niki Lauda in sight of a the second seat at Ferrari. “We missed finishing race after race killed in the accident. second world championship at the final because of some nonsense or other, an round at the Fuji Speedway in Japan. Hunt Lauda explained his strategy for the oil seal defect or similar. I visited Chiti a Lauda pursued Boeing to admit fault and started marginally ahead of Lauda on a 1977 season: “My first priority was to couple of times in Milan and was always eventually succeeded after offering to fly miserably wet day, with streams of water put Reutemann in his place and secure fascinated by the 40 or so stray dogs that a 767 over Boeing’s Seattle headquarters running freely across parts of the circuit. the number one spot at Ferrari,” (Niki ran around the workshop. He seemed to and select reverse thrust. Boeing Lauda lasted barely two laps before he Lauda To Hell and Back 1986). By the third be looking after every stray in Milan.