Niki Lauda - A Formula 1 legend in his own time

16 November 2009

Formula One Racing has more than its fair share of legendary drivers, but very few have dominated as much in their short time on the track as Andreas Nikolaus Lauda. Simply known by his friends, family and many fans as “Niki,” Lauda was born on February 22, 1949 in Vienna, Austria.

In a total of nearly 11 seasons (1971-79, 82-85), Niki started in 171 traces, won 25 of them, stood on the podium 54 times, claimed 24 poles, and took the Championship an impressive 3 times (1975, 77, 84). He was a racing legend before his first retirement, but came back again to prove his talent.

Lauda was born to a very wealthy family who frowned on his decision to start racing. Nevertheless, Niki was determined to be a driver, and he would spend the better part of his youth chasing his need for speed. In 1968, a young Niki would get a chance to prove his worth, but it wasn't until 1973 that he finally broke through and received a chance to race with Formula 1, via the March team.

His first year as an F1 driver was anything but impressive, but after the Ferrari team started to retool, Niki got a chance to grab their attentions and finished second in his debut race for the team. Their faith in him ultimately paid off and Lauda became an essential part of Ferrari racing.

He would win six consecutive poles that year, but his inexperience cost him most of these races. It was an on-again off-again affair with Lauda, as he raced very well but never seemed the type to close a race strongly.

In 1975, after a few years of big-league experience, Niki's season-long efforts paid off, and he had earned enough points to win his first F1 Championship. At this point in his career, Lauda was riding high.

At the German Grand Prix a year later in 1976, Lauda would suffer severe injuries in a devastating crash. His crash is ironically famous today, and it's astonishing enough that he didn't die in it. Lauda suffered very severe burns and other injuries, but intent on racing, he climbed back into his Ferrari only six weeks later. However, many speculate that this crash made Niki too prone to worry of risks involved with the sport.

As he drew closer to his 2nd F1 Championship, with only the last race in Japan to go, Niki only needed a solid finish to secure the title. But after driving only two laps, Lauda withdrew from the race due to wet conditions on the track and lost his title to James Hunt.

In 1977, Lauda quickly climbed back on top, winning the Championship easily that year, even though he only finished 1st in 3 races on the tour. He would leave Ferrari for Brabham in 1978, and after two unsuccessful seasons with the struggling team, Lauda decided to call it quits and form his own airline.

After his airline began to struggle financially, Niki returned to racing in 1982 with the McLaren team. He would win his third and final championship in 1984 and retire for good in 1985.

Tags: mclaren, james hunt, brabham, andreas nikolaus lauda, german grand prix,
Posted In: Biographies, Formula One,

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