Remembering Niki Lauda: Three-Time F1 Champion and Inspiring Fighter
Seven years have passed since Niki Lauda left us. The three‑time Formula 1 world champion died on May 20, 2019, at the age of 70. His family announced that he "passed away peacefully" on that Monday morning.
Lauda was not just a great driver. He was one of the bravest men ever to sit in a Formula 1 car. As Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff put it:
"Niki will always remain one of the greatest legends of our sport, he combined heroism, humanity and honesty inside and outside the cockpit."
A Career Built on Grit and Speed
Niki Lauda
Born in Vienna on February 22, 1949, Lauda had to fight for every step of his F1 career. His wealthy family disapproved of racing, so he took out a bank loan to buy his way into the sport. After unspectacular early years with March and BRM, Ferrari signed him for 1974, and he showed his potential.
His first F1 win came in the 1974 Spanish Grand Prix, and he recorded nine Pole Positions in his first year with Ferrari.
Lauda's first title came in his second season with Ferrari in 1975, driving the legendary 312T. He took five victories that season and clinched the championship at Monza. It was Ferrari's first drivers' title in 11 years.
Overcoming the 1976 Crash and Winning Two More F1 Titles
Lauda's legacy was forged in fire.
During the 1976 German Grand Prix at the old Nürburgring, his Ferrari crashed, burst into flames, and trapped him inside.
Fellow drivers Arturo Merzario, Guy Edwards and Harald Ertl pulled him from the burning wreckage. He suffered severe burns to his face and lungs and was given the last rites in the hospital.
Remarkably, he returned to racing just six weeks later at the Italian Grand Prix, finishing fourth.
The scars stayed with him for life, hidden under the red baseball cap that became his trademark. He lost the 1976 title to James Hunt by a single point, but he had already won something bigger.
Lauda won his second championship with Ferrari in 1977, clinching the title at the United States Grand Prix. He then left Ferrari for Brabham, but retired to focus on his new airline, Lauda Air, leaving Brabham mid‑weekend at the 1979 Canadian Grand Prix.
McLaren tempted him back to F1 in 1982.
Two years later, as Alain Prost's teammate, Lauda won his third world title by the smallest margin in Formula 1 history.
At the season finale in Portugal, he finished second to Prost, which was enough to beat his teammate by just half a point. Throughout 1984, Lauda won five races.
Niki Lauda, McLaren MP4-1C at Monaco (1983)
Lauda remains the only driver to have won world championships with both Ferrari and McLaren.
A Final Chapter with Mercedes
After retiring from driving, Lauda never left the paddock. He served as a consultant for Ferrari from the early 1990s, was briefly team principal at Jaguar Racing, and in 2012 became non‑executive chairman of Mercedes.
He was instrumental in persuading Lewis Hamilton to join the team, a move that reshaped modern F1.
Wolff remembered him as "our guiding light" and a "voice of common sense." Mercedes later shared a tribute recalling that Lauda "would never complain. He just got on with things."
Niki Lauda was a champion, a survivor and a fighter. He started 171 Grands Prix, won 25 of them, and stood on the podium 54 times.
Seven years on, his red cap is still missing from the paddock, and Formula 1 has not forgotten him.
Niki Lauda - Career Details
| First F1 race | 1971 Austrian GP (March) |
|---|---|
| First F1 win | 1974 Spanish GP (Ferrari) |
| Last F1 win | 1985 Dutch GP (McLaren) |
| Final F1 race | 1985 Australian GP (McLaren) |
| World titles | 3 - 1975, 1977 (Ferrari), 1984 (McLaren) |
Related: 1974 Spanish GP results on F1-Fansite
See also: Who Has the Most Podiums in Canadian GP History?
