Niki Lauda - he made Formula 1 famous!

Niki Lauda is still considered one of the most significant Formula 1 drivers of all time. Besides his racing activities, he was always a great businessman ready to look for any opportunity. Even after he retired from the pinnacle of motorsport, he helped Mercedes become multiple-time World Constructors' Champions. How did he behave off the track? How could he return after his horrendous crash? And did he predict the future?

Niki Lauda was born on the 22nd of February 1949 in Vienna to a rich manufacturing family. Even though they wanted him to continue the family legacy, he started racing with a "Mini." After discovering his talent, he loaned about £30,000 to start racing in Formula 2 in 1971, and after being recommended by Clay Regazzoni, Enzo Ferrari decided to sign him for the 1974 year.

Rivalry with James Hunt

Here starts a chapter that is mostly taken from the Rush film, which is about the rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt. First of all, let's compare them. James Hunt was an extroverted Englishman who had no problem becoming drunk at every party he was invited to. He was always open to a friendly conversation. On the other hand, Niki was most of the time an introverted Austrian who wasn't chasing joining the discussion. As you might expect, Hunt was far more popular in the F1 paddock than Lauda, and Niki was always jealous about it. Nonetheless, he compensated for this disadvantage with his zealous performance on the racing track. For example, after calling a Ferrari car from 1974 a "shitbox," he managed to finish fourth in the championship. The next year, he became a world champion for the first time, but he didn't expect what was coming the next year.

The 1976 Crash and Comeback

The year 1976 was crucial in Lauda's life, both on and off the track. He was many points ahead of James Hunt in the championship, and heading to Nürburgring-Nordschleife in Germany, he just needed to score a few points to defend his title. However, on race day on the 1st of August 1976, Lauda heavily crashed into the barriers, and the escaped fuel set his car on fire. The death of a racing driver was common during this F1 era, but Lauda somehow managed to survive the horrible accident. Despite almost losing his life, Lauda returned quite soon to the F1 paddock to challenge Hunt in the world championship fight. Hunt's philosophy was "win or bust" at the beginning of the season, but then he became more consistent. Heading towards the last race of the season, Hunt had a three-point gap to Lauda. In the race, Lauda didn't want to risk his life again due to inclement weather and retired the car. Hunt finished third, which was just enough to fairly win the WDC by a single point. Luckily for Lauda, he married Marlene Knaus this year, which can be considered his victory for 1976.

Business Ventures and a Lasting Legacy

Lauda returned to his prime the following year when he won the championship by 17 points. Hunt, meanwhile, finished in fifth place that year, a massive drop-off compared to 1976. However, both former championship contenders' results started to decline, and they both retired in 1979. Eventually, neither had the motivation to keep winning and wanted to protect their health since Formula 1 used to be a tremendously dangerous sport. Lauda also had business interests to pursue. After his retirement, he founded two airlines—Lauda Air and Niki. These airlines were successful and solidified his reputation as a sharp businessman.

James Hunt died in 1993 due to a heart attack, but Lauda returned to the grid in 1982 and won the championship again in 1984, by the closest margin in history, finishing just 0.5 points ahead of the rookie Alain Prost. No one in history has ever replicated Lauda's comeback. In 1985, Lauda retired from racing for the second and final time. Even after his career ended, he remained heavily involved in F1. First, he became a German F1 commentator, then he served as a non-executive chairman for Mercedes-Benz AMG F1, where he helped sign Lewis Hamilton, who would go on to become a seven-time world champion.

Sadly, Niki Lauda passed away on May 20, 2019, in Zurich in his sleep. His funeral was attended by prominent figures from F1, Austrian politicians, and many others. As he had wished, he was buried in his 1974 Ferrari suit. He is regarded as one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time.

Jakub Ondruš 

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niki_Lauda</p>

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