Niki Lauda

Interesting facts

On 1 August 1976 he crashed and became trapped in his burning Ferrari at the Nürburgring; fellow drivers pulled him free with such severe burns that a priest administered last rites. He returned just six weeks later at Monza with wounds still bandaged, by his own admission 'absolutely petrified' to get back in the car. At the sodden season-ending Japanese GP he retired after two laps because his fire-damaged eyelids couldn't blink in the rain, losing the title to Hunt by a single point. He won the 1984 championship by half a point over teammate Alain Prost, a margin that only existed because of half-points awarded for the rain-shortened Monaco race. He wore a cap for the rest of his life to cover his scars, later turning it into a sponsor billboard. As Mercedes non-executive chairman from 2012 he was instrumental in signing Lewis Hamilton, a move that underpinned the team's long run of success. He ran his own airlines, Lauda Air and later Niki, and held a pilot's licence he used to fly commercial routes himself. He underwent a lung transplant and two kidney transplants before his death in 2019, and was buried in the Ferrari race suit he wore in the 1970s. Niki Lauda made his Formula 1 debut in 1971 and raced until 1985, 13 seasons in total as an Austrian driver. He won the World Championship 3 times, in 1975, 1977, 1984. He scored a total of 418.5 championship points over his career.