Niki Lauda

1949–⁠2019

Contents

Deutsch

Part One · The life

  1. IVienna
  2. IIThe way up
  3. IIIThe seasons
  4. IVThe Nürburgring
  5. VMonza and Fuji
  6. VIThe retirements
  7. VIIThe airlines
  8. VIIIAfter racing

Part Two · The man

  1. IXRivals and friends
  2. Lauda and Hunt
  3. Lauda and Prost
  4. XIn his words
  5. What they said
  6. XIThe machines
  7. XIIThe people around him
  8. XIIIThe Austrian

Part Three · Legacy

  1. XIVLegacy

The seasons

Reference

Reference

Timeline A life in dates, from Vienna to Zürich

Niki Lauda’s life date by date, from his birth in Vienna in 1949 to his death in Zürich in 2019: the way up, every season, the airlines and the years after.

In colour: a red Formula One car, No. 12, its driver in a red helmet, leads a black car through spray on a wet track; spectators under umbrellas line the bank behind.
Leading a Lotus through the spray at the Race of Champions, Brands Hatch, 17 March 1974, in the Ferrari 312B3, No. 12. He finished 2nd. Martin Lee · CC BY-⁠SA 2.0

The record opens in Vienna on 22 February 1949 and closes in Zürich on 20 May 2019. Between those two dates lie a hill climb near Linz in April 1968, 176 World Championship entries, three titles, the fire at the Nürburgring in 1976, two retirements and three airlines.

Each entry below links to the chapter or the season that tells its story. Most entries are dated to the day; an event that the record dates only to a month or a year is shown that way, in the place the record gives it. The results race by race are on the season pages, the totals on the records page, and the places on the page of circuits. The spreads: 1949–⁠1971, 1972–⁠1975, 1976–⁠1977, 1978–⁠1985, the airlines and after racing.

1949–⁠1971

Vienna and the way up

From a hill climb in a Mini to a works March.

  1. Andreas Nikolaus Lauda is born in Vienna, the son of Ernst-Peter and Elisabeth Lauda and grandson of the industrialist Hans Lauda.

  2. First motor-sport event: the Bad Mühllacken hill climb near Linz, in a Mini Cooper S bought from Fritz Baumgartner; 2nd in class.

  3. Races a Kaimann in Formula Vee for Kurt Bergmann’s team, unpaid.

  4. Österreichring 1000 km, the circuit’s first international meeting: 21st with Otto Stuppacher in Stuppacher’s Porsche 910 (Bosch Racing Team).

  5. Buys his way into the McNamara team in Formula Three; a season of crashes.

  6. Interserie at the Norisring in his own Porsche 908/2 (Bosch Racing Team): 5th on aggregate.

  7. First race for Alpina BMW: Nürburgring Six Hours in a BMW 1602 with René Herzog; retires.

  8. Joins the works March Formula Two team alongside Ronnie Peterson, paid for by sponsorship from the Erste Österreichische Spar-Casse.

  9. Rouen Formula Two: 2nd to Peterson in his heat, 4th in the final.

  10. Formula One World Championship debut, Austrian Grand Prix, Österreichring, in a works March 711; retires.

  11. Signs with March for a full 1972 season for 2.5 million schillings; the Erste’s supervisory board, on which his grandfather sits, vetoes the money; a Raiffeisenkasse lends it instead, five years and interest-free, secured on his life insurance.

1972–⁠1975

March, BRM and Ferrari

From a bought drive to the first title.

  1. First race of a full World Championship season with March, Argentine Grand Prix: 11th.

  2. Mallory Park, opening round of the European Formula Two Championship: 2nd.

  3. Wins the Formula Two race at Oulton Park in the works March 722: his only Formula Two win.

  4. 2nd at Oulton Park; John Player British Formula Two champion for 1972, 5th in the European championship.

  5. Season ends with no points and no classification; last race for March (United States Grand Prix: not classified).

  6. BRM debut, Argentine Grand Prix.

  7. First World Championship points: 5th in the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder.

  8. Monaco: runs 3rd in the BRM until his gearbox fails.

  9. Wins the Nürburgring 24 Hours in an Alpina BMW 3.0 CSL with Hans-⁠Peter Joisten.

  10. German Grand Prix: crashes at Kesselchen on lap 2 and breaks his wrist.

  11. Misses his home Grand Prix, unfit after the wrist injury.

  12. Enzo Ferrari approaches him; he signs for Ferrari for 1974.

  13. Last race for BRM, United States Grand Prix.

  14. Ends the season 17th in the World Championship with 2 points.

  15. Ferrari debut, Argentine Grand Prix: 2nd.

  16. South African Grand Prix (Kyalami): pole, 16th.

  17. Spanish Grand Prix (Jarama): pole, win, fastest lap.

  18. Belgian Grand Prix (Nivelles): 2nd.

  19. Monaco Grand Prix (Monaco): pole, retires (ignition).

  20. Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort): pole, win.

  21. French Grand Prix (Dijon-⁠Prenois): pole, 2nd.

  22. British Grand Prix (Brands Hatch): pole, 5th, fastest lap (2 points).

  23. German Grand Prix: from pole he crashes on the opening lap after touching Scheckter.

  24. Austrian Grand Prix (Österreichring): pole, retires (engine).

  25. Italian Grand Prix (Monza): pole, retires (engine).

  26. Canadian Grand Prix: crashes out of the lead late in the race; his title chance goes.

  27. Season ends; 4th in the World Championship with 38 points and nine poles.

  28. Argentine Grand Prix (Buenos Aires): 6th (1 point).

  29. Brazilian Grand Prix (Interlagos): 5th (2 points).

  30. Race debut of the Ferrari 312T, South African Grand Prix: 5th.

  31. Wins the BRDC International Trophy at Silverstone (non-⁠championship) in the 312T.

  32. Spanish Grand Prix (Montjuïc): pole, retires (collision).

  33. Monaco Grand Prix (Monaco): pole, win.

  34. Belgian Grand Prix (Zolder): pole, win.

  35. Swedish Grand Prix (Anderstorp): win, fastest lap.

  36. Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort): pole, 2nd, fastest lap.

  37. French Grand Prix (Paul Ricard): pole, win.

  38. German Grand Prix (Nürburgring Nordschleife): pole, 3rd.

  39. Austrian Grand Prix (Österreichring): pole, 6th (0.5 points).

  40. 3rd in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza: World Champion for the first time, with a race to spare; Ferrari’s first drivers’ title since 1964.

  41. United States Grand Prix (Watkins Glen): pole, win.

  42. Season ends: champion with 64.5 points, five wins and nine poles, 19.5 points ahead of Emerson Fittipaldi.

1976–⁠1977

The fire and the second title

The Nürburgring, Monza, Fuji, and champion again.

  1. Brazilian Grand Prix (Interlagos): win.

  2. South African Grand Prix (Kyalami): win, fastest lap.

  3. United States Grand Prix West (Long Beach): 2nd.

  4. Spanish Grand Prix (Jarama): 2nd.

  5. Belgian Grand Prix (Zolder): pole, win, fastest lap.

  6. Monaco Grand Prix (Monaco): pole, win.

  7. Swedish Grand Prix (Anderstorp): 3rd.

  8. French Grand Prix (Paul Ricard): fastest lap; retires: engine.

  9. British Grand Prix (Brands Hatch): pole and fastest lap; 2nd on the road to Hunt.

  10. German Grand Prix, Nürburgring Nordschleife: crashes on lap 2, on the fast left-hand kink before Bergwerk; the Ferrari catches fire; he is pulled from the car by other drivers and a marshal and taken to Adenau, then to Mannheim; he is given the last rites.

  11. Returns at the Italian Grand Prix, Monza, 42 days after the crash: 4th.

  12. On appeal Hunt is disqualified from the British Grand Prix of 18 July and the win is awarded to Lauda.

  13. United States Grand Prix (Watkins Glen): 3rd.

  14. Japanese Grand Prix, Fuji: stops after 2 laps in torrential rain; Hunt finishes 3rd and wins the title by 1 point, 69 to 68.

  15. Season ends: runner-⁠up, 68 points to Hunt’s 69.

  16. Brazilian Grand Prix (Interlagos): 3rd.

  17. South African Grand Prix (Kyalami): win.

  18. United States Grand Prix West (Long Beach): pole, 2nd, fastest lap.

  19. Spanish Grand Prix: withdraws after the warm-up with a rib injury (does not start).

  20. Monaco Grand Prix (Monaco): 2nd.

  21. Belgian Grand Prix (Zolder): 2nd.

  22. French Grand Prix (Dijon-⁠Prenois): 5th (2 points).

  23. British Grand Prix (Silverstone): 2nd.

  24. German Grand Prix (Hockenheim): win, fastest lap.

  25. Austrian Grand Prix (Österreichring): pole, 2nd.

  26. Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort): win, fastest lap.

  27. Italian Grand Prix (Monza): 2nd.

  28. At Monza it becomes known that he will leave Ferrari for Brabham in 1978.

  29. 4th in the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen: World Champion for the second time; it is his last race for Ferrari.

  30. Season ends: champion with 72 points and three wins, 17 ahead of Jody Scheckter.

  31. Does not take part in the Canadian and Japanese Grands Prix; Gilles Villeneuve drives for Ferrari.

1978–⁠1985

Brabham and McLaren

Montreal, two years away, and a third title by half a point.

  1. Brabham debut, Argentine Grand Prix: 2nd.

  2. Brazilian Grand Prix (Jacarepaguá): 3rd.

  3. South African Grand Prix (Kyalami): pole, retires (engine).

  4. Monaco Grand Prix (Monaco): 2nd, fastest lap.

  5. Wins the Swedish Grand Prix in the Brabham BT46B “fan car” in its only race.

  6. British Grand Prix (Brands Hatch): 2nd, fastest lap.

  7. Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort): 3rd, fastest lap.

  8. Wins the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the race in which Ronnie Peterson is fatally injured.

  9. Season ends 4th with 44 points and two wins.

  10. Race debut of the Brabham BT48 with Alfa Romeo’s new V12 engine, Argentine Grand Prix; retires.

  11. South African Grand Prix (Kyalami): 6th (1 point).

  12. Italian Grand Prix (Monza): 4th (3 points).

  13. 2nd in the final Procar round at Monza and wins the first BMW M1 Procar Championship, ahead of Hans-⁠Joachim Stuck and Clay Regazzoni.

  14. Wins the non-⁠championship Dino Ferrari Grand Prix at Imola in the Brabham BT48.

  15. In Friday practice for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, after about 10 laps in the new Brabham BT49, he stops and retires from racing; Ricardo Zunino takes the car.

  16. Classified 14th in the 1979 World Championship with 4 points.

  17. The drivers’ strike at Kyalami over the terms of the new super-licence: no practice on the Thursday; the drivers spend the night together in Johannesburg before giving way; Lauda apologises to the public on South African television.

  18. Returns with McLaren at the South African Grand Prix, Kyalami: 4th.

  19. Wins at Long Beach in his third race back.

  20. Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort): 4th (3 points).

  21. British Grand Prix (Brands Hatch): win.

  22. Austrian Grand Prix (Österreichring): 5th (2 points).

  23. Swiss Grand Prix (Dijon-⁠Prenois): 3rd.

  24. Season ends 5th with 30 points and two wins.

  25. Brazilian Grand Prix (Jacarepaguá): 3rd.

  26. United States Grand Prix West (Long Beach): 2nd, fastest lap.

  27. Fails to qualify for the Monaco Grand Prix, the only time in his World Championship career.

  28. British Grand Prix (Silverstone): 6th (1 point).

  29. Austrian Grand Prix (Österreichring): 6th (1 point).

  30. Race debut of the McLaren MP4/1E with the TAG turbo engine built by Porsche, Dutch Grand Prix.

  31. Season ends 10th with 12 points.

  32. South African Grand Prix (Kyalami): win.

  33. French Grand Prix (Dijon-⁠Prenois): win.

  34. Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal): 2nd.

  35. Dallas Grand Prix (Fair Park): fastest lap; retires: spun off.

  36. British Grand Prix (Brands Hatch): win, fastest lap.

  37. German Grand Prix (Hockenheim): 2nd.

  38. Austrian Grand Prix (Österreichring): win, fastest lap.

  39. Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort): 2nd.

  40. Italian Grand Prix (Monza): win, fastest lap.

  41. European Grand Prix (Nürburgring): 4th (3 points).

  42. 2nd to Prost in the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril: World Champion for the third time, by half a point (72 to 71.5).

  43. Final standings: Lauda 72, Prost 71.5; Lauda won five races to Prost’s seven; Prost’s 4.5 points from the half-points Monaco race decided the margin.

  44. San Marino Grand Prix (Imola): 4th (3 points).

  45. German Grand Prix (Nürburgring): 5th, fastest lap (2 points).

  46. Wins the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort: his 25th and last World Championship win.

  47. Misses the Belgian and European Grands Prix after a wrist injury in practice at Spa; John Watson drives at Brands Hatch.

  48. Last race, Australian Grand Prix, Adelaide: leads briefly, then crashes when his brakes fail.

  49. Season ends 10th with 14 points; career totals: 171 starts, 25 wins, 24 poles, 54 podiums, 420.5 points.

1979–⁠2018

The airlines

Lauda Air, Niki and Laudamotion.

  1. Founds Lauda Air, starting as a charter airline.

  2. Lauda Air Flight 004, a Boeing 767, crashes in Thailand after taking off from Bangkok; all 223 people on board are killed.

  3. Resigns from the Lauda Air board after a dispute with Austrian Airlines, which takes 99 per cent of the airline in 2001 and the whole company in 2002.

  4. Founds his second airline from the insolvent Aero Lloyd Austria; it flies from November 2003 and takes the name Niki in 2004.

  5. Sells the whole of Niki to Air Berlin.

  6. His company Laudamotion wins the bidding for the insolvent Niki.

  7. Ryanair takes a stake in Laudamotion; by the end of 2018 it owns the airline outright.

1993–⁠2019

After racing

Ferrari, Jaguar and Mercedes, and the last years.

  1. Returns to Formula One as a consultant to Ferrari.

  2. First kidney transplant; the donor is his brother Florian.

  3. Becomes head of the Jaguar Formula One team.

  4. His time as head of Jaguar ends after the 2002 season.

  5. Second kidney transplant; the donor is Birgit Wetzinger.

  6. Marries Birgit Wetzinger, a former flight attendant.

  7. His twins are born.

  8. Becomes non-executive chairman of the Mercedes Formula One team; in January 2013 he takes a 10 per cent shareholding.

  9. Release of Rush, Ron Howard’s film of the 1976 season, with Daniel Brühl as Lauda.

  10. Double lung transplant at the AKH (Vienna General Hospital).

  11. Dies at the University Hospital in Zürich, aged 70, with his family.

  12. Lies in state in St Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna; a public requiem follows; he is buried privately, in one of his racing suits.

Sources

  • F1DB, release v2026.16.0, 4 October 2026, “Releases”. github.com

  • Race database, reports and results, 1971–⁠1985, “German GP, 1976” and the other races of his career. grandprix.com

  • Formula 1, “1984 driver standings” and the results archive, 1973–⁠1985. formula1.com

  • Richard Williams, “Niki Lauda obituary”, The Guardian, 21 May 2019. theguardian.com

  • “Niki Lauda”, Motor Sport database; and “Niki Lauda: The early years”, Motor Sport, January 2020, from Jon Saltinstall’s Niki Lauda: His Competition History (Evro, 2019). motorsportmagazine.com

  • “Lauda-Arzt: Tod kam nicht unerwartet”, ORF Wien (APA), 21 May 2019; and “Formel-⁠1-⁠Legende Niki Lauda ist tot”, ORF, 21 May 2019. orf.at

  • “Lauda, Nikolaus”, Austria-Forum (AEIOU). austria-forum.org

  • Hedi Schneid, “Niki Lauda ist tot: Ein Leben in der Pole-Position”, Die Presse, 21 May 2019. diepresse.com

  • “Niki Lauda (A): All Results”, RacingSportsCars. racingsportscars.com

  • “Formula Two, 1972” and the 1971 season, OldRacingCars. oldracingcars.com

  • “Stephansdom: Lauda als erster Sportler aufgebahrt”, Kleine Zeitung, 29 May 2019. kleinezeitung.at

  • Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee, Thailand, “Lauda Air Boeing 767-300ER, OE-LAV”, report of 21 July 1993. rvs-bi.de