Niki Lauda

Niki Lauda (born the February 22nd 1949 with Vienna, Austria) is an Austrian old driver of automobile race. He ran in particular in Formule 1 of 1971 to 1985 and gained with three recoveries the championship of the world of the pilots.

Biography

Sporting career

Resulting from the Austrian upper middle class, Niki Lauda returns quickly in opposition with its family, which sees of an evil eye her passion incipient for the automobile sport. Quickly, it cuts the bridges with the " clan" Lauda to trace its own way. Living odd jobs to finance its beginnings in competition, Niki Lauda also uses of its famous patronym to contract increasingly important loans near the Austrian banks.

In 1971, it begins in Formula 1 at the time of its national GP, by treating to the wheel of modest a March. Then, in 1972, always using an important amount of money, it disputes the complete season. At the conclusion of this first season spent in the anonymity of the bottom of grid, it nevertheless finds for 1973 a wheel in the team BRM, but always with the help of finances. In impossibility of finding the sum claimed by BRM, it goes as far as making accept its new employer whom it is supported by a sponsor, with promise to pay the money later in the season! With the third of the season, Lauda is the knife under the throat. With any notable result with his credit, and in spite of the premiums taken down in other categories (Tourism, Endurance), the Austrian pilot is not any more able to honor the multiple debts which it contracted. The delivery arrives in an unhoped-for way at the time of GP of Monaco 1973. Finally powerful, Lauda points one moment in third position in front of the Ferrari of Jacky Ickx before giving up. Its service enables him to change statute of the day at the following day. Of pilot " payant" , it becomes pilot " payé". At the end of the year, after a new blow of glare on the very selective layout of the Nürburgring, it is even recruited by prestigious the Scuderia Ferrari. In front of its television, Enzo Ferrari would have, says one, have a true very favorite for the Austrian pilot at the time of the GP of Monaco.

The recruitment of Lauda per Ferrari leaves however perplexed many observers. In spite of its two blows of glare of 1973, Lauda is a not very famous pilot. It passes more to be a hard pilot that to be a prince speed. Under its impulse, Scuderia Ferrari however will start a spectacular return to the foreground, while he will affirm himself in same time like the best pilot of his generation. Able to play the title as of the season 1974, Lauda is however let take down at semi-season following a series of mechanical failures but also of pilot errors. In 1975 on the other hand, by combining speed and control of the race (what is worth the nickname of to him the computer , a manner of stigmatizing its intelligence but also sometimes a certain lack with plume), it does not leave any chance to its rivals and gains its first championship of the world and gains BRDC International Trophy, out-championship. In 1976, Lauda seems well left for a second consecutive season absolute domination, but its career rocks on August 1st, 1976 on the layout of Nürburgring. Left out of tires rain, Lauda stops with the stand at the conclusion of the first loop to fit the tires slicks, and sets out again in the soft belly of the group. In its second round, for a reason ever explained, it loses the control of its car, which will strike the outside of the track, before rebounding right in the middle of the trajectory, where it is struck by other competitors launched at full speed. As of the initial shock, the helmet of Lauda was torn off and its car blazed up. In half unconscious, and whereas he is prisoner of the flames, Lauda is drawn from its car by Arturo Merzario, helped of its colleges Brett Lunger, Guy Edwards and Harald Ertl. Transported at the hospital of Adenau, Lauda is seriously burned with the face. But the doctors are especially anxious for its Poumon S, because Lauda inhaled highly toxic gasoline fumes, and suffers from serious breathing difficulties. Its state is at this critical point that a priest is destined for his bedside to pronounce the last sacraments. However, hardly six weeks later, the burns of its face still sharp, Lauda is at the beginning of the GP of Italy, which it will finish in the fourth place. Its temporary absence however allowed its rival and friendly James Hunt to remake his delay with the championship, while the technical development of Ferrari was cold. The day before the ultimate test of the championship disputed in Japan, Lauda counts one point in advance on Hunt. But because of the cloudburst which falls down on the circuit of Fuji, Lauda prefers to voluntarily give up as of the end of the first turn, thus offering the title to Hunt.

The decision of Lauda divides the observers. Some see a strength of character but others there (in particular in Italy and within Scuderia) the sign that Lauda, although physically restored of its accident of Nurburgring is lost for the high level. With starts season 1977, Lauda is thus relegated second pilot of the stable behind Carlos Reutemann. In a noxious internal environment, Lauda however will make conceal the skeptics by dominating Reutemann and by taking down its second championship of the world. It offers even the luxury of claquer the door of the stable before the term of the season.

In 1978, Lauda joined the rows of the stable Brabham - Alfa Romeo, directed by Bernie Ecclestone. In spite of two victories in 1978 (of which that in Sweden with famous the Brabham-vacuum cleaner), Lauda is not able to preserve its title. The things worsen in 1979, with a completely missed car. In the morning of the first tests of the GP of Canada, penultimate sleeve of the season, Lauda announces thus suddenly that it puts a term at its career, with immediate effect. Lauda can be thus devoted to the development of its airline company ( Lauda Air ), recently created.

After almost two years far from the circuits, Lauda carries out its return in the beds of Formula 1 at the time of the GP of Austria 1981, in the capacity as consultant for a chain of Télévision. Begun again by the virus of the competition, it immediately ties contacts with the stable McLaren, contacts which lead to its engagement for the season 1982. Some are ironical about the return of Lauda, which one says especially moved by the financial problems that its airline company crosses, but the Austrian pilot finds his best level quickly and asserts himself as of his third race. In 1984, thanks to dominating McLaren-TAG, and in spite of the presence at its sides of the French Alain Prost (more powerful but less regular), it takes down its third world title. On the other hand, in 1985, often very unlucky person and also partially démotivé, it carries out one more discrete season before announcing its final retirement.

After F1

Regularly present on the GP after its sporting retirement, Lauda finds an official function in 1992, while becoming consulting for the Scuderia Ferrari, at the request of new President Luca di Montezemolo (which was its sport director at his beginnings at Ferrari). In his capacity as consultant, one said much that Lauda had had an active role in the recruitment of Jean Todt during 1993. At the end of 1995, Lauda leaves Ferrari.

The airline company of Lauda having been repurchased by Austrian Airlines, Niki is more or less thorough outside by the new owners with the beginning of the year 2000. It replonge then in Formula 1 by taking in two times the orders of the stable Jaguar Racing. But at the end of one year, he is thanked by the leaders for Ford.

Today, in its capacity as consultant for the German television channel RTL, Lauda is always present on the circuits. It also mounted a new airline company. Let us announce finally that his/her son Mathias Lauda launched out in the automobile sport. In 2006, it will dispute in particular the championship DTM. The media spoke again of him following its second Clerc's Office of Rein, gift of a member of its family.

Prize list

World champion of Formula 1 in 1975, 1977 and 1984
25 victories in Grand Prix (171 participations)
420,5 points in championship of the world
24 pole-positions
25 better turns in race

See too

Pilot of Formula 1: classification per year
Pilot of Formula 1: classification by better Pilot turns
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot podiums
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot poles position
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot victories
of Formula 1: classification by hat tricks

Random links: