Niki Lauda died, legend of Formula 1

Niki Lauda, ​​a former triple Formula One champion, died on Monday night (05/20/19) at age 70, the family told the Austrian media.



"With immense sadness, we announce that our dear Niki died in peace, surrounded by his family, this Monday," reads a statement. The motorsport legend had undergone a lung transplant in 2018 and was facing serious health problems.


Lauda was crowned champion of Formula 1 for the first time in 1975, with five victories and three podiums. He survived a serious accident with his Ferrari at the 1976 German Grand Prix, having suffered extensive burns that left him disfigured and forced him to multiple surgeries. He started wearing a cap to hide the scars on his head, and the accessory would become part of his brand image. Despite the seriousness of the sequels, he quickly returned to the track and lost the world title that year only to the last Grand Prix in Japan for British rider James Hunt in a race marked by rain and fog. However, his second title came in 1977, when he won three grand prizes and made seven podiums.

In the years 1980 and 1981, Lauda retired of the competition to dedicate to the businesses. He returned to Formula 1 in 1982, still in time to win a third world title in 1984, this time for McLaren, becoming the only driver to be world champion for Ferrari and McLaren. The third title was played until the last round of the world championship with team-mate Alain Prost, but a second place in the Portuguese Grand Prix, held at the Estoril racetrack, arrived for Niki Lauda to take the world title by half a point about Prost.