Niki Lauda Accident: How Did He Die? Death Cause And Obituary: People are curious as to what caused Niki Lauda’s crash. Lauda was severely wounded in a crash during the 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.
Niki Lauda was an Austrian Formula One racer and businessman. In 1975 1977 and 1984 he won the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship three times.
He is also the only driver in Formula One history to have done so for both Ferrari and McLaren the sport’s two most successful manufacturers.
He was a businessman who established and managed three airlines: Lauda Air Niki and Lauda. For two years he was also a consultant for Scuderia Ferrari and the manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing squad.
He then became a Grand Prix commentator for German television and the non-executive chairman of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport of which Lauda controlled 10%.
Niki Lauda Accident: How Did The Accident Happen?
Niki Lauda lost control of his Ferrari on the second circuit of the German Grand Prix causing it to spin to the right and collide with the metal barriers.
Lauda was thrown back onto the track and was hit by another car. It was unknown whether Lauda would escape the rescue from the flames. It was a turning point in the season.
That year Lauda was vying for wins and championship points with McLaren’s brilliant but inconsistent James Hunt.
It was one of the strangest seasons in history with allegations of cheating stolen victories and reinstated points keeping supporters on their toes because no one knew who would win.
Lauda intended to race at the Monza Grand Prix where he finished fourth six weeks after the accident.
Despite his admittance that he was terrified the Austrian’s blood-soaked bandages and protective helmet concealed the fact that he was in excruciating agony.
How Did Niki Lauda Die?
Lauda died in his slumber on May 20 2019 at the age of 70 in the University Hospital of Zürich where he was receiving dialysis for kidney problems.
His lung issues from the 1976 accident had made him sick for a while. He had a double lung transplant last year in addition to two kidney operations in earlier years.
He died peacefully according to his relatives while being attended by family members.
Several current and former drivers and teams paid tribute on social media and during the pre-Monaco Grand Prix news conference on Wednesday. Before the race, there was a minute of silence.
Lauda requested that he be buried in his Ferrari racing outfit from 1974 to 1977. He was laid to repose in Heiligenstädt’s Friedhof.
Who Is Niki Lauda?
Niki Lauda was born on February 22, 1949, in Vienna Austria to a wealthy paper business family.
His paternal grandfather was the industrialist Hans Lauda who was born in Vienna. Despite his family’s opposition Lauda pursued his racing vocation.
Lauda began with a Mini and progressed to Formula Vee before rapidly moving up to drive in private Porsche and Chevron sports cars as was customary in Central Europe.
After recognizing his career was over he borrowed £30000 from a bank to join the young March team as a Formula Two driver in 1971. The money is guaranteed by life insurance coverage.
He had a running argument with his family about his wish to race and cut off communication as a result of their disapproval.
