Niki Lauda is not just an F1 legend but also a great sporting hero, who inspired millions by his determination to return to 'normal' life soon after a horrific crash that resulted in extensive burns and facial disfigurement.

That he is also a three-time world drivers champion is over-shadowed in the public mind by his bravery, tenacity and decency. Niki Lauda is a rare sporting icon where the term hero is not out of place.
 

Niki Lauda had a privileged up bringing born to a wealthy Austrian family. He raced despite the disapproval of his family and had to use his own money, or funds borrowed from a bank, to secure his early drives.

His pre-single seater race results were not spectacular, but in 1971, he borrowed a large amount of money to buy a drive with the new March Formula 2 team. He was promoted in 1972 to drive for both the F2 and F1 teams, but the March had a terrible year. Lauda borrowed even more money to buy into a drive with BRM team for the 1973 season; once again, the choice of team was poor. However, in 1974 his friend and teammate Clay Regazzoni rejoined Ferrari and recommended Niki to team owner Enzo Ferrari.
 
Joining Ferrari was a fabulous opportunity for Lauda, he could repay his considerable debts and was working with a great team rejuvenated by the appointment of new team boss Luca di Montezemolo. He immediately demonstrated commitment and speed with a second-place finish in his début race for the team, the season-opening 1974 Argentine GP. Niki won his first Grand Prix at the fourth race of the season in Spain and he had a further win at the Dutch GP. Lauda finished the season in a very creditable fourth in the drivers' championship and demonstrated immense commitment to testing and improving the car.

Niki Lauda won his first F1 drivers championship in 1975. The season started relatively poorly, with a best result of fifth in the first four races; however, he won four of the next five, and became champion upon winning the last race of the season in the USA. This was Ferrari's first title in over a decade and he was lauded in Italy, however, Lauda was unsentimental, claiming that the 'useless' trophies were cluttering his home and so gave them to a local garage in exchange for washing his car.
 

The magnificent achievement of winning the championship was put into perspective next year by a seminal accident that haunted F1 for many years and is widely regarded that Niki Lauda's response to be an exemplar of fortitude. Lauda won four of the first six races of the 1976 season and won the British GP to lead the championship comfortably over Jody Scheckter and James Hunt.
 
The 1976 German GP was held at the notoriously difficult circuit; - the Nürburgring Nordschleife, Lauda was concerned about the safety arrangements at the track and had attempted to arrange a driver boycott, but such was rejected by most of the other drivers.

Lauda crashed on the second lap of the race, his car swerved after passing through a very fast kink on the circuit, the suspected rear suspension failure resulted in Lauda's Ferrari hitting the embankment and rolling back into the path of Brett Lunger's Surtees-Ford car. Lauda's Ferrari burst into flames and he was trapped in the wreckage. Four drivers, (Arturo Merzario, Guy Edwards Harald Ertl and Lunger) pulled Lauda from his car, but by such time, he had already suffered severe burns to his face and had inhaled toxic fumes that damaged his lungs. Immediately afterwards he was conscious and was able to stand, but shortly he fell into a coma and was expected to die.
 

It was accepted that if Lauda survived the extent of injuries would render it impossible for him to race again. In a feat of remarkable will power and bravery, Lauda defied the doctors to return to racing just six weeks after the crash and with blood seeping from the bandages on his head he finish fourth in the Italian GP.

(Lauda has had a little reconstructive surgery to get his eyelids to work properly, but has not felt a need to do any more. Niki said the loss of half an ear made it easier to use the telephone! In consideration of those who found his facial disfigurement unsightly he thereafter wore a red baseball cap, hiring it out to a sponsor for a hefty fee, he and his cap have become an internationally recognised).

In the six weeks of Lauda's absence from racing, James Hunt (McLaren) had reduced Lauda's lead in the championship, and after winning in Canada and the United States he was just three points behind Lauda at the start of the final race,- the Japanese GP.

Hunt qualified in second for the race and Lauda in third; if they finished in such order, Lauda would be champion. The race day was thick with anticipation an incident, and is still one of the great season finales. The weather was terrible with torrential rain rendering driving conditions appalling.  Lauda retired from the race after two laps, he stated that conditions were most unsafe. Hunt led for much of the race and looked set to win the championship, however, a puncture forced an unscheduled pit stop dropping down the field. Hunt then produced a phenomenal championship winning drive, securing third place and the title. (It is a little ironic that Lauda and Hunt, who despite been poles apart in personality were best of friends, should be competing in such a way after Lauda's amazing recovery).
 
James Hunt said after the race that Niki's withdrawal was an act of bravery, but bizarrely some in Italy called him a coward and even Enzo Ferrari began to make plans to drop him. Niki Lauda, understandably angered by the negative reaction in some quarters to his decision, felt isolated at Ferrari and won the drivers title in 1977 as a sort of revenge. Having taken the championship with two races remaining he decided to leave Ferrari with immediate effect.  Enzo called him a traitor for moving to Bernie Ecclestone's Brabham team.

Niki Lauda, as, at the time, two-time world champion was well paid by Brabham, but his car lacked speed and Lauda struggled in 1978, and in 1979 at the Canadian GP announced his decision to retire from F1 with immediate effect. He famously said he had no more desire to 'drive around in circles'.

Niki Lauda founded Lauda Air and from time to time acted as one of the pilots. By 1982, the Company need more money and Lauda returned to F1 for a huge salary of $5 million to race for McLaren. By 1984, both car and driver were good enough to challenge for the title, and Lauda won his third championship by just half a point over his teammate Alain Prost.
 
The 1985 season was difficult for Lauda with just a single win at the Dutch GP. He retired from racing at the end of the season.

Niki Lauda continued to work in F1, initially as a consultant to Ferrari and then as manager of the Jaguar F1 team in 2001 - 2002.

Lauda was a great driver and is a remarkable man, his scars testament to a battle that he so nearly lost, but from which he was able to continue without allowing such to define him.

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