| Biography | Niki Lauda was an Austrian Formula One driver and aviation entrepreneur. He was a three-time Formula One World Drivers' Champion, winning in 1975, 1977 and 1984, and is the only driver in Formula One history to have been champion for both Ferrari and McLaren, two of the sport's most successful constructors.
Lauda was an aviation entrepreneur who founded and ran three airlines: Lauda Air, Niki and Lauda. He was also a consultant for Scuderia Ferrari and team manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years. Afterwards, Lauda worked as a pundit for German TV during Grand Prix weekends and served as non-executive chairman of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, of which he owned 10%.
Lauda emerged as Formula One's star driver amid a 1975 title win and while leading the 1976 championship battle. Lauda was seriously injured in a crash at the 1976 German Grand Prix while racing at the Nürburgring; during the crash his Ferrari 312T2 burst into flames, nearly killing him after he inhaled hot toxic fumes and suffered severe burns. He recovered sufficiently to race again just six weeks later at the Italian Grand Prix. Although he lost that year's title by just one point to James Hunt, he won his second championship the year after, during his final season at Ferrari. After a couple of years at Brabham and two years' hiatus, Lauda returned and raced four seasons for McLaren between 1982 and 1985, during which he won the 1984 title by half a point over his teammate Alain Prost. |