Niki Lauda RIP

Mike Litoris · 21-05-2019 2:30am #1

Just read that Nicky Lauda has passed. R.I.P

Shocked and saddened. I knew he'd health issues last year but had no idea it was this serious.

Outlaw Pete · 21-05-2019 2:44am

Niki Lauda has died.

RIP

Gremlinertia · 21-05-2019 2:50am

Some man, RIP

Larbre34 · 21-05-2019 2:53am

Very sad news, Niki was a unique figure, a single minded driver and businessman, an engineer's dream driver and of course quite superhuman to return to racing so soon and so effectively after the Nurburgring fire.

A tough man by all accounts, not given to hyperbole, but earned the respect he had by his actions.

They certainly don't make them like Lauda and his generation anymore. No more pain for him, he can go back to winding up James Hunt and really thats how it should be.

RIP to one of the greats.

Gremlinertia · 21-05-2019 2:57am

A stoic, unshakeable figure, too right they don't make them like him anymore.

RIP

flazio · 21-05-2019 5:35am

We always think of Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton, Juan Manuel Fangio and the like as the greatest drivers in Formula 1, but for what Lauda achieved after the horrific things that happened to him you kinda have to put him up there as well.
May he Rest in peace.

Wanderer78 · 21-05-2019 6:42am

Rip

The Satanist · 21-05-2019 6:49am

Rest in peace, what an incredible man.

skipper_G · 21-05-2019 6:51am

Shocking news to wake up to, Niki was a legend. Am a bit lost for words, so will just say RIP

RobAMerc · 21-05-2019 6:58am

a true hero, RIP

Wishbone Ash · 21-05-2019 7:10am

He was an inspiration to me during my childhood/teenage years. His 1985 auto-biography 'To Hell and Back' is a great read. RIP

Ghost Train · 21-05-2019 7:19am

*doff red cap to Lauda*

Odyssey 2005 · 21-05-2019 7:21am

James Hunt will be waiting for him at the pearly gate with a cold beer.

_Brian · 21-05-2019 7:27am

A real inspirational sportsman. RIP

Charlie-Bravo · 21-05-2019 8:59am

What a character to have watched over the years.

Beechwoodspark · 21-05-2019 9:04am

Legend of Motorsport

Seemed a genuinely nice guy on top of that.

RIP Niki Lauda

gimli2112 · 21-05-2019 9:05am

I hadn't realised but when he had his bad crash in 76 he was back racing in a few weeks, peeling bloody bandages off his head after the race. He admitted himself he was terrified on his return. In the final race in appalling conditions he understandably lost his nerve and retired, Hunt finished third and won the title by a point.
He actually campaigned to have the Nuremberg race cancelled for safety reasons and ironically he was the one who suffered when the other drivers refused to boycott it.

meeeeh · 21-05-2019 9:06am

He was a great personality and a brilliant driver. Formula 1 will be poorer without him.

Blinky Plebum · 21-05-2019 9:43am

gimli2112 wrote: »

I hadn't realised but when he had his bad crash in 76 he was back racing in a few weeks, peeling bloody bandages off his head after the race. He admitted himself he was terrified on his return. In the final race in appalling conditions he understandably lost his nerve and retired, Hunt finished third and won the title by a point.
He actually campaigned to have the Nuremberg race cancelled for safety reasons and ironically he was the one who suffered when the other drivers refused to boycott it.

Is lost his nerve not a little bit harsh a phrase.Came to his senses is probably a better way of describing it.

I'd say getting back into a racecar so soon after his horrific injuries took an unbeleivable degree of nerve and bravery, it may be one of the greatest sports comeback of all time.

gimli2112 · 21-05-2019 9:50am

Blinky Plebum wrote: »

Is lost his nerve not a little bit harsh a phrase.Came to his senses is probably a better way of describing it.

I'd say getting back into a racecar so soon after his horrific injuries took an unbeleivable degree of nerve and bravery, it may be one of the greatest sports comeback of all time.

It was taken from an article I read this morning. I actually inserted "understandably". I totally agree that getting back into the car was incredibly brave but he admitted himself he was terrified, which makes it even more impressive.

At a time when the risks were far more significant and no-one would have been more aware of this than himself and he still did it. Half his face had been melted a few weeks before.

Sterling Archer · 21-05-2019 10:35am

gimli2112 wrote: »

It was taken from an article I read this morning. I actually inserted "understandably". I totally agree that getting back into the car was incredibly brave but he admitted himself he was terrified, which makes it even more impressive.

At a time when the risks were far more significant and no-one would have been more aware of this than himself and he still did it. Half his face had been melted a few weeks before.

Ya that's a poor way they worded that.. he calculated the risk and felt it was not worth continuing

Anyways RIP to a Motorsport giant

Odyssey 2005 · 21-05-2019 10:40am

astrofluff wrote: »

What a character to have watched over the years.

Aren't we the lucky ones to have experienced the glory days of F1

bottar1 · 21-05-2019 10:41am

A man who taught people never to give up... RIP.

El_Duderino 09 · 21-05-2019 11:10am

Mike Litoris wrote: »

Just read that Nicky Lauda has passed. R.I.P

Shocked and saddened. I knew he'd health issues last year but had no idea it was this serious.

He was 70 having lung transplant. Between the trauma of the transplant and the immune system suppressants to offset rejection of the new lung. It's a serious operation.

The transplant itself might have been successful but the immune system suppression could have made him vulnerable to all sorts of illness a 70 year old might experience. Pneumonia is a killer for people with compromised immunity. Just an example. I don't know any details and his are completely within their rights to keep everything private.

He was tough as old boots and probably had as good a chance as anyone. Either way. Poor aul divil. Great character proper inspiring.

Deadlift kid · 21-05-2019 11:18am

Great man Rip Mr Lauda always admired his no fluffing about brutal honesty compared to so many of todays crop of drivers (proper old schooler ) Raikonen is probably closest today in some ways , and for Nicky to come back from such injuries showed his true grit always admired him Rip Nicky Mr shunt the cnut will be waiting

Sterling Archer · 21-05-2019 12:07pm

Nic_Col wrote: »

Christ, the Hamilton bashing has even made it into this of all threads......

Don't see it as bashing to say he wouldn't be on the same list as those lads.. apples and oranges at this point.. would be nice to see Ferrari and McLaren run tribute livery's to niki

Something like these

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxuAYC-Fjiw/?igshid=1vwliiwsm713i

GNweBbK4QFOfHNte-pCvbg?w=500&h=281&fm

Itssoeasy · 21-05-2019 12:47pm

RIP to an absolute legend of F1. I don't see it as Lewis Hamilton bashing to not have him in the rarefied air that niki Lauda and others are held in.

RMAOK · 21-05-2019 12:49pm

RIP

H3llR4iser · 21-05-2019 12:51pm

Unfortunately, I was expecting Niki's condition to be as bad as it turned out to be. I guess that even somebody who made a habit of giving death the middle finger in spectacular fashion has to, eventually, comply with the rules of the Universe.

He'll be sorely missed in the paddock, he was one of the last of a generation who had a constant reminder that every time they stepped into their race car, it might be the last thing they did - yet they still did, and were proper racers at it. Go watch some races from the 1970s (there are plenty on YouTube), the level of sportsmanship is unbelievable; None of the Playstation antics of today's little kids. They KNEW bumping wheels at 300kph or pushing somebody towards a wall meant a trip to the hospital - in the very best scenario.

As a businessman, Lauda was one of the first to show there can be much more to a racing driver than fast cars, pretty women and luxury boats; One of his many aviation ventures still flies today and if one thing stands above all to, it's his actions in the wake of the Lauda Air 004 crash back in 1991. He immediately traveled to the crash site, joined the investigation team on site, went on to personally simulate the scenario on a B767 simulator at Gatwick airport and on the back of his findings, was instrumental in identifying the cause of the crash and implementing the due changes. At one point, he literally backed Boeing against the wall proposing he'd take a real 767 with two pilots and test his theory, showing the aviation giant who was the owner of the biggest set of balls in the room. Boeing backed off and conceded there was indeed a technical issue on the plane.

youreadthat · 21-05-2019 1:08pm

RIP Niki.

Jordan 199 · 21-05-2019 2:20pm

Great article about Niki here.

Pissartist · 21-05-2019 2:21pm

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Niki Lauda has died.

RIP

Simply the best sporting comeback of all time, a proper man. RIP

jester77 · 21-05-2019 3:20pm

RIP
A legend of the sport, and a very astute business man who was never afraid to challenge the big guys and not back down.

Inviere · 21-05-2019 3:51pm

I will really miss his honesty, his to-the-point'ness, and his zero bs/corporate speak approach. If Merc dropped the ball, Niki would be the first to say it. If they pulled a rabbit out of a hat, he'd be the first to say it. An amazing person all told.

Max Headroom · 21-05-2019 3:55pm

I remember seeing the crash footage on the news back then...still horrific....

R.I.P

selectamatic · 21-05-2019 5:09pm

Pissartist wrote: »

Simply the best sporting comeback of all time, a proper man. RIP

Agree. There's been many a great comeback in many forms of sport be it from terrible accidents/injuries or near terminal illnesses but Lauda's comeback while still being in the condition he was in appears to be a level above the rest.

His post accident 4th in Italy and 3rd in America were and still are phenomenal achievements in the face of such physical and mental anguish.
RIP.

Odyssey 2005 · 21-05-2019 5:11pm

Jordan 199 wrote: »

Great article about Niki here.

Lovely article. Thanks for sharing

AMKC · 21-05-2019 6:09pm

Just heard about this now. He was great racer for his time, an incredible man and a legend now.

I do not think there is a lot of drivers that would have come back and raced again if the same thing happened to them.

Formula 1 has lost one of its hero's.

May he Rest in Peace.

dublinman1990 · 21-05-2019 6:12pm

I've only heard about Niki Lauda's death on the RTÉ News Headlines. R.I.P. to a legendary F1 driver.

Lewis Hamilton has just tweeted about his death a short time ago. It reads.

https://twitter.com/LewisHamilton/status/1130878976212307969

chicorytip · 21-05-2019 6:31pm

gimli2112 wrote:

At a time when the risks were far more significant and no-one would have been more aware of this than himself and he still did it. Half his face had been melted a few weeks before.

To say the risks were more significant back then is a huge understatement. Marshals had no fire extinguishing training and flameproof clothing was not in common use. Lauda was lucky to escape with his life. Roger Williamson was not so lucky at the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix. His car hit a barrier, overturned and burst into flames trapping the driver who burnt to death. There were a number of marshals at the scene but all they could do was stand by helplessly as they had not even a single fire extinguisher at their disposal.

Whiplashy · 21-05-2019 6:41pm

I wasn’t alive for his driving days, but I loved his frank and honest interviews since getting involved behind the scenes. He was a truly remarkable man and will be a great loss to the sport.

RIP

meeeeh · 21-05-2019 7:06pm

Very good obituary and another article from the same author.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/21/niki-lauda-obituary

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/21/niki-lauda-a-single-minded-f1-champion-who-beat-the-best-of-his-age

I just about remember seeing him race towards the end of his career. Anyway his racecraft wasn't his most notable quality, there were more exciting drivers around. It was his tenacity, drive, intelligence and abrupt style that really made him stand out. I know Rush is dramatized version of Lauda but apparently fairly accurate representation and it's him I always end up rooting for (yes I knew before about the accident and that Hunt won and yes I rewatch the movie every so often).

mickdw · 21-05-2019 8:55pm

jester77 wrote: »

RIP
A legend of the sport, and a very astute business man who was never afraid to challenge the big guys and not back down.

Yep, goes to show not much changes with Boeing. They tried to cover up the extent of the issue. When Lauda said he would take a 767 into the air himself with 2 Boeing pilots on-board and test the failure in real life, they had to admit it would bring down the plane.

AMKC · 21-05-2019 9:39pm

Sky Sports F1 have a Niki Lauda Tribute on at 10.20pm for anyone with Sky Sports F1 and then at 11pm there is Niki Lauda:F1 Legend.

Frank Bullitt · 21-05-2019 10:25pm

F1 could do with a character like Niki on the grid.

Straight to the point, a thinker, a character and flat out fast.

This photo has been doing the rounds since the news. I love everything about it.

Rest in peace.

flazio · 22-05-2019 8:07pm

https://twitter.com/MercedesAMGF1/status/1131259758877577216?s=19

mickdw · 22-05-2019 11:36pm

McLaren and Ferrari will hopefully be doing something special too

jmayo · 23-05-2019 12:17pm

LIGHTNING wrote: »

RIP Niki. I also cleaned up this thread up. Not going to even say what it was about but people should be ashamed of themselves.

Hang on I posted about Lauda, what I always remembered him for and it was removed in it's entirety and I guess it was probably due to one single sentence in there.
And I actually do stand by the point in that sentence.

Jordan 199 · 23-05-2019 4:43pm

Sebastian-Vettel-Lauda-Helm-GP-Monaco-2019-fotoshowBigWide-9e5e4642-1591271.jpg

^ Vettel will be using that design this weekend.

pburns · 26-05-2019 10:26pm

Have to say, when all the middle-aged Irish radio presenters were lacking lyrical a few weeks ago about Tiger having the biggest comeback in sporting history....
I thought of Niki...

What he achieved in the sport, with his airline business...and all the time having no airs or graces, just a fun, no bull**** guy...Total legend...

Niki Lauda RIP

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