Racing Legend to Mentor Pt. 2: Niki Lauda
- Juveriah Ahmed
- 8 hours ago
- 7 min read
Hi everyone, welcome back to part two of my series, Racing Legend to Mentor! This week is about Niki Lauda, an Austrian Formula 1 champion! Last week, I wrote about Doc Hudson: how he started out in racing, how quickly he rose through the ranks, his near-fatal accident, and then his mentorship of a new racer. Crazily enough, Niki Lauda’s story is so, so similar. When I got into motorsports and Formula 1, I kept seeing and hearing stories that reminded me of Cars and its characters. When I first heard about Niki Lauda, my mind went straight to Doc Hudson. I hope you guys enjoy hearing about Niki’s story, and maybe convince you all to go back to Doc’s to see the similarities!
Who is Niki Lauda? Niki Lauda started his motorsports career in 1969, racing in Formula V, a beginner junior-racing class. Not too long after, he found his way to Formula 2, and his racing skills and quick reflexes caught the eyes of many. He was racing for March Engineering at the time, and his driving abilities were so impressive that it landed him a seat in their Formula 1 team in 1971. In just 2 years, Niki made his way to the top of the racing formulas.
Niki made his debut in Formula 1 with March Engineering in 1971. However, although it was Niki’s dream to make it to Formula 1, his team's car was less than competitive. After a year, he made the decision to move to British Racing Motors, or BRM. Unfortunately, this team’s cars weren’t any better than the last, and he ended up staying with this team for only two years. Despite a low performing car, Niki’s skills and passion for racing shone through, and it caught the attention of none other than Enzo Ferrari. Enzo Ferrari, the Italian automotive engineer and founder of the renowned Ferrari automobile company. In the following Formula 1 season in 1974, Niki Lauda found himself in the seat of a new team: Scuderia Ferrari.
Niki's first season with Ferrari marked a resurgence for the team. He recorded top speeds and set the pace for multiple races. But he wasn't completely satisfied with his performance, as he ended the season in only fourth place. Since he didn’t win it all, he spent the break before the next season with the engineers to improve the car and get it to its highest performance. This is what got him his nickname, the Computer. If you see Formula 1 now, it’s pretty common for drivers to be involved in the process of building their cars, but back then, Niki was one of the first to do so. As a result of his hard work and dedication, in his second season with Ferrari, Niki won his first world championship title!
The following year, in 1976, Niki got into a life-threatening accident at the German Grand Prix. It was the 10th race of the season, and so far, Niki had been dominating. This race, though, had Niki worried. This specific track was designed to be extremely challenging and dangerous, with narrow straights and tight turns, and at the speeds the new cars were reaching, Niki called on his fellow drivers to boycott. But it was unsuccessful, and the race would go on as planned. On the second lap of the race, Niki lost control of his car at 174mph, causing him to crash into a nearby barrier. His fuel tank exploded, and the car burst into flames. Also, the force of hitting the barrier pushed Niki's car back onto the track, and a fellow driver wasn't able to stop in time, crashing into Niki and triggering a second explosion. He was stuck in the fiery car for an agonizing 55 seconds. His fellow drivers stopped the race and risked their lives to pull Niki out of the car. And, at the hospital, doctors were unsure he would live, so they called a priest to administer his last rites. Many believed Niki's racing days were over.
But Niki Lauda fought tooth and nail to stay alive. His lungs were scarred from inhaling toxic fumes, and he sustained severe burns on his hands, face, and ears. He actually lost part of his ear and even had to get reconstructive surgery to get his eyelids working properly again. Despite the severity of these injuries and against his doctor's wishes, Niki got back into his driver's seat just six weeks later. Still recovering from his injuries and fresh bandages on his wounds, he made one of the most insane comebacks of motorsports history. The press and other drivers at the time recall Niki peeling away his bloody bandages after the races that season. Nonetheless, although he missed two races in those six weeks away, he still managed to keep his lead in the season for the most part. Unfortunately, he lost the world title that year by only a single point. But this didn’t lower his morale or confidence at all, as he easily won the world championship title in the next season in 1977.
After two world titles and a car that was essentially too good at Ferrari, Niki wanted more of a challenge (as if getting into that near-fatal accident wasn’t crazy enough). For the next two years, Niki drove for Brabham, a lesser-known and underfunded team. This car was similar to the one he drove when he first got to Formula 1, and although he sought to be challenged, he ended up feeling extremely frustrated with the car and lost motivation to continue. As a result, he announced an early retirement from the sport in 1979. But that was short-lived, as he came back to Formula 1 in 1982 to drive for McLaren. He stayed with the team for three years, winning his third (and last) world championship in 1984, and officially retiring in 1985.
After his racing career, Niki founded his own airline, LaudaAir, which was later acquired by Austrian Airlines in the late 90s. Then, Niki found himself back in the racing world, but this time as a consultant for Ferrari. In the following years, Niki managed the Jaguar Formula 1 team and even became a commentator and television analyst for German and Austrian racing channels. In 2012, Niki became the non-executive chairman and co-owner of the Mercedes Formula 1 team. And in 2013, Niki was a key part of the negotiations to recruit a young talented driver to the team, Lewis Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton had his Formula 1 debut with McLaren in 2007. His driving abilities quickly became the talk of the sport, but unfortunately, he lost the world title that season by just a single point. He won his first world championship in the following year, becoming one of the youngest to do so. The years after that, McLaren’s car became less reliable and efficient, leaving Lewis behind the other drivers on the grid. That was until Niki Lauda proposed joining Mercedes, and seeing the same grit and determination as he once did, convinced him that they would make history together. Prior to their first meeting though, Niki was a bit apprehensive about Lewis. Niki in general was a very blunt and stubborn personality, and in their first meeting, Lewis thought he had hated him. But, after talking and getting to know each other more, Niki found they shared a similar work ethic and competitive philosophy. He saw himself in Lewis.
After Lewis decided to make the move, and under the mentorship and guidance of the three-time champion, Mercedes won seven consecutive world titles, with six of them being won by Lewis. Niki consistently challenged Lewis to become a better driver, and it paid off, as Lewis went on to become one of the most decorated drivers in history. In a few interviews, it was said that Niki would call Lewis after races and bluntly ask what he thinks he could do better in the next one (he would call even if Lewis won the race too). It was also said that at the races Niki was present for, if he approved of the racing Lewis had done, he would take off his hat as a sign of respect. Sadly, Niki only got to see Mercedes win four of seven world titles, as he passed away in 2019.
Niki was a legendary Formula 1 champion, and is remembered and known for his outstanding bravery and courage for coming back to the sport that nearly took his life. He is also highly regarded in terms of bringing safety reform to Formula 1. Following his accident, he was heavily involved in changing the safety conditions for the drivers and the tracks. For his past teams, McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes greatly acknowledge Niki’s achievements and the success he brought to them. For Lewis, Niki’s loss is still felt to this day. After the 2024 season, Lewis moved to the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team (the team Niki rose to new heights, and won them their first world title in nearly 11 years back in 1975). Lewis cites Niki often as his biggest support and mentor in his career. Niki’s legacy lives on, especially through Lewis Hamilton, as he is now bringing Ferrari to new heights just like he once did.
What do you guys think? Niki Lauda’s story is so insane to me, and I hope you guys enjoyed reading about it! There’s actually a movie about him called Rush that came out in 2013, and Niki said himself that they did a really good job at retelling his story. I highly recommend it! Thank you for tuning into this week's blog! Sadly this series was only a two-parter but it was really fun to write! Let me know what you guys think about Niki Lauda’s and Doc Hudson’s stories! I’ll see you all next week. Be sure to follow @/kahani.mag on Instagram to stay updated!
- Juveriah
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