NIKI LAUDA

Whether maneuvering a Ferrari around an F1 racetrack or flying a Bombardier jet, Niki Lauda was at his best in a cockpit. An Austrian national hero, his unexpected death on May 20^th   stunned the racing and aviation world, sending close friends and supporters into a tailspin. Lauda, a Formula One champion driver, considered to be one of the greatest racers of all time, won the F1 World Championship three times. Lauda was a commercial pilot and an aviation entrepreneur for almost four decades as well, founding three profitable airlines: LaudaAir, Niki, and LaudaMotion.

Lauda’s legacy of determination and victory over adversity is the very definition of a “Living Legend.” Carving out his career path despite his family’s fierce disapproval, he invested his resources and joined the racing circuit. He eventually landed a key driving position with Ferrari in 1974. The last race of 1975 earned Lauda his first world championship and the emerging status of Formula One’s leading driver. He was on his way to winning the 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring when his Ferrari 312T2 crashed and burst into flames. Incurring horrific burns and inhaling hot toxic fumes, Lauda came close to death. A competitor, he displayed a formidable strength of will and courage by racing in the Italian Grand Prix just six weeks after the accident. His final year with Ferrari in 1977 earned him his second World Crown. After his first retirement, McLaren brought Lauda on board in 1982, enabling him to win his third and last World Championship in 1984.

Lauda’s love of speed and challenges sent him skyward before his final retirement from racing. He started, ran, and sold three airlines in his nearly four-decades-long aviation career, proving his expertise as an astute businessman as well as a racer and pilot. Lauda loved to fly and was often seen piloting his company jets. For his personal use, he flew a Bombardier Global 7000 aircraft.

The International Motorsports Hall of Fame inducted Lauda in 1993 and Austria commissioned a postage stamp in his honor. He made a cameo appearance in the movie Rush which featured Lauda and his fiercest competitor, James Hunt. He is survived by his wife, Birgit Wetzinger, their twins, and three children by other relationships. As with all great Legends, Lauda’s legacy and spirit will not be forgotten and will continue to live on above the clouds and on the track.