Niki Lauda: a life in pictures

A look back at the late Austrian racing legend’s career

Formula One legend Niki Lauda has passed away at the age of 70, but he leaves behind him a lifetime of unforgettable motor racing moments.

We've taken a trip through the archive to present these images of his many years in the sport.

Click or swipe through the pictures above to enjoy them.

First F1 race

Lauda’s first Formula One race came for the March racing team at the 1971 Austrian Grand Prix.

Although unsuccessful – he retired from the race – he went on to start a dozen more GPs for the team the following year, while also competing for the team in F2.

Here, he had more success, winning the ’72 British F2 title against James Hunt, among others.

Touring success

While trying to kickstart his F1 career, Lauda also competed in Touring Cars, driving a BMW 3.0 CSL for Alpina and winning the Nürburgring 24 Hours in 1973.

Here, he’s on his way to a first-in-class, 7th overall finish at the Spa 1000km that same year.

At BRM

After March, Lauda moved to the BRM team for 1973, but struggled with an uncompetitive car. His only points finish was at the Belgian Grand Prix, where he took fifth place.

First podium

Despite not yet having scored a podium finish, Lauda had impressed enough at BRM to earn a move to Ferrari for the 1974 season. The fact that his BRM teammate, Clay Regazzoni, had left for the Italian outfit surely helped – as did a great showing at the ’73 Monaco GP, where he had qualified sixth but dropped out with gearbox problems.

His first outing for the Scuderia came in Argentina in ’74 and he immediately showed his pace, finishing second in a race in which only six drivers lasted the distance.

First win

After disappointments in his next two races, Lauda finally took his first victory at the 1974 Spanish Grand Prix having qualified on pole.

Podium joy

Lauda finished ahead of his Ferrari teammate Clay Regazzoni and McLaren’s Emerson Fittipaldi at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Second win

Lauda’s only other victory in 1974 came at Zandvoort in the Netherlands, and he ultimately finished the season in a creditable fourth place overall – despite at one stage having taken six poles in succession.

Monaco magic

The Austrian’s 1975 season started slowly, with no podiums in the first four races, but that all changed at Monaco.

Lauda qualified on pole, and quickly took a massive lead in a wet race notable for several crashes. At one point he was 15 seconds ahead of second place, but an oil-pressure problem enabled Emerson Fittipaldi to close the gap to under 3 seconds with three laps to go.

Fortunately for Lauda the two-hour limit was reached before Fittipaldi could catch him, and he was proclaimed the victor.

On a roll

The Monaco victory started a run of four wins in five races – with the other being a second place – as Lauda and his Ferrari 312T began to dominate the season.

In Belgium, he qualified first and duly took the chequered flag. 

French fancy

After also winning in Sweden and finishing second in Holland, Lauda took victory in France – and with it a 22-point lead in the championship.

First title

By the time the F1 roadshow reached Monza in September, Lauda had one hand on the title with two races remaining.

A fifth or higher finish was all he needed to take an unassailable lead and after qualifying on pole his prospects seemed even better. He couldn’t hold on to first, but a third-place finish was enough for the 26-year-old to be crowned champion.

Victory lap

Just to ram home his superiority in 1975, Lauda also won the final race of the season, at Watkins Glen in the United States, having also qualified first.

Beach babe

If 1975 was Lauda’s breakthrough season, then 1976 would prove his toughest in several ways.

He certainly started well, winning first time out in Brazil by a massive 28 seconds.

Controversy in the UK

Wins in South Africa, Monaco and Belgium, coupled with three other podiums, had given Lauda a massive 29-point lead over second-place Patrick Depailler by the time of the British Grand Prix in July.

Lauda won this one too – but not without much drama.

A collision between the Austrian and his teammate Regazzoni on the first lap also took out several other drivers, including home favourite James Hunt.

Hunt restarted in a new car and went on to win the race – but was subsequently disqualified and Lauda given the win weeks later.

Tragedy at the Nürburgring

In a horrible twist of fate, Lauda had lobbied before the 1976 German Grand Prix for the race at the Nürburgring to be boycotted, citing multiple safety concerns. The drivers voted, but Lauda’s proposal was defeated by one vote and the race duly took place.

A couple of laps in and his fears came true in the worst possible way: just after the Bergwerk corner he lost control of his Ferrari and crashed into the barrier.

Only the brave actions of several other drivers – including Guy Edwards, Arturo Merzario, Harald Ertl and Brett Lunger – saved him, as they fought through the flames to remove him from the cockpit. 

Return at Monza

Lauda could easily have died in Germany and indeed did suffer life-changing injuries; he was even given his last rites by a priest. But remarkably, he was back just weeks later at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

To have returned to F1 so soon after such an accident was itself incredible; that he then drove to a fourth-place finish almost defies belief.  

Defeat in Japan

The 1976 season reached its conclusion at Fuji Speedway, with Lauda clinging on to a lead which had steadily been eaten away by James Hunt.

To win, he needed to finish ahead of the Brit, but with conditions wet beforehand, Lauda refused to race and Hunt finished third – taking the title by one point.

Back to the top

After the travails of the 1976 season, Lauda would have been forgiven for taking things easy in ’77 – but no chance.

He won three times, including here at Hockenheim in Germany, and was remarkably consistent throughout the season, also taking six second places and one third.

Second title

That consistency was enough to make Lauda a two-time World Champion, despite his having won fewer races over the season than Mario Andretti.

Fan service

With his relationship with Ferrari having disintegrated – he didn’t even take part in the final two races of the season – Lauda decided to start afresh with the Parmalat-sponsored Brabham-Alfa Romeo team for 1978.

He won twice for Brabham, most notably in Sweden with the controversial BT46B ‘fan car’ seen here.

BMW fun

Away from F1, Lauda was a keen participant in the BMW M1 Procar Championship – a single-marque contest held before Grands Prix in the 1979 and 1980 seasons.

Competitive as ever – and no doubt fond of the prize money on offer – Lauda won three times and took the inaugural title.

Back into the fray

Lauda retired from F1 after a disastrous 1979 season, but was coaxed back in 1982 by Ron Dennis.

The McLaren contract would be worth a massive $3m to Lauda, and would culminate in his third title.

Third title

After mixed results in the 1982 and ’83 seasons, McLaren hit on a winner in 1984 with the combination of Lauda and the new MP4/2 car.

Lauda won five times, including here at Brands Hatch, and pipped his teammate Alain Prost to the title by half a point.

Elder stateman

After retiring from F1 again at the end of the 1985 season, Lauda concentrated mainly on his business interests. But he returned to Ferrari in a consulting role in the 1990s, then took over as head of the Jaguar team for a brief period in 2001/02.

In recent years, he was a familiar face in the Mercedes garage, having acted as non-executive chairman during a time when the team has dominated the sport like few before it – a fitting way for a legend to bow out.