RIP- You had a good run Sir. More than most can say I think.
Posted on 05/20/2019 7:04:28 PM PDT by God luvs America
VIENNA -- Formula One legend Niki Lauda, who won two of his titles after a horrific crash that left him with serious burns and went on to become a prominent figure in the aviation industry, has died. He was 70.
The Austria Press Agency reported Lauda's family saying in a statement he "passed away peacefully'' on Monday.
"His unique achievements as an athlete and entrepreneur are and will remain unforgettable, his tireless zest for action, his straightforwardness and his courage remain," the statement continued. "A role model and a benchmark for all of us, he was a loving and caring husband, father and grandfather away from the public, and he will be missed."
Lauda won three Formula One world championships and was the only driver to have won a world title with Ferrari and McLaren. His rivalry with British driver James Hunt was the subject of the film "Rush."
Lauda was badly burned in a near-fatal Formula One crash in 1976 and later became an airline entrepreneur
He had been a shareholder and team boss of the Mercedes Formula One team since 2012.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.com ...
Years ago I was on a flight to Germany on Lufthansa. A Captain was sitting next to me that flew for Lauda Airlines and knew the man. He had nothing but praise for him. It was an odd seating that day. The captain, a first officer, I a flight instructor, and my dad an old chopper pilot war dog all together as passengers sitting next to each other. It made a most interesting conversation across the Atlantic Ocean.
Kewel
This has been a rough few weeks for celebrities.
No! Sad......
1983? Holy cow, I’ve probably seen Lauda drive. I was a regular at the Long Beach Grand Prix from the late seventies until about the time IRL took over. Although I loved the experience, I never really paid attention to the drivers until CART took over. The CART cars are still the most impressive race cars ever, in my mind.
I also saw the Transition from F 1 to Indy car. To me the cars are equal, but F1 had a different feel. Kind of cool to see the international spotlight that F 1 brings.
Sorry, my mistake that first race was Formula 5000.
RIP- You had a good run Sir. More than most can say I think.
I am not much of a racing fan, so I had never heard of him, till one of his aircraft crashed in Thailand, in 1991.
I agree with you about “Rush”. I know nothing about racing, and knew nothing about him. DH wanted to see the movie so I went. It was very good.
I remember that horrific crash and burn.
RIP, Niki.
If You would like to be on the F1 PING List just let Sir Chode know and He'll fix Ya up.
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