Formula One fans reminisce the long decorated career of one of the most prominent drivers, Niki Lauda, as it has been almost three years of his death.
Andreas Nikolaus Lauda, aka Niki Lauda, was an Austrian Formula One driver and aviation entrepreneur born in February 1949.
He is the only driver in F1 history to have won championships for both Ferrari and McLaren, the sport’s two most successful constructors.
Niki emerged as Formula One’s star driver amid a 1975 title win and led the 1976 championship battle. Despite losing the championship that year to James Hunt, he won his second championship the following year, during his final season with Ferrari.
Niki Lauda Death Cause: What Happened To The Hesketh Racing Rival?
Niki Lauda, the rival of Hesketh Racing, died at the age of 70 on 20 May 2019, and the cause of his death was kidney issues. Lauda had received two kidney transplants, one in 1997 and the other in 2005.
He underwent the surgery in Vienna, where doctors discovered he had “serious lung illness.” The driver’s comeback was hindered by Setbacks, including a virus illness, since his lung transplant.
However, Niki passed away peacefully while sleeping in his bed alongside his beloved family.
BREAKING: Formula 1 has been rocked by the death of sporting legend Niki Lauda, who passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family. #F1 pic.twitter.com/j8WF6hmozP
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) May 21, 2019
Lauda was extremely injured in a collision at the 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. The accident resulted in his Ferrari 312T2 bursting into flames, and he came close to death after inhaling hot toxic fumes.
But his terrible flame injuries and burns, which he sustained 42 years ago, left him with long-term health difficulties.
Niki Lauda Wife: Was He Married?
The second wife of Niki Lauda is Birgit Wetzinger. She is known for donating a kidney for Lauda when the one he received from his brother failed.
Even though they had only been together for eight months, Birgit, then 26, agreed to donate one of her kidneys to save the life of his partner. Niki stated that she had given him a second chance at life with his children.
Birgit is a former flight attendant who graduated from a local university in Aviation. The couple married in 2008, and Wetzinger gave birth to twins, Max Lauda and Mia Lauda, in 2009.
With his first wife, Chilean-Austrian Marlene Knaus, whom Niki married in 1976 and divorced in 1991, Lauda had two sons named Mathias, a race driver, and Lukas, Mathias’ manager.
Niki Lauda Net Worth Explored
The net worth of Niki Lauda, one of the most successful Formula One drivers in history, is estimated to be around $200 million.
He started and ran three airlines as an aviation entrepreneur, Lauda Air, Niki, and Lauda. For two years, Lauda worked as a consultant for Scuderia Ferrari and as the team manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team.
Following that, Niki worked as a Grand Prix commentator for German television and served as non-executive chairman of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, of which Lauda controlled 10%.