Niki Lauda (born February 22, 1949) is an Austrian Formula One (F1) racer, aviation entrepreneur, and businessman from Austria. Furthermore, he won three F1 drivers’ championships in (1975, 1977 and 1984). In the history of Formula 1, he is the only driver to be a champion behind the wheel of McLaren and Ferrari.
The 70-year-old racer also served as Team President of the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team. Furthermore, Andreas Nikolaus Lauda is the founder of two airlines.
On the other hand, Lauda started his sports career in 1970. He faced big problems in the initial stages of his career. In addition, his first victory in GrandPix is in 1972, also followed by the Spanish Grand Pix. In fact, Niki established him as the fastest driver on the circuit. However, the Nürburgring accident occurred in 1976.
His Ferrari car caught fire in the fire. In addition, Niki had serious head injuries, scars on the right ear on the body. Soon he and other drivers decided to boycott the German Grand Pix race. In reality, it happened due to a lack of security measures on the court for its players.
After his accident, he used to wear a cap to cover his scars. However, the champion driver died on May 20, 2019 in his sleep. Niki suffered from the kidney problem for a long time. He additionally attended dialysis treatment at a Swiss Clinic.
Before fame, parents, siblings and profile
F1 racing champion, Niki Lauda was born on February 22 , 1949 North Dakota in Vienna, Austria. At present, his age of him is 70 years old (as of 2019). His parents are Ernst-Peter Lauda ( father ) and Isabel Lauda ( mother ). In addition, Niki belongs to a wealthy family of businessmen.
Hans Lauda is her paternal grandfather and businessman. However, his parents were against his sports career. He moved to the Central European area to be a driver. Therefore, he took out loans and brought in cars like Chevron and Porsche.
Soon, Niki joined Ferrari to cover up his team’s decline in 1972. On the other hand, Florian Lauda is his brother name. his full real birth name is « Andreas Nicolás Lauda ».
Wedding, girlfriend, spouse and children
Formula 1 racer Niki Lauda with Birgit Wetzinger (spouse).
His first wife is Marlene Knaus. In fact, Niki has two children. Mathias Lauda (broker) and Lukas Lauda (manager) from her. However, her marriage ended in 1990.
Her son Christoph Lauda is from her extramarital affair. Subsequently, he had his second marriage to Birgit Wetzinger (stewardess) on August 25, 2008.
The couple have twin children, Mia Lauda and Max Lauda. Also, Birgit gave him the kidney from her. However, the kidney transplant with her brother’s kidney failed.
Curiosities and quick information
| Lifestyle/Biography | |
|---|---|
| Full real birth name | Andreas Nikolaus ‘Niki’ Lauda. |
| Nickname | Niki Lauda. |
| Profession | Owner of an aviation business and Formula One pilot. |
| in the news for | He died in his sleep on May 20, 2019. |
| Age (as of 2019) | 70 years |
| Date of Birth (DOB), Birthday | February 22, 1949. |
| Birthplace/Hometown | Vienna, Austria. |
| Nationality | Austrian. |
| Gender | Male. |
| Sexuality (gay or lesbian) | Heterosexual |
| Date of death | May 20, 2019. |
| Because | He died in his sleep (kidney disease). |
| Place | Zurich, Switzerland. |
| star sign (zodiac sign) | Pisces. |
| ethnicity | white caucasian. |
| Religion | Christendom. |
| Current residence | Vienna, Austria. |
| Career timeline | |
| races | 1. Grand Pix of Austria (1971). 2. Great Spanish Pix (1973). 3. Great German Pix (1976). 4. Dutch Grand Prix (1985). 5. Great Pix of Australia (1985). |
| aviation companies | Lauda Air, Niki and Laudamotion. |
| Physical Statistics | |
| height (height) | Feet inches: 5′ 10″ . Centimeters: 178cm . Meters: 1.78 meters . |
| Weight | Kilograms: 70kg . Pounds: 154 pounds . |
| bicep size | 12 inches. |
| Body measurements (chest-waist-hips) | 41-30-34. |
| Shoe Size (US) | 8. |
| Details of the tattoos? | Will update. |
| eye color | Black. |
| Hair color | Bald. |
| Family | |
| Fathers | Father : Ernst-Peter Lauda. Mom : Elisabeth Lauda. |
| Brothers | Brother: Florian Lauda. Sister: – |
| Family members | Grandfather: Hans Lauda (Industrialist). |
| personal life relationship | |
| Marital status | Married. |
| wedding date | — |
| Dating history? | Not known. |
| Girlfriend | Birgit Wetzinger. |
| Name of wife/spouse | 1. Marlene Knaus. 2.Birgit Wetzinger (light assistant) |
| Kids | Son: Lukas Lauda, Mathias Lauda, Christoph Lauda and Max Lauda. Daughter: Mia Lauda. |
| Education | |
| Highest Rating | Graduate. |
| College | High school. |
| Alma mater | Will update. |
| Hobbies and favorite things | |
| favorite celebrity | Actor: Tom Cruise. Actress: Margot Robbie. |
| dream vacation destination | London. |
| Favorite color | Blue. |
| I love to do | Reading books and travel. |
| favorite dishes | Mexican food. |
| Can | |
| Heritage (approx.) | $100 million dollars. |
| Salary, earnings and monthly income | $20-30 million. |
| Contact details | |
| house details | House in Austria. |
| Official Web site | None. |
| Office address | None. |
| Email address | Will update. |
| Mobile or phone number | N/A |
Some lesser known facts about Niki Lauda
- Lifestylepedia : Niki founded a successful airline company called Lauda Air, Niki and Laudamotion.
- Additionally, he joined teams such as Jaguar Formula One and Scuderia Ferrari as a consultant.
- He welcomes in an episode “Niki Lauda: Testing the Limits” of the show “Mayday”.
- However, he planned his retirement in 1985 after the “Great Australian Pix”.
- In fact, his battle with James Hunt in the 1976 Formula 1 race is quite famous.
- A movie called “Rush” (2013) dramatized his career.
- Also, James and Niki are rivals. However, Hunt died due to a heart attack.
- Interestingly, he strove to win around 25 car races.
- Money Factor : Niki Lauda’s estimated net worth is $100 million dollars (as of 2019).
- In 2012, ESPN ranked him 22nd in North Dakota among the best drivers in the world.
- Due to his accident, he covered his head with a red cap. Before long, he received an offer of 1.2 million euros to endorse the red cap for the company.
- Meanwhile, it became associated with Austrian Airlines in 1990.
- Andreas Nikolaus Lauda wore a red colored helmet for his car racing events. It has his name engraved on both sides. Before long, Niki took a white helmet of the airline letter L from him.