[Other Sport] RIP Niki Lauda

[Juan Albion]

Never was a great fan because he was a Johnny Foreigner and I was mildly xenophobic growing up, but he was a champion alright. Paid a heavy price too.

 

[OzMike]

RIP a giant in motorsport.

 

[Blatter]

Wow, sad news to wake up too. One of my motor racing heroes. Always a straight talker. Still enjoyed seeing the interviews with him these days.

It will be interesting to see how it affects the Mercedes team at this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix. Whether they're all put off their game by this. Or whether they're able to use this to help them to another Mercedes 1-2 "for Niki"

 

[Icy Gull]

Really sad to hear this, I know he has had problems but thought he was on the mend. RIP Niki.

 

[Frutos]

Very sad news to wake up to.

RIP Niki.

 

[Austrian Gull]

Clearly massive news here. He never recovered from his last illness but it still felt that he was indestructible.

He was a regular on political talk shows and I always appreciated his straight talking and independent opinions. He was popular across the board here and that isn't easy to achieve amongst Austrians.

 

[Beach Hut]

RIP Great Sportsman

 

[The Clamp]

Back when motorsport has characters he was one of the best.

 

[mune ni kamome]

Blimey. I was there that day at the Nurburgring. Obviously the damage to his lungs was always troubling him.

 

[jakarta]

Back in the days when Motor Racing was dangerous, if not frequently fatal. A great driver and also a very straight talker. Rescued Ferrari when they were at a low ebb and latterly also inspired one of the best movies about Formula One. Not a bad legacy.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

RIP Niki,
I know someone that was connected with him and by all account he was a great human being and a generous one to boot.
Loved watching F1 in his day and was disturbed to see him engulfed in flames (I was just 12).

Even worse to happen I saw another young man engulfed in a fuel fire when I was 16, I was just 10 metres away, it was horrific. Fortunately the man is still alive today albeit scarred like Niki physically and mentally.

Sad loss for F1.

 

[Steve_PPP]

RIP Niki, if you ever get into a race with James Hunt up there, I'm sure you'll stuff him.

Blimey. I was there that day at the Nurburgring. Obviously the damage to his lungs was always troubling him.

Being born in the 80s, I was too young for that. But I've stood at the spot it happened (well, at the armco at the side) watching racing and thought that it probably can't have changed much in 40+ years out in the trees there. Despite the danger, the Nordschliefe is beautiful and one of my favourite places...

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

will always be remembered for that crash

being a 3 time world champion with mclaren & ferrari

airline owner

a couple of other things that stick in my mind

losing the world championship to Alain Prost by half a point

and winning the Swedish GP in the brabham-alfa fan car

a giant of F1

RIP

 

[Pavilionaire]

A Formula 1 great, incredible fortitude, a nice guy. RIP Niki

There's not too many left of that era 60s / 70s era when every race was potentially your last.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Never was a great fan because he was a Johnny Foreigner and I was mildly xenophobic growing up, but he was a champion alright. Paid a heavy price too.

Well he didn't choose his country of birth! One of the true greats of motorsport that's for sure. R.I.P.

 

[A1X]

I hope I'm still going 40 years after someone reads the last rites on me. He seemed to be someone who just loved the sport, he was still heavily involved even a few years ago.

 

[Hillian1]

An incredibly courageous human being who participated in a sport when it was a requirement to have nadgers the size of watermelons to even get in the cars.

Along with his lung transplant he also had 2 kidney transplants.

My cap is well and truly doffed.

 

[indy3050]

Very shocked to hear of his passing having watched him in and around Mercedes this last 4-5 years and having my dad tell me all about him when I was growing up in the 80’s. To almost die and two weeks later get back in the car and take the racing until the last day against Hunt who’d been picking up points, honestly he was incredible. RIP to a true sporting icon.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

There are few sportsman where putting their achievements into words is so enormously difficult - Nikki Lauda is one of them.
Racing driver, airline owner, and general good-egg.
RIP

 

[seagullwedgee]

Talent and courage that transcends all sport. RIP NL. A sporting legend that will go on forever.