Learn about Niki Lauda, the Austrian Formula One legend who won three World Drivers' Championships with Ferrari and McLaren. Discover his career highlights, achievements, and legacy in motorsport. Niki Lauda ... Andreas Nikolaus " Niki " Lauda (22 February 1949 – 20 May 2019) was an Austrian racing driver, motorsport executive, and aviation entrepreneur, who competed in Formula One from 1971 to 1979 and from 1982 to 1985. During his remarkable F1 career Niki Lauda was called both a hero and a villain. The battle-scarred champion who defied both the odds and convention remains a sporting legend. Niki Lauda was an Austrian race-car driver who won three Formula One (F1) Grand Prix world championships (1975, 1977, and 1984), the last two of which came after his remarkable comeback from a horrific crash in 1976 that had left him severely burned and near death.
