Born and raised in Vienna, Lauda was the grandson of industrialist Hans Lauda. He started his career in karting and progressed to Formula Vee and privateer racing in the late 1960s. After his career stalled, Lauda secured a place in European Formula Two with March Engineering in 1971, making his Formula One debut with the team at the Austrian Grand Prix. He was promoted to a full-time seat in 1972, winning the British Formula Two Championship.
Lauda moved to BRM for the 1973 season, scoring his maiden points finish in Belgium and earning a seat with Ferrari the following year alongside Clay Regazzoni. Lauda took his maiden podium in his debut for Ferrari, and his maiden victory three races later at the Spanish Grand Prix. After winning five Grands Prix in his 1975 campaign, Lauda won his first title, becoming the first Ferrari-powered World Drivers' Champion in 11 years.
While leading the 1976 championship, amid a fierce title battle with James Hunt, Lauda was seriously injured during the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. He suffered severe burns and other life-changing injuries when his Ferrari 312T2 caught fire during a crash. He returned to racing six weeks later at the Italian Grand Prix, eventually losing the title to Hunt by one point.
Lauda remained at Ferrari in 1977, winning several races on the way to his second championship and clinching the title at the United States Grand Prix. He eventually left Ferrari, where he was replaced by Gilles Villeneuve, and signed with Brabham in 1978. Amid a winless 1979 season for Brabham, Lauda left the team after the Italian Grand Prix and took a two-year hiatus from racing.
He returned with McLaren in 1982, winning multiple races. After a winless 1983 campaign, Lauda was partnered by Alain Prost the following season, where he beat Prost to his third title by a record half-point. Lauda retired after the 1985 season, taking his final victory at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Outside of Formula One, Lauda won the Nürburgring 24 Hours in 1973 with Alpina, and the inaugural BMW M1 Procar Championship in 1979 with Project Four. In aviation, Lauda founded and managed three airlines: Lauda Air, Niki, and Lauda. He returned to Formula One in an advisory role at Ferrari in 1993 and was the team principal of Jaguar from 2001 to 2002. From 2012 until his death, Lauda was the non-executive chairman and co-owner of Mercedes, winning six consecutive World Constructors' Championships with the team.
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