280 replies to this topic

[monolulu]

https://www.facebook...89480834990836/
 

Nice to hear the personal stories . Such a lovely man.

[Brod]

Don't know why Gerhard started cutting these damned onions during his speech. 

[jstrains]

Edited by jstrains, 29 May 2019 - 13:52.

[FLB]

That looks like Nelson Piquet putting his hand over his mouth and struggling with his emotions. He was close to Lauda. They were team mates at Brabham in late 1978 (as a third driver) and in 1979. Piquet has said in the past that the year he spent as Lauda's team mate was the one when he learned the most.

[jstrains]

Is there Nigel Mansell in one photo too? Here all that attended

https://diepresse.co...a-war-ein-Stern

[BuddyHolly]

So very sad and moving that image.   (someone should have told Lewis to remove the hat though, no I'm not bashing him, the poor guy is probably choked up and it didn't occur to him)

 

We'll miss you Niki.

[pacificquay]

Impressive funeral.

Mildly surprised by it being a church one though, he never struck me as a religious type.

[Peat]

I would rag on Lewis, but Piquet is wearing jeans and some other bloke is wearing some form of Lederhosen! Each to their own. 

Moving images. Lots of familiar faces. Daniel Bruehl attending is a class move.

God speed Niki. 

[ensign14]

Is there Nigel Mansell in one photo too? Here all that attended

https://diepresse.co...a-war-ein-Stern

 

Next to Prost in no. 22, although the caption prefers to identify Lauda's masseur.
 

[Brod]

Impressive funeral.

Mildly surprised by it being a church one though, he never struck me as a religious type.

 

One of the songs performed (the last one even) was "Imagine". Never thought I'd hear the line "Imagine there's no heaven" in the Spephansdom. 

[pRy]

https://www.facebook...89480834990836/

 

 

Beautiful. I struggled with the photo of him sat at the table of kids toys. I really feel for those who no longer have his presence in their lives. But I suspect each one of them will have been left with something from him that they can carry into their individual futures. That's the impression I got from those stories. He clearly left his mark on everyone he came into contact with. 

[blacky]

Impressive funeral.

Mildly surprised by it being a church one though, he never struck me as a religious type.

 

Typical austrian funeral, you don't have to be very religious, but that's a must here ("a schene Leich").

[DeKnyff]

Is there Nigel Mansell in one photo too? Here all that attended

https://diepresse.co...a-war-ein-Stern

 

Surprised not to have seen any of his team principals: Max Mosley, Luca di Montezemolo, Bernie Ecclestone and Ron Dennis.

[Peat]

LdM was

[peroa]

Typical austrian funeral, you don't have to be very religious, but that's a must here ("a schene Leich").

Yep, basically "tradition" in these neck of the woods ...

[Marklar]

Surprised not to have seen any of his team principals: Max Mosley, Luca di Montezemolo, Bernie Ecclestone and Ron Dennis.

Bernie said he wont attend cause he doesnt want to see him dead.

[OneAndOnly]

RIP Champ.

[FLB]

Originally posted by Marklar:

 

 

Bernie said he wont attend cause he doesnt want to see him dead.

I think both Charlie Whiting and Niki Lauda dying within six months of each other has reminded Bernie of his own mortality. He's 88, just two years from the age Enzo Ferrari died.

[ThadGreen]

Impressive funeral.

Mildly surprised by it being a church one though, he never struck me as a religious type.

If I remember correctly he received the last rites after his Nurburgring accident.

[ensign14]

He did, but was in no position to object.

[Tim Murray]

I understand that getting the last rites made him more determined to stay alive and so prove the priest wrong. He only agreed to see the priest because he was hoping for some words of comfort and encouragement:

“When I was lying there dying, the nurse asked if I wanted to see the priest. In spite of my beliefs [he was a lapsed Catholic], I said to myself, ‘Now I’m really in the shit and had better take any help that is available.’ ”

However, when the priest said, “Goodbye, my friend”, Lauda railed against him. “I wanted someone to help me live in this world and not to pass into the next. All I got was really pissed off that the man was so insensitive to my problem. I kept telling myself, if he wants to do that, OK,” he said. “But I’m not quitting.”

[jstrains]

2 articles with more information from the funeral

https://translate.go...561522700886224

 

https://translate.go...984675995442975

[Honor]

Originally posted by Marklar:

 

I think both Charlie Whiting and Niki Lauda dying within six months of each other has reminded Bernie of his own mortality. He's 88, just two years from the age Enzo Ferrari died. 

"death always comes in threes" as some say, but Bernie should not fear death at his age but with his material wealth i can imagine he does which is kinda sad. I hope when I'm at his age i will not fear death.

[secessionman]

My introduction to F1 was a juvenile Hunt/Lauda playground jape which was amusing for some 5 year olds in 1976.

 

My first race followed some time the following year, and amongst the sporadic highlights and the Barrie Gill annual reviews I became hooked on a sport that lives with me to this day.

 

While I was more a fan of Villeneuve, Regazzoni, Depailler and Peterson in those formative years, it was obvious to me that Niki was the best driver in the field. My opinion on this has not changed in 40 years, and it was only when Prost appeared that he appeared to meet his equal.

 

My favourite contemporary clip of Niki is one that, frustratingly, I have not been able to find this week, hence my late contribution to this thread. There was a re-union of sorts at Nurburgring, probably in 2016, and Niki was joined by a group of fans who stood trackside at Bergwerk and sang 'Niki Lauda only has one ear' in German. The whole thing was done in good spirits and Niki was more than happy to be part of an event that remembered his horrific event in a self-deprecating and jovial environment.

 

Niki was never afraid to speak his mind, and amidst all the corporate bullshit of the present day, he always said what he thought, never afraid to ruffle feathers.

 

By any standards, he was one of a kind. His like will never be seen again. Feel privileged that you walked this earth at the same time that he did. And that you were able to appreciate him.

 

RIP Niki. Super Rat!

[absinthedude]

I recall, possibly on the 20th anniversary of the crash, a journalist took him to the Nurburgring and drove Niki round the track....stopping at Bergwerk, apparently looking for a reaction.......Niki said "What do you expect me to say? Ah, the grill room?"

[Nemo1965]

He did, but was in no position to object.

 

Niki did object... by starting to do push-ups in the hospital bed.

[Nemo1965]

I recall, possibly on the 20th anniversary of the crash, a journalist took him to the Nurburgring and drove Niki round the track....stopping at Bergwerk, apparently looking for a reaction.......Niki said "What do you expect me to say? Ah, the grill room?"

 

And then, when people asked what they were doing in the woods (next to the place of the accident), Niki (or one of his friends) said: 'We are looking for my ear.'

[GoldenColt]

 

 

The little text reads: “The Formula 1 champion shows the boxing champion his left hook. Not everybody is allowed to make such jokes with Ali, but the fact that, Lauda came back from his life threatening injuries to become World Champion even impressed Ali"

 

Source: https://www.reddit.c...ammad_ali_1977/

[Sterzo]

This thread is full of much-merited appreciation for Niki Lauda, and I've bumped it after recently immersing myself in his career. Just in case anyone would appreciate reading about Niki, and isn't aware of what's available, here are the books to look for.

 

He authored four himself. Niki Lauda Formula One (1975), For the Record: My Years with Ferrari (1977), and Niki Lauda: Second Time Around (1984) are all excellent. All were written with collaboration of a journalist.

 

To Hell and Back (1985) is, despite its lurid title, the best of the lot and a true autobiography, full of insight.

 

Recently published is Niki Lauda: His Competition History, by Jon Saltinstall. This substantial book covers every single competition event Lauda participated in, with a brief report and (usually) a picture. It's a gold mine of information, and fine photos. There's a thread about it on The Nostalgia Forum.

 

For me, the combination of To Hell and Back and Niki Lauda: His Competition History provides a great record of the man and his driving career.

[Henri Greuter]

I recall, possibly on the 20th anniversary of the crash, a journalist took him to the Nurburgring and drove Niki round the track....stopping at Bergwerk, apparently looking for a reaction.......Niki said "What do you expect me to say? Ah, the grill room?"

 

 

And then, when people asked what they were doing in the woods (next to the place of the accident), Niki (or one of his friends) said: 'We are looking for my ear.'

 

 

I always have loved his comment about when he made international phone calls, he listened to the phone ith his damaged ear because of the closer distance to the eardrum he heard faster.....

[BiggestBuddyLazierFan]

That looks like Nelson Piquet putting his hand over his mouth and struggling with his emotions. He was close to Lauda. They were team mates at Brabham in late 1978 (as a third driver) and in 1979. Piquet has said in the past that the year he spent as Lauda's team mate was the one when he learned the most.

Knowing Nelson Piquet he was probably just sneezing

And it wouldn't surprise me at all if he was just covering yawning