20 replies to this topic

[Ruapuna]

At the launch of the McLaren F1 road car a few years ago:

"It's prefect, you can sit your wife on one side and your girlfriend on the other" (these are not the exact words - the F1 of course has a unique seating layout, where two passengers can sit either side of the driver)

When Gerhard Berger won the 1994 German GP, the first Ferrari victory since 1990:

Journalist: "Will the Ferrari team have a big party tonight?"
Lauda: "Yes, there will be lots of spaghetti!"

Anyone else have any good examples of Lauda's dry wit?

[Zoe]

I have no memory of particular funny things Lauda said, but he is usually pretty straightforward with voicing his opinions, which I like. And if he is wrong, he admits it and doesn't look for excuses.

In German TV RTL, they have this studio setup where Lauda and a commentator talk just before the race, and afterwards briefly analyze it. On one occasion (I think it was) Ralfie did perform very well and Lauda even took off his cap (something he NEVER does) to honor him.

Unfortunately we don't have someone like Murray Walker.

Zoe

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One of the important freedoms is the freedoms to continue to be unpopular (B. Mawhinney)

[silver fan]

Rumour has it that whenever Niki Lauda makes love to a woman and goes down on her he pours a liquer over her and sets fire to it and states - "I'm Niki Lauda, famous racing car driver, when I go down, I go down in flames!"

[Hoffy]

silver fan, you are one sick little puppy

[mtl'78]

I posted this in a thread where some idiots were bashing him, but last year, at the Nurburgring, Nikki was walking along the road that used to be the circuit, and actually was not too far from the site of his accident, when a group of people walking along the other side noticed him and called over "Nikki, what are you doing?" His answer: "looking for my ear!"

[madmac]

Sorry this is sick but silver fan started it !

Mr Rabbit & Mr Snake bump into each other one dark night. Mr snake flicks out his tongue & feel Mr Rabbits features "mmm.. big fluffy ears, twitchy nose, furry all over I know your'e mr Rabbit" he exclaims.
"Correct" says the rabbit, who then examines Mr Snake "mmm.... no hair, smooth skin, no ears, I know you must be Niki Lauda".

[Mila]

I brought this quip up on an earlier thread, but I think that it's so perceptive it deserves a second look:

when asked about the inflated salaries F1 drivers are getting these days, Lauda replied that he wished to have been born in the US so that he could sue his mother for having him at the wrong time.

[theMot]

Thats an Ukyo Katayama joke madmac!

[vroom-vroom]

The funniest thing Lauda ever did was to (voluntarily) retire in the rain in the '76 Japanese GP, handing the WDC to James Hunt on a silver plater. Now that's dry wit.

[Ruapuna]

I am getting off topic, but I really admire the way he started Lauda Air. It took a lot of guts and determination.

I recommend his autoboigraphy, "to hell and back".

[silver fan]

Didn't one of his plane's go down in flames a few years back.

[Mobile_Chicane]

Silver,

Yes, I do remember one of his planes having a crash. I think in Thailand? And everyone died. I don't think that's funny

[doohanOK]

Yep, apparently a 747 (I think) crashed in the Thailand jungle, killing everyone onboard.

But it is nice to see former F1 personnel using their financial status to start companies and develop their ideas. It shows they can do more than drive a car at 300+ km/h.

regards,
doohanOK.

[Witt]

I've seen once where he was trying to make a statement to the media, but the media were too busy fighting over positions, so Lauda just yelled at one of them and said "shhh! You listen to me now." or something like it.

[silver fan]

Mobile Chicane,
I guess I'm just bitter and twisted, my entire family has travelled Lauda Air at various times and guess what they all received upgrades - except one, no prizes for guessing who.

[madmac]

Sadley enough, I have a lauda air cig lighter (blagged for nothing !), not the usual airline crap but nicley made of aluminuim & it still works 10 years later.

[Ray Bell]

His retirement in Japan could not have been an example of his dry wit - it was raining too hard for that!
The Lauda Air crash (the remnants of which he personally inspected after flying in on the next Lear Jet) was not a 747. I'm not sure whether it was an Airbus or a 737 - but it was not as big as a 747, remarkably few of which have crashed without the help of North Korean missiles, terrorist bombs or careless take-offs by Japanese pilots.
As for Niki's humour, what about getting out of the Brabham half way through practice for the US GP and going home?

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[mtl'78]

Tough-guy vroom-vroom, Lauda retired out of the japanese GP because of torrential rain, and the fact that his FREAKIN' EYELIDS WERE BLEEDING FROM HIS CRASH 10 WEEKS EARLIER!!!!!

Lots of ignorant people called him a coward, but I'd like to see them ride a F_ing bike with bleeding eyelids...

[polaris]

The plane was a Boeing 767 and it went down after one of the engines went into reverse thrust.I never did hear anything from the investigation. Probably because it didnt involve Americans.
Great airline though, I love the recaro seats.
Niki has to be one of the drivers of recent times: courageous yet sensible enough to know what it takes to win a championship.

[Holy Driver]

The investigation revealed that the reverse thrust device had a failure in all of the Boeing planes of the same type, and it had to be replaced worldwide.

[Nomad]

Witt
That incident was the reforming of the GPDA after Roland Ratzenburger's death. He was definitely entitled to be a bit stroppy.
(I know he wasn't a driver at the time, he was there in his Ferrari adviser roll)