Niki Lauda survived in 1976, one of the most serious accidents in formula 1 history. Exactly 42 years later, he fights again for his life After a lung transplant, the condition of the engine sportidols is extremely serious.
A fighter: Niki Lauda of his life, drawn
There are messages that induce Worry in many Motorsport fans: Niki Lauda is one of the greats of his sport with a serious illness-in hospital of Vienna. The three-time formula 1 world champion had to draw on Thursday in his hometown of a lung transplant. The surgery while 69-year-old Austrian has been made in the General hospital (AKH), which was known to the clinic in a short opinion.
Earlier, Lauda had complained about a “summer flu”, and according to the information of the “Bild”newspaper even in his private jet from his summer residence in Ibiza to Vienna and flown to a hospital. His son Matthias is to him. Niki Lauda is not just a former race driver, media expert and motor sports official, he is also an Airline owner and a business man – a restless spirit at the age of 69 years.
Lauda, the owner of: He flew in to the media information into the hospital
“The transplant was carried out by Walter Klepetko, head of the Clinical Department for thoracic surgery, and Konrad Hötzenecker successfully”, – stated in the message: “We kindly ask for your understanding that the family will make no public Statements and requests, to protect the privacy of the family, Lauda.” The OP had to be made according to information from the hospital due to a severe lung disease. According to ORF, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Mercedes factory team is in a very serious condition.
According to information from the daily newspaper “Austria” had captured Lauda on holiday in Ibiza with a cold, and because of continuing problems at the Viennese hospital. After a temporary stay in the ICU he was moved to a normal ward, he was better again – up on Thursday, the severe setback.
Fire accident in the Green hell
Laudas lung since his terrible fire accident on the Nürburgring on 1. August 1976 severely affected. Toxic fumes are burnt then the body. Lauda had lost on the Nordschleife in the Eifel in control of his Ferrari and was crashed into a rock wall. His car caught fire, it took endless 55 seconds before the gifted racing driver was pulled from the wreck.
Later, Lauda spoke of “my Barbecue” when he spoke of the horror accident that left his face by the fire was disfigured. As if nothing had happened, he would have defended to the flames of hell, almost even his world title from the previous season. At the last race of the season in Fuji but he steered his Ferrari in the monsoon-like rain voluntarily to the Box and left it to his British counterparties to James Hunt for the title. “I wanted to kill myself, not for a second Time,” he said later. The story was filmed by Hollywood in the film “Rush”.
The day that changed his life: Laudas accident on the Nordschleife in 1976
Lauda, today, besides his function in the Supervisory Board of Mercedes team co-owner and managing Director of the airline Lauda motion, has been in formula 1 in the years 1975, 1977 and 1984 world champion, twice with Ferrari and once with McLaren. A year after the third Triumph of the Wiener ended his career. Because of the consequences of the accident on the Nürburgring, Lauda had to pull in the past two kidney transplants. Now his family is fearful. However, Nicholas Andreas Lauda, 2009 the father of twins, as a fighter known.
jw/ww (sid, dpa)