Lauda a câștigat două titluri F1 cu Ferrari (1975 și 1977) și unul cu McLaren în 1984.
Pentru mulți, notează BBC, Lauda rămâne cunoscut pentru recuperarea sa miraculoasă și revenirea pe circuit după ce a suferit arsuri grave în urma unui accident la Grand Prix-ul Germaniei din 1976.
Conform televiziunii britanice, "On 1 August 1976, one year after winning his first title, he suffered third-degree burns to his head and face and inhaled toxic gases that damaged his lungs after his vehicle burst into flames at Nurburgring.
He was given the last rites in hospital but made an almost miraculous recovery and returned to racing, still bandaged, just 40 days later.
British former F1 champion Jenson Button has called him a <legend> while McLaren said Lauda would be <enshrined in our history>."
