1 reply
0 recast
2 reactions
1976: Ferrari’s Niki Lauda wins the F1 World Championship.
1977: Lauda leads an attempted boycott of F1 a week before the German Grand Prix, citing concerns about the lack of fire safety equipment. A majority of drivers reject the boycott, so Lauda races anyway.
During the race, Lauda’s vehicle crashes and bursts into flames while he’s trapped inside. He burns alive for 55 seconds at 800 degrees, with permanent damage to his face, head, and hands, and then slips into a coma.
1978: Lauda returns, wins the F1 World Championship, and retires.
1979: Lauda becomes the founder of Lauda Air, which he operates for 20 years as president, and sells the business to Austrian Airlines in 2000. 0 reply
0 recast
1 reaction
