Niki Lauda

[hdsporty1988]

Very sorry to hear that Niki Lauda just passed away. RIP!

[ric baribeault]

Arguably the best from one of the greatest eras of F1.

[Kazis31]

RIP.
Real race car driver.

[marshall9]

Rip

[racerdad2]

One of my racing heroes ! Godspeed Niki !

[BLS]

Always thought he was one of the very best, RIP.

[LenFC11]

Niki.. Niki Lauda!!

RIP Niki

[Terry Hanushek]

#RIPNiki

A giant force in the racing world has left the room

His picture is in my dictionary next to the word 'comeback'

[stonebridge20]

He was the definition of "want"
Godspeed Niki

[TimH]

Always thought he was one of the very best, RIP.

Well, so did he. He always planned to be just fast enough to finish first.

And like most of the greatest ones he contributed at least as much outside the car as he did while he was driving.

[Steve Demeter]

Sad Day when one so great is no longer with us. Vaya Con Dios

[M.Sauce]

Sad day indeed. But when a man such as Niki Lauda dies everyone who knows of him remembers the great contribution he has made to F1 motor racing. It reminds us of his courageous and amazing comeback after his near fatal crash.He was truly inspiring.RIP

[E1pix]

As posted on my usual racing forum.

Only a few of you know me here, but here it is... and if that's "You" Tifosi, Hello!!!


>>> Sometimes people you don't know have a greater effect on personal development than the ones you do -- even beyond those entrusted in one's life growth.

Such is the case of Niki for my wife and I.

I never much rooted for Niki as a driver -- partly from my gravitating towards flamboyant drivers, and underdogs. He was so good as to be boring to watch, truly a machine controlling another machine to inhuman tolerances. It was impossible to discern any variance whatsoever from one lap to the next -- and this when first witnessing him nine weeks after his Last Rites. He simply didn't need to draw anything from fans, he had it all either way.

But as a person I absolutely idolized the Man, especially over this past decade in harvesting from his courage and strength when faced with our own near-death experience and subsequent disabilities. In drawing on that more than thirty years after Nurburgring, I can think of no greater compliment to another human being.

Two years after his mesmerizing performance at the Glen, I found myself in Montreal, barely 18, and with access. In the course of one hour, I shared an elevator with the Wilson sisters (their rock band Heart had just done a concert there, as I finally learned forty years on), was part of a tearful, standing ovation for Mario (tears for Ronnie, and everyone in that hotel-top bar had them), and amongst the eight or so drivers in there was Niki. I just had to meet him and shake his hand, using autograph-seeking on my Labatt's media binder as an excuse to do so.

I felt like I stood in a grand cathedral just being in his presence. He looked up timidly, as if expecting that I was yet another staring at his battle wounds, so I focused hard on not doing that like so many others must have. We all know he could have afforded reconstruction, my take was him thinking "If you can't accept me like this, I don't care to know you anyway."

I've wondered ever since if that impression was correct, or merely the wanderings of a teenaged mind. It's only been over these past few years that I'm evermore convinced I may have been right. He scribbled "Lauda" on my binder, reached out, and shook my hand. This moment still draws from my eyes, especially today.

We are all products of our circle, and our experiences. Today I honor what he offered to our lives, and I will never forget Niki Lauda.

[Offcamber1]

A few weeks ago my brother sent me a meme. It was a picture of Tiger Woods winning the masters with the caption "Best Comeback Ever." Under that was a picture of Nike with the caption: "Not Hardley!"

One of my heros.

Kip

[E1pix]

"Best Comeback Ever?" A golfer?

Blasphemy!!!

[gt250]

Though dated always one of my favorite videos. RIP Niki.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmh1hn

[E1pix]

Great video, Thanks!

This really got to me, puts some things into perspective:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D7F3XZ5V4AAvkm3.jpg