Formula 1 legend, Niki Lauda, has died aged 70 on Monday, his family has announced.
The Austrian, who built a new career as an airline entrepreneur after leaving the racing tracks, died peacefully on Monday, his family said in their statement.
“His unique achievements as an athlete and entrepreneur are and will remain unforgettable,” the statement added.
In 1976, at the Germany Grand Prix in the Nurburgring track, Lauda lost control of his Ferrari car and crashed into a fence at a speed of 200km an hour.
The crash disfigured him leading to priest giving him the last rites, in light of his serious burns and a damaged lung.
Lauda won F1 titles with Ferrari and McLaren in 1975, 1977 and 1984, with two of the wins coming after the crash that almost cost him his life.
Born to a wealthy family in Vienna, he had been expected to follow his father into the paper manufacturing industry. Instead, he went into motorsport and joined Ferrari in 1974.
Outside of racing, Lauda founded three Austrian airlines: Lauda Air, Fly Niki, and Laudamotion. He also served as a non-executive chairman of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix.
