Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda, born on 22nd February 1949, Vienna, Austria was a Formula One driver, a 3-time F1 World Drivers' Champion, winning in 1975, 1977 and 1984, and an aviation entrepreneur. Niki was the only driver in F1 history to have been champion for both Ferrari and McLaren, the sport's two most successful constructors, being widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time. As an aviation entrepreneur, he founded and ran 3 airlines: Lauda Air, Niki, and Lauda, having been a Bombardier Business Aircraft brand ambassador. He was also a consultant for Scuderia Ferrari and team manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years. Niki then worked as a pundit for German TV during Grand Prix weekends, having been non-executive chairman of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, of which Lauda owned 10%. Having emerged as Formula One's star driver with a title win during 1975, while leading the following year's championship battle, Niki was seriously injured in a crash at the German Grand Prix of 1976 at the Nürburgring, during which his Ferrari 312T2 burst into flames, having come close to death after inhaling hot toxic fumes and suffering severe burns. However, Lauda recovered enough to race again just 6 weeks later at the Italian Grand Prix. Although he narrowly lost the title to James Hunt that year, he won his 2nd Ferrari crown the next, during his final season with the team. After a couple of years at Brabham then a 2 year break, Niki returned to race 4 seasons for McLaren from 1982 to 1985, during which he won the title of 1984 by half a point, ahead of his teammate Alain Prost.
