LAUDA'S BRUSH WITH DEATH! The Story of the 1976 German Grand Prix
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- Опубликовано: 26 окт 2023
- Not many people will be able to tell you who won the German Grand Prix in 1976. But they will be able to tell you that this is the race where three time champion Niki Lauda almost lost his life. And it would have been the first F1 death at the Ring sinc 1969, which is a fascinating statistic in itself.
So what happened on that day? And who did end up winning in the end? How did the crash happen? Let's find out.
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Niki was by far the most determined of all F1 drivers. He gave so much time and energy to coming back, then building an airline (and going through the loss of one his planes and the investigation which he made sure he was part of) and then coming back and being involved in the sport. He never quit anything he wanted to do. Just a remarkable man
When he was in the hospital recovering from his burns, he literally fought to stay alive, because he considered the possibility of death to be annoying.
F1s version of: "local man, literally too angry to die."
What a legend.
The drivers throwing their own race to save their colleagues back in the day is some of the highest sportsmanship ever.
The greatest Irony? Only three years earlier, Roger Williamson burned to death in Zandvoort. Lauda was later asked by a reporter why he didn't stop to help David Purley in his efforts to save Williamson. His answer: "I'm a racing driver, not a firefighter. I'm getting paid to drive the car, not tp park it."
(The original quote in German: “Ich bin Rennfahrer und kein Feuerwehrmann.” “Ich werde fürs Fahren und nicht fürs Parken bezahlt.”)
@@aoife1122That's one hell of an ironic twist! Thanks for sharing!
@@charamia9402 Others have claimed, they thought it was Purley's car on fire and seeing him safely out of the car they went on their "merry way". That sounds a bit dodgy too but a lot less cynical than Lauda.
@@aoife1122 Well, all the great champions have been egotistical cynical bumholes on track when it comes to finish ahead of the competition. Perhaps not all of them to the extent of not helping a burning peer, but still.
@@charamia9402 Niki later said he was "misquoted" but it's hard to put that genie back into the bottle.
And speaking of bottles, another of his famous quotes, "Kimi may enjoy a shot of vodka once in a while but let me tell you, we got sh*tfaced after every race". Maybe he was already "sufficiently intoxicated" (who would blame 'em after such an awful tragedy) and just annoyed by some reporter asking the same silly question for the umpteenth time, who knows?
Merzario couldn't stand Lauda yet saved his life - something Lauda acknowledged in his first autobiography.
1. You doing many safety-related racing stories is a good thing. While we do like some shunts, all we want in the end is just for everyone to come home to their family safely.
2. This is why Niki is my hero. The man refused to die until he really, _REALLY_ had to die. And he refused to give up until he got the answer he need (Lauda Air 004 here). I miss his presence around AMG's garage.
Agree on both points. I didn't always like his ideas about certain things, but by god I respected him, _especially_ on both the points you made. I remember his accident all too well and still can't watch it, or his return to racing without crying.
It jus makes me think of Red Dwarf, when Rimmer kneed Death in the gonads! "Not today, miladdo!"
I swear to god the guy who caught the crash on camera was a time traveller! 14 Mile track, being in the right place at a right time, not panning with the other drivers before Niki arrived on the sceane! Explain that! No camera phones or camcorders on those days!
The kink must have been a good place to set up shop I guess.
He may have been waiting to film Lauda pass the location. The guy was challenging for the championship, and driving a Ferrari, after all.
But there were many people back in those days who used a super8 camera. And without the options to share their footage it went into their private collections. The video's about Niki's accident are an exeption, because they actually caught something unseen by TV camera's with a big interest by the public. Tom Pryce's accident is another sad example.
By the way: There were at least 2 guys who caught parts of this accident. Here on youtube you can find a video by 'the fastlane' combining all footage of Niki's accident. It's called "Lauda's Nurburgring Crash (all angles)"
Absolutely and his name is HOUOIN KYOUMA MAD SCIENTIST ITS SO COOL SONOFABI-
@@g_y.rtz420 EL PSY CONGROO
Reading about Lauda's accident in Readers Digest and a subscription to Road & track and their race reports back in 1977 connected me to F1 and the greater world of racing. I'd always been aware having watched the Daytona 500 and Monaco on TV but never really thought about what the drivers were really doing in those cars. Lauda's recount brought it all to stark reality.
Merzario had driven for Ferrari only a couple of years earlier. That’s why he knew how to operate the seatbelts.
He said Niki was light as a feather when he finally yanked him out.
@@AidanMillward probably due to the adrenaline more than anything.
I saw an interview with Lauda, where he said what caused the accident was Ferrari were testing a new magnesium suspension part that broke when he went over the curbs, left his car virtually uncontrollable, and because of the lack of run offs took him straight into the barriers. He also said that after the priest had just come in, read the last rites, and left again, that spurred him on to fight for his life even harder, because in his words, "It really pissed me off".
You should do a follow up video of his return at Monza, and how Ferrari had even lined up Carlos Reutemann as Lauda's replacement before the race at the Nurburgring had even finished. I know that the drivers in those days were treated like lightbulbs, one goes out and you just plug another one in, but even by those standards what Ferrari did was so cold!!!!
Not surprised the suspension failed on that circuit...so rough on a high speed car!
Spa was actually run in 1970; that boycott came in 1969. But 1970 was the last GP at the old Spa, although the high level sports cars (which were faster at Spa than F1) continued through 1975.
Adding Armco to tracks could be a mixed bag. When it worked right, a car could bounce off without a trip through the trees. But proper installation was critical. Cevert was killed when his car got on top of the Armco and Rindt's car got itsnose under the Armco at Monza and stopped suddenly when it hit a support post.
One thing that went against Lauda was that his helmet came off during the accident. In those days, the helmets had cuffs on them to limit the intake of external air and pumped in filtered air. With the helmet off, Lauda had no protection from the fumes of the fire.
It should be noted that Lauda's injuries sustained in that accident caught up with him several times later and were ultimately a major factor in his death in 2019 at age 70
I was at that race. I was in the stands just before the start/finish line. It was very odd seeing the field go off on their second lap, separated into two groups depending upon when they pitted for dry tires. After a long gap the first group returned, but not the second. The wait got longer, and it was clear something had happened. Then there were brief PA announcements, in both German and English. We knew there had been an accident, and then that Lauda was involved. Eventually the burnt wreck came back on a flatbed truck. It was impossible to believe he could have survived. A helicopter flew over, and we were told Lauda was aboard and was well, but that had to be a lie. The other cars returned, and I remember Chris Amon driving into the pits, without his helmet, looking very grim. I do not remember the race at all.
Later that year I was in the garage at Mosport during practice for the Canadian Grand Prix, wearing a t-shirt with Lauda's picture (pre-accident) on it. I had bought it at the Österreichring when I attended an endurance race early in the season. I saw him watching his Ferrari being prepared, not wearing a cap, and his wounds were still very raw. He looked up briefly, saw my shirt, then made momentary eye contact, then looked back at his car. There was no emotion apparent, beyond his fierce determination.
You deserve so many more followers, this channel is great!!
100k at least
@@davidvasquez08 Roberto Moreno likes this
This story is what made me care about F1
Mostly after watching Rush on a 18 hour flight a few times because everything else sucked
Really good movie. That was the last time I went to a Theater. I have two of Mr. Lauda's books. I read the interview of Ron Howard in Road and Track, he's an idiot, but knows how to tell a great story.
if only they had ford v ferrari on there 😌
That would make flying fun. 18 hours is a long flight. I was horrified by just 8 hours.@@timmycrockett3348
I was a great fan of James in this season , flying the British flag and all that, but I always knew Niki was the more naturally gifted driver. Despite the professional adversary between them , they were and remained good friends, something the film Rush , didn’t quite convey , cinematic license and all that. However, the film did touch on the similarities between the two drivers in the final scene, whereas both drivers’ parents virtually disowned them because of there burning desire ( pun not intended, sorry) to enter motor racing as a career, rather than a more professional choice as the parents had outlined for them both. When Niki was interviewed by the BBC after he won his 1977 world championship for Ferrari, it was said that James wasn’t so prominent this season, Niki replied he felt James was still his closest rival , respect. When James died , I cried. Especially when Niki said the “ One thing about James is you see him talking to an old lady collecting her pension from a local post office , or you could sit him at a high class dinner table with Royalty, and he would not be out of place on either occasion.” A lesson , perhaps for current sportsmen/ come celebrities in current times perhaps. Enjoyed the in-depth knowledge of your video. Thank you.
One if the nicest story when Niki was in hospital, (Or just out of hospital) when a kid gave him his toy Ferrari, because his (Niki) was burned..
There are clips on YT of Nikki's accident and the aftermath. That he got out at all (with the help of his fellow racers) will always be classed as something of a miracle. In this vid you say you have not done one of the final race of the season at Fuji. It is well worth your time and effort. I still remember listening to it on the radio. It is a legendary race all of it's own owing to the circumstances in all respects. Drivers, circuit, weather, outcome.
You said you wanted to look into the Bandini crash, there's a documentary about the Monaco GP - the whole history presented by HSH Prince Albert himself (big petrolhead). It's fascinating and sadly has all the details you'll need. It was on Channel 4 earlier this year. It might be available on catch-up?
I'll never forget that race or his return. I still cry because of both.
Excellent video as ever. Especially such a tough story to tell.
Heroism is knowing the risk and taking it anyway for the benefit of others. Every driver stopping to save a fellow driver in those darkest days was a hero and will be remembered as such.
Gunnar Nillson and Tom Pryce are two giant what ifs of F1
Nillson died of cancer, Pryce was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not sure if you've done an ep on either, but I'm sat by the Pryce memorial in Ruthin while typing this out
I myself carry the scars of 3rd degree burns on 30% of my body from alcohol fuel in drag cars. Anything that can be done to minimize the chance of fire is worth the cost.
And thank God for nomek fire suits.
I got set on fire in a house fire last year. Was “only” down my left arm but it fucking stung.
@@AidanMillward have you ever BBQ ribs and seen how the bone gets charcoalized I had to have a piece of stainless steel replaced part of two ribs basically my whole left chest and my upper left leg front and back..
Burns are something I wouldn't wish upon anyone.
@@robertgutheridge9672 they’re horrendous. The pain is different to anything else you’d ever get.
Hope you’re doing alright
@@AidanMillward that was 23 years ago 6 months in the hospital 3 skin grafts later and a lot of physical therapy later I'm doing ok still have a little pain from time to time. But all and all I am doing alright.
Agreed it's terrible pain. I had a big mains cable blow up in my face at work, after I'd been told it was disconnected. Luckily I had no lasting injuries but my face, neck and left hand was badly burnt and it took about a year to heal. Hope you guys are doing well.
Niki and Mick Doohan are the two racers that had the drive to win. The two that I respect the most.
Love that you do all the videos and a deep dive on driver safety. It’s damn important.
One of the biggest things of people looking for unfair advantages is the ford taurus in nascar. That whole body was built off of a lie. a racing team made an actual 2 door Taurus. They fooled nascar into thinking that car was going to be put into production.
Wait wait wait when was this? I don't think that got the press it probablt deserved outside the US. If it was to happen now it'd be all over everywhere
Think it was about 1998. Ford solemnly swore that the car they showed to NASCAR officials was a preproduction Taurus and the bodywork wouldn’t change. And then the real Taurus came out and didn’t look like the NASCAR Taurus.
There’s a video on Stapleton42’s channel about that.
Another amazing video Aidan! Always enjoy your content and cant wait for the next upload.
Just wanna say that I really enjoy the research of your videos and how you put it up together in a very entertaining and thoughtful way. Thanks Aidan.
13:21 For some reason I was reminded of the "bring out yer dead" scene from Holy Grail.
You have a knack for storytelling. I love these kinds of videos because I always learn something. Thanks!
Good stuff again, thanks. I remember reading that there was already a decision before this event that this would be the last race at the old Nürburgring; even without Lauda's crash F1 would not have returned to the track.
Aiden, thank you for these videos. I really appreciate you making these. I've been really struggling mentally recently and listening to your videos while I sim drive has been such a huge therapy for me. ❤
Sorry to hear that. Same here. Not in a good place mentally a lot of the time. Hope things get better for you ASAP..
*An* great video as always
Hello Aidan: I really like Marshall amp in the background. Keep up the good work.
Great job ty for your time
James may loves this track
fascinating video, i knew some of the stuff about Lauda but not all of the things mentioned in this video
The best F1 youtuber that goes back into the history of the sport. I wonder if you're going to do a video on change from V8 to V6 engines?
Another quality production...
Life on the Limit is on RUclips at the moment as well. I've watched it a few times. Brilliant documentary.
Gotta say, Lauda was a very brave and gutsy man. It is incredible how he got back to F1 in such a short time and having to endure the pain he did. Very admirable.
Good vid btw!
Bloke had a championship to win I guess.
Great video and yes to 76’ japan story
A very familiar story - but again you've managed to add details I didn’t know.
My kid (12) and I were looking at some old F1 footage the other day, and she was shocked by the lack of proper helmets and seatbelts. When I told her that even when seatbelts became common a lot of drivers refused to wear them because they considered getting thrown from the car safer than getting stuck, she was flabbergasted. (I'd highly recommend having a nerdy kid who appreciate details from history - it's a blast.)
Thank you
There was the issue of the helmet as well. Back in the days immediately affer the accident, some news agencies implied Lauda himself removed the helmet while sitting in the burning cockpit out of desperation, as if by removing the helmet it would mean he would be "out of the car". Later on, there were reports that the AGV helmet was yanked off his head on one of the three impacts the car suffered. I never new for sure why Lauda was without a helmet when he was pulled from the cockpit, reason why he ended up getting his head so badly burned, and inhaled hot toxic gases, for, back in 1976 helmets had oxygen feeds already.
I've read that Lauda's AVG helmet came in only one shell size and different sizes were obtained by adjusting the padding within the helmet. Lauda had a small head and therefore had a lot of padding. In addition, the chinstrap was quite near the front of the helmet so when the helmet hit the headrest, the padding compressed enough for the chinstrap to come off his chin, so there was no actual breakage.
I've never driven past the spot without thinking of him. Every single lap.
NICE !! MARSHALL HEAD!
Keep Rocking!!
It's interesting that the modern incarnations of both the Nurburging and Spa are now very popular, "traditional" venues, considering how radically they've changed since their "classic" days and, at least as you say about the Nurburging, how much the new version was despised when it was introduced. Personally, I love the modern incarnations of both tracks.
It's my birthday, thank you for the video, Aidan.
I didn't know until now that Lauda had a failure. It makes perfect sense because even in changeable conditions its not somewhere you'd expect to crash. Thanks Aiden
small correction there: While many may attribute the addige of 'poor' to the 'substitute', 'Ersatz' is just the german equivilence of 'substitute', and nothing more.
Another thing about the Nurburgring was they put in crash barriers, but they were poorly made and barely even installed, so it just made issues worse for 1976.
It's crazy how so many of big champions who were the most vocal about the safety issue payed a huge price for the fact nobody listened to them. Drivers like Senna and Rindt - with their lives, Lauda - with near death and serious injuries changing them forever, or especially like Stewart - losing their closest friends and getting traumatised by those tragedies.
Think out of Stewart’s contemporaries, it’s just him and Ickx left.
@@AidanMillwardI met Ickx at Le Mans this year when he was walking between buildings and he seemed quite healthy. It was good to see him well.
@AidanMillward would you consider Emerson to be a contemporary?
@@thomasduke4722 Emerson started as Stewart was on the way out so it’s in that weird overlap.
Great timing considering Rush will be shown on TV in half an hour
11:45 Slight Correction: Chris Amon didn't retire after that race. He refused to participate at the restart because of Niki Lauda's crash and Mo Nunn(Ensign) fired him then and there. He had a one-off session for Walter Wolf Racing at the Canadian Grand Prix, and had an accident and then retired.
As a biker guy myself, I can verify that the guys who ride the Isle of Man TT are insane. That same mindset of 1950s F1 drivers. But today TT is with as much safety as you can have plus far more advanced healthcare, and death is still very much a reality.
From rhe book Rush to Glory, Niki said" They asked me if i wanted to see a priest and i said okay, he came in and gave me the last rights crossed my shoulders and said Goodbye my friend, I almost had a heart attack, i wanted someone to help me live in this world, not pass onto the next"
In the 2013 film Rush they had a more humorous take on that particular moment by having Lauda's doctor walk up to his wife to tell her that her husband finally woke up to say, "tell the priest to f*** off, I'm still alive."
Can you make a video about Alboreto during his 1985 season
Makes you think how well the movie was done. Not every little detail was right, but hey! They got that close.
Imo the best scene was when Laudas wife stopped by the wayside and got into a phonebooth, and it wasn’t even all that credible. Not for that age, but it felt real enough. I felt her, inside
Just wanted to say two things; firstly, absolutely fantastic and informative video as always. You have a way of making a point that opens up my mind to question exactly what these crazy people actually did for a living. They really put everything on the line to have even a tiny chance of maybe winning one race.....whilst sitting inside a ticking bomb! Crazy, lethal death traps!
Secondly; there absolutely is a G_D and you really need to seek Him whilst you can. Acts 4 verse 12
Niki is a total hero. He only missed two races! The man's willpower and determination are just incredible.
What counted in Niki's favour was that he wasn't a playboy...he was a calculated grown ass man who cared about his family....and i think most of us who have family's respect him massively for basically giving up his title..Michael may be my hero, but i respect Niki and Senna so much more....
Woo!! Great hat today!
0:55 Completely agree on the TT deal. Not one screw loose, several screws loose, and a few missing. In fact, I believe no sport, but the TT, deserve the term "extreme sport", because all so-called extreme sports seem quite lame by comparison.
Only the initial suction was to remove the contaminates.......but repeated suction was needed so he didn't drown in his own fluids.......really unpleasant stuff. I would speculate that managing the fluid in his lungs also promoted better healing. (I've had similar...but OUTside the body..ish)
You look at a 1970’s F1 car without the fibreglass shell on and it’s a wonder anyone survived any kind of accident in one…
Is it weird that this all jus makes me think back to the film Rush, which was about their rivalry, okay, so maybe not... Although, I do believe that what Nikki did, trying not to think too much of that bit in Python ("I'm not dead! I'm feeling better!") could probably be best referred to as "doing a Rimmer"! Now, I think about it, I'm surprised you didn't make any references...
it's a myth that Lauda's crash sealed the fate of the Nurburgring
it was decided a year before that this racetrack was obsolete for the F1 of the time and will not be in the calender after 1976
Lauda's crash just confirmed how it was impossible to manage such a track in case of an accident
Zanardi was seriously injured many times and he kept coming back. Mika Hakkinen almost died at Adeleide and came back and recorded two WDC's and 26 pole positions. Insanity or bravery? You decide. Or maybe these F1 drivers just have some kind of different DNA.
Hakkinen did eventually change his mind and stop though.
It was a little more than a “brush” with death, he taped up and cut in, rolled his first coat, he just didn’t bog the gaps and roll the top coat 😂
I don't think "screw loose" or "insanity" are fair or respectable terms for drivers or motorcyclists who do/did these sort of races. It comes down more to a lack of fear and an understanding that nobody lives forever and they are going to live while they are alive. Every driver or rider has to accept that no matter how safety has moved on, their lives are at risk every single time they take to the track. It's no different to any sport or pastime that involves speed. Skiing, speedboats, parachuting or whatever.
You take your life in your hands everytime you leave your house, often with no fault of your own, and these drivers and riders just have an attitude of whatever happens happens.
Simple fact is, despite the high risks in any motorsport, the fatalities and severe injuries are such a small percentage of actual people who enter the races over the years.
I knew what the last rights meant, but didn’t know the specifics. You never know what you’re gonna learn on this channel 😁
RiP Piers Courage - 'Courage Best', Courage Best - Having a Beer on your Brother Tonight, Andrew!
I appreciate the Bruins hat
I am a dedicated motorcyclist and MotoGP fan and yes those lads riding the Isle of men have a screw loose. To this day I can't decide if I'm impressed or disgusted by it.
"Ersatz" means, (just) substitution, not bad substitution.
Got a bruins cap on! ❤
mate, have you forgotten you’re also a sim racing channel? where’s that gone?
I think it's funny that people back then refused to call the modern track the Nürburgring because of the original track and now there is a distinction between the Nürburgring and the Nordschleife, with nobody calling the Nordschleife Nürburgring anymore.
I have a Lauda T3 on me mantlepiece. I just love how that flammable piece of shit looks. Similarly, I have a Alesi 412 T1 from 94. Legend looks, POS car.
...and this is why I consider Brett Lunger the greatest Formula One driver.
This race was similar to Imola 1994, a complete catastrofuck.
Not trying to sound nit-picky but just a quick grammar fix, the 3.5L formula started in 1987 --- timestamp 6:48.
Worth mentioning because someone who just started watching formula one, will believe that it was 3.5 L in 1966.
Fun fact: His name might come from Latin for praise, but also possibly from Czech "louda" - "a slow one".
Quite a contrast to Scott Speed, isn't it?
Selling advertising space on his hat; that's like trying something for a laugh, and a massive FU, all that the same time.
The reason I’ve started wearing hats was to cover up the scarring on my scalp from a skin infection I had at the start of the year.
Also considered the ad space thing. Niki and I have a reason to look like shit. Most people don’t. 😅
Ersatz means pretty much just replacement. Nothing more or less.
There's grit and then there's Lauda coming back in 76
8:21 Michael Schumacher 1994?? Hmmm....
I'm surprised they didn't have to put a trailer on Nikki's Ferrari to carry his balls of steel!
I wish F1 would do a proper Nurburgring grand prix. The cars are safer now. The track is safer now. All of the reasons that caused Lauda's accident to be so terrible no longer exist. Especially with the cars. They went from being bombs on wheels to now you are shocked if you see a car on fire. after a crash.
No. The cars are safer now but are absolutely not designed to run on such a rough road surface at speed. The injuries to the drivers would be serious even if the suspensions didn't fail, just from being slammed around inside the car. You could definitely take a Rally1 car around the Nordschleife but an F1 car, especially in the ground effect era, is out of the question.
There would still be unsolvable safety problems due to the length of the track. For starters, it would probably require over 1000 marshals to staff corner teams for a race weekend with over 150 corners. And the organizers would need to position at least6-8 fire trucks and ambulances around the circuit to have reasonably fast response to a serious accident or fire.
And the track still does not have runoffs on any corner that meet current safety standards for a track that is not a street circuit. Just the cost of fixing that would be untenable for the track.
I wouldnt call "Ersatz" poor substitute, sure you can do that, but broadly speaking "Ersatz" simply means "replacement"
15:31
Well, as they say: "There is no fun in Germany: Go back to work!"
15:27 “those Germans have a word for everything!”
Richtig
This must be wrong by the way you've talked about it, but I'm sure I remember a story online recounting Lauda's confrontation with the priest.
it basically said that a doctor walked into the ward where Lauda was and said something along the lines of "the priest is here to see you, Mr. Lauda"
Lauda then simply replied: "Tell the priest to fuck off"
The story came from Lauda’s own mouth in 1976
@@AidanMillward Oh! that explains that, then! Haha!
Wie heisst die Mutter von Nikki Lauda?
Muss das sein?
@@matzemunz2827 Hast du das Lied “Mamma Lauda” nicht gehört?
@@bombfog1 ich habe es bestimmt schon 200 mal live gespielt 🤣
@@matzemunz2827 Nice!
🖤💛🖤💛BRUINS 🖤💛🖤💛
The Nordschliefe is still my favourite track both in Sim games and IRL.
He wasn't bluffing ;)
That priest eminds me of the old Simpsons gag where Mr. Burns takes a phone call from his mum.
"Guh. Oh, hello, Mater. Uh, sorry about pulling the plug on you and all. Who could have known you'd pull through and live for another five decades?"
This is going to be an unpopular take, but for me the Nordschleife is a god awful circuit for racing. 14+ miles long and you have two legitimate passing zones. I’ve watched plenty of races for the Langenstreichen series, and the races are about as entertaining as watching paint dry. That being said, it’s still an awesome track for driving. Just piss poor for racing.
I’ll fire it up on Assetto Corsa twice a year for a couple of banter laps but I’m just sick of people acting like it’s the only track on the planet. 🤣
I’d rather not comment but needs must. If you don’t risk anything but humiliation, is it worth doing? Sure, I don’t want drivers dying. Grosjean was too close for comfort.
But… without the risk, you might as well have an F1 wdc online. I could do that, why watch irl? Why would I be a fan of anyone but myself? I can’t make up my mind on this one.
You could say that seeing Hunt on tv gave Niki a Drive To….. Survive?