IIRC: after the crash of one of his planes, unsatisfied with the conclusions of the investigation, Niki dug deeper and found out that deployment of the thrust reversers mid-flight tests done before that model was certified were done in much lower altitude (denser air providing more lift helped bring the plane back under control; contrary to what happened to his plane at higher, cruising altitude: the plane went completely bananas and was torn apart in the air by the g-forces). Which forced Boeing to change the valves in reversers so they won't deploy even when one of the valves fails. So it's not just F1 that Niki made safer.
Yup. Niki basically called Boeing's bluff on the 767 thrust reverser and told them if it's so safe then let's do it. You say it's survivable then let's go up there and prove it once and for all. Boeing backpedaled to the simulator and surprise surprise, absolute catastrophe. Due to that Niki has saved so many lives over his life, and we all benefit from his legacy.
Fun Fact : He played a major role in getting Micheal Schumacher to join Ferrari and convinced Lewis Hamilton to join Mercedes. The two most successful F1 drivers who both went on to become 7- time world champions have Niki to thank for bringing them to their destinies.
Well, in first 39 races for Ferrari, including the infamous Nürburgring 1976 Lauda had achieved 21 pole positions and lapped the Nordschleife in 1975 (that's the longer version) in under 7 minutes, the first and only F1 driver to have ever done so. He was simply mercurial before the crash. My money would be on him as his understanding and ability to convey track and set-up information to his technicians was second to none. Nelson Piquet would probably agree with me has Lauda was a great mentor and teacher. Piquet was far better than Senna at understanding and setting up cars.
@@taurus6392 I usually don't reply to intellectually challenged morons but, your miserable attempt at insulting with an all to sad amount of subtlety forces me to!.....SO, when you have nothing good to say you just insult the other person!?! nice, way to go!!! You're obviously a Senna fan, good for you! You do know that F1 started long before 1984, right!!?!! and that Piquet is one of the few drivers if not the only one to win two titles without his team winning the constructors championship? Also, his last title, in 1987, was won while suffering from tunnel vision due to an earlier accident that same year! Senna was faster but F1 back in the 1980's, specially the first half, was still reliant on the driver's ability to set-up the car to his needs, and at that Piquet was one of the very best.
Well said. I always loved Niki. He was an absolute product of his time as a baby boomer. Manly, stoic, resourceful, serious when needed to be and balls the size of Mars. I found alot of baby boomers in the UK and Europe being the children of the young soldiers, airmen and seamen of WW2, had many more of these traits than we see today. Maybe because they knew what their parents had been through whether on the 'winning' side or not.
One of the best sports movies I've ever seen, or just best movies really. Soundtrack, cinematography, acting, pacing, all about as on point as you can get.
In 2017 I had the honour of meeting Niki "The Rat" Lauda, in the Pits @ the Japanese GP. I asked him if we could take a photo together, his reply "Make It Fucking Quick" The guy will forever be a Legend !
Surprised you guys didn’t mention his involvement in the recent Mercedes F1 domination. Toto Wolff gave him a lot of credit for the turn around and Lewis Hamilton said it was Niki who brought him to the team. The Netflix documentary/show showed them pretty shook up when he passed, particularly those two…
My Dad was a Spectator when that happened and his first Formula 1 Race he attended on top of that. He always gets visibly emotional when he talks about Niki Lauda I grew up watching F1 with my Dad since the early 1990s (Am born 1986) Niki Lauda was always present because he commentated on everything on German Language TV. His Driving Skill aside, everyone always wanted to know what Lauda's Opinion was on this and that Race and Driver, and Lauda's Austrian Dry Humor and Sarcasm was always a treat to listen to Prost & Cheers from Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps
One of the most underrated contenders for GOAT status. I’ve been following F1 for 2 years and I’ve never been more impressed with someone’s career than Niki’s. Only Lewis’s come close. It took a 10 min video made by Mercedes to convince me he was going to be my GOAT. Absolute legend. Icing in the cake, he became a pilot and airline owner and as an aviation lover, that’s just sick.
That's because he is no 🐐, Lauda is in fact on a all different level and you get two Lauda's; the mercurial, before the accident, with 21 poles in his first 39 races for Ferrari, also the first and only F1 driver, at the time, to lap the Nordschleife in under 7 minutes and you get the cold calculating computer Lauda, after the crash, where in 1977, after being relegated to No.2 and in a toxic environment, he took his faithful few, concentrated on reliability and race pace and went on to take the title with two to go in the 4 best car on the grid, something that no other driver has ever done in the history of the sport. It's not about how much you win, it's how you win it and how cleanly and fair you do it.
Schumacher, Lauda, Hamilton, Verstappin, Villeneuve, and every legend and future legend of F1 are all fighting to be the second greatest F1 driver off time. But there is only 1 G.O.A.T. and his name Ayrton Senna. Watch the documentary called SENNA. (If you in Canada is available on prime) It should be required viewing for all new Formula 1 fans. And good luck not crying at the end of it.
I think another person who we should thank for the safety in motorsport we have today is Sir Jackie Stewart, he's really the man that started it all, some 10 years before Lauda, after his horrific crash at the rainy 1966 Belgium GP (Spa), one of the crazier F1 races.
And Jacky Ickx protested the traditional Le Mans start by walking to his car, buckling up, and then taking off and he had the right idea because shortly after the start another driver crashed and was killed on impact.
@@BIGBLOCK5022006 John Wolffe in that 1969 917, back when 917 was shit, before they reworked it for 1970. Also it's important to say that despite slowly walking and doing his seatbelts, Jacky won that year in a JWA Ford GT. What a chad.
Love how James can make me feel as emotional as him while talking about subjects he definitely cares about, pretty sure I shed a tear during Carol Shelbys episode
He practically scripted the rise of Mercedes. He convinced Hamilton to leave McLaren to join the relatively midfield Mercedes team, and turned them into the monstrous team we know today. His contribution to that team along with Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn won the 7 consecutive Drivers' and 8 consecutive Constructors' world championships isn't spoken about enough and he pretty much mentored Hamilton to the driver he is now. Look back to see the DTS episode where both Toto and Hamilton speak about him, nothing short of a legend, that man RIP Niki, we miss you
We also have to acknowledge that Niki survived due to the heroism of Arturo Merzario, who was the guy that *actually pulled him* out of the flames. Edit : Some are saying that it was not only Arturo, so I am going to use Lauda’s words on this one, not mine. *”...there were basically two or three drivers trying to get me out of the car, but one was Arturo Merzario, the Italian guy, who also had to stop there at the scene, because I blocked the road; and he really came into the car himself, and triggered my seatbelt loose, and then pulled me out. It was unbelievable, how he could do that, and I met him afterwards, and I said, 'How could you do it?!'. He said, 'Honestly, I do not know, but to open your seatbelt was so difficult, because you were pushing so hard against it, and when it was open, I got you out of the car like a feather...'*
Not only Merzario. There is also Guy Edwards (the driver who avoided Niki's car), Brett Lunger and Harald Ertl (who were both piled up after hitting Niki's car). All four of them raced to Niki's aid.
Niki is a hero in my family but not for the reasons you think. My grandfather was a huge fan of Niki which is why when he died of cancer in the mid 80s my widowed and now impoverished grandmother wrote Niki in desperation for help with a plane ticket on Lauda Air to get her part-way from her home in Germany to Australia to visit my parents and me and my sisters. Niki was moved by my grandmother’s story and ended up calling her himself to tell her he was going to pay for her whole trip! He bought her return plane tickets, a couple nights in a nice hotel, and he’d arranged for flowers to delivered to her to put on my grandfather’s grave. I’ll always be grateful to this man for his generosity and the kindness he showed to my Oma.
This man is and always will be my sporting hero. Deals with one of the most horrific crashes in the sport and comes back to win the championship two more times. Fun fact; Niki is the only driver to become champion with both Mclaren and Ferrari. He will always be remembered and greatly missed. Danke Niki.
This is very close to heart. He's our national hero, him dying made many ppl cry here. Including me a bit. Loved the video about him and everything. Thx donut, I love you guys 😭❤️
In 1973, Roger Williamson burned to death after a crash during the Dutch Grand Prix. British racerbDavid Purley was the only one who stopped and tried to save Williamson. Some time after the race a journalist asked Lauda why he didn't try to help. His answer: "I get paid to race, not to stop." He deeply regreted this statement after his near fatal crash.
Seeing the footage of Purley after he couldn’t get Williamson out the car is still haunting to me, you can’t see his face but you can feel the emotion through the screen. The man tried flipping the car with brute strength when nothing else worked, he got a George medal back in the UK for the effort. Can’t imagine that made it any better...
This was awesome. Rush became one of my favourites if not my favourite car movie. And it's what made me a fan of f1. Lauda went through hell and still came back to racing and if that isn't awe inspiring then nothing is.
Hey James, Do you think you could do an 'Up-to-Speed Episode on Peter Brock? He is regarded by many as the best Australian racing driver of all time and i think all your Aussie fans including myself would really love that. Keep up the great work you and the team do at Donut.
Might as well do a bonus video on Niki covering how he was one of the forces behind Mercedes & Lewis Hamilton's F1 dominance over the last 8 seasons. Not forgetting how he got Boeing to modify a thrust reverser system in their airliners after uncovering a design flaw which contributed to a fatal crash of one of his airline's 767s in 1991
My favorite all time F1 driver. Some drivers have achieved more, but nobody encapsulates tenacity, determination, work ethic like Niki did. A legend on and off the track. Responsible for swaying Michael to join Ferrari and Lewis to join Mercedes, he was a pivotal part in many facets of F1. Danke and R.I.P. Niki!
At one point he was walking the ring, with out giving notice, so a Marshall found him walking in the crash areas, and asked what he was doing, not knowing who he was. Niki replied; looking for my ear. He was epic and a legend in his own time!
Especially Arturo Merzario. “...there were basically two or three drivers trying to get me out of the car, but one was Arturo Merzario, the Italian guy, who also had to stop there at the scene, because I blocked the road; and he really came into the car himself, and triggered my seatbelt loose, and then pulled me out. It was unbelievable, how he could do that, and I met him afterwards, and I said, 'How could you do it?!'. He said, 'Honestly, I do not know, but to open your seatbelt was so difficult, because you were pushing so hard against it, and when it was open, I got you out of the car like a feather...' ~ Lauda’s words, not mine.
@@Firebolt1729 the other 3 drivers, Edwards, Ertl and Lunger also deserve recognition for their efforts too. Even Edwards awarded the Queen's Gallantry medal for his response. F1 also mentioned all 4 drivers who saved Niki including Merzario on this vid: ruclips.net/video/aDwZG4UQMEA/видео.html
I've finished work, spending the best part of 10 hours solid doing something on behalf of a company Niki previously owned. My reward as I logged off and started my downtime? This perfect video. We'll never know how many lives his dedication to safety saved. And that's the best kind of not knowing. Absolute legend.
That video made me proud AF to be an Austrian. I remember Nikki played in commercials for Smart and that was the first time i saw him. Only after i got interested i learned who he really was. What a absolute legend.
Ight..I think its time for James to make an Up To Speed on Kimi Räikkönen , since he retierd this year, I think the man deserves it. It is one of the most badass divers the sport have seen. Do you agree?
One could say that what we learnt with niki then senna is what saved Romain Grogeans life. Not only that the safety that can then be rengineered into passenger cars is priceless these were the men that pioneered big horse power but also the safety we use today in transporting our loved ones. Thanks donut that was a dope ep rip niki and senna legends forever
You forgot one story, how he got the BRM seat.. He paid for it. He also paid for the March seat, by taking bank loans. When he joined Ferrari, Enzo paid all of Lauda's debts. Quite a risk, he would've been utterly ruined if he didn't get success in F1. He also drove in both F1 and F2 in his time with March, having more success in the latter. He also did sports cars.
Niki Lauda lives on in all of us. He is one of the greatest professional drivers ever. He taught us that everyone deserves a chance at greatness if your willing to fight for it.
I remember my Dad telling me about Niki when i was a kid and how bloody good Niki was... was his favorite driver of all time. I grew up watching F1 with my pops in the Schumacher era. He would always say "if Niki were driving now, these guys wouldn't know what to do!" Pops' team was Ferrari, and of course guys tend to follow the team their dads root for, so thats me. Later i found reruns of Niki's races, he was freaking killer at drivin'. My dad died a few years ago, finally was able to buy a Ferrari earlier this year....damn I wish pops were alive to drive it.
Thank You James, and Thank You Donut Media for keeping the memory of Niki's life, racing career, and his impact on Racing Safety alive! His love for Formula1 was his passion until the day he passed!! I witnessed his entire career over the years, and no driver has yet to equal his dedication to any sport, ever!! Niki was a true champion, and may he Rest in Peace throughout Eternity!
I have to say I really love the way you told this story and even though you always put humor in it I can tell you took it seriously when you were talking about the sad parts of this man's career mixed with the editing and music The donut team has done it all fits together so well almost brings a tear to your eye this man sounds like a legend and work on trying to make things safer for other drivers and also when he created his airplane company he also made Boeing plane safer in a way as well for what happened to one of the planes this man is not only a driving legend but cares for others and not just about winning the race and that shows he's one good human being great video James and the donut team the music fits so perfectly
I haven't even watched this video yet and i want to just say this.... THANK YOU DONUT MEDIA!!! For the exposure and light your sre shedding on F1 as of late!!! I hope this is not a phase and that you continue to make content of great motorsport! Not just because there's an upswing in popularity in the US.😁👍🏻
i think it was Sterling Moss after one race at the Ring where he broke several track records, said he never wanted to do that again at the Ring. theres a good reason the Ring rarely hosts actual pro races, its way too crazy
@@Donut speaking of the nurburgring ring, you should consider making one of these for the Queen of the nordschleife sabine schmitz. I have infinite amounts of respect for her considering the nurburgring's dangerous nature and it would also be a nice tribute to her too
Only 1 death in the last 27 years in a sport where the average person might think death is imminent. Thats a real hero, a real legacy. Much bigger than any title or trophy. Thank you for sharing his story.
@@prodbybabygod7411 That is true, but remember that unfortunatelly that happens in every sport. And the reason is most likely drive to survive. It brought a lot of people to the sport that look at it as a drama series more than anything.
i live in vienna/ austria.. niki is a legend here, we never Had a driver like him since. After he retired from racing he bought an airline and was just as successful whit it. RIP Niki Lauda, du bleibts für immer der größte Rennfahrer den unser Land jemals hatte
This movie, as crazy as it is, speaks in volume of sportsmanship. My favorite scene is when the reporter that asked about his wife looking at Niki's burnt face, got his face pumbled. I actually bought this movie by accident, thinking it was something else. When I saw I bought the wrong movie, it sat for weeks before I gave it a chance. Ended up being one of my family's favorite movies.
I am from Finland and one of my cousin relative´s wife was working as Niki Lauda´s close physiotherapist on his last years - small world it is and bless Niki
I got to say that I have been watching your channel for a long time now, and boy am I impressed at how you’s guys have made it!!! Totally legit media company now. Keep informing us, it’s priceless info!! Thank you.
I would add Hubert as a second casualty in the past 25 years even though that was F2. Lots of drivers have been talking about the danger of Eau Rouge as well at Spa
Lauda wasn't the best of all, although he is among the best, but he was a legendary person, someone who helped to shape the F1 so the young of today can drive with safety, yes, someone can say that safety is boring, but lost lives aren't worth the spectacle. He was an example to be followed.
As an Austrian I never knew how big Niki Lauda was I used to think he is the average joe but no because no media was covering him again, like you did, sir. Thanks for the great video.
As 50 yo Brazilian F1 fan I'm so glad I got to see Lauda win in 84. Also see the brilliance of Piquet, Senna, Prost.. the good old days of turbos and sequential stick shifts.
f1 fans will always miss lauda since he died in 2019 before austrian gp in sunday 1976: lauda got crashed and burn in nordschleife 2020: grosjean got crashed and burn in sakhir (bahrain)
Cracking episode on a great man! Also props to your researchers for mentioning Ratsunburger and Jules, often overlooked as they were both new to the sport at the untimely points they died. I've been lucky enough to stand at the spot where he went through the barrier at the Green hell. It's crazy to think they took F1 cars round there. My own car felt too fast 😅
I Wish James were my history teacher back then. But hey, James really nailed every episode of Up To Speed. This episode, the trueno episode, the skyline episode and the grand turismo episode successfully brought tears to my eyes. Thankyou donut media for making my days worth to life, thankyou james
literally watched this again because it was such a good video the first time around. Niki and Senna are prolly the two most BA F1 racers of all time. FYI since his passing, there is always a red star on the Mercedes to commemorate the legend
i feel the same things, i'm designing cars, people call it shit, well i think i'm gonna get it the same thing called... VICTORY. thanks for making the video James.
James, you just keep taking "Up to Speed" to new heights! This profile of Niki Lauda is the best content I've seen on Donut Media...ever. That's really saying a lot b/c every thing you do is Ah Ah Ahsome. (I mean just take a look at the story you did on Ken Miles.) I didn't think it could be topped. But it could and you did. You slammed a perfect 10 on this one. Congrats to you!!!
As someone in the F1 comments once said, “Niki was so fast, it took death over 40 years to catch up”
imagine surviving an F1 crash in flames and keep living until 2019. lauda was a real boss that nobody could fight.
@@schkann1384 yes. Even Maki Nishikino cant fight against Lauda....
Well done! At least you admit that you copied the comment.
@@purwantiallan5089 what the fuck lolololol
Accurate, as the lung transplant that did him in was necessary due to all the scarring from the fire in 76
Niki was built differently. To achieve what he did, was fucking incredible.
I was expecting to see you here😂
Built different describes him perfectly
An actual GOAT.
It was the inbreeding, duh.
Ack when racing was one part fucking bloodsport
IIRC: after the crash of one of his planes, unsatisfied with the conclusions of the investigation, Niki dug deeper and found out that deployment of the thrust reversers mid-flight tests done before that model was certified were done in much lower altitude (denser air providing more lift helped bring the plane back under control; contrary to what happened to his plane at higher, cruising altitude: the plane went completely bananas and was torn apart in the air by the g-forces). Which forced Boeing to change the valves in reversers so they won't deploy even when one of the valves fails. So it's not just F1 that Niki made safer.
Yes also youtube interviu done by Graham Bensinger is very good
Yeah, he sued Boeing, and won.
Yup. Niki basically called Boeing's bluff on the 767 thrust reverser and told them if it's so safe then let's do it. You say it's survivable then let's go up there and prove it once and for all. Boeing backpedaled to the simulator and surprise surprise, absolute catastrophe. Due to that Niki has saved so many lives over his life, and we all benefit from his legacy.
@@Leon-ks1bf legit fact. He stated he’d get on the plane for the test to prove his point. Boeing relented.
@ And it was named after Wolfgang Mozart.
Fun Fact : He played a major role in getting Micheal Schumacher to join Ferrari and convinced Lewis Hamilton to join Mercedes. The two most successful F1 drivers who both went on to become 7- time world champions have Niki to thank for bringing them to their destinies.
One of the most influential individuals in Motorsport all time
U are correct!
I feel like driving was the worst skillset of Lauda and he was an amazing driver. This guy is one of the great minds of motorsport.
Please don't mention Schumacher and Hamilton in the same quote, Schumacher is one of the greatest and Hamilton isn't even top ten.
@@Alecasand Would love to hear your Top 10 and where Hamilton stands 🙃
I get chills when I hear the name Lauda.
Imagine Niki in his prime racing against Ayrton in his prime, driving identical cars.
Well, in first 39 races for Ferrari, including the infamous Nürburgring 1976 Lauda had achieved 21 pole positions and lapped the Nordschleife in 1975 (that's the longer version) in under 7 minutes, the first and only F1 driver to have ever done so. He was simply mercurial before the crash. My money would be on him as his understanding and ability to convey track and set-up information to his technicians was second to none. Nelson Piquet would probably agree with me has Lauda was a great mentor and teacher. Piquet was far better than Senna at understanding and setting up cars.
@@francisconunes1384 not to mention after the crash, he beat prost to a championship fight. Someone that Aryton Senna struggled against.
@@francisconunes1384 "piquet was far better than senna at setting up the cars" You would make a good politician, you can talk out of both sides
@@taurus6392 I usually don't reply to intellectually challenged morons but, your miserable attempt at insulting with an all to sad amount of subtlety forces me to!.....SO, when you have nothing good to say you just insult the other person!?! nice, way to go!!! You're obviously a Senna fan, good for you! You do know that F1 started long before 1984, right!!?!! and that Piquet is one of the few drivers if not the only one to win two titles without his team winning the constructors championship? Also, his last title, in 1987, was won while suffering from tunnel vision due to an earlier accident that same year! Senna was faster but F1 back in the 1980's, specially the first half, was still reliant on the driver's ability to set-up the car to his needs, and at that Piquet was one of the very best.
That's nuclear war
A true racing legend and a motorsports icon, who showed us to NEVER give up.
RIP Niki Lauda, 1949 - 2019.
Well said. I always loved Niki. He was an absolute product of his time as a baby boomer. Manly, stoic, resourceful, serious when needed to be and balls the size of Mars. I found alot of baby boomers in the UK and Europe being the children of the young soldiers, airmen and seamen of WW2, had many more of these traits than we see today. Maybe because they knew what their parents had been through whether on the 'winning' side or not.
His life sounds like an anime 😂
@@Bojonni lol true
Other drivers worked with engineers! Clark, McLaren, Surtees, Black Jack B....
@@Bojonni watch "Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix", if you want to see Lauda in anime version
RUSH was such a sick film, highly recommended to anyone who enjoyed this, great stuff Donut!
Yeah ford v ferrari too
One of the best sports movies I've ever seen, or just best movies really. Soundtrack, cinematography, acting, pacing, all about as on point as you can get.
I recommend you to watch "Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix", if you want to see Lauda in anime version
i first heard of nikki lauda in rush .thats movie pushed me learn more about this legend and also about james hunt ..
@@luiszuniga2859 Lauda in anime!? Fuck yeah 🤙
Dark fact: some locals sometimes nickname it "the BBQ corner."
yikes
Миша, привет из Украины!
ohh damn, that's something else
Ooooof
Only some brave man are capable to master the Greenhell, and running F1 in the Nordschleife is simply insane.
In 2017 I had the honour of meeting Niki "The Rat" Lauda, in the Pits @ the Japanese GP. I asked him if we could take a photo together, his reply "Make It Fucking Quick" The guy will forever be a Legend !
So god damn lucky duude
What I’d give for Niki Lauda to tell me to “make it fucking quick”…. You’re so lucky…
I'd give him all my fucking cash for him to say those lines, hahaha, if he was still alive...
@@ZombifiedPiglinBrute LOL
Seeing the drivers react to save him brought a tear to my eye.
I so hyped for a Senna episode...if will hapen...the guy who made a car a nacional treasure(in Brazil), and put in this memorial fundation.
I hope they make videos about other F1 legends too
Hope the made about Ayrton Senna 👍🏿♥️
James would do a awesome job of telling that story
Quero muito também
Ep. 38 of Past Gas is abput Senna, if that'll get you your fix.
Surprised you guys didn’t mention his involvement in the recent Mercedes F1 domination.
Toto Wolff gave him a lot of credit for the turn around and Lewis Hamilton said it was Niki who brought him to the team.
The Netflix documentary/show showed them pretty shook up when he passed, particularly those two…
Yes it was on youtube interviu done by Graham Bensinger
because donut arent very good at research when it comes to F1 or anything European for that matter
@@altergreenhorn GB does fantastic chats. Well researched and great conversation
@@Shiggiesmalls02 hi ryan. How is your 2022 hollidays?
What's more of an indictment was telling a Niki Lauda story without mentioning the James Hunt rivalry.
My Dad was a Spectator when that happened and his first Formula 1 Race he attended on top of that. He always gets visibly emotional when he talks about Niki Lauda
I grew up watching F1 with my Dad since the early 1990s (Am born 1986) Niki Lauda was always present because he commentated on everything on German Language TV.
His Driving Skill aside, everyone always wanted to know what Lauda's Opinion was on this and that Race and Driver, and Lauda's Austrian Dry Humor and Sarcasm was always a treat to listen to
Prost & Cheers from Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps
Didn't understand at first what Prost has to do with this😀
@@TheMadSlavik
Haha, now i wonder if others were confused by that as well
There was a really well known guy that owned a house in Berchtesgaden.
Totally unrelated to your comment, but Berchtesgaden is an absolutely beautiful city, in an even more beautiful setting. You're lucky, living there :)
One of the most underrated contenders for GOAT status. I’ve been following F1 for 2 years and I’ve never been more impressed with someone’s career than Niki’s. Only Lewis’s come close. It took a 10 min video made by Mercedes to convince me he was going to be my GOAT. Absolute legend. Icing in the cake, he became a pilot and airline owner and as an aviation lover, that’s just sick.
That's because he is no 🐐, Lauda is in fact on a all different level and you get two Lauda's; the mercurial, before the accident, with 21 poles in his first 39 races for Ferrari, also the first and only F1 driver, at the time, to lap the Nordschleife in under 7 minutes and you get the cold calculating computer Lauda, after the crash, where in 1977, after being relegated to No.2 and in a toxic environment, he took his faithful few, concentrated on reliability and race pace and went on to take the title with two to go in the 4 best car on the grid, something that no other driver has ever done in the history of the sport. It's not about how much you win, it's how you win it and how cleanly and fair you do it.
Look into the Boeing vs Lauda Airlines case, what a fascinating dude Lauda was man.
Schumacher, Lauda, Hamilton, Verstappin, Villeneuve, and every legend and future legend of F1 are all fighting to be the second greatest F1 driver off time. But there is only 1 G.O.A.T. and his name Ayrton Senna.
Watch the documentary called SENNA. (If you in Canada is available on prime)
It should be required viewing for all new Formula 1 fans.
And good luck not crying at the end of it.
@@jonathansnow8222 You're forgetting Jim Clark JM Fangio - the men most of your list looked upto.
@@roblucchetti2993 THANK YOU! Drives me nuts that Jim Clark is not mentioned more, or flat out forgotten about.
I think another person who we should thank for the safety in motorsport we have today is Sir Jackie Stewart, he's really the man that started it all, some 10 years before Lauda, after his horrific crash at the rainy 1966 Belgium GP (Spa), one of the crazier F1 races.
And Jacky Ickx protested the traditional Le Mans start by walking to his car, buckling up, and then taking off and he had the right idea because shortly after the start another driver crashed and was killed on impact.
@@BIGBLOCK5022006 John Wolffe in that 1969 917, back when 917 was shit, before they reworked it for 1970. Also it's important to say that despite slowly walking and doing his seatbelts, Jacky won that year in a JWA Ford GT. What a chad.
@@DonatProdanSimRacing Thank you for telling me the name of the driver that got killed because I couldn't think of his name.
Professor Sid Watkins, if you don't know go look him up
@@mpainter22 oh yeah right i forgot, indeed another legend that really did so much for the sport.
Love how James can make me feel as emotional as him while talking about subjects he definitely cares about, pretty sure I shed a tear during Carol Shelbys episode
I felt the same way during the Dale Earnhardt episode. Dude had me in tears even tho I've never watched a nascar race
He practically scripted the rise of Mercedes. He convinced Hamilton to leave McLaren to join the relatively midfield Mercedes team, and turned them into the monstrous team we know today. His contribution to that team along with Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn won the 7 consecutive Drivers' and 8 consecutive Constructors' world championships isn't spoken about enough and he pretty much mentored Hamilton to the driver he is now. Look back to see the DTS episode where both Toto and Hamilton speak about him, nothing short of a legend, that man
RIP Niki, we miss you
And people were telling Hamilton that we would never win a Mercedes.
We also have to acknowledge that Niki survived due to the heroism of Arturo Merzario, who was the guy that *actually pulled him* out of the flames.
Edit : Some are saying that it was not only Arturo, so I am going to use Lauda’s words on this one, not mine.
*”...there were basically two or three drivers trying to get me out of the car, but one was Arturo Merzario, the Italian guy, who also had to stop there at the scene, because I blocked the road; and he really came into the car himself, and triggered my seatbelt loose, and then pulled me out. It was unbelievable, how he could do that, and I met him afterwards, and I said, 'How could you do it?!'. He said, 'Honestly, I do not know, but to open your seatbelt was so difficult, because you were pushing so hard against it, and when it was open, I got you out of the car like a feather...'*
well noted
@angel ❤️ wtf is wrong with people like these
@@thomasjohnybastian7847 They’re bots
Not only Merzario. There is also Guy Edwards (the driver who avoided Niki's car), Brett Lunger and Harald Ertl (who were both piled up after hitting Niki's car). All four of them raced to Niki's aid.
Fun fact : Merzario actually hated Lauda
Niki is a hero in my family but not for the reasons you think.
My grandfather was a huge fan of Niki which is why when he died of cancer in the mid 80s my widowed and now impoverished grandmother wrote Niki in desperation for help with a plane ticket on Lauda Air to get her part-way from her home in Germany to Australia to visit my parents and me and my sisters.
Niki was moved by my grandmother’s story and ended up calling her himself to tell her he was going to pay for her whole trip! He bought her return plane tickets, a couple nights in a nice hotel, and he’d arranged for flowers to delivered to her to put on my grandfather’s grave.
I’ll always be grateful to this man for his generosity and the kindness he showed to my Oma.
Nicki also played an Integral role in investigating the crash of one of his airliners. His devotion to the safety of others was truely commendable.
Yes, Laura Air Flight 004. Air Crash investigation show has an episode about it, Mentor pilot on YT also made a whole video on it.
I'm really happy seeing more F1 and Up2Speed content! Thank you James! And Lauda will forever be in the F1 hearts!
Bots have entered the chat😐😐😐
@@Firebolt1729 took care of it
I recommend you to watch RUSH if you want to see Lauda racing Thor 😂😭
Racing was different when Thor was on track, brandishing his big ol' hammer. Those were the real days.
I didn’t know Thor was an F1 driver in his spare time😂
@@Donut True story. I was there. I saw the thunder. To this day my ears still ring to the glory of four-stroke victory.
Sehe dich auch überall xD
Zemo vs Thor
This man is and always will be my sporting hero. Deals with one of the most horrific crashes in the sport and comes back to win the championship two more times. Fun fact; Niki is the only driver to become champion with both Mclaren and Ferrari. He will always be remembered and greatly missed. Danke Niki.
@@april8056 Here come the bots😐
@@Firebolt1729 Starve them from attention.
@@Firebolt1729 just flag them as inappropriate for RUclips mods.
Lewis Hamilton became a Champion with Mclaren and Mercedes.
#DankeNiki 🇦🇹
Also thank you for mentioning Roland Ratzenberger, he's often forgotten in the shadow of Senna!
Roland Ratzenberger will never be forgotten.
I was at the austrian GP in 2019 and the tribute to niki was really beautifull. What a legend
This is very close to heart. He's our national hero, him dying made many ppl cry here. Including me a bit. Loved the video about him and everything. Thx donut, I love you guys 😭❤️
This guy fron donut media is to clown to talk about him, clownsiness should be let off for this documentary.
Made a lot of people cry around the world, me included. Loved that man.
@@porroco why are you here xD go watch content you actually enjoy lol
In 1973, Roger Williamson burned to death after a crash during the Dutch Grand Prix. British racerbDavid Purley was the only one who stopped and tried to save Williamson.
Some time after the race a journalist asked Lauda why he didn't try to help. His answer: "I get paid to race, not to stop." He deeply regreted this statement after his near fatal crash.
Seeing the footage of Purley after he couldn’t get Williamson out the car is still haunting to me, you can’t see his face but you can feel the emotion through the screen. The man tried flipping the car with brute strength when nothing else worked, he got a George medal back in the UK for the effort. Can’t imagine that made it any better...
@@tyler_bt3326 Can't imagine the emotional pain he must have felt at that moment. He looks so broken and hopeless.
the sad thing was that williamson was purley's best friend and it was only purley's 2nd f1 race
"Who was the most successful Austrian F1 driver?"
"Lauda?"
"WHO WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AUSTRIAN F1 DRIVER?"
This was awesome. Rush became one of my favourites if not my favourite car movie. And it's what made me a fan of f1.
Lauda went through hell and still came back to racing and if that isn't awe inspiring then nothing is.
Hey James, Do you think you could do an 'Up-to-Speed Episode on Peter Brock? He is regarded by many as the best Australian racing driver of all time and i think all your Aussie fans including myself would really love that. Keep up the great work you and the team do at Donut.
Listened to an episode of a podcast called The Dollop on him.
Lauda's legacy is seeing Romain Grosjean stepping out of his burning Haas
and a load of titles and Mercedes domination, but the first is the most important
Might as well do a bonus video on Niki covering how he was one of the forces behind Mercedes & Lewis Hamilton's F1 dominance over the last 8 seasons. Not forgetting how he got Boeing to modify a thrust reverser system in their airliners after uncovering a design flaw which contributed to a fatal crash of one of his airline's 767s in 1991
14:55
It wasn’t that the 312 was too good, he left Ferrari because everyone on the team hated him for “bailing” on an easy 76’ championship win.
donut are not good at F1 my guy
@@Shiggiesmalls02 Tie-rel...Not sure if was joking or not on that one.
@@Shiggiesmalls02 like someone once said " they're americans , f1 is more of a european thing"
My favorite all time F1 driver. Some drivers have achieved more, but nobody encapsulates tenacity, determination, work ethic like Niki did. A legend on and off the track. Responsible for swaying Michael to join Ferrari and Lewis to join Mercedes, he was a pivotal part in many facets of F1. Danke and R.I.P. Niki!
At one point he was walking the ring, with out giving notice, so a Marshall found him walking in the crash areas, and asked what he was doing, not knowing who he was.
Niki replied; looking for my ear.
He was epic and a legend in his own time!
11:12 Massive props to Guy Edwards, Arturo Merzario, Harald Ertl, and Brett Lunger for getting Niki out alive.
Especially Arturo Merzario.
“...there were basically two or three drivers trying to get me out of the car, but one was Arturo Merzario, the Italian guy, who also had to stop there at the scene, because I blocked the road; and he really came into the car himself, and triggered my seatbelt loose, and then pulled me out. It was unbelievable, how he could do that, and I met him afterwards, and I said, 'How could you do it?!'. He said, 'Honestly, I do not know, but to open your seatbelt was so difficult, because you were pushing so hard against it, and when it was open, I got you out of the car like a feather...'
~ Lauda’s words, not mine.
@@Firebolt1729 the other 3 drivers, Edwards, Ertl and Lunger also deserve recognition for their efforts too. Even Edwards awarded the Queen's Gallantry medal for his response. F1 also mentioned all 4 drivers who saved Niki including Merzario on this vid: ruclips.net/video/aDwZG4UQMEA/видео.html
I've finished work, spending the best part of 10 hours solid doing something on behalf of a company Niki previously owned. My reward as I logged off and started my downtime? This perfect video.
We'll never know how many lives his dedication to safety saved. And that's the best kind of not knowing. Absolute legend.
That video made me proud AF to be an Austrian. I remember Nikki played in commercials for Smart and that was the first time i saw him. Only after i got interested i learned who he really was.
What a absolute legend.
Ight..I think its time for James to make an Up To Speed on Kimi Räikkönen , since he retierd this year, I think the man deserves it. It is one of the most badass divers the sport have seen. Do you agree?
One could say that what we learnt with niki then senna is what saved Romain Grogeans life. Not only that the safety that can then be rengineered into passenger cars is priceless these were the men that pioneered big horse power but also the safety we use today in transporting our loved ones. Thanks donut that was a dope ep rip niki and senna legends forever
I love how he traded his trophy for a shit ton of car washes. He didn't even eat chili out of it. Savage move.
You forgot one story, how he got the BRM seat.. He paid for it. He also paid for the March seat, by taking bank loans. When he joined Ferrari, Enzo paid all of Lauda's debts. Quite a risk, he would've been utterly ruined if he didn't get success in F1. He also drove in both F1 and F2 in his time with March, having more success in the latter. He also did sports cars.
You also forgot what his collateral was, which was his own life insurance.
Niki Lauda lives on in all of us. He is one of the greatest professional drivers ever. He taught us that everyone deserves a chance at greatness if your willing to fight for it.
I remember my Dad telling me about Niki when i was a kid and how bloody good Niki was... was his favorite driver of all time. I grew up watching F1 with my pops in the Schumacher era. He would always say "if Niki were driving now, these guys wouldn't know what to do!" Pops' team was Ferrari, and of course guys tend to follow the team their dads root for, so thats me. Later i found reruns of Niki's races, he was freaking killer at drivin'. My dad died a few years ago, finally was able to buy a Ferrari earlier this year....damn I wish pops were alive to drive it.
Thank You James, and Thank You Donut Media for keeping the memory of Niki's life, racing career, and his impact on Racing Safety alive! His love for Formula1 was his passion until the day he passed!! I witnessed his entire career over the years, and no driver has yet to equal his dedication to any sport, ever!! Niki was a true champion, and may he Rest in Peace throughout Eternity!
I have to say I really love the way you told this story and even though you always put humor in it I can tell you took it seriously when you were talking about the sad parts of this man's career mixed with the editing and music The donut team has done it all fits together so well almost brings a tear to your eye this man sounds like a legend and work on trying to make things safer for other drivers and also when he created his airplane company he also made Boeing plane safer in a way as well for what happened to one of the planes this man is not only a driving legend but cares for others and not just about winning the race and that shows he's one good human being great video James and the donut team the music fits so perfectly
I think this is one of the coolest guys you have talked about on this channel
Agreed
Rush is easily one of the best movies made. Especially if you enjoy racing and/or F1! Nikki was quite the odd yer hilarious man.
These racer iceberg type videos are my favorite, They're motivational
I haven't even watched this video yet and i want to just say this.... THANK YOU DONUT MEDIA!!! For the exposure and light your sre shedding on F1 as of late!!! I hope this is not a phase and that you continue to make content of great motorsport! Not just because there's an upswing in popularity in the US.😁👍🏻
i think it was Sterling Moss after one race at the Ring where he broke several track records, said he never wanted to do that again at the Ring. theres a good reason the Ring rarely hosts actual pro races, its way too crazy
Word
@@Donut speaking of the nurburgring ring, you should consider making one of these for the Queen of the nordschleife sabine schmitz. I have infinite amounts of respect for her considering the nurburgring's dangerous nature and it would also be a nice tribute to her too
Gt3 not pro enough? Lol
@@maltainu3621 Oh hell yeah, great idea! Sabine will be remembered as the queen of the Ring and she SO deserves an episode!
Nicky was and is probably the person who shaped F1 to what it is today, he will always stay alive in the F1 world
Rip Legend
The greatest driver to ever live. Lauda was the meaning of passion. Synonymous with speed
Ever heard of Jim Clark?
Only 1 death in the last 27 years in a sport where the average person might think death is imminent. Thats a real hero, a real legacy. Much bigger than any title or trophy. Thank you for sharing his story.
Thank you for this, never enough tribute for this man, truly a great human being
R.I.P Nikki one of the greatest so far, not by titles but his influence is undeniable
Let's go, Niki was a legend, I'm happy with the F1 coverage donut is producing. Bringing the sport to the US is very important.
Fucking bots everywhere
@@Firebolt1729 yah mate, this is ridiculous
Is it tho ? Y'all have toxic as fuck fans bro.
@@prodbybabygod7411 That is true, but remember that unfortunatelly that happens in every sport. And the reason is most likely drive to survive. It brought a lot of people to the sport that look at it as a drama series more than anything.
Oh man, this is going to be good! Love Rush, my all time favourite movie
My ratty little friend
i cried on this episode, i knew his story but the way you presented, it just made me cry a bit, what a legend.
i live in vienna/ austria.. niki is a legend here, we never Had a driver like him since. After he retired from racing he bought an airline and was just as successful whit it. RIP Niki Lauda, du bleibts für immer der größte Rennfahrer den unser Land jemals hatte
Brilliant episode. Niki will always be one of the all time greatest in the history of racing.
Love to see f1 stuff ♥️ we need another about Jim Clark, Senna , Michael Schumacher, Alien Prost or Current legends
Ha ha ha Alien Prost
In France, no one year your Le screame.
Good old alien Prost
This movie, as crazy as it is, speaks in volume of sportsmanship. My favorite scene is when the reporter that asked about his wife looking at Niki's burnt face, got his face pumbled.
I actually bought this movie by accident, thinking it was something else. When I saw I bought the wrong movie, it sat for weeks before I gave it a chance. Ended up being one of my family's favorite movies.
@Old Jim that's ok.. I said the movie speaks volume of sportsmanship, not the actual event
I am from Finland and one of my cousin relative´s wife was working as Niki Lauda´s close physiotherapist on his last years - small world it is and bless Niki
I got to say that I have been watching your channel for a long time now, and boy am I impressed at how you’s guys have made it!!! Totally legit media company now. Keep informing us, it’s priceless info!! Thank you.
I would add Hubert as a second casualty in the past 25 years even though that was F2. Lots of drivers have been talking about the danger of Eau Rouge as well at Spa
Yeah they should have mentioned Hubert.
I am totally agree with this.
Also those are only drivers. IIRC we've lost a couple of marshals and a test driver.
@@xiaodown true. I was mainly mentioning what was under the Formula FIA umbrella. But definitely those are not to be forgotten as well
@@xiaodown At least Italian GP 2000 and Candian GP 2013, one masrshal died in both
Lauda wasn't the best of all, although he is among the best, but he was a legendary person, someone who helped to shape the F1 so the young of today can drive with safety, yes, someone can say that safety is boring, but lost lives aren't worth the spectacle.
He was an example to be followed.
RIP Niki. What a absolute hero and legend!
Glad you're covering this legend.
Why cant we still have up to speed? these were the shows that made donut popular, bring em back.
Awesome episode. What a legend Niki was. Thank you Donut for brightening up my days with this amazing content!
I remember watching rush, one of the greatest biopic films in 2013
That movie is underrated AF
I would be concerned if you couldn't remember 9 years ago...
The two pioneers of safety in open wheel racing (not just F1), Niki Lauda and Sir Jackie Stewart.
As an Austrian I never knew how big Niki Lauda was I used to think he is the average joe but no because no media was covering him again, like you did, sir.
Thanks for the great video.
As 50 yo Brazilian F1 fan I'm so glad I got to see Lauda win in 84. Also see the brilliance of Piquet, Senna, Prost.. the good old days of turbos and sequential stick shifts.
I'm a middle aged Austrian and have known Niki in person. He was an absolut alpha male and winning type - a legnd. Not easy to deal with, of course.
i appreciate that you made this video, bless him, rest in peace champ.
f1 fans will always miss lauda since he died in 2019 before austrian gp in sunday
1976: lauda got crashed and burn in nordschleife
2020: grosjean got crashed and burn in sakhir (bahrain)
Love the box car racer picture!
That's a f****** amazing video. A great tribute to a great pilot, a great fellow and a great man. Thank you for that.
A tribute video for the Iceman Kimi Räikkönen would be awesome since he retired from F1.
Love the storytelling here, and what a legend!
Cracking episode on a great man! Also props to your researchers for mentioning Ratsunburger and Jules, often overlooked as they were both new to the sport at the untimely points they died. I've been lucky enough to stand at the spot where he went through the barrier at the Green hell. It's crazy to think they took F1 cars round there. My own car felt too fast 😅
Holy shit. This episode was insane. Probably the best ever. Great job, guys.
Love the video! Would love to have a Senna episode here as well! One of the most important driver in F1 history! Thank you guys!
Niki and Jackie Stewart did amazing things to make not just F1 but all motorsports safer the drivers.
You can make a D-List about this, crashes that changed F1, Jim Clark, Lauda, Senna, etc
You guys should do one on Walter Rohl. Nikki called him the best driver of the century.
I Wish James were my history teacher back then. But hey, James really nailed every episode of Up To Speed. This episode, the trueno episode, the skyline episode and the grand turismo episode successfully brought tears to my eyes.
Thankyou donut media for making my days worth to life, thankyou james
literally watched this again because it was such a good video the first time around. Niki and Senna are prolly the two most BA F1 racers of all time. FYI since his passing, there is always a red star on the Mercedes to commemorate the legend
The thing is about Niki Lauda, he's amazing. Not only is he a world famous F1 ace driver, he's got a pilots licence. Imagine that!
i feel the same things, i'm designing cars, people call it shit, well i think i'm gonna get it the same thing called... VICTORY. thanks for making the video James.
Literally one of my favorite movies to watch even til this day
Along with Ford Vs Ferrari, the best car movie of the 2010s.
Niki Lauda is a legend he was a moderator in the german television for years.
Also he has his own german party song, which is pretty sick
I’ve been on a niki lauda binge this couldn’t have came at a better time
Pention for James to make an Up to speed on Lee Iaccoca.
That would be sick
Not really relevant, but I play Dirt5 for the first time today. Imagine my surpise when I heard James and Nolan voices in that game
Let's go!!! Notification crew!!!
Here within the first 5 minites
James, you just keep taking "Up to Speed" to new heights! This profile of Niki Lauda is the best content I've seen on Donut Media...ever. That's really saying a lot b/c every thing you do is Ah Ah Ahsome. (I mean just take a look at the story you did on Ken Miles.) I didn't think it could be topped. But it could and you did. You slammed a perfect 10 on this one. Congrats to you!!!
Easily my favorite F1 vid you’ve done. Would love to see more F1 content like this on other greats! Great job on the video you narrated so well James!