One year after Niki Lauda’s death: now her son speaks

His successes make him immortal. It is still amazing that Niki Lauda is no longer alive. A year ago, on May 20, the news of his death shocked everyone, and Austria. Thousands of fans made a pilgrimage to St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna for his funeral. There, friends like F1 stars Lewis Hamilton and Gerhard Berger said goodbye to a major player in motorsport.

farewell

Her eldest son Lukas was always by Lauda’s side until the end. Now remember the new biography of Maurice Hamilton. It is not easy to be perfect with your father. “When they called me and I told him that my father was ill, I immediately got on the plane and stayed with him for four months …”

Niki Lauda along with his wife Birgit.

Son Lukas: “It was very difficult, my father was very unfortunate …”

Lauda’s son Lukas, in the book about Father Niki and his latest form:

• Childhood in Ibiza: my brother and I grew up in Ibiza. We lived in the country, and although I knew my father was a race driver, I was a country boy, my friends were the children of carpenters and so on. As for Mathias and me, our father had a normal job, like the others. B. they were farmers.

• Racing driver career: Even thinking about it or talking about whether you could become a racing driver was taboo at home …

• Relationship: Looking back, I would say that there was less of a parent-child relationship between us than a friendly relationship. (…) It was always a pleasure for him to go out with his children, have a drink and say nonsense.

• The disease: I was always with him from the beginning to the end. It was very difficult, he had bad luck with the bacteria that had nested in his lungs. (…) I was aware all along that it was highly unlikely that he would recover again. (…) He needed me there and it was good to be with him. I think I helped him a lot during that time and it meant a lot to both of us.

Lauda with his sons Mathias (l.) And Lukas (r.)