Lauda went on to win two of his three titles and became a well-known personality in the aviation sector.
Eddie Jordan, former Formula One driver and team boss, visited talkSPORT on Tuesday morning to pay tribute to one of motorsport’s greats.
“Niki was a total warrior,” the Irishman stated during the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast.
“In sports, there are good guys and exceptionally good guys, and he was definitely one of the latter.
“He was great fun. He will be much missed, I can assure you.”
When asked about Lauda’s miraculous recovery from his Nurburgring incident, which saw him miss only two races before returning to the track, Jordan said, “Fear was a major factor in all of that.” He feared he wouldn’t be able to drive again, so he put on the helmet.
“That was wild! It couldn’t happen now because the medics wouldn’t let it, but back then, these guys were simply incredible. They were enormous individuals fueled by pure adrenaline, and he needed to operate that vehicle.
“He also recognized James Hunt was closing in on his championship lead and sought to put a stop to it.
“As the season progressed, we saw what transpired, and Niki did not win the title in ’76; he was pipped at the end in Japan by Hunt.
“But he was one of the really tough guys.”
Scuderia Ferrari tweeted, “Today is a sad day for Formula One.” The Ferrari family is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of dear friend Niki Lauda, three-time world champion, two with the Scuderia (1975-1977). You will live on in our hearts and those of the fans. #CiaoNiki”
In 1979, he departed the sport to focus on establishing Lauda Air.
He briefly returned to racing after receiving an offer from McLaren, won the Formula One drivers’ title for the third time in 1984, before quitting permanently the following year.
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