Niki Lauda in 1980. Walter Klepetko, a doctor who performed a lung transplant on Lauda last year, said: "Niki Lauda has died. Lauda financed his early career with the help of a string of loans, working his way through the ranks of Formula 3 and Formula 2. Initially a charter airline, Lauda Air expanded in the 1980s to offer flights to Asia and Australia. On the Formula One circuit, Lauda later formed a close bond with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who joined the team in 2013.

Source: Otago Daily Times May 21, 2019 01:54 UTC