You may remember a while ago I wrote a review of the re-published autobiography of Niki Lauda, well since then a biography by renowned F1 journalist Maurice Hamilton has been released and I have finally got round to reading it while I have been on holiday. Here is my review.
Niki Lauda was someone that lived life to the full and Maurice Hamilton’s biography of him, written with the blessing of the Lauda family perfectly encapsulates that life and all its twists and turns. But what it also does, and this is maybe the best feature of the book is paint a portrait of a remarkable character who was well loved and respected both among the motor sport world but also by nearly everyone that he came into contact with.
If you have already read Lauda’s own book then there will be a lot in this one that you will already know but it is told from a fresh perspective and with the added personal testimony of some of the people who were a part of the three time world champion’s life. And where Niki’s autobiography, originally published in 1985 doesn’t cover a lot of what happened after he finally retired for good from the cockpit Hamilton takes the story right up until the end of his life. Indeed it is quite emotional reading towards the end as people who knew him well talk about his last months and how they believe he knew that the end was coming and was acting differently towards them, as though he wanted to make sure they understood what they meant to him. There is a touching story from Toto Wolff here that I will not spoil for you but is a lovely read.
Lauds’s racing life is obviously a fascinating one as we all know and if anyone was thinking that the horrible 1976 accident at the Nurburgring that almost claimed his life was all there was to know then you are in for a surprise. There are so many really interesting and illuminating stories of his dealings with all the big personalities of F1 from the last few decades and all are told in such a way by Hamilton that you feel like you were there yourself.
It is a real treat and a look inside the career of one of the sport’s true legends. And that word “legend” is this instance is not used casually, for there is not doubt that Lauda deserves that title perhaps more than anybody.
Lauda’s life outside of the cockpit is certainly just as fascinating though as the one in it. From building up his airline and the struggles with the state backed Austrian Airlines to the aftermath of one of his planes crashing due to a mechanical issue and killing all those on board and his tireless pursuit of an answer to what happened, to his time spent in various roles at Ferrari, Jaguar and of course the all conquering Mercedes Benz F1 team, this book examines them all.
Lauda is someone that I have always admired as a champion and for his remarkable bravery in coming back from his fiery accident in 76, and for his non nonsense talk but I must confess that it is only recently since reading his autobiography and this wonderful portrait of the man from Hamilton that I have gained a deeper appreciation and respect for the man himself.
Hamilton cleverly uses the personal testimony from people close to Niki to highlight the character of the man and not just his achievements and to show you how Niki was viewed by the people who knew and worked with him.
I will not say anymore as I wouldn’t want to spoil the read for anyone that wants to get the book, but suffice to say that this is brilliant tribute to a brilliant man and a book that I’m sure you will enjoy reading as much as I did. I couldn’t put it down and came away feeling as though I knew the man behind the legend. I would complete;ly recommend reading this book to any F1 fan.
My F1 talk 