Niki Lauda's Near-Fatal Accident

Date: August 1, 1976 • Location: Berlin, Germany

Niki Lauda has a severe accident that almost claims his life at the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring.

Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda was an Austrian racing driver, motorsport executive, and aviation entrepreneur, who competed in Formula One from 1971 to 1979 and from 1982 to 1985. Lauda won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles and—at the time of his retirement—held the record for most podium finishes (54); he won 25 Grands Prix across 13 seasons, and remains the only driver to have won a World Drivers' Championship with both Ferrari and McLaren.