Lauda and Walker had the formula for success
MICHAEL Lyster has of course chatted with many of the greats in the world of sport over the years, but perhaps it’s no surprise that the one-time rally driver selects a three-time Formula 1 World champion as his best ever interviewee.
In the past Michael competed in a number of rallying events with great friend Vincent Hogan of the Irish Independent alongside him as his co-driver, but it’s an international star - who sadly passed away in 2019 - whose brutal honesty and humour struck him in the very early days of his broacasting career.
Taking up the story, he said: ‘It was actually a piece I was doing for radio in the early 1980s when Niki Lauda was on a promotional visit to Ireland.
‘His day was all organised in advance, but I managed to get a slot with him when he was in the car from the airport into Dublin.
‘I found him totally fascinating. He was passionate about his sport and very willing to talk over the phone.
‘I was worried about asking him about his terrible accident which left him disfigured, but I said to myself I’ll take a chance and he talked completely openly about it even though he must have been asked so many times.
‘He was actually quite funny about it. He said when he was in hospital after the crash he demanded a mirror to see what his face looked like. He took one look and said ‘I look like a pig’.
Michael’s lifetime favourite sporting commentator also comes from the world of Formula 1 - the legendary Murray Walker.
‘The thing with Murray was that he brought out the excitement of motor racing with his high-octane style,’ Michael reflected.
‘I met him once or twice and he was always prepared to tell stories about himself - and he said a lot of stupid things in his time!
‘I remember in one race he was banging on about one of the drivers going back through the field - I think it was Alain Prost or Rene Arnoux - and he was up to high dough about it, wondering what was happening.
‘He had James Hunt alongside him [doing commentary} who was very calm, and James just came out and said ‘he’s missing the back left wheel of his car, so that could be the reason he’s slowing down’!