Racing icon is celebrated
Goodwood is proud to announce that three-time Formula 1 World Champion Niki Lauda will be celebrated with a special on-track demonstration at the 81st Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport.
2024 will mark several significant anniversaries for Lauda, including 50 years since his first Grand Prix victory in the 1974 Spanish Grand Prix, 40 years since his third and final World Championship, and 75 years since the Formula 1 Champion’s birth (on February 22).
Taking place across the weekend – on April 13 and 14 – the Goodwood Motor Circuit will welcome Lauda’s 1985 Dutch Grand Prix-winning Mclaren MP4/2B for an ontrack moment to honour the acclaimed driver. The demonstration will put the Mclaren
MP4/2B in the spotlight, in tribute to one of the greatest Formula 1 World Champions.
Niki Lauda is remembered as one of the true icons of motorsport, and one of the most intelligent and mentally resilient drivers ever to set foot in a racing car.
In a Formula 1 career that ran from 1971-85, during which he won 25 Grands Prix and three World Championships, he recovered from a near-fatal accident at the Nurburgring in 1976, abruptly retired in 1979 saying he was “tired of driving round in circles”, and made a successful comeback three years later, culminating in his final World Championship in 1984.
After taking his final victory at the Dutch Grand Prix in 1985 (beating none other than Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna into second and third!), he retired from driving to focus on Lauda Air (the airline business he had founded after his first retirement in 1979), but later returned to
Formula 1, first as an advisor for Ferrari, then as Jaguar’s team principal, and finally as Non-executive Chairman of the Mercedes-amg Formula One Team. It was in the latter role that he was instrumental in persuading Lewis Hamilton to switch from Mclaren, heralding a period of unprecedented dominance for team and driver.
As part of a continued celebration for Lauda at Goodwood’s headline motorsport events this year, the legendary driver will also be honoured at the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, with various cars from across his racing career taking to the Goodwood Hill.
The Duke of Richmond said: “It’s a privilege to be honouring Niki Lauda at this year’s Members’ Meeting and Festival of Speed.
"The word ‘Icon’ is overused, but Niki was certainly that. He achieved incredible success in everything he did, from driving to team management, and even running an airline, and always on his own terms. It was a pleasure to welcome him to Goodwood, including the final time in 2017, when he joined us for our tribute to his friend Bernie Ecclestone. He was straight talking and irreverent, but also intelligent, charming and funny, and is much-missed by all who knew him. This year’s special moments will pay tribute to his outstanding racing career and celebrate his influence and enduring legacy across the world of motorsport.”
Taking place across the weekend, the Niki Lauda celebration joins alongside the previously announced Canam demonstration, competitive sidecar Shoot-out and full race schedule for the 81st Members’ Meeting. Tickets for the 81st Members’ Meeting – on April 13 and 14 – are exclusively available to Goodwood Road Racing Club Members and Fellows at goodwood.com