3-time F1 champ Niki Lauda dies

Three-time Formula One champion Niki Lauda, who won two of his titles after a horrific crash that left him with serious burns and went on to become a prominent figure in the aviation industry, died Monday. He was 70.

The Austria Press Agency reported that Lauda’s family said in a statement he “passed away peacefully.”

Lauda won the F1 drivers’ championship in 1975 and 1977 with Ferrari and again in 1984 with McLaren.

In 1976, he was badly burned when he crashed during the German Grand Prix but made an astonishingly fast return to racing just six weeks later.

He won his second championship in 1977 before switching to Brabham and then retiring in 1979 to concentrate on setting up his airline, Lauda Air, declaring that he “didn't want to drive around in circles anymore.”

Lauda came out of retirement in 1982 after a big-money offer from McLaren, reportedly about $3 million a year.

He finished fifth his first year back and 10th in 1983 but came back to win five races and edge teammate Alain Prost for his third title in 1984. He retired for good the next year, saying he needed more time to devote to his airline business.