WHO WAS NIKI REALLY?

I thought I knew all there was to know about Niki Lauda. I had witnessed his three world championships, interviewed him several times and benefited from the searing directness of his replies. Here was a man for whom political correctness and public relations dogma were an anathema. When he passed away in May last year, the thought about writing a book on the Austrian’s life never occurred.

Within a matter of days, that perspective was changed by the outpouring of respect and affection evident in tributes from round the world; a genuine surge of emotion for a man who, in truth, was not noted for sentiment. Just as significant, the messages were coming from beyond a motorsport spectrum in which he had created an exceptional reputation as a doughty competitor and a compelling character. It was immediately evident Niki Lauda was a name widely recognised but, paradoxically, comparatively unknown in terms of personal detail. Further investigation showed he had not been the subject of a book in English since in 1987; a revealing autobiographical account of a colourful life up until that point.