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Wednesday in Vienna was a very sad day for Austria and the world of motorsport as Niki Lauda's funeral took place. St. Stephen's Cathedral hosted the funeral for the three time world champion who was believed to be buried in his Ferrari race suit.
Lauda's colleague at Mercedes Lewis Hamilton was one of the many recognised faces to attend the Austrian's funeral. Hamilton looked downcast as the 34-year-old said goodbye to a very close friend that he had worked with for the past six years.
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff was in attendance on Wednesday and so was Hamilton's ex-team mate Nico Rosberg.
Members off the F1 track including Austrian actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen were there to say a few words at the service. Lauda passed away last week at the age of 70 just nine months after receiving a lung transplant.
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The three time world champion will be mostly remembered for the horrific crash back in 1976 at the Nurburgring circuit for the German Grand Prix. The fire from the crash left Lauda with life changing burns.
The 1976 championship displayed arguably the biggest rivalry in F1 between Lauda and James Hunt. A championship that was eventually won by the Briton. Lauda returned to the track just 39 days after a crash that could have easily killed him. The following season, Lauda won his second F1 world championship marking one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all time.
Lauda's family released a statement last week to announce his death,
With deep sadness, we announce that our beloved Niki has peacefully passed away with his family on Monday.
His unique achievements as an athlete and entrepreneur are and will remain unforgettable, his tireless zest for action, his straightforwardness and his courage remain.
They further added,
A role model and a benchmark for all of us, he was a loving and caring husband, father and grandfather away from the public, and he will be missed.’
What was your favourite Niki Lauda moment? Comment below...
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