Get well soon-Niki Lauda

[Everso Biggyballies]

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[Everso Biggyballies]

Lauda leaves hospital

As mentioned last week that he might be able to leave hospital, Niki has proved us right and been released from intensive care into a rehab hospital to continue his healing.

Wishing him all the best on this next stage of his recovery.

[Antonov]

Niki, always the fighter! Brilliant and happy to read he is recovering.

I know @Everso Biggyballies is also a big fan.
What would you say his best year was, and his worst?

[Everso Biggyballies]

1985 was a bad year, and not a good one results wise, if a little odd. Games at McLaren but who knows.... Ten mechanical DNFs whereas Prost in the sister car suffered just one. Also games by the team with tyres. I know his title was unexpected that year, but with Prost likely to win I recall something along the lines of Posters in Prost side of the garage proclaiming his championship, but Lauda who had qualified way down needed to finish 2nd. He chipped away and with some others (Mansell DNF came home 2nd. He had always said the best race / title wins are when you win by the smallest amount!

The best.... well 1975, the comeback in 1976 were great, but the 3rd title win in 1984 was Lauda at his best.... the drives in the BRM in 1973 where he got noticed by Enzo were quite special at times given the equipment. Especially Monaco IIRC. He qualified an unheard of that year 6th in the BRM and was running in 3rd until his gearbox failed.

[Antonov]

Agreed that he drove poorly in 85.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Now they are suggesting Niki may appear at Abu Dhabi!

Niki Lauda's doctors are not ruling out a return to the F1 paddock for the Mercedes team chairman in time for the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

It emerged this week that, after two months in hospital following a lung transplant, the F1 legend has now left hospital and entered a rehabilitation clinic.

"The engine is humming again, but now we have to work a little bit on the chassis," Lauda's chief doctor, professor Walter Klepetko, smiled.

When asked if a return to the paddock in Abu Dhabi is a possibility, he answered: "That would be great of course, but the most important thing is that the rest of his recovery is very good.

"I don't want to guess. I'm not a clairvoyant.

"But basically the goal is that he gets back to the life he was used to," Dr Klepetko added.

In the paddock in Mexico, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said there is no rush for 69-year-old Lauda to return.

"He has undergone a very difficult procedure and will now work hard in rehab so he is back to his old self," he told Bild newspaper.

"It will take some time, but all of us in the team are looking forward to his return," said Wolff.

https://gpguide.com/News.aspx?articleId ... IgTGF1ZGE=

[Everso Biggyballies]

Sadly Niki Lauda is not in Abu Dhabi for the F1 finale.

He was hoping to attend, bringing with him his Doctor to monitor his health whilst in Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately plans had to be changed.

Not because of any relapses or changes in condition.... more a case of his body is not yet strong enough. Knowing Niki, he would not entertain being pushed around in a wheelchair!

Hopefully we will see him in Australia. The long flight might not be what the Do ordered so we will wait and see.

Earlier, we reported that despite the Mercedes team chairman's closest paddock friends saying Lauda had targeted a comeback, he is in fact not well enough to be in Abu Dhabi.

The 69-year-old had a lung transplant in early August and is currently in rehabilitation after a long stay in hospital.

"He's doing much better, but he just does not yet have the strength to be here," Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko, a close friend of Lauda's, told the German broadcaster RTL.

https://gpguide.com/News.aspx?articleId ... BNYXJrbw==

[Everso Biggyballies]

Lauda returns home from rehab.

A great Christmas present for Niki and his family is the news that he has now been released from rehab, and, has now returned home after a long period in hospital and rehabilitation.

That is the news from Dr Helmut Marko, who is F1 legend Lauda's Austrian countryman and friend.

Red Bull official Marko says Lauda's recovery is going "very well".

"After five months, Niki has finally left the hospital and rehabilitation clinic and is back home," he told Servus TV.

"All his organs are working, now it's time to regain his strength. I am optimistic we will see him back in Australia next March."

Keep fighting Niki, and may your recovery continue to full health shortly.

[caneparo]

Lauda was interviewed by pino allievi on the today issue of gazzetta dello sport
https://www.gazzetta.it/Formula-1/19-12 ... 7066.shtml

[erwin greven]

Dutch and German media reports Lauda is back in hospital.

German
http://www.speedweek.com/formel1/news/1 ... nhaus.html

Austrian
https://www.skysportaustria.at/f1/niki- ... on-im-akh/

[Everso Biggyballies]

Hopefully it is precautionary, for observation and tests, and is nothing too serious. Keep fighting Niki. We need people like you in the pitlane, not the hospital!

[Everso Biggyballies]

Dutch and German media reports Lauda is back in hospital.

Yes confirmed here as well..... it appears he got flu again whilst in Ibiza over Christmas / New Year. Yes he is back in ICU in Austria, but it is precautionary and he may be released in a few days time.

According to OE24, the Mercedes non-executive director became ill during a family holiday in Ibiza over the Christmas/New Year period and is now in the intensive care unit of Vienna AKH.

However, the move appears to be a precautionary one made in light of Lauda’s continuing rehabilitation from the 2018 surgery.

The OE24 report suggests that the 69-year-old could in fact be released from hospital in as little as three to four days.

https://www.speedcafe.com/2019/01/07/re ... -with-flu/

[Antonov]

Get well soon, Niki!
There's been some nasty strains of colds (/influenza) running around here - and I assume in the whole of Europe.
Good that they take all necessary precautions.

Does Lauda have a property in Ibiza?
Can't quite remember where I read it, but after Grand Prix, he and Piquet would race back to the airport to get to Ibiza first.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Yes, Lauda has a property in Ibiza and has done for many years. His ex wife lives on the property as well, and they (Niki's current wife Niki and his ex wife) are the best of friends often at restaurants all together. I have read they even holiday together! Apparently the group holiday includes his ex wife, his two older children (probably in their thirties now) his current wife and his younger twins (probably 5 or 6 y.o. now).
Apparently the ex often looks after the younger children.

He used to live on the coast, on a clifftop, but sold it because it was not children friendly. He has now moved inland and has a 15 acre site. The main house was formerly a hotel, but Lauda spent 5 million euros updating it, and building a separate 5,300-square-foot guesthouse which has five bedrooms and five bathrooms. I guess the ex lives there. He lives with his wife and youngest kids in the 6,500-square-foot fully restored main house. He lives there for 6 months of the year with 6 months in Austria.

This is part of the house!

[Antonov]

you make the whole thing sound as if you are a regular guest, lol.

then again, I think we both share an admiration for Niki.

[Antonov]

Niki is to be dismissed from the hospital within a few days time. The rat certainly is a strong one!

@Everso Biggyballies : any idea how his Austrian home looks like?