One of the greatest rivalries on the ground in Formula One was between the Austrian champion Niki Lauda, who passed away at 70 this week and the late British James Hunt.
Niki lauda was a three-time champion Formula One, a pilot who set up two airlines and piloted until he was in his sixties. But it was his rivalry – brought to the big screen in 2013 by Ron Howard in Rush – that showed the world and people who do not follow Formula One with as much dedication as Game of Thrones about just how resilient Niki Lauda was through his recovery after a German Grand Pix accident in 1976.
Some sporting rivalries leave an inspiring mark on people. In tennis, it is, at present, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, both of whom will be remembered by history.
In Formula One, no rivalry will be remembered as much as the one shared by Lauda and Hunt.
Rush, in which Lauda was essayed by Daniel Bruhl was the breakthrough film for Chris Hemsworth, who played his opponent Hunt, but while the film brought Lauda back to the limelight with archival footage showed at the end of the film, it did exaggerate his relationship with Hunt.
What remains true is how he recovered in 40 days after an accident that led to third degree burns; it was as BBC notes, “one of the bravest acts in the history of sport.”
Niki Lauda inspired many films but in the real world, he continued to lead his life with even as his scars made him stand out. “Another 10 seconds and I would have died,” Lauda is quoted saying about the crash that changed both his career and that of James Hunt.
As Rush was released, Lauda said in an interview about Hunt, “He was sober and clean for four years and then had a heart attack. He died too early, too young. I wish he’d been here to see the movie. It would have been the best.”
In person, Lauda could be, as BBC says, “He was a singular personality, brusque and matter of fact, but with a wicked sense of humour and independent mind.”
His accomplishments since Formula One are many but it was his resilience after being dragged out of a burning car and fighting back that made his rivalry with James Hunt one of the greatest in the world. May he rest in peace.
