What happened to Niki Lauda’s crash?
Trapped inside the burning wreckage of his smashed Ferrari on the Nürburgring circuit, Lauda had been badly scarred and had lost part of his ear to the flames. But the Austrian driver confessed to having no recollection of the crash that almost cost him his life on 1 August 1976. His poorly fitting modified helmet slid of his head during the impact, leaving his face exposed to the fire. Brett Lunger’s car was unable to avoid Lauda’s Ferarri, he colided into the burning car. Lauda was unable to release his seat belt and couldn’t escape the blaze.In the race’s second lap, Lauda lost control of his car and slammed into an embankment. The car burst into flames, and Lauda was pulled from the wreckage, having inhaled noxious gasses.Trapped in his car, Lauda was eventually saved by four drivers whose names are often forgotten: Arturo Merzario, Brett Lunger, Harald Ertl and Guy Edwards.
Who saved Niki Lauda’s life?
Without the help of two drivers, Lauda would certainly have died. Today, we’re delving into one of those two drivers, American Brett Lunger. Lunger, with help from Arturo Merzario, pulled Lauda from the cockpit and helped transport him out of danger. Fellow driver Guy Edwards managed to avoid the blazing wreckage but Harald Ertl and Brett Lunger both hit it. All three drivers raced to the burning Ferrari and, with the help of the Italian driver Arturo Merzario, who also stopped, eventually managed to pull 27-year-old Lauda from his vehicle.
Did Niki Lauda continue racing after his crash?
Just 42 days after his accident Niki Lauda returned to Formula 1 at Monza to finish a heroic 4th. Jules Bianchi is the last Formula 1 driver to lose his life after an accident during competition.