{"id":120392,"date":"2025-09-07T08:20:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T08:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/120392\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T08:20:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T08:20:10","slug":"niki-laudas-first-f1-title-50-years-ago-in-his-own-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/120392\/","title":{"rendered":"Niki Lauda\u2019s first F1 title 50 years ago, in his own words"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fifty years ago on this day, Niki Lauda<\/a> won his first Formula 1 world title with third place in Monza. The tifosi celebrated their hero, with Clay Regazzoni giving them a home victory as the cherry on the cake.<\/p>\n

In 1975, Lauda and Ferrari<\/a> set new standards in Formula 1. The Austrian ended an 11-year title drought for the Scuderia and laid the foundation for a new era of success, which is not dissimilar to the Michael Schumacher<\/a> times.<\/p>\n

Yet, Lauda didn\u2019t feel sentimental about it. Asked about his revolutionary 312 T, he admitted: \u201cI don\u2019t even remember it anymore, if you ask me today.\u201d Then, curiosity got the better of him: \u201cHow many races did I win?\u201d The answer: five grands prix, and no fewer than nine pole positions in just 14 races.<\/p>\n

His sparring partner: Clay Regazzoni
\n \"Clay <\/p>\n

Clay Regazzoni, Niki Lauda, Ferrari 312B3-74<\/p>\n

Photo by: Bernard Cahier \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lauda joined Ferrari in 1974, taking fourth place in the championship with two victories as team-mate Clay Regazzoni lost the title to McLaren<\/a>\u2019s Emerson Fittipaldi by just three points. Lauda had proved to be extremely quick, but still error-prone.<\/p>\n

Regazzoni had recommended Lauda to Enzo Ferrari, allowing him to pay off the loan he had taken to finance his early F1 career, and the Austrian remembers his peer fondly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I did everything right, I was quicker than him,\u201d Lauda recalled. \u201cHe was a good team-mate because he pushed me enough to reach my peak performance. Without him, I\u2019d have only been good, especially at Ferrari, where politics played a huge role.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1974, the man with the moustache still had the upper hand, but Lauda was already chipping away at his number-one status.<\/p>\n

The young strategist: Luca di Montezemolo
\n \"Niki <\/p>\n

Niki Lauda and Luca Di Montezemolo<\/p>\n

Photo by: Sutton Images<\/p>\n

The Scuderia was run by a 27-year-old newcomer, Luca di Montezemolo, who was barely older than Lauda and a whopping eight years younger than Regazzoni.<\/p>\n

Di Montezemolo sometimes missed the mark, Lauda remembered: \u201cLuca was inexperienced at first, but strategically strong \u2013 though he made mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the 1970s, Formula 1 polesitters could still choose which side of the grid to start from. When Lauda set the fastest time at the 1974 Monaco GP ahead of Regazzoni, he was stunned to find himself on the left-hand side of the grid.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was Montezemolo, because he realized [Ronnie] Peterson was behind me,\u201d he explained. \u201cAnd since Peterson was a danger, he put me on the left to block an attack.\u201d When Regazzoni took the lead at the start, Lauda was furious: \u201cLuca must have been crazy. All due respect, but that was my pole position!\u201d<\/p>\n

Lauda pushed Regazzoni so hard that the Swiss driver crashed out of the race, before he retired too with an electrical failure. \u201cSo we both lost the race. And I told Luca: \u2018See? That was completely unnecessary!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Lauda\u2019s 1975 false start<\/p>\n

Lauda managed no better than sixth and fifth in the opening two rounds with the old 312 B3, then crashed the new 312 T on its free practice debut at Kyalami, taking a lackluster fifth position in the race.<\/p>\n

Ferrari came under fire from the Italian press, but Lauda suspected something was wrong with the new car and demanded it be tested against the old model at Fiorano. Engineers discovered a loose belt in the fuel-metering unit, which accounted for an 80hp loss at Kyalami.<\/p>\n

The technical genius: Mauro Forghieri
\n \"Niki <\/p>\n

Niki Lauda, Ferrari 312T, Mauro Forghieri (ITA) Ferrari Designer<\/p>\n

Photo by: David Phipps<\/p>\n

Ferrari\u2019s brilliant chief engineer Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Lauda\u2019s success in 1975, with the revolutionary transverse-mounted seven-speed gearbox positioned ahead of the rear axle, which greatly improved the car\u2019s balance.<\/p>\n

Lauda\u2019s technical acumen and meticulous approach were already renowned at the time, and he made a point of testing his car as often as possible, making the most of Ferrari\u2019s Fiorano track \u2013 just like Schumacher a couple of decades later.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the most important things at Fiorano was that you could drive every day and improve the car,\u201d he recalled. \u201cOther teams only had access to race tracks that didn\u2019t even belong to them. But we could develop constantly, and that gave us a huge advantage. The harder we worked, the faster we progressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lauda and the Commendatore: \u201cQuanti punti?\u201d \u201cNove!\u201d
\n \"Enzo <\/p>\n

Enzo Ferrari with Niki Lauda, Ferrari<\/p>\n

Photo by: Ercole Colombo<\/p>\n

Legendary team boss Enzo Ferrari watched Lauda closely. \u201cWhenever I finished and was about to leave, the Old Man would ask \u2018Quanti punti?\u2019 [\u2018How many points?\u2019], and I\u2019d say \u2018Nove\u2019 [\u2018Nine\u2019]. He was happy, and I was off. That was his expectation: win and score nine points. It became a catchphrase back then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why did Ferrari respect him so much? \u201cHe liked my straightforward manner,\u201d Lauda reckoned. \u201cHe was more emotional with other drivers \u2013 celebrated them when they won, destroyed them when they didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there were very few he genuinely liked. Gilles Villeneuve<\/a> was certainly one of them, because of his aggressive style. I was one in a different way, because I wanted to get the technology right so that his Ferrari would win in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

A kiss for a princess
\n \"HSH <\/p>\n

HSH Princess Grace and Niki Lauda, 1st position, on the podium<\/p>\n

Photo by: Ercole Colombo<\/p>\n

Lauda\u2019s breakthrough came on the streets of Monaco in what he called the toughest race of his career. He took a stunning pole position six tenths clear of Shadow\u2019s Tom Pryce \u2013 which left him shaking, so hard did he push.<\/p>\n

While numerous crashes happened in the wet race, Lauda had an oil pressure issue and had to defend desperately from Emerson Fittipaldi, with the contest fortunately cut three laps short; he ended Ferrari\u2019s two-decade winless streak in the Principality.<\/p>\n

Race winner Lauda kissed Grace Kelly\u2019s hand as he greeted the Princess of Monaco on the podium, which caused a baffling\u00a0\u2013\u00a0 from his point of view\u00a0\u2013\u00a0controversy.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt home I was taught you kiss a lady\u2019s hand \u2013 especially her, Grace Kelly, the sovereign here in Monaco. For me it was obvious,\u201d he said matter-of-factly. \u201cBut the whole world was astonished.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flirting with death at the Nordschleife
\n \"Niki <\/p>\n

Niki Lauda, Ferrari 312T<\/p>\n

Photo by: Rainer Schlegelmilch \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

At the fearsome circuit that would nearly claim his life one year later, Lauda set a new track record with the very first lap under seven minutes, in 6m58.6s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said then that I\u2019d never achieve that again in my life. It was an incredible lap, a challenge to the very end \u2013 absolute maximum risk,\u201d Lauda recalled, adding: \u201cI knew if I tried that once more, I\u2019d die. So I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

World championship glory on Ferrari\u2019s turf<\/p>\n

Lauda had a first shot at winning the title at Monza \u2013 the track where he would make a sensational comeback after his Nurburgring crash a year later.<\/p>\n

All the Ferrari driver needed was fifth place, after Fittipaldi failed to score in the previous two rounds.<\/p>\n

\"Niki <\/p>\n

Niki Lauda, Ferrari 312T, Jim Crawford, Lotus 72E Ford<\/p>\n

Photo by: LAT Images<\/p>\n

Starting from pole position, Lauda tucked in behind the sister car of Regazzoni \u2013 who was still mathematically in contention \u2013 and avoided any risk. \u201cI don\u2019t think I let him past, I think he just overtook me,\u201d Lauda reflected. \u201cBut my goal was to win the championship. So I wasn\u2019t going to risk anything for the race win \u2013 I just needed to bring the points home.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a perfect result for Ferrari: Regazzoni delivered a home win for the tifosi, while newly crowned Lauda joined him on the podium in third. His first words as a world champion? \u201cI think the rear-left shock absorber is broken.\u201d Typical Lauda \u2013 described by one newspaper as a \u201crobot with a heart\u201d.<\/p>\n

As composed as Lauda was in the race, the ensuing chaos overwhelmed him. Mounted Carabinieri had to escort him to the podium through the frenzied crowd. When reporter Heinz Prueller asked how he was feeling in the paddock, a pale Lauda replied: \u201cFrightened, at the moment. On the way, one of the horses lashed out, stamping just two centimetres from my thin racing shoes.\u201d His only thought: \u201cTo get out of this in one piece.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Podium: <\/p>\n

Podium: third place Niki Lauda, Ferrari<\/p>\n

Photo by: LAT Images<\/p>\n

And yet he would later describe it as \u201cthe most beautiful day\u201d of his life. No wonder, for this triumph was the reward for years of struggle, after he defied financial hardship and his family\u2019s reluctance to push through a racing career.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t plan when or how you move forward during that phase,\u201d he said of his tough early years. \u201cThat depends on so many factors. Which means the first world championship you win is the hardest of all, because the journey begins back in Formula 3. When you win it, you know you finally have the result to show for everything you\u2019ve done from the beginning until now. That\u2019s why it\u2019s the most important of all.\u201d<\/p>\n

From that point onward, he said, everything becomes easier, no matter the circumstances: \u201cBecause you\u2019ve already proved you can do it. Then you have the confidence \u2013 you\u2019re a world champion. That\u2019s why the second and third titles are easier. The first is always the hardest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why Lauda never owned his title-winning Ferrari<\/p>\n

Lauda did not linger in euphoria when he took the 1975 crown. He tried to persuade Enzo Ferrari, who gave him little recognition for the success (\u201cNo, no, he was shy,\u201d Lauda nuanced), to sell him his title-winning car at a favourable price. But as soon as testing began with the new car for 1976, the old machine no longer interested the champion.<\/p>\n

\"Niki <\/p>\n

Niki Lauda, Ferrari 312T<\/p>\n

Photo by: Sutton Images<\/p>\n

Lauda went on to lose the 1976 championship to Hunt, withdrawing from the title-decider in torrential rain at Fuji.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t lose in 1976 because of Japan, but because of the fire accident,\u201d he clarified. \u201cSometimes I\u2019m amazed how people sugarcoat it. That\u2019s nonsense. Without the crash and the three races I missed, I\u2019d have been world champion.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut my run with Ferrari in \u201975, \u201976, \u201977 \u2013 when you put it together, I could have been champion three times. Not bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

In this article<\/p>\n

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