lukas lauda

Hailing from Austria, Lukas Lauda is a well-known manager specializing in car racing. He gained his fame as the son of the late Niki Lauda, one of the most respected Formula One racers.

His father, Niki, was the only racer ever to become a champion for both McLaren and Ferrari in the history of F1. Additionally, he became a 'Three-Time World Champion' of the F1 Championship.

He Is The First Son Of Niki Lauda

Lukas Lauda was born in 1979 in Salzburg. He is the first son of Niki Lauda and Marlene Knaus, a gorgeous model of the 60s. Two years later, in 1981, his younger brother Mathias Lauda was born.

In addition, he also has two other half-siblings: Max Lauda and Mia Lauda. They were born to Birgit Wetzinger, a flight attendant who worked at Niki's company.

Does Lukas Lauda Have A Wife?

As of now, Lukas is single at the moment and has not been seen with anyone. It seems that he is not interested in making a relationship for the time being. Also, there is not any clue regarding his past relationship or affairs. 

On the other hand, his brother Mathias Lauda married his long-time girlfriend, Claire Lauda, in 2013. Together, they gave given birth to Lenny and Ellison in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

How Much Was Niki Lauda's Net Worth?

The late three-time world champion Nikki had a total net worth of approximately $200 million. He earned that colossal sum of money from his racing career. 

As for his business ventures, he opened up Lauda Air in the late 70s, which he sold in 1999. Then in 2011, he merged his other airline with Air Berlin. Then five years later, he bought Amira Air, which he renamed Laudamotion GmbH. All of these contributed massively to his net worth.

Lukas's Younger Brother Is A Racer

Lukas's younger brother, Mathias Lauda, is a racing driver competing in FIA World Endurance Championship. He is part of the team of Aston Martin Racing and is a factory-backed driver.

He first debuted in Formula Nissa 2000 in the year 2002. Since then, Mathias has participated in many popular championships, such as the GP2 series, A1 Grand Prix, GT1 World Championship, and many more.

An interesting fact is that Lukas is now acting as the manager of Mathias Lauda.

His Great Grand-Father Was Also An Influential Figure

Lukas's great-grandfather, Hans Lauda, was a veteran of World War I, where he served in the artillery division. He was also the general manager of Veitscher and built his papermaking empire over there.

After the end of World War II, Hans co-founded the Federation of Austrian Industries, which is an independent representation of Austrian industries. Even though it was founded almost a century ago, it still remains active to this day.

Unfortunately, Hans Lauda passed away even before Lukas was born. He died on January 21, 1974, in Vienna, Austria.

How Was The Relationship Between Lukas's Parents?

Lukas Lauda's parents, Niki Lauda and Marlene Knaus, married in the year 1976. Even before marriage, she was a huge fan of the Austrian racer, and reportedly she once fainted when she saw Niki's accident at German Grand Prix.

Sadly the pair separated after staying as a married couple for fifteen long years. However, they continued to have close relations with each other until Niki's death.

His Father Had A Son From Extramarital Affair

Apart from four official children, Nikki got an additional son, Christoph Lauda, from an extramarital affair that he had at the time. He was born in 1982 as the son of Nikki, but his mother's identity is still a mystery.

The scandal got a lot of media attention at that time. Despite such happenings, his then-wife, Marlene, still supported and stood beside him.

Lukas's Father Had Two Wives

Birgit Wetzinger was the second wife of Niki Lauda. She previously worked as a flight attendant before they first started dating in 2004. When Niki suffered from kidney failure in 2005, Birgit didn't hesitate to donate one of her kidneys, proving her love despite the thirty years age difference.

The couple got married in 2008 and has since birthed a twin son and daughter. The twin: Max and Mia, were born on September 2009.

Niki's F1 Battle Was Adapted Into A Movie

What set Niki apart from others was an adaptation of his 1976 F1 battle between him and James Hunt into the movie Rush. The content was obviously dramatized for the sake of entertaining the audience.

The Rush film was released in 2013 and grossed just a little under $100 million. It even got a nomination for a BAFTA Film Award.

Lucas's Father Died Because Of A Kidney Problem

Niki left the earth on May 20, 2019, while he was asleep at the University Hospital of Zurich. He was undergoing treatment for his kidney problems when he was on his deathbed there. He was buried with full state honors wearing his Ferrari racing suit. 

Many famous F1 figures, such as Jean Alesi, Jackie Stewart, Gerhard Berger, and various others, attended his funeral at St. Stephen's Cathedral. Even the Austrian president Alexander Van der Bellen attended his funeral, which goes to show how much he was respected.

There was a moment of silence for Niki's death in the press conference before the Monaco Grand Prix in 2019. There were even teams who painted their vehicles halo red in remembrance of Niki. 

As per The Sun, the city has offered Niki a 'Grave of Honour' in Vienna Central Cemetery, where prominent figures like Beethoven lie buried. The family hasn't decided on what to do, but for now, he peacefully rests at the Heiligenstadt Cemetery.

More About Lukas's Late Father

Niki Lauda or Andreas Nikolaus Lauda, was born on February 22, 1949 in Vienna, Austria. He had a wealthy family at the time who produced papers. His family disapproved of the racing career that he had chosen, but he still walked down his chosen career. 

After becoming a racing driver, he became very successful in the field, having won multiple titles. Apart from racing, he also involved himself in the aviation industry, opening the Lauda Air in April of 1979. 

Unfortunately, the airline ceased its operations on April 6, 2013, and was instead replaced by Austrian myHoliday.

His Father's Outstanding Achievements

Niki first started out racing in a Mini, but he later moved on to Formula Volkswagen, then to private Chevron and Porsche. Since then, he has gotten many achievements worthy of calling him one of the greatest racers in the world.

He got his first victory in 1974 at a Grand Prix. The next year, he won four Ferrari 312T securing him the first World Championship. Then he went on to easily secure his second World Championship in 1977. 

Similarly, in 1984, he got his third World Championship by just half a point which was a very close call. Niki didn't lose his touch even after winning three championships and was mostly placed pretty high up in the league table.

      For more interesting bio, visit MarriedCeleb.