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Throughout today we're going to be going back through our collection to find the best images we can to tell the story of Niki Lauda and his remarkable career in Formula 1. #RIPNiki 
Niki Lauda was born on the 22nd of February 1949 in Vienna, Austria. Despite his family's disapproval, Lauda went into racing. His first drive in F1 was with the March team after he secured a £30,000 bank loan to buy his way into the team. His first race was the 1971 Austrian GP.
Lauda stayed with March in 1972, although the team's season was rather disastrous. He managed a season's best finish of seventh at the South African GP that year. By the end of the season Lauda took out another bank loan to buy his way into the BRM team for the 1973 season.
For 1973 Lauda drove for the BRM team alongside Clay Regazzoni. Lauda was quick, but the team was in decline, and suffered many DNFs that season. Despite this, Lauda was able to take his first F1 points at the Belgian GP that year. Once again, Lauda would change teams for 1974.
Regazzoni left to rejoin Ferrari in 1974 where team owner Enzo Ferrari asked him what he thought of Lauda. Regazzoni spoke so highly of Lauda that Ferrari promptly signed him, paying him enough to clear his debts. Here's a lighthearted moment of Lauda at the Belgian GP in 1974.
Niki Lauda won the first race of his F1 career, as well as his first win with Ferrari, at the Spanish GP in 1974. Lauda won the race from pole ahead of Regazzoni, leading home a 1-2 for the team. Luca di Montezemolo jumped for joy, greeting him at the finish line.
Lauda's 1975 season started slowly at Ferrari, with him finishing no higher than fifth place in the first four races. He turned it around though, and won four of the next five races. His first World Championship was confirmed with a third place finish at the Italian GP at Monza.
For the 1976 season Lauda was locked into THAT championship battle with McLaren's James Hunt. Lauda dominated the start of the season, winning four of the first six races and finishing second in the others. A second championship looked like a formality, until the German GP...
Lauda initially tried to get the drivers to boycott the German GP, though the suggestion was rejected. During the second lap of the race, he was involved in an accident that caused his Ferrari to catch fire. He suffered severe burns and inhaled toxic gases that damaged his lungs.
Lauda was rushed to hospital in Germany where he was given the last rites. But through sheer determination, he pulled through. During his recovery he had one focus, returning to the cockpit. Defying the odds he was back at Monza just six weeks later, finishing the race in fourth.
Lauda fought valiantly to defend his title over the remaining races of the 1976 season. But in the soaking wet finale at Fuji he famously pulled into the pits and retired due to appalling conditions. Hunt pipped Lauda to the 1976 drivers title by a single point as a result.
Lauda endured a difficult relationship with Ferrari during the 1977 season, despite easily winning the championship through consistency. He announced his decision to quit Ferrari at the season's end, but left earlier after he won the drivers' championship at the United States GP.
Lauda joined Brabham for the 1978 season. The first season of the new partnership included wins in Sweden (with the controversial BT46B fan car) and Monza, but the team lost its way in 1979. By the end of 1979, Lauda, had decided that he'd had enough and walked away from F1.
But Lauda couldn't resist the pull of F1, and came out of retirement for 1982 with McLaren. He soon silenced any doubters, winning third time out on the streets of Long Beach. He would log another victory at Brands Hatch that year, and he took fifth place in the championship.
1983 proved to be a transitional year for the McLaren team, but 1984 was much better for them. Lauda won his third and final world championship that year by just half a point over teammate Alain Prost, due only to half points being awarded for the shortened 1984 Monaco GP.
In 1985, Lauda suffered a string of retirements as Prost built up the momentum that would lead to him securing his first title. At his home race in Austria, Lauda announced that he was retiring at the end of the season before taking his only win of 1985 at the Dutch GP.
Although Lauda would never race again in F1, he stuck around the sport. Taking a consultation role with Ferrari in 1993, becoming the team principal of Jaguar temporarily in 2001, as well as becoming a pundit and commentator for German broadcaster RTL from 1996 onward.
In 2012 Lauda was appointed non-executive chairman of the Mercedes F1 Team. He is credited as the person who persuaded Lewis Hamilton to join the team for 2013, and is recognised as one of the main driving forces behind the domination of Mercedes in the turbo-hybrid era.
Niki Lauda was a true legend of F1. A driver that showed no matter what life throws at you, no matter how bad, you can come back from anything. With three world titles, 171 race starts, and 420.5 career points, it is with great sadness we say auf wiedersehen to Niki. #RIPNiki
