To Hell and Back

Three-times F1 champion and a symbol of extraordinary courage and determination, Niki Lauda died at 70 on 20 May 2019 to an outpouring of tributes from across the world. Lauda's classic autobiography, To Hell and Back, is published again for the first time since its release in 1986, in this special commemorative edition, with an extended post script by Times F1 correspondent Kevin Eason.

Niki Lauda drove a car for sport, but crossed the line between life and death and fought back to even greater glory. Even people who know nothing of Formula One have heard of his crash at Nurburgring in 1976, when we was dragged from the inferno of his Ferrari so badly injured he was given the last rites. Within 33 days, he was racing again at Monza. His wounds bled, he had no eyelids. He was terrified. A year later, he reclaimed his World Championship title.

In To Hell and Back he reveals how he battled fear to stage a comeback that seemed beyond human endurance. Then it's Lauda vs Hunt, an epic rivalry later dramatized in 2013's Hollywood blockbuster Rush , and he looks back on the strict childhood and parental disapproval that he believes gave him an 'addiction to excellence'. There'll never be another like him.

About the Author

Andreas Nikolaus Lauda (22 February 1949 - 20 May 2019) was an Austrian Formula One driver, andthree-time F1 World Champion, winning in 1975, 1977 and 1984. A year later, he retired to pursue his love of flying, starting Lauda Air, among a series of aviation ventures, but Formula One always called. He was back in the sport in 1993 as a consultant for Ferrari before moving on to Jaguar and achieveing unparalleled success in the McLaren team with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.