Niki Lauda: I have a reason to look ugly, most people don't

Niki Lauda shares details of the difficult, initial recovery after his 1976 crash and subsequent skin grafting surgeries. Lauda candidly offers perspective on his burns, why he always wears a hat and his wish to be treated like everyone else.

Episode debuted nationwide in 2017.

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[gutz]

That is not ugly. That is the face of a warrior. A warrior will never be ugly if they fight the good fight.

[Anexis-]

RIP Niki Lauda, truly a legend.

1949 - 2019

[hessianmusicdealer]

His self-confidence is by far the most inspiring thing of him.

R.I.P. Niki...

[jasmijnvenner]

As a reconstructive plastic surgeon, I’m both impressed by the surgical techniques used in 1976 and so glad that reconstructive surgery has come a long way since then. Niki was a legend. I’m so incredibly saddened that he felt ugly.

[firstnamelastname]

In my 20's I worked graveyard shift in a convenience store. One night a guy came in who looked so much worse than Niki. He had no ears, no lips, a piece of his nose, no hair anywhere. He had 80% of his body burned in a horrible house fire and he miraculously lived. He was absolutely unique among all other people I have met in my life. I will never ever forget that man. Not just because of how he looked, but how he spoke so calmly about what happened to him. He was so at peace with his situation. He was really friendly and outgoing, and when he came to the counter to pay for his items, he just started telling me his story. I guess that's a mechanism he developed for getting through life. He knows everyone who sees him immediately knows he had something terrible happen to him and every single person is wondering what happened. So I guess he just decided to tell people as soon as he meets them, even if they don't ask. I chatted with him for maybe 10 or 15 minutes. It's been 20 years and I still think about that guy sometimes.

[futboleroR]

I'm a burn victim. Not of my face but my arm/hand. I will never forget the time a girl I knew looked at my arm for the first time, made a face of disgust, and said "eww". That's just one of the things that will probably haunt me until the day I die. Thanks for sharing your experiences Niki, it educates many people.

[furyofbongos]

Can't think of a more straightforward man.

[michaelweston]

i'm amazed at how well the actor that portrayed him in the movie Rush sounds just like him. he got his speech, tone, inflection, dialect, and mannerisms spot on. decent flick.

[utub]

He doesn't look ugly at all. Minus the ear, he looks completely normal.

[paulposey]

As a burn patient from an incoming rocket in Vietnam I’ll never forgot how I looked. It takes great courage, and great care to return to life. It’s amazing he lived.

[Max-nmpl]

Just met him in Vienna when he was bringing his dog to the vet. Surreal... What a legend!

[andohish]

Daniel Bruhl killed it portraying him in 'Rush'. wow

[shadowfan]

amazing how he won 2 more championships after the pain

[Mozartkugel]

I once flew to Vienna for vacation using Niki Airline. My wife and I found it really funny that they went with this concept all the way since all instructions and even weather infos on the plane were voiced by Niki Lauda himself.
But how would he know the actual current weather situation over the alps? Has he voiced hundreds upon hundreds of weather files to be prepared for every condition?
So it finally dawned on me: The pilot, the guy who‘s flying me and my wife to our honeymoon location was none other than Niki Lauda himself.
And that’s precisely what happened.
He greeted most of the passengers personally when we landed and even took pictures with some and signed tickets and stuff.
What a surreal start to our vacation. What a humble and straight forward strong person this guy was. Truly inspiring what he achieved in life.

[slckby]

RIP Mr Lauda, those scars were testimony of a time when F1 pilots were risking their life on the line at every races.
the man might have passed, but his legend will never die.

[ErikGPL]

I was wondering if he had permanent damage too his lungs, but he looks and sounds healthy. And what a great attitude he has.

[DonLee]

That is a face of a man who defied death and defeated it. Such bravery, such skill, such a legend. As a man, I could only dream being half as cool as he ever was.

[emilybeth]

This guy is not ugly at all. It saddens me that people act ignorant. This guy is a survivor

[brianatonicarys]

Rest in peace Niki. May you continue to race in the afterlife.

[jammer]

He looks phenomenal for going through that accident.