The three-time Formula One champion and Lauda’s father, Niki, passed away in January 2019 at the age of 70. The legendary racer passed away on May 20 in Zurich, Switzerland’s University Hospital. According to reports, he died peacefully while sleeping, and his family chose not to disclose the cause of death.
The race car driver has received two successful kidney transplants despite suffering several injuries and once having a crash that almost killed him. His second wife, Birgit, served as the second kidney donor for the late racer, while his brother provided him with a kidney during his 1997 transplant.
While battling lung disease in his latter years, Niki allegedly got a successful lung transplant procedure in 2018 at a facility in Vienna, Austria. The five children Niki had, his widow Birgit, and his ex-wife Marlene all survived him.
