Lukas Lauda recently paid homage to the the late Formula 1 legend and his father, Niki Lauda at the Dakar Rally. Lauda will compete in the T3 class for lightweight vehicles, racing a Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo entered by the South Racing Team.
Niki Lauda had clinched the 1984 world championship by just half a point over team-mate Alain Prost at the end of a season full of highs and lows. Lauda, who had previously won the 1975 and 1977 titles for rival Ferrari, won a total of five races in 1984. However, he retired from racing after spending one more season with McLaren in 1985.
Lukas Lauda pays tribute with a custom helmet and livery
Lukas Lauda’s #347 Can-Maverick has been painted in the same color scheme as the 1984 title-winning McLaren MP4/2 in a tribute to Niki Lauda, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 70. It has been noted that in addition to the car, Lukas Lauda has designed a special helmet with the use of red and white colors reminiscent of the Marlboro tobacco advertising from those days.
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Lukas Lauda is gearing up for Dakar Rally
Lukas Lauda has spent majority of his career working as a sports manager and even helped his brother Mathias in going up the racing ladder. However, in recent years, he has competing in cross-country rallying, joining a World Rally-Raid Championship event in Morocco in 2022.
His appearance at the Rally du Maroc in 2023 yielded a promising 13th place finish and served as the ideal preparatory ground for his first Dakar outing.
This racing endeavor is not just a way for Lukas Lauda to pay homage to his father but it conveys a personal objective to grow and want to be the greatest rookie. The most significant race and experience in his life awaits. Similar to his father, he is ready to take on any challenges that come his way.
“The Dakar has always been for me the most important race and adventure, I’ve been watching it since I was a child and it fascinates me. My goal is to learn a lot and try to be the best rookie”.
The current season of the prestigious Dakar Rally has began with its initial stage which consists of a 27-kilometer timed run mostly on the sand. If you’re interested, you can read the full results of Stage 1 below:
