Three time world champion Nicki Lauda recovering in Austria after surgery on Thursday.
Niki Lauda has had what is being called an emergency lung transplant. This was made necessary by a serious lung illness after a recent infection. Since his accident during the 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, the three-time F1 world champion has had a number of serious health issues including two kidney transplants.
Lauda's lungs were seriously burned in the fire that occurred during that 1976 accident. Due to these burns, he was not expected survive, but shocked his doctors when he went on to complete the 1976 season, coming within just one race of taking the 1976 F1 Championship, returning just three races later.
The 69 year old driving legend's condition is said to be "improving, but is still precarious".
Head of thoracic surgery at the AKH Vienna hospital, Walter Klepetko, said "everything is currently going very well and we are very satisfied". He also confirmed there is no direct link between the transplant and Lauda's 1976 incident, “One can absolutely assume that lung transplantation is not a late consequence of the fire accident,”
I'm sure that I can speak for everybody here at RD wishing Niki Lauda a speedy recovery.
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