Niki Lauda was one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. He won three world championships and survived a crash that almost killed him. But there is another side to his story that many people don't know much about. That side is his family life, and more specifically, Niki Lauda's wife.
Actually, Niki Lauda didn't just have one wife. He was married twice in his life. Each marriage tells its own story. In this article, we will look at both women who shared his life, what made them special, and how they supported him through some of the hardest moments of his career.
Let's start from the beginning.
Who Was Niki Lauda?
Before we talk about his wives, it helps to know a little about the man himself. Niki Lauda was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1949. He became a racing driver at a young age, even though his wealthy family did not support his choice at first.
Lauda went on to become a three-time Formula One World Champion. He is also remembered for a terrifying crash in 1976, where he suffered severe burns. Amazingly, he returned to racing just weeks later. This comeback made him a legend in the sport, and it's a story that still inspires racing fans today.
Away from the racetrack, Lauda also built a career in aviation. He started his own airline. This is actually where he met one of the women who would become his wife, but we'll get to that soon.
Niki Lauda's First Wife: Marlene Knaus
Niki Lauda's first wife was a woman named Marlene Knaus. The couple got married in 1976, right around the time of his famous crash and comeback. So Marlene was there with him during one of the toughest periods of his life.
Together, Niki and Marlene had two sons. Their names are Mathias and Lukas. Mathias followed in his father's footsteps and became a professional racing driver himself. Lukas took a different path and became his brother's manager, helping guide his career from behind the scenes.
For many years, Marlene stood by Niki's side. She supported him through his recovery and through the ups and downs of his racing life. However, the marriage did not last forever. In 1991, after 15 years together, Niki and Marlene divorced. Reports say the split happened after Niki had an affair, which is a difficult chapter in any marriage story.
After the divorce, Marlene chose to live a quiet, private life. She moved to Ibiza, a peaceful island in Spain, where she has mostly stayed out of the public eye ever since.
A New Chapter: Meeting Birgit Wetzinger
Life moved on for Niki Lauda, and a few years later, he found love again. This time, the woman was Birgit Wetzinger. Interestingly, she was a flight attendant who worked for Lauda's own airline. This is a nice example of how sometimes love shows up in the most unexpected places, even at work.
Niki and Birgit started dating in 2004. Their relationship grew stronger over time, and it would soon be tested in a way that most couples never have to face. But even early on, it was clear that Birgit was someone special in Niki's life.
The Kidney Donation That Changed Everything
In 2005, less than a year into their relationship, Niki faced a serious health problem. He needed a kidney transplant. This wasn't his first health scare either. Years earlier, he had already survived a horrific crash during his Formula One career, an accident so severe that it left him with permanent scars and breathing problems.
Niki first turned to his son Lukas to see if he could donate a kidney. Sadly, the match wasn't right. That's when Birgit stepped in. She asked doctors to test her, hoping she could be a match for the man she loved. As it turned out, she was.
Birgit gave Niki one of her kidneys. This single act said a lot about her character. She wasn't just a girlfriend at that point. She became someone who literally helped save his life. Moments like this often bring couples closer, and that's exactly what happened here.
Niki Lauda and Birgit Wetzinger Get Married
After going through something so life-changing together, it made sense that Niki and Birgit's relationship grew even stronger. In August 2008, the couple got married. At the time, Birgit was 29 years old, while Niki was 59.
A year later, in September 2009, they welcomed twins into their family. They had a son named Max and a daughter named Mia. This must have felt like a whole new beginning for Niki, especially after everything he had already been through in both his racing career and his personal life.
Their story even reached a wider audience later on. The movie Rush, which came out in 2013, retold the story of Niki's rivalry with fellow driver James Hunt during his racing days. It reminded people once again just how dramatic and inspiring his life really was.
Birgit Wetzinger's Own Achievements
Birgit wasn't just known as Niki Lauda's wife. She built her own path too. She had studied art history in Vienna, and this passion for art stayed with her throughout her life.
In 2017, Birgit opened her own art gallery. She founded something called the Birgit Lauda Art Foundation. This gallery focuses on contemporary art and supports both new and established artists from around the world. Her hard work in this space didn't go unnoticed either. In 2018, she won a 4Future Award for her contribution to the arts.
This shows that Birgit was more than just a supportive wife. She had her own goals, talents, and successes, separate from her husband's fame in the world of racing.
Niki Lauda's Legacy and Final Years
Niki Lauda's health remained a challenge throughout his later years. In August 2018, he underwent a double lung transplant. Despite this major surgery, his overall health continued to decline afterward.
On May 20, 2019, Niki Lauda passed away in Zürich, Switzerland, at the age of 70. Birgit remained by his side until the very end, just as she had been since the day she helped save his life. Their relationship, built on both love and true sacrifice, remains one of the most touching parts of his story.
Throughout his career, Niki also worked with famous teams like Ferrari, which further shaped his legacy in motorsport history.
Final Thoughts
Niki Lauda's life was full of drama, both on and off the racetrack. His two marriages, first to Marlene Knaus and then to Birgit Wetzinger, each played an important part in shaping who he was.
Marlene stood by him during his early racing years and the birth of his first crash comeback story. Birgit, on the other hand, quite literally gave him a second chance at life through her kidney donation, before becoming his loving wife and the mother of his twins.
Together, their stories remind us that behind every great sports legend, like those celebrated across the history of motorsport racing, there are often people whose quiet support and sacrifice never make the headlines, but matter just as much as the trophies.