AUSTRIA'S NIKI LAUDA : ''F1 LEGEND DIES''

VIENNA : Legendary Formula One driver Niki Lauda dies at the age of 70, his family said on Tuesday, triggering an outpouring of praise for a man whose track victories and comeback from a horrific crash enthralled race fans worldwide.

Laude died at the University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland on Monday night surrounded by his closest family members, a spokesperson told AFP.

His death comes eight months after he underwent a lung transplant. The family said in a statement that Lauda died peacefully.

''His unique achievements as an athlete and entrepreneur are and will remain unforgettable, his tireless zest for action, his straightforwardness  and his courage remain,'' it said.

''A role model and a benchmark for all of us, he was a loving and caring husband, father and grandfather away from the public, and he will be missed.''

Lauda won the  Formula One drivers' world championship three times, in 1975 and 1977 for Ferrari and in 1984 with McLaren, despite a terrible race crash in 1976.

An Austrian news report said Lauda   -who has kidney transplants   -was hospitalised for a dialysis earlier this month in Switzerland.

Lauda had been  non-executive chairman at Mercedes F1 since 2012 and he was instrumental in bringing in British driver Lewis Hamilton to spark a run of success that has brought five consecutive world drivers' and constructors' championships.

Lauda was born as Andreas  Nilolaus on February 22, 1949, in Vienna, in Vienna into an upper middleclass family, who did not share his passions for cars.

In 1968, without telling his parents, Lauda won his first race with a Mini Racer he had bought with his grandmother's help.

During his driving career, Lauda suffered horrific injuries on August 1, 1976 when, having already won five races that season, his vehicle burst into flames on the Nuerburgring in Germany.

He had severe burns to his face and hands, and inhaled toxic fumes which damaged his lungs. [AFP]