Austrian Formula One legend Niki lauda dies aged 70

Formula One legend Niki Lauda, one of the greatest racing drivers in history has died at age 70, his family has said.

Lauda, who underwent a lung transplant in August, "passed away peacefully" on Monday, his family said.

The legendary Austrian, one of the best-known figures in motor racing took the title for Ferrari in 1975 and 1977 and McLaren in 1984

He died peacefully in his sleep on Monday surrounded by relatives, a family spokeswoman said in a statement.

"His unique achievements as an athlete and entrepreneur are and will remain unforgettable," the statement added.

The racer had long struggled with health problems after a horrific crash during a race more than four decades ago that disfigured him for life.

In 1976, at the Germany Grand Prix in the Nurburgring track, Lauda lost control of his Ferrari car and crashed into a fence at a speed of 200km an hour.

"The impact was so hard that the helmet was ripped off my head," he later said of the crash.

His Ferrari went up in flames, and it took 55 seconds to pull him out of the car. At the hospital, a priest gave him the last rites, in light of his serious burns and a damaged lung.

"But I did not want to die. I wanted to go on living," Lauda said.

A perfectionist and born competitor, Lauda did not only go on living, he went on to compete again - and won multiple times.

Just 42 days after the crash, Lauda was again behind the wheel and took fourth place in the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, ending the championship season as runner-up to British rival James Hunt.

Even more remarkably, he went on to become world champion two more times, in 1977 and 1984, following his first Formula One title in 1975.

"Coming back quickly was part of my strategy of not sitting at home and thinking about why this had happened to me," he said.

Apart from long-term health problems, including two kidney transplants, the crash also left Lauda with his signature red sports cap.

His physiotherapist initially gave it to him to keep his head bandages in place, but he kept wearing it so that people would look him in the eye rather than at his scarred scalp.

By the time the Austrian ended his racing career in 1985, he had competed in 171 Formula One races, winning 25 of them and standing on the podium 54 times.