Where Is Niki Lauda Wife Birgit Wetzinger Today? Facts About His Family

Birgit Wetzinger is the wife of Niki Lauda, the Formula One racer and aviation entrepreneur.

They were married for many years until her husband left the world during his sleep at age 70. He took his last breath on May 20, 2019, at the University Hospital of Zürich, where he went for dialysis therapy for renal difficulties following his bad health.

According to a statement published on his behalf by his family, he passed away quietly, surrounded by family members.

Her spouse was a businessman who created and operated three airlines. Niki was also a consultant for Scuderia Ferrari and the Jaguar Formula One racing team’s team manager for two years.

Following that, Lauda worked as a commentator for German TV during Grand Prix weekends and served as non-executive chairman of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, which he owned 10% of.

Quick Facts:

Where Is Niki Lauda Wife Birgit Wetzinger Today?

Niki Lauda lived in Vienna, Austria along with his wife Birgit Wetzinger and family before his demise. She and her family might still be living in their family home, as no updates about them have made it to the media.

The race driver’s wife appears to be a strong woman who has been able to pull herself together and live a happy life.

Who Is Birgit Wetzinger?

Born on March 4, 1979, 43 years old Birgit Wetzinger is originally from Vienna, Austria.

Wetzinger is of the Indigenous Austrian legacy and follows Christianity as her religion. She is a former air hostess who became a flight attendant immediately after graduation. She even has an aviation certificate from a local college.

Her then-boyfriend, Niki Lauda, had renal disease and required a transplant less than a year after they began dating. While Niki requested a kidney test from his ex-wife, Marlene, the results were inconclusive.

She cared so much about Niki that she was willing to donate her kidney to him. Later, she requested that her tissue be tested to determine whether she may be a possible donor.

Niki disputed it, but Birgit claimed for three months that she would finally give her kidney to the ex-BMW M1 Procar Championship champion. Following that, the procedure was a success.

The racer’s kidney condition was a long-term result of his 1976 German Grand Prix, Nurburgring accident, in which he received severe burns to his head and lungs. As a result, Lauda had to get two kidney transplants.

Niki Lauda & Birgit Wetzinger’s Married Life

Birgit Witzenger had just turned 29 when the pair met in 2004, but  Niki Lauda was already 59. The racer did not meet Witzenger while traveling, as in the 2013 film.

Instead, the pair met at a party and fell in love, according to Lauda. The racing driver, on the other hand, did take her someplace shortly after their initial meeting.

The pair ran into each other at a party. Witzenger was unfamiliar with Lauda . She mistook him for a tennis player and she worked as a flight attendant for Niki’s airline at the time.

He founded his airline shortly after quitting racing for the second time in 1985. However, the airline ceased operations in April 2013.

In an interview, the racer claimed that he was immediately drawn to Birgit because of her boots. It was the first thing that piqued his attention in her, Niki said.

He said he had no idea Birgit worked for his firm. He proposed to Birgit in a restaurant in Ibiza two months before the wedding.

On August 25, 2008, at half past three p.m., the couple married in front of close family and friends at the Vienna Wahring register office.

On his special day, Lauda wore a red hat and jeans. Among the witnesses are his longtime lawyer and friend Haig Asenbauer, as well as several relatives and friends. Following the wedding, the pair traveled to the Balearic island of Ibiza for a week. 

They had a beautiful married life together and were both fortunate to have found one other as their life partner.

Niki Lauda Had Five Children: Mathias, Lukas, Christoph, Mia, and Max

The family of F1 Racer Niki Lauda is blessed with five children, where 

Mathias Lauda 

Mathias is a racing driver who currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Aston Martin Racing as a factory driver. He is the son of Niki Lauda, and his first wife, Marlene. 

The racer was born during his father’s brief departure from Formula One. Unlike many drivers, he began his career in Formula Nissan 2000 in 2002. Lauda also competed in two German Formula VW races and one Spanish Formula Three event.

Mathias went to World Series Lights with the Vergani team in 2003, then to the Euro Formula 3000 Series in 2004. Later that year, the racer competed in Formula 3000, finishing the season with the Coloni Motorsport team.

He drove for Michael Bartels’ Vita4One Racing Team in the now-defunct FIA GT1 World Championship in 2012, finishing 12th with Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof in a BMW Z4 GT3. He also finished third in the 2012 Spa 24 Hours in a Vita4One-entered BMW.

Lukas Lauda 

Lukas is the first child of Niki Lauda and his first wife, Marlene Knaus. Despite being a celebrity child, Lukas has always kept a low profile when it comes to media appearances. On April 5, 1979, Lukas was born.

He was named after his father, Niki’s best friend Luca Montezemolo. He was the Sporting Director with whom he spent the first two spectacular years of his Ferrari career.

The racing driver’s son is of mixed ethnicity. His father, Niki, was born in Austria, while his mother, Marlene, is of Chilean-Austrian origin. He manages his younger brother, Mathais.

Christoph Lauda 

Christoph is a businessman and celebrity best known as the son of Niki Lauda.

He was born in 1982 in Vienna, Austria, and is of Caucasian descent. Christoph is the son of a famous F1 driver, Andreas Nikolaus ‘Niki’ Lauda (Father), but nothing is known about his mother, who is supposed to have had an affair with Niki in the early 1900s.

Mia Lauda

Mia is an Australian renowned personality and student best known as the daughter of Niki Lauda.

The racing driver’s daughter was born in Vienna, Austria in September 2009 and is of Caucasian origin. Mia is the daughter of Niki (Father) and Birgit Wetzinger (Mom), a former flight attendant in Niki’s firm.

Max Lauda

Max is Mia’s twin brother, born to Niki and Birgit. According to astrology, Max was born under the zodiac sign of Virgo.

There isn’t much public information about him; however, he lives with his mother, Birgit, and twin sister Mia. He enjoys playing with Mia, and they have a strong relationship.

Niki Lauda’s Net Worth: How Rich Was He?

According to Celebritynetworth, Niki Lauda’s net worth is well above $200 million.

When he joined Brabham-Alfa Romeo in 1978, he was offered a $1 million as a yearly salary. After a temporary sabbatical, Niki returned to racing with McLaren in 1982.

The racing driver’s McLaren contract earned him $3 million annually, equivalent to $12 million total over the years.

Career

Niki pulled out a bank loan in 1971 to purchase his way into the Formula Two circuit, and he was quickly promoted to the Formula One squad. In 1973, the racer borrowed money from a bank to join the British Racing Motors (BRM) squad. When he raced in that year’s Monaco Grand Prix, he piqued Enzo Ferrari’s interest and joined the Ferrari team in 1974. 

He finished second in his debut race for Ferrari, the Argentine Grand Prix, and won the Spanish Grand Prix the following year. In 1975, Lauda won four races in the new Ferrari 312T, then finished third in the Italian Grand Prix and first in the US Grand Prix.

He said during practice for the 1979 Canadian Grand Prix that he was no longer interested in continuing “the folly of going around in circles” and would be quitting immediately. After being promised $3 million pay to join the McLaren team, Niki came out of retirement in 1982.

He won the 1982 Long Beach Grand Prix and the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix before breaking his wrist during the 1985 Belgian Grand Prix practice.

He announced his retirement from racing at the end of the 1985 season. After retiring, Niki had non-racing responsibilities with many Formula One teams, including a consultancy post with the Ferrari team in 1993 and a non-executive chairman role with the Mercedes AMG Petronas team in 2012.

He was elected into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1993, and in 2005, the Austrian post office recognized him with a stamp. He was named number 22 on ESPN.com’s list of the greatest 25 drivers of all time in 2008.

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