Niki Lauda

“I've learnt from my life experience.”

“People say that F1 is blessed with the 'best drivers in the world,' but I want to witness the 'total best drivers in the world,' and this means taking away the elements that make their job easier.”

“In Germany air became generally accepted Berlin in this area. It operated with 45 airplanes within the Low Cost range from Germany, and is one the most successful carriers in Europe.”

“The guest gets at least as much service with us as with some established airline, if not even more. And at by far a favourable price. Thus the passengers remain gladly with us.”

“I want to bring passengers on my airplanes to present to them my product.”

“I hate being famous. You have no freedom. You can't do anything.”

“We have moved away from basic racing, where you see how the drivers fight with the cars to their physical limits and then make mistakes - or not.”

“I always knew about the risks I was taking. Every year, someone you knew was killed racing. You had to ask yourself, do you enjoy driving these cars so much that you're prepared to take that risk?”

“The alliance with air Berlin is attractive for me. I can use the whole sales network of the air Berlin and 24 percent of my own airline at air Berlin sold.”

“People always think that the worst time of my life must have been after the German Grand Prix crash in 1976, which put me in a coma and left me with severe burns. But it wasn't.”

“I like the mode of business of aviation. It's a risky business with difficulties which you can fill with innovative ideas and different things.”

“There is no friendship out there. When you race, you have to fight. That's it.”

“When, after the accident, I came out into the world and people looked at me, they were shocked. It upset me. I thought they were impolite not to hide their negative emotions about my look.”

“Giving up is something a Lauda doesn't do.”

“Vienna is the gate to Eastern Europe.”

“Running an airline is the most difficult job in the world. Racing was more dangerous for my life.”

“There are some good traditions in our culture, one of which is that men dance with women. Soon we will reach the stage where we will all have to publicly apologise for being heterosexual.”