When Niki Lauda Returned from the Flames On August 1, 1976, during the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, Niki Lauda’s Ferrari lost control, struck an embankment, and burst into flames. Trapped in the wreckage, he inhaled toxic fumes and suffered severe burns to his face, scalp, and hands. Several drivers stopped and ran to his aid, pulling him from the burning car — but not before he had been exposed to extreme heat, later estimated at around 800°C. Lauda fell into a coma shortly after the a