Mathias Lauda Explained

Mathias Lauda
Nationality: Austrian
Birth Date:1981 1, df=y
Birth Place:Salzburg, Austria
Related To:Niki Lauda (father)
Racing Licence: FIA Silver
Current Series:FIA World Endurance Championship
First Year:2015
Current Team:Aston Martin Racing
Car Number:98
Starts:34
Wins:13
Poles:20
Fastest Laps:1
Best Finish:1st
Year:2017
Prev Series:NASCAR Whelen Euro Series
FIA GT1 World Championship
Porsche Supercup
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
A1 Grand Prix
GP2 Series
International Formula 3000
Euro Formula 3000
World Series Lights
Prev Series Years:2014-16
2012
2010-11
2006-09
2005–06
2005
2004
2004
2002-03

Mathias Lauda (born 30 January 1981) is an Austrian racing driver notable for winning the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship for Aston Martin Racing in the LMGTE Am category.[1] He is the son of the late three-time Formula One world champion Niki Lauda and his first wife, Marlene Knaus. He has a brother, Lukas, who was his manager during his racing career.

Early career

Lauda was born during his father's temporary retirement from F1. Unlike many drivers, who start out in karting, Lauda debuted in 2002 in Formula Nissan 2000, having been forbidden to begin racing by his father until the age of 21.[2] He also drove in two races of German Formula VW and one race of Spanish Formula Three. He moved to World Series Lights in 2003 with the Vergani team, again moving in 2004 to the Euro Formula 3000 Series. Later in 2004 he drove in Formula 3000, completing the full season with the Coloni Motorsport team and finishing 13th in the standings. The following year, the Austrian remained with Coloni alongside former Formula One driver Gianmaria Bruni to drive in the newly-christened GP2 Series, though he would only take a sole points finish — a sixth place in Monaco. He also represented A1 Team Austria in the 2005-06 A1 Grand Prix season.

Touring and sports car career

Lauda decided to turn his attention to touring cars from 2006 onwards, competing in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for Persson Motorsport. After a scoreless debut campaign he moved to Mücke Motorsport in 2007, where two top eight finishes brought him to 15th in the standings. Lauda returned to Persson for the 2008 season, where he took a lone point at the Norisring.[3] After another one-point season in 2009, one which he contested with Mücke, Lauda left the series. He drove in a lone race of the Porsche Supercup in 2010 before embarking on a full-time campaign in 2011 with Konrad Motorsport.[4] He ended the year 12th in the championship.

2012 saw Lauda join Michael Bartels' Vita4One Racing Team in the FIA GT1 World Championship, where he finished 12th in the standings alongside Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof in a BMW Z4 GT3 (Bartels himself finished third that season). In addition, Lauda came third in the 2012 Spa 24 Hours, again in a Vita4One-entered BMW.

After a year out of racing in 2013, Lauda drove for DF1 Racing in the 2014 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, where he won at Tours Speedway in the series's first oval race held in wet conditions. He then raced alongside Freddie Hunt (son of James Hunt, his father's title rival in the 1976 Formula One season) in the MRF Challenge during the winter, where the Austrian won the final Bahrain race. This ended up being a pathway for his career going forward, as the win attracted the attention of fellow racing driver and friend Pedro Lamy, who got Lauda into contact with Aston Martin Racing, whom he would join in the LMGTE Am class of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship as a silver-ranked driver.[5] Along with Lamy and Paul Dalla Lana, Lauda won three races, including his debut appearance at Silverstone, though a non-score at Le Mans prevented the trio from claiming the title — they ended the season third in points.[6] [7]

For 2016, Lauda remained part of the lineup.[8] This time, the season proved to be patchy, as a total of five wins was cancelled out by three retirements, including another one at Le Mans where Lauda suffered a gearbox failure.[9] The trio once again ended the year in third place overall, with a blown engine at the season finale in Bahrain ending their title hunt.[10] Going into their third season as teammates in 2017, Lauda, Lamy, and Dalla Lana laid the groundwork for another championship challenge with a second place in Silverstone, a dominant victory at Spa and a points finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.[11] More podiums followed in the coming three races, bookended by a win in Austin.[12] The team rounded the year off with successive triumphs in China and Bahrain, thereby clinching the LMGTE Am title.[13] [14] With a win at Spa the team began the 2018–19 "Super Season" well, though this would end up being one of just two podium finishes that season, as Lauda and his teammates finished seventh in the teams' standings.

Racing record

Career summary

SeasonSeriesTeamRacesPolesWinsFLapsPodiumsPointsPosition
2002Formula Nissan 2000Epsilon by Graff1400002312th
Spanish Formula Three ChampionshipGTA Motor Competición100000NC
2003World Series LightsVergani Racing160002858th
2004Euro Formula 3000Traini Corse8100199th
International Formula 3000CMS Performance100000513th
2005GP2 SeriesColoni Motorsport230000321st
2005–06A1 Grand PrixA1 Team Austria2000001419th
2006Deutsche Tourenwagen MastersPersson Motorsport100000018th
2007Deutsche Tourenwagen MastersMücke Motorsport100000415th
2008Deutsche Tourenwagen MastersPersson Motorsport110000115th
Speedcar SeriesGPC Squadra Corse40002187th
2008–09Speedcar SeriesPhoenix Racing100000NC
2009Deutsche Tourenwagen MastersMücke Motorsport100000115th
2010Porsche SupercupPorsche AG100000NC
2011Porsche SupercupKonrad Motorsport Austria1100004011th
Volkswagen Scirocco R-CupN/A100000NC†
2012FIA GT1 World ChampionshipVita4One Racing Team1800025612th
Blancpain Endurance Series - GT3 Pro400024511th
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9BMW Team Vita4One10000N/ADNF
Volkswagen Scirocco R-CupN/A100000NC†
2014NASCAR Whelen Euro SeriesDF1 Racing by B66 Raceconsulting1201115239th
ADAC GT MastersHTP Motorsport40000538th
2014–15MRF Challenge Formula 2000MRF Racing81001716th
2015FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE AmAston Martin Racing810161443rd
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am10000N/ANC
United SportsCar Championship - GTLM200005219th
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP910000N/ADNF
NASCAR Whelen Euro SeriesDF1 Racing by B66 Raceconsulting2000014723rd
2016FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE AmAston Martin Racing900061493rd
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am10000N/ADNF
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - GTD200005131st
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP910000N/ADNF
NASCAR Whelen Euro SeriesDF1 Racing200006432nd
2017FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE AmAston Martin Racing910071921st
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am10000N/A8th
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - GTD100001969th
Intercontinental GT ChallengeHTP Motorsport100000NC
2018WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - GTDSquadra Corse Garage Italia200002952nd
Intercontinental GT ChallengeAudi Sport Team WRT10000125th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE AmAston Martin Racing10000N/ADNF
2018–19FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE AmAston Martin Racing80002778th
201924 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE AmAston Martin Racing10000N/ADNF
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - GTDSpirit of Race100001167th
Intercontinental GT Challenge10000434th
2020European Le Mans Series - GTEAston Martin Racing200010NC†
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - GTD100001458th
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance CupJP Motorsport200000NC
† Guest driver ineligible to score points

Complete International Formula 3000 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Complete GP2 Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete A1 Grand Prix results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamCar1234567891011PosPoints
2006Persson MotorsportAMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2004HOC
LAU
OSC
BRH
NOR
NÜR
ZAN
CAT
BUG
HOC
17th0
2007Mücke MotorsportAMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2005HOC
OSC
LAU
BRH
NOR
MUG
ZAN
NÜR
CAT
HOC
15th4
2008Persson MotorsportAMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2007HOC
OSC
MUG
LAU
NOR
ZAN
NÜR
BRH
CAT
BUG
HOC
15th1
2009Mücke MotorsportAMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2008HOC
LAU
NOR
ZAN
OSC
NÜR
BRH
CAT
DIJ
HOC
15th1
Sources:[18]

Complete Porsche Supercup results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeam1234567891011DCPoints
2010Porsche AGBHRBHRCATMONESPSILHOC
HUNSPAMNZNC‡0‡
2011Konrad Motorsport AustriaIST
CAT
MON
NNS
SIL
NÜR
HUN
SPA
MNZ
UAE
UAE
12th40
‡ Not eligible for points for entering as a guest driver.

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

YearEntrantClassCarEngine123456789RankPoints
2015Aston Martin RacingLMGTE AmAston Martin Vantage GTEAston Martin 4.5 L V8SIL
SPA
LMS
NÜR
COA
FUJ
SHA
BHR
3rd144
2016Aston Martin RacingLMGTE AmAston Martin Vantage GTEAston Martin 4.5 L V8SIL
SPA
LMS
NÜR
MEX
COA
FUJ
SHA
BHR
3rd149
2017Aston Martin RacingLMGTE AmAston Martin Vantage GTEAston Martin 4.5 L V8SIL
SPA
LMS
NÜR
MEX
COA
FUJ
SHA
BHR
1st192
2018–19Aston Martin RacingLMGTE AmAston Martin Vantage GTEAston Martin 4.5 L V8SPA
LMS
SIL
FUJ
SHA
SEB
SPA
LMS
8th77
Sources:[19]

24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLaps
2015 Aston Martin Racing Paul Dalla Lana
Pedro Lamy
Aston Martin Vantage GTEGTE
Am
321NCNC
2016 Aston Martin Racing Paul Dalla Lana
Pedro Lamy
Aston Martin Vantage GTEGTE
Am
281DNFDNF
2017 Aston Martin Racing Paul Dalla Lana
Pedro Lamy
Aston Martin Vantage GTEGTE
Am
32936th8th
2018 Aston Martin Racing Paul Dalla Lana
Pedro Lamy
Aston Martin Vantage GTEGTE
Am
92DNFDNF
2019 Aston Martin Racing Paul Dalla Lana
Pedro Lamy
Aston Martin Vantage GTEGTE
Am
87DNFDNF
Sources:[20]

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamClassMakeEngine123456789101112PointsRef
2015Aston Martin RacingGTLMAston Martin Vantage GTEAston Martin 4.5 V8DAY
SEB
LBHLGAWGLMOSELKVIRCOAPET19th52[21]
2016Aston Martin RacingGTDAston Martin Vantage GT3Aston Martin 6.0 V12DAY
SEB
LGAMOSPET28th51[22]
2017Aston Martin RacingGTDAston Martin Vantage GT3Aston Martin 6.0 V12DAY
SEBLBHCOADETWGLMOSLIMELKVIRLGAPET69th19[23]
2018Spirit of RaceGTDFerrari 488 GT3Ferrari F154CB 3.9 Turbo V8DAY
SEB
MDODETWGLMOSLIMELKVIRLGAPET48th29[24]
2019Spirit of RaceGTDFerrari 488 GT3Ferrari F154CB 3.9 Turbo V8 DAY
SEBMDODETWGLMOSLIMELKVIRLGAPET67th11[25]
2020Aston Martin RacingGTDAston Martin Vantage AMR GT3Aston Martin 4.0 L Turbo V8DAY
DAYSEBELKVIRATLMDOCLTPETLGASEB58th14[26]
Source:

Complete European Le Mans Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

As Lauda was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.

NASCAR

(key) (

Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Whelen Euro Series - Elite 1

NASCAR Whelen Euro Series - Elite 1 results
YearTeamNo.Make123456789101112Pts
2014DF1 Racing66ChevroletVAL
VAL
BRH
BRH
TOU
TOU
NÜR
NÜR
UMB
UMB
BUG
BUG
9th523
2015VALVALVENVENBRHBRHTOU
TOU
UMBUMBZOL
ZOL
23rd147
2016VAL
VAL
VENVENBRHBRHTOUTOUADRADRZOLZOL32nd64

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Smith . Luke . 2017-11-20 . Dalla Lana: Long-Awaited First WEC Title Will “Take A While to Sink In” – Sportscar365 . 2024-08-09 . sportscar365.com . en-US.
  2. Web site: 2024-01-22 . "Als Bub war mir der Name Lauda gar nicht recht" . 2024-08-09 . News.at . de.
  3. Web site: 10 March 2008 . 2008 Mercedes drivers confirmed .
  4. News: Wilkinson . Andy . 5 May 2011 . Former DTM racer Mathias Lauda set for Porsche Supercup campaign . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120319005853/http://www.motorstv.com/car/gt/porsche-supercup/05052011/lauda-joins-porsche-supercup-ranks . 19 March 2012 . 5 May 2011 . . LMC.
  5. Web site: Mathias Lauda Is A 2015 Aston Martin Racing ‘Silver Machine’ . 2024-08-09 . www.dailysportscar.com.
  6. Web site: ten Caat . Marcel . 12 April 2015 . AF Corse, AMR Take GTE Victories at Silverstone . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180629050121/https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/af-corse-amr-take-gte-victories-at-silverstone/ . 29 June 2018 . 27 July 2018 . SportsCar365 . dmy-all.
  7. Web site: Lassaux . Jean-Baptiste . 2015-11-23 . FIA WEC – Bertolimi-Shaytar-Basov clinch World Title . 2024-08-09 . Sport-Auto.ch . fr-FR.
  8. Web site: Dagys . John . 4 December 2015 . Dalla Lana Confirms WEC Return, AMR GTD Effort for Daytona, Sebring . 18 December 2015 . SportsCar365.
  9. Web site: Potts . Marcus . Little . Martin . Errity . Stephen . Kilbey . Stephen . 19 June 2016 . Le Mans: 22 Hours Completed, Toyota Nears The Final Hour . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170623193729/http://www.dailysportscar.com/2016/06/19/le-mans-one-hour-to-go-for-toyota.html . 23 June 2017 . 27 August 2018 . DailySportsCar . dmy-all.
  10. Web site: Audi In Control, AF Corse Wins The Am Titles At The Half . 2024-08-09 . www.dailysportscar.com.
  11. Web site: Toyota Finishes 1-2 In 6H Spa . 2024-08-09 . www.dailysportscar.com.
  12. Web site: Kilshaw . Jake . 2017-09-16 . Pier Guidi, Calado Become First Repeat GTE-Pro Winners of Season – Sportscar365 . 2024-08-09 . sportscar365.com . en-US.
  13. Web site: Toyota Wins Season Finale As Class Champions Crowned In Bahrain . 2024-08-09 . www.dailysportscar.com.
  14. Web site: Dagys . John . 2017-11-19 . Bahrain Post-Race Notebook – Sportscar365 . 2024-08-09 . sportscar365.com . en-US.
  15. Web site: Mathias Lauda . 13 March 2024 . Motor Sport.
  16. Web site: Mathias Lauda Results . 13 March 2024 . Motorsport Stats.
  17. Web site: Mathias Lauda – 2005 A1 Grand Prix Results . 13 March 2024 . Racing-Reference . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
  18. Web site: Mathias Lauda race results . 13 March 2024 . TouringCars.net.
  19. Web site: Mathias Lauda . 13 March 2024 . FIA World Endurance Championship.
  20. Web site: Mathias Lauda . 13 March 2024 . Automobile Club de l'Ouest.
  21. Web site: Mathias Lauda – 2015 Tudor United SportsCar Championship Results . 13 March 2024 . Racing-Reference . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
  22. Web site: Mathias Lauda – 2016 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results . 13 March 2024 . Racing-Reference . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
  23. Web site: Mathias Lauda – 2017 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results . 13 March 2024 . Racing-Reference . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
  24. Web site: Mathias Lauda – 2018 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results . 13 March 2024 . Racing-Reference . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
  25. Web site: Mathias Lauda – 2019 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results . 13 March 2024 . Racing-Reference . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.
  26. Web site: Mathias Lauda – 2020 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results . 13 March 2024 . Racing-Reference . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.